History of the Occult Tarot [Hardcover]

Michael Dummett (Author), Ronald Decker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

When the Tarot pack was invented in Italy in the early 15th century, it was simply a pack of cards, used for playing games. Esoteric interpretations of the pack date from late eighteenth-century France, and were confined to that country for a hundred years. Now the cards are used throughout the Western world and not only for fortune telling. For real believers, the cards are a key to secret knowledge of the meaning of life. Practiced by secret groups such as the Order of the Golden Dawn, by magi such as Aleister Crowley - the Great Beast , and by psychics such as Dion Fortune, the occult interpretation of the Tarot pack is a worldwide phenomenon with countless devotees. The roots of the whole modern Tarot mystique lie in theories propagated by the occultists studied in this fascinating history. Tarot occultism is a significant part of modern social history. The first part of the story was told in A Wicked Pack of Cards, which traced its origins in France. In The History of the Occult Tarot the authors bring the story up to date, following its progress in other countries, especially Britain and the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... entertaining and enlightening... Watkins plays Aubrey to the many remarkable personalities who populated old Fleet Street, defining this lost world through a series of splendid pen portraits.'- Matthew d'Ancona, Sunday Telegraph; 'This short book is the finest account of journalism I have ever read. Literate members of the public should by it because it is the wittiest book of the year. Undergraduate students of media studies should buy it without fail, for there is more practical information in it than in a hundred lectures...'- Brian Walden, Literary Review; 'I chuckled over every page of this splendid book, the genius of which lies in the detail...'- Peregrine Worsthorne, Independent on Sunday; 'A hilarious read.' - Robert Blake, Daily Telegraph Books of the Year; 'A Short Walk Down Fleet Street... is an incomparable portrait of a particular era and way of life, and is impossible to recommend too highly.' - Peter Oborne, Sunday Express

About the Author

Michael Dummett was Professor of Logic at Oxford 1979-1992, and is the author of The Game of Tarot (1980) and other books on Tarot cards and games, as well as books on philosophy and voting theory. Ronald Decker is an art historian and curator of a notable collection of antique cards at the United States Playing-Card Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Duckworth Publishing; First Edition edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0715631225
• ISBN-13: 978-0715631225
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,263,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than you might expect, March 16, 2005

By 

Bruce Johnson "BBJ" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: History of the Occult Tarot (Hardcover)

Very impressive book. My initial impression was that this would be another competently researched book on tarot & it's history, I soon realised that it is a lot more. This is one of the most concise histories of modern westen occultism that I have found. Even though it's not broad in scope the leval of detail is impressive. The history of Tarot is thorogh & well presented but the background on Occult orders was unexpected. Groups like the Golden Dawn & the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor are covered with enough detail to merit this being rated as a good general history of Occultism. The Church of Light & Manly Hall are treated with good biographical essays on the central characters. Even though I have been reading about these people & groups for many years I learned much new information here.
This is not a "how to" Tarot guide book but just as it says, a history. It establishes the personalities, places, & groups necessary & goes on to develop the story better than I have see it done elsewhere.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent must-have reference., July 13, 2011

By 

Christopher Marlowe - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of the Occult Tarot (Hardcover)

An excellent reference volume. A little too much time is spent on the explanation of Kabbalah and ceremonial magic for my liking - would like to have read even more biography of folk like Madeline Montalban and Rolla Nordic - but this is just a personal quibble. Dummett and Decker (particularly) are to be congratulated on their efforts. This book is a must-have for all serious tarot enthusiasts.

10 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides a lively and thorough coverage of the occult tarot, March 4, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of the Occult Tarot (Hardcover)

When the tarot deck was invented in Italy in the early 15th century, it was just a game pack of cards. Interpretations of the game changed over the centuries to where the cards are today used for fortune telling and uncovering secret meanings in living. From the cards' use in the Golden Dawn religion to modern times, A History Of The Occult Tarot provides a lively and thorough coverage of the occult tarot from 1870-1970, and should not be missed by any involved in tarot.