Thoth Tarot

The Thoth Tarot was conceived by the occultist Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Frieda Harris over several years in the first half of the 20th century. It does not belong to the history of the Tarot de Marseille: it stands within a complex esoteric tradition that weaves together symbolism, the Kabbalah, astrology and hermeticism into a single, densely layered deck.

Its cards integrate dense layers of meaning — Hebrew letters, astrological signs, kabbalistic attributions — that often appear inscribed on the image itself and require some knowledge of Crowley's system to be read fully. Frieda Harris's painting is of great visual richness, with abstract and vibrant compositions that set it apart from both the Marseille and the Rider-Waite-Smith.

For this reason it is usually approached as a complete system, with its own logic and vocabulary, rather than mixed lightly with Marseille-style reading. A little prior study repays the effort.

On this page you can explore its twenty-two major arcana, each opening onto a detailed guide of its symbolism and meaning. Knowing the Thoth helps situate the diversity of modern tarot: alongside the Marseille and the Rider-Waite-Smith, it is one of the great families of contemporary reading, prized by those seeking a more esoteric and structured approach.