Initiatory Golden Dawn Tarot Deck Cards – September 8, 2008

From a cursory review of the market, it would seem there are almost as many Tarot decks out there as there are people seeking them. Thus, the process of selecting one's Tarot should be gradual and painstaking, analogous to the selection of a therapist, lawyer, confidante, or even a religion. Often, one cannot describe adequately the sensation of "fit;" one simply knows that the particular person, entity, or deck speaks at a level deeper than mere words.So it is with the "Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn." I cannot adequately describe why I have chosen this deck; or better, why it has chosen me. The symbolism is profound; the "fit" cannot be denied. And though there are other Golden Dawn tarot decks available (most notably the work of Robert Wang and the "hermetic" tarot of Godfrey Dowson), this particular deck embodies better than any other that I have seen the "Great Work" of the Golden Dawn, and of hermetic thought in general: the transformation of the individual.Viewed in this light, Tarot is not merely a tool of divination, or a cheap party game of fortune telling. It lays out in deep symbolism the soul's journey, from the moment it recognizes itself as an entity, to self-actualization, that time when the soul is able to fulfill the measure of its creation and find joy therein. While modern research has disproved the notion that Tarot came from ancient Egypt, it still has a 600-year pedigree in Western esoteric thought. Tarot would have long since perished, but for the undeniable fact that it fills a deep human need. Many writers have taken a page from Jung and articulated the Tarot's symbolism and relevance to postmodern humanity. No deck I have seen better accomplishes that feat than this one.I must admit a certain reluctance to anything bearing the Llewellyn mark; too often Llewellyn markets "fluffy bunny" New Ageism at its most trite. But nothing could be further from the truth here. Not only is the artwork gorgeous, the accompanying essay from Giordano Berti provides a succinct history of Tarot within the Golden Dawn tradition, particularly in the pioneering work of Samuel L. M. Mathers. Berti's brief but solid interpretive notes for each card also provide a solid foundation upon which one can begin his or her spiritual journey. And if one succumbs to the temptation to do a quick round of fortune-telling for friends, Berti's notes are entirely adequate for the task. Regardless, I recommend Tarot books by Lon Milo DuQuette, Robert M. Place, and Rachel Pollack for further research and enlightenment. For those like me who are drawn to it, Tarot is important enough that one should proceed past mere dilettantism and seek to master its symbolism, and its potential to serve as a true spiritual guide.To put it bluntly, I love this deck. I own many; doubtless I will acquire more. But this will be the one I use for personal study and guidance. I cannot recommend it too highly. Bravo to all concerned!

I bought this deck and have use it consistently for all my work with the public. I choose it because I wanted a deck with depth and history. This deck was designed with a fresh interpretation of Golden Dawn imagery. It's steeped in lineage and is fresh at the same time. I have several decks I use for teaching or dropping in to workshops or for fiddling with friends... But the initiator tarot of the golden dawn is my official working deck for use with clients or the public since early 2018. The art is extraorindary. The imagery is visceral and I think straightforward for reads. I disagree with the reviewer who says the deck is lifeless. Maybe it doesn't resonate with him but that's a different issue. In comment to the person who said the imagery is smutty because some of the princesses are bare breasted... I disagree though I understand how one might perceive it. Initially, I was caught off guard by it, but when I looked closer, there seemed to be a confidence in a strong womanly presence and nothing to fear or be ashamed of in those cards. I've seen the smutty decks and my opinion is This deck isn't one of them. My working deck before this was some thing I saw on Instagram....i think it's called Golden Thread tarot (black with gold computer images). Very simple. Before that, my working deck was...dammit... It's a collector's item now but I forget the name of it. My gift seems to upgrade periodically and there's usually a deck change too.

I like this deck. It is a fully illustrated deck (Minors as well) based on the teachings of the Golden Dawn, so in that respect it combines features of a regular GD deck with something like the Rider Waite. NB: I say "Golden Dawn" although technically that should be "Stella Matutina" - a GD-offshoot order. In the past few years it has come to light that Mathers intended the actual Golden Dawn deck to have slightly different majors, but such a deck has never been commercially produced.The artwork was apparently produced with as little reference to other GD decks as possible so that it would not cramp the artist's style - which is vaguely similar to other Lo Scarabeo decks (not necessarily a bad thing). One thing I did notice is that in this deck the Court Cards are referred to as "Knights," "Queens," "Princes" and "Princesses" as opposed to the more regular "Kings," "Queens," "Princes" and "Princesses," although once this is taken into account it does not spoil the enjoyment of the deck.