The Crowley Tarot: The Handbook to the Cards [Paperback]

Akron (Author), Hajo Banzhaf (Author), Aleister Crowley (Author), Frieda Harris (Author), Christine M. Grimm (Translator)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: United States Games Systems (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880797150
• ISBN-13: 978-0880797153
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #679,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fairly thorough material, but *not* a quick reference, January 11, 2004

By 

"groovepoets" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crowley Tarot: The Handbook to the Cards (Paperback)

A great book for those interested in reading a bit further into the background behind the Crowlet-Thoth deck, I think the thing that kills most readers on this title is the expectation for it to be an instant interpretation tool....something it's poorly suited toward, since it was written as a bit of an intermediary study tool.

The meat and potatoes of this book focuses on giving you the impressions that the two co-authors have of each card in the Thoth deck. While definitely nothing to be taken as gospel, both authors give the impression of having spent some time studying the deck and correspondences, you'll find that there's also the admission of some indecision in a few areas. After the cards codex there's a historical perspective on the developers of the deck, an index of astro/cabbalistic terms with Trump orientation, and a few spread ideas for personal development.

Within you'll find a breakdown on the developmental history of the deck...an entry for each card with astro correspondences, significance, and a handful of different contextual divinatory meanings, imagery and applicable imagery history....and a brief history of Crowley and Harris.

What you will not find within this book is a quick interp chart for 'reading the tarot in two easy lessons'. If you're looking for that sort of reading tool, pick another book.

Designed for the intermediate to serious student of this particular deck, those reading to get a little further into the Thoth deck than the surface will be pleased with this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great text badly edited and poorly published, May 4, 2006

By 

Peter FYFE (Erskineville, Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Crowley Tarot: The Handbook to the Cards (Paperback)

Akron and Banzhaf's text is insightful and oracular, giving diviners plenty of poetic and mythic depth to work with as they discern the meanings of the cards and their spreads. If you're prepared to do the work, this text will at least grant you entry into Crowley's symbolic universe, as it has for me. The rest is, of course, your own adventure.

The book's failing is the staggeringly low standard of editing and publication. Wrong card images on some pages, typos on many pages, uneven editing of the translation, and a cheap "exploding" binding (leaving pages falling out within weeks of purchase) really take the shine off an otherwise excellent book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite deck!, April 26, 2002

By 

"angeljoii" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crowley Tarot: The Handbook to the Cards (Paperback)

This by far is the best deck. And with the handbook, things got more easy and I found more interesting spreads and things to do and more detailed meanings. I don't reccommend this to beginners, but to intermediate and advanced, the sky is the limit. The illustrations on this deck is not only great, but holds true meaning. The handbook goes into detail that is easily understood about the meanings of every single detail on the card. What more can I say? Well, lots, but basically, this is a great deck and the handbook makes it even better! Can't have one without the other!