The Hermetic Tarot Cards – May 23, 2006

You can see the inspirations from Aleister Crowley and Arthur Edward Waite, but I'm happy to report that this isn't a clone of either deck. You can definitely tell Godfrey Dowson made up his own interpretations of the workings of the Golden Dawn. This easily reached the top three favorites of mine that I use on a daily basis.The art, in my opinion, is pretty awful, but I'm more about practicality than beauty when it comes to tarot: there's a million beautiful decks out there but they're all Waite clones so they don't mean anything. Rarely does anyone create a deck from scratch and sell that, rarer still it's beautiful. These cards are easy for me to read and interpret. They give off a pleasant energy, like a dear old friend you've known your whole life. This deck feels reliable and kind.I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get into tarot, although this might be a bit more advanced for some. You do need to study the Golden Dawn, or at the very least get familiar with alchemical elements, astrology, and the kabbalah, even at a cursory understanding (not that I'm saying it's easy, lol, as it is a secret order, but there's plenty of resources out there that touch on such teachings. Lon Milo DuQuette would be an easier place to start). This deck doesn't hold your hand as much as Waite's version does, as the pips don't include humans, but the actions of the hands in each give you a good starting point. I like the court cards, as each king, knight, princess and queen are surrounded by symbolism that makes it way easier to understand than Waite's version, which is sick with "man sitting on throne" syndrome, with not much indication of who he or she is.As for the physical aspect to this deck, I love how smooth they are. Incredibly easy to shuffle. And just the right size for my small hands. Cards pop out with ease.Update Sept 1 2024: I've returned to tell you that this is my favorite deck. I don't even use my other decks anymore because this one is just that good. I love how unique it is and how much depth it has within. Every pip tells you what sign and planet it's associated with which, from even just an astrological point of view, makes it easy to understand. Every court card, minus the princesses, include what zodiac sign it corresponds with, which provides an extra layer of information for the reader. This deck feels as though it doesn't hold anything back from you. If anything is hidden, it's in plain sight. All you have to do is study it.The little booklet it came with is helpful, but personally, I'd rather have a fully fleshed out book to explain what's going on. I like keywords for quick reference, but sometimes a card stumps me and I need some help.I'm Hellenic pagan. This deck is kabbalistic, which is Jewish. So the Hebrew within and the sephiroth pass over my head, even if I've studied them a little bit. Even if "Hermetic" is tied to the God Hermes, there's nothing very Greek about the deck, other than the Magician, which features Hermes. Despite that, it feels like this deck speaks of a God I don't interact with, which makes me not want to study further than I already have. So I mostly rely on my intuition from the images, as well as my knowledge on astrology. I see my Gods within this deck in some aspects, so I don't feel like I'm completely in a foreign land. Hermeticism is based on Hermes' teachings, I understand that, but with all the Hebrew and kabbalistic symbolism, it feels more like a Jewish study of Hermes, not so much a worship of Hermes. I do feel his presence in the deck, however, and I think that's how it's my go-to deck.I wouldn't want to use any other deck because most decks just lack depth or there's a weird political undertone to it that pulls me out of my emersion completely. Tarot is beyond human affairs, so including politics defeats the purpose. The hermetic tarot takes itself seriously and focuses squarely on the divine and our spiritual path. It makes me think inward in such a way that no other deck has accomplished.

