Customer Reviews

Tarot of Ceremonial Magick: A Pictorial Synthesis of Three Great Pillars of Magick

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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?"

"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

Reprinted with publisher's permission from MANTEIA, a magazine for the mantic arts No. 15, November 1995. Published by OUROBOROS, ROSKILDE, DENMARK Reviewer: K. Frank Jensen, Editor and Publisher

Lon Milo DuQuette's Tarot of Ceremonial Magick With this deck we are back to the genuine tarot tradition, back to what tarot was before the modern card reading craze began in the 1970s and the growing popularity turned tarot into a mass medium. Apart from also being a card game, tarot was for about one hundred years, beginning in the mid-19th century, essentially a tool for the practising ceremonial magician. DuQuette is one of these with great experience, and in this deck he has combined the various systems that the magician uses to obtain his goal: Self-mastery, illumination and spiritual liberation.

This deck is a natural sequel to other genuine magick decks, like THE GOLDEN DAWN TAROT and Crowley's BOOK OF THOTH. DuQuette has added more symbolic references than the mentioned decks; apart from the Hebrew and astrological references, this deck also has references to the Enochian tablets, to the 72 spirits of Goetia and to the Angels of Shemhamphorash. The Astrological references are extended to also include the decanates. References to the Tattwas and the I-Ching hexagrams are also included.

What more can you wish for?

The tiny booklet gives only a short survey over these symbolic systems, but a more extended study can be found in a book by the same author: TAROT OF CEREMONIAL MAGICK (Weiser 1995).

From as far back as I can remember I wanted to be a magician. Not any magician mind you, but a magician like Merlin in King Arthur's Court. A magician that could fly, walk on water, become invisible and do all sorts of wondrous things. That's what I wanted to be. I still do. But age has tempered my dreams. Now I want to fly in the Inner Worlds, walk on the scintillating water of the subconscious, become invisible to the negative forces of this world and change myself. To be truly loving and compassionate would be nice and I do try. But in my present human condition I fall fare short of perfection in this or anything else.

It's magick that makes these things possible. Lon Milo DuQuette is a magician, a magician's magician. He teaches in a simple and straight-forward manner. He makes complicated ritual uncomplicated and easy to replicate. He brings the Qabalah down to elementary terms easily understood. He removes confusion concerning the Cube of Space. All these things he teaches in a non-threatening and humorous manner.

His book is filled with more information than I can probably digest in a lifetime. He does a good job ilustrating the paths on the Tree of Life for the 22 Trumps and explaining the 10 Paths for the pip cards...The deck is the standard size and quality we have come to expect from U.S. Games, larger than a poker deck but not too large to handle easily. Each card contains information about astrology and two systems of magick. The court cards also contain the I-Ching hexagrams. The Magical systems are the Enochian and Goetia which are adequately explained in the text...

If you aspire to being a magician, a ceremonial magician, a ritualist, a scholar of magick, or diviner of magick, this deck and book is good place to start. If you want to mold yourself into a better person, to change yourself like magick, this is great place to start.

a review by Alexander DeGrate, The American Tarot Association Newsletter Vol. IV No. 2 Spring, 1999

Warning, this book is for the serious student of Ceremonial Magick and Qabalistic Tarot. This book and the related deck require a serious commitment to a strict and complex system of magical thought and a good head for academic correspondences, math and detailed diagrams. Now -- if that has not scared you off, this book is the real thing. Lon Milo DuQuette is a very knowledgeable and very entertaining man with a great deal of wisdom to share. Solid research and years of practical experience have obviously gone into the making of this book.

I own the deck and book and I am pleased to say that Lon Milo DuQuette has both met and exceeded my already high expectations of his work. This deck has for me been a valuable tool and and a great teacher of different forms of magick. For an individual who wants to diversify his/her education this deck definately will help. The book that was written for it is also of great help and i would highly recommend it to you. All in all i give this deck a 10.

This is a fascinating deck. The accuracy of readings is astounding, and the deck will continuously give the same card(s), consistently, during a reading / clarification of a reading. I have always had amazing results with The Thoth Tarot, but Lon Duquette's Ceremonial Magick Deck is definitely the most accurate and consistent deck I have ever worked with.

I wasn't too sure about buying it, at-first, because the artwork reminded me of the Golden Dawn deck, but I viewed the details of this book, via the enlarge feature, and decided to give it a chance, based upon Lon Duquette's other works. Suffice to say, I am thrilled that I made the purchase!

I am really enjoying this deck, and I like the artwork. The artwork is not as detailed and "busy" as Crowley's Thoth Tarot, but it is not as Intense, either...it doesn't beat you over the head with Symbolism. I would certainly recommend Duquette's Ceremonial Deck to beginners, but I would also suggest buying a few books about The Goetia, to understand the whole concept.

The Ceremonial Magick Tarot is surprisingly colorful, bright, humorous and intriguing. Duquette's personality comes through in this deck, and his long years of Research are embedded in the cards, as well.

Normally, I need to tune-up a deck and work with it a while, to tune-in to it's vibe...but, this deck spoke to me, the moment I broke the seal.

I believe this deck will be a great asset to anyone already using Crowley's deck, but it will also be a great Beginner's Deck. Of all my Tarot Cards, this Deck is in my "Top 3" favorites (the ones I use the most)--and has shifted to a position above "The Masonic Tarot."

This book is a wonderful guide to the Ceremonial Tarot Deck, I recommend