Tarot of Ceremonial Magick: A Pictorial Synthesis of Three Great Pillars of Magick [Paperback]

Lon Milo Duquette (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

The Tarot of Ceremonial Magick is a new deck created by DuQuette and published by U. S. Games. In this groundbreaking book, he explains the symbology of the cards. On each card is shown the Zodiacal, Enochian, Ceremonial, Goetic, Tattvic, and Elemental components, along with the card's place in each of those systems, and its relationships to other cards. For students of Crowley's works, this new deck and book makes his conceptual connections more accessible. Illustrated. Bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lon Milo DuQuette has been involved with occult studies since the late 60s, and has become an acknowledged and widely recognized authority within the world of modern occultism. His previous publications include Magick of Thelema, The Tarot of Ceremonial Magick, Angels, Demons & Gods of the New Millennium, and the humorous, biographical My Life with the Spirits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877287643
• ISBN-13: 978-0877287643
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

LON MILO DUQUETTE

Author of 15 critically acclaimed books (translated in 11 languages) on Magick and the Occult, Lon Milo DuQuette is one of the most respected and entertaining writers and lecturers in the field of the Western Mystery Traditions.

Since 1975 he as been a national and international governing officer of Ordo Templi Orientis, one of the most influential magical societies of the 20th Century. He is currently the Order's United States Deputy Grand Master. He is an internationally recognized authority on tarot and western ceremonial magick. Although he takes these subjects very seriously, he tries not to take himself too seriously. This rare combination of scholarship and humor has earned him in the last 20 years a unique and respected position in American spiritual and esoteric literature.

DuQuette appears occasionally on television and radio as a guest expert on subjects involving the occult. He is a contributor to the Magical Egypt DVD series' and a host on the new series, The Great Work.

He is a faculty member of the Omega Institute in Reinbeck New York, and Robert Anton Wilson's Maybe Logic Academy.

He is also a professional musician/singer/songwriter.

He lives in Costa Mesa, California with his wife of 43 years, Constance.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genial, dense stuff., October 2, 2000

By 

Bat-Radish - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tarot of Ceremonial Magick: A Pictorial Synthesis of Three Great Pillars of Magick (Paperback)

There's a lot of information packed into this comparatively small book. One would expect a work covering merely the Qabala and the Goetia at the same time to be rather thick, but this--with astrological data and various Crowley-bits--is mysteriously not. Mercifully, not.

M. Duquette's secret is conciseness. Conciseness, and an entirely reasonable assumption that if the reader would like to know more about one of the book's aspects, said reader will do herself a service and find a more specialized volume. As a specific example: the Tree of Life is explained simply enough that I properly understood it for the first time while reading M. Duquette, but if I want to know why there isn't another world between the second tier of three and us, I'd do better to either pull a Yentl or look elsewhere.

The interpretations given the cards--the most vital aspect for me...I use it as a reference--are excellent. Straightforward, earnest, and completely free of the self-conscious waffling and preening seen in less confident guides. It's nice to see the elemental sympathies of the cards spelled out for once, too. While M. Duquette is a Golden Dawner, for those who are not it must be noted that he keeps the Crowley to a comfortable and non-evangelical level. Very gracious of him. Quatrains suitable for use as memory aids are provided with each card, taken from Crowley's writings. He's mentioned occasionally. And, as per usual, the relevant aspects of his philosophy are explained and the rest left to the acolyte to research.

This book has plied me with enough confidence in my knowledge of the Tarot and the related occult sciences to begin art on my own deck. And isn't that nice? If you are a Tarotist, gentle reader, this book will show you faces of your familiar cards you likely have never seen. If you are a rank neophyte, like myself...well. You won't be for long.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REAL MAGICK IN A BOX, January 11, 2002

By 

Renus Hyena - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tarot of Ceremonial Magick: A Pictorial Synthesis of Three Great Pillars of Magick (Paperback)

This is not another novelty Tarot deck. In fact, it recaptures the true magical tradition of the Tarot as few decks have ever done. I have to admit that it isn't as pretty as the Crowley/Harris Thoth Deck or the Cicero's Golden Dawn Ritual Tarot, but it has something more than either of these classics ... in your face Magick!

The four Elemental Tablets of the Enochian system of John Dee adorn the Aces - with the Aces and Court Cards you can construct the powerful Enochian Tablet of Union. The Small Cards bear the names and sigils of all 72 Spirits of the Goetia, and the names of the 72 Qabalistic Angels of the Shemhamaphorash, and the degrees of the zodiac and days of the year sacred to these spirits. Want to project your astral body into the elemental worlds? The Aces and Court Cards display colored tattwa symbols used for that very purpose. DuQuette didn't just through this stuff on some cards and call it Tarot. All these magical correspondences, even the colors, are organized with anal retentive perfection in strict conformity to the most revered magical and qabalistic traditions concerning the Tarot.

The accompanying book is filled with all the technical information necessary to actually begin practicing Qabalistic, Enochian, and Goetic magick. The first question I had to ask myself after reading it was..."Am I ready for this?"

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second only to Crowley's book of Thoth in importance., February 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Tarot of Ceremonial Magick: A Pictorial Synthesis of Three Great Pillars of Magick (Paperback)

"It is not my intention to lure you away from any tarot deck you may currently prefer, but to help you understand the incalculable power and significance of whatever deck you may be using."...Lon Milo DuQuette... The Tarot of Ceremonial Magick (U.S. Games) is not just another novelty tarot deck and the ground-breaking companion book by the same name is more than just a book about tarot cards. It's author and creator, Lon Milo DuQuette, is one of today's most knowledgeable and entertaining experts on the subject. His bold claim that the Tarot of Ceremonial Magick is the `key that unlocks the secrets of all tarot decks' is backed solid scholarship and decades of magical practice. Written in the relaxed, humorous style that has made his earlier works so popular, DuQuette demonstrates how the Hebrew Qabalah forms the foundation upon which the Western Hermetic arts (astrology, tarot, geomancy, and the various branches of ceremonial magick) are constructed. He goes on to reveal that the Tarot is a visual representation of qabalistic fundamentals and is the common denominator between the various Hermetic arts. "One could even say the tarot is the DNA of the Qabalah. Properly decoded it reveals not only the mysteries of the Qabalah but also that of all other Qabalah-based systems." To prove this DuQuette has ingeniously placed pertinent data and images relating to Astrology and the two most widely practiced varieties of Qabalah-based magick -- Enochian Evocation and Goetia -- on the cards themselves. His book provides remarkably detailed background information concerning these magical practices...a single-source book without equal. The Tarot of Ceremonial Magick is truly the key that unlocks the secret of all tarot decks. R.D. Potter