This is one of the most exciting “package day” moments in my life! I have waited two years to purchase this deck, being that I was a beginner and this deck is NOT FOR BEGINNERS. Two of the cards has a different name than the Rider-Waite deck- the world card is the universe, the strength card is fortitude, and... there’s not a page of each suit, but a princess instead. Several of the cards have the same names but an added word, such as the Judgement card, it’s the LAST judgement. The fool card is the FOOLISH MAN. The tower card is the BLASTED tower. The names of the cards being different, other than possibly the Princesses and the Fortitude, shouldn’t affect your ability to read the cards.The cards do have one thing to help with knowing which sign the card represents, which I thought was helpful. The sign’s symbol will be on the card. In the left hand corner of the major arcana cards, you’ll see a designated letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There’s so much symbolism in this deck, which gives a more in-depth, accurate reading. Speaking of ease in this deck, the booklet is PACKED FULL OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION that will help you understand the cards. I was surprised to find this valuable information. I am at the beginning of the booklet, but I already learned so much. The Tree of Life diagram is on page 70 though, not page 72. The booklet only has 70 pages. That was one of two misprints I have already found, but trust me, you can overlook that. I am just starting page 17, the major arcana cards, so once I am done with this booklet, I’ll be sure to update my review. Not only does the booklet teach you how to use this deck, it also teaches you how to read tarot PERIOD. Pages 64-69 show you how to do a Celtic Cross spread. This is a must have deck to add to your collection. You will not regret it! Oh, and my deck was wrapped with clear wrap, like a deck of playing cards, and inside the deck, the actual cards and booklet were wrapped too, giving them plenty of protection.I am actually going to do a reading before I finish the booklet, because I’m too excited not to, lol, and when I gathered the cards to shuffle, I remembered to mention that each of the cards has a description at the bottom. I mentioned the Hebrew letter on each of the major arcana cards, but notice the elements on the tops of the court cards. The suits of the minor arcana shows symbols for the planet and sign for each of the cards. You’ll see what I’m referring to in the three cards in the photo that’s one before the last.1.) In the LOVERS CARD, notice the symbol to the left (top), the Hebrew letter V(there’s 22 in the diagram of the Tree of Life on page 70). The letter you’d have to look up to match the word in the diagram, unless it’s later mentioned. UPDATE: I SCREENSHOT THE PHOTO I FOUND ON PINTEREST THAT INCLUDES THE HEBREW LETTERS. The right side has the number of the card. You’ll see that this card has the Gemini symbol under the serpent’s mouth. Refer to the first page for symbols. There’s other symbols you’ll find in reference books, which I plan to purchase. At the bottom of the card, the description says CHILDREN OF THE BOICE DEVINE.2.) The KNIGHT OF PENTACLES card has two symbols at the top. You probably already know those stand for elements- fire and earth. In the middle of the card, the first symbol looks like Leo, but it’s North Node and the second one is Virgo, which is interesting. You’ll see that the description says LORD OF THE WILD AND FERTILE LAND.3.) the TEN OF WANDS card has no symbols at the top, because it’s a card in the suits of the minor arcana. The symbol below that area, in the middle, means SATURN. I do not know what the words on either side say/mean. The symbol straight below Saturn, close to the bottom of the card, is Sagittarius, my moon sign. The description says LORD OF OPPRESSION.I HAVE NOTICED THE SYMBOL,ON ALL OF THE CARDS, THAT RESEMBLES THE SATURN SYMBOL, BUT NOT CAME ACROSS THE SYMBOL ANYWHERE YET, TO SAY WHAT IT IS OR MEANS...YET. I WILL CONTINUE TO UDDATE MY REVIEW TO HELP THOSE WANTING TO PURCHASE THE DECK, AND ONES THAT NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING THEIR DECK. Plus, it helps me learn as I study to depict the information for this review.The Major Arcana Cards, if you can’t read the numbers in Roman numerals:0 The Foolish Man1 The Magician2 The High Priestess3 The Empress4 The Emperor5 The Hierophant6 The Lovers7 The Chariot8 Fortitude9 The Hermit10 The Wheel of Fortune11 Justice12 The Hanged Man13 Death14 Temperance15 The Devil16 The Blasted Tower17 The Star18 The Moon19 The Sun20 The Last Judgement21 The Universe

The Hermetic Tarot deck is rich in occult symbolism. It's a great deck, and is worth having in your collection, but probably isn't the best deck for a newcomer to tarot. The deck is illustrated in black and white.