| eautiful tarot cards of the Thoth deck are the result | | | | create the deck, she encourage him to go beyond |
| of a five year collaborative project, between two | | | | the traditional cards and their meanings by adding his |
| friends, Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris. | | | | knowledge of science, philosophy and occult |
| Aleister Crowley recognized the incredible artistic | | | | knowledge to create a tarot deck with new designs. |
| talent of his friend and eventual project patron, Lady | | | | The result was an 80 card Thoth tarot deck, which |
| Frieda Harris. Aleister Crowley convinced Lady Frieda | | | | was finished in 1943. |
| Harris to paint a tarot deck for him. At the time, | | | | The collaborative pair developed a few new names |
| Lady Frieda Harris was not familiar with occultism. | | | | and renumbered some trump cards of the major |
| Lady Frieda Harris, born in 1877, enjoyed a | | | | arcana portion of the deck. The only court card of |
| comfortable life in English society. Her husband, Percy, | | | | the Thoth deck to retain the traditional names are |
| served in the political arena and eventually became a | | | | the Queens. For instance, the male page of the |
| baronet. Still, shortly after meeting Aleister Crowley in | | | | traditional tarot deck was designated as the princess |
| 1937, she became his disciple and devoted herself to | | | | in the Thoth tarot deck. The princess card gave the |
| learning about the deeper meanings behind occult | | | | Thoth deck an opportunity to include a card depicting |
| topics. | | | | to a young woman. The princess is the feminine |
| When Aleister Crowley met Lady Frieda Harris, he | | | | counterpart to the Thoth prince card, otherwise |
| was 62 years old. By that time, he had been studying | | | | called the knight in traditional cards. The traditional |
| occultism for over 40 years and had developed his | | | | king card became the knight card in the Thoth deck. |
| own school of occult philosophy, Thelema. He also | | | | The Thoth tarot deck is vivid and brilliant in its |
| influenced the founding of the occult order named | | | | depiction of the various gods, goddesses and |
| the Mysteria Mystica Maxima, an off shoot of the | | | | mystical entities that appear on the cards. The |
| Ordo Templi Orientis. Aleister Crowley had been a | | | | artwork is modern and timeless in its beauty. The |
| member of other important occult organizations of | | | | card suits are recognizable in the deck and many |
| the time previous to developing his own branch of | | | | tarot card enthusiasts now enjoy using and adding |
| occultism. In great contrast to the more orderly life | | | | the Thoth tarot deck to their collection. |
| that Lady Frieda Harris lived, Aleister Crowley was | | | | Despite all the work that went into the cards, the |
| named "The Wickedest Man In The World" by | | | | Thoth deck did not become available to the public |
| popular press of the time. Aleister Crowley was | | | | until 1969. The version that is available today was |
| accused of being a black magician with an unsavory | | | | photographed in 1986 and the resulting graphics |
| lifestyle. | | | | depict the paintings with greater vividness than earlier |
| As an occult practitioner, Aleister Crowley was not | | | | versions. Both Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris |
| satisfied with the tarot decks that were available, | | | | died before their Thoth deck became published, |
| including the Rider-Waite tarot deck. He wanted to | | | | although their friendship continued until Aleister's |
| imbue them with greater meaning and stronger | | | | death in 1947. |
| illustrative power. After Lady Frieda Harris agreed to | | | | |