The Tarot Room – Georgianna

I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but I was watching Matlock the other night. Not the new one even, but the old one. The one with Andy Griffith from the ’80’s.

I’m making this admission here in The Tarot Room because the episode was called The Psychic (season 3, episode 13 with Camilla More).

The story line was fun … a psychic gets a vision that someone would be killed and that she was going to be accused of murder, so she goes to Matlock for defence before the killing even happens.

But it wasn’t the plot that grabbed me. It was that about half-way through, in a scene in an office of a psychic fair, there on the bulletin board were a bunch of cards from the Thoth Tarot.

I got a screenshot …

I haven’t really got anything to say about this sighting, except that I was thrilled to see my favourite deck there on the screen. I don’t see this deck in the wild too often. No comments were made about it, and I don’t think Tarot was even mentioned in the episode, but the cards were there. I liked that.

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is extra special to me. It’s a copy of my first Tarot deck … The Thoth Tarot designed by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Freida Harris. It’s published by US Games in association with AGM AGMuller.

8 Points About This Deck

1. Deck Size – there are a number of different versions of the Thoth Tarot, varying in size and colouring
   •small version – 5X9 cm
   •medium version – 8X11 cm (my copy printed in 1983)
   •medium version – 7X11 cm (my copy printed in 2023)
   •large version – 9X14 cm
   There might be more, but these are the ones I have and know about. The small deck is fabulous for carrying around. It fits nicely in my hands and I just love it … but I have to say that the words printed at the bottom of each card are a little fuzzy (or at least mine are). The large deck is beautiful!! But it is a little big for regular readings, and is difficult to shuffle. For me, at least for regular readings, the medium size is just right.
2. Colours – There’s been colour corrections done on the 2023 deck to apparently bring the images closer in line to those of the original watercolours by Frieda Harris. This change startled me at first, but I’ve grown accustomed to it now, and think the new (or should I say original) version is beautiful.
3. Court Cards – After thirty years, and many other decks, I’m still blown away by how dynamic and gorgeous the Court Cards are in this deck … every one of them.
4. Card Names – If you’re accustomed to the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, you’ll find some differences in the Thoth Tarot. First off, the Suit of Disks replaces the Suit of Pentacles. As well …
   • •Knights replace Kings
   • •Princes replace Knights
   • •Princesses replace Pages
   • •The Magus replaces The Magician
   • •Adjustment replaces Justice
   • •Lust replaces Strength
   • •Art replaces Temperance
   • •The Aeon replaces Judgement
   • •The Universe replaces The World
5. Ordering – The Thoth Tarot identifies Adjustment/Justice as #8, and Lust/Strength as #11 (opposite to the RWS Tarot).
6. Non-Tarot Associations – There are astrological and kabbalistic associations noted on each of the relevant cards.
7. Keywords – There are keywords noted at the bottom of each of the Minor Arcana (excluding the Aces and Court Cards).
8. Symbology – The Thoth Tarot highlights symbolism from all around the world and multiple spiritual/religious paths. Crowley intended it to be a compendium of the world’s spiritual and magical ideas.

There’s so much to say about this deck that 8 points is just not nearly enough, but that’s where I’m going to leave it for now. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about The Thoth Tarot. It was my first deck, and after all these years, it’s still my favourite.