| Aleister Crowley and the Thoth Tarot |
Edward Alexander Crowley was born on October 12, 1875 in England, at the height of the Victorian age. Born into a family of financial privilege, he was well educated and enjoyed the advantages of their social class. His parents, Edward and Emily Crowley, were members of an evangelical sect called the Plymouth Brethren. They raised their son in an atmosphere of strict Christian fundamentalism. Alix (as he was called) had a deep attachment toward his father. When he was eleven years old he lost his beloved father to cancer. After this loss, everything changed for young Alix. His already strained relationship with his mother deteriorated further as he began to question the religious doctrines he had been taught.
Crowley’s early academic career was one of Victorian corporal punishment, struggle, and isolation. At age twenty he became heir to a large sum of money through his father’s estate, and found himself free to experience life on his own terms. To go along with this new sense of freedom he changed his name to Aleister Crowley. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, and there discovered a love of poetry and literature, as well as his skill as a writer. As he matured, Crowley developed an interest in tarot and alchemy as well as other metaphysical pursuits. He began his magical career in earnest at twenty-three when he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Crowley grew to adulthood with considerable talents: he became a fine poet, novelist, theatrical producer, mountain climber, artist and magus.
In 1904, following the instructions of what he termed a discarnate voice, Crowley transcribed The Book of the Law over 3 days in April. The Book of the Law announced the closing of the current era and a new millennium—beginning on March 20, 1904. The philosophy and teachings of this New Aeon were to become the compelling focus of Crowley’s life. He believed this coming age would usher in a time of expanded awareness; a time when the individual would come to understand his position as the creator of his personal universe. He understood that, as human beings, we were in the infantile stage of our development; moving into the New Aeon, we would be able to access more of our potential. Each person would have the opportunity to come to know his or her true nature and develop an ability to consciously direct individual will and imagination.
Since Crowley considered himself to be the Prophet of the New Aeon, he accepted the responsibility of sharing his knowledge with the world. He professed the use of certain practices as the way to create change according to one’s will, he referred to these practices as “Magick.” By discovering one’s authentic nature (our link with the divine), and living in alignment with this nature, we would be able to determine the correct path for ourselves.
There are three basic messages contained within The Book of the Law that influenced Crowley’s teachings:
- Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law
- Love Is the Law, Love Under Will
- Every Man and Every Woman Is a Star
(The Book of the Law, 1976 edition, Samuel Weiser Inc.)
Crowley cautioned that the Book of the Law should not be taught by anyone but himself. In this way he hoped that the teachings would not become rigid and dogmatic, but be a guide to facilitating each individual’s knowledge of the sacred through direct, personal experience. He therefore suggested that you read the text and draw your own conclusions.
To say the least, Aleister Crowley has had a lot of “bad press.” Some of it deserved, some slanderous—some orchestrated by Mr. Crowley himself. His writing spoke his truth, but his books were often misunderstood by the critics. He was often referred to as The Wickedest Man on Earth, and seemed to instill fear in the hearts of total strangers by his eccentricities. Crowley did nothing to counter this image; in fact, he enjoyed playing to the crowd. He was notorious for his manner of dress, and loved wearing turbans and Indian caftans whenever possible. He could also appear, if he so desired, in full formal attire and look much the gentleman. He was a man on a mission and that mission was to offer others the tools to uncover their own spiritual nature and begin the journey toward conscious direction of one’s will and imagination. He was driven to communicate this message at all costs to himself or to others; for that reason, his words and actions were at times brutal.
At other times he could be kind and compassionate. Whatever you believe about the man Aleister Crowley doesn’t affect the validity of the message he delivered. Once you experience the beauty and wisdom expressed in his Thoth Tarot, all other decks will pale in comparison.
The magnificent artwork on the tarot cards was painted by Lady Frieda Harris and took five years to produce (1938–1943). Crowley had originally wanted to update an existing tarot deck. It was Lady Harris who convinced him to create a new one based on his understanding of the New Aeon. They worked closely together on this project, with Crowley explaining every detail and symbol to be illustrated on the cards. Crowley published The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians in 1944, three years before his death. It was written as a companion book to shed light on the Thoth Tarot cards. It is a demanding manuscript, since Crowley expected that the reader would know as much as he did about the arcane study of tarot. Nonetheless, it is an important book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Crowley and of the Thoth Tarot. Crowley’s Tarot deck, as we know it today, did not receive worldwide distribution until Grady L. McMurtry had the paintings photographed and the cards produced in color in 1969. To this day they have never been out of print.
There have been many biographies written that will help you to explore the paradox of Aleister Crowley. You may agree or disagree with his tenets, like or dislike the man, but if you’re willing to separate the man from the message, there is a world of wisdom to acquire from his extraordinary works.
Original work on this site: Copyright 2007 P. C. Tarantino
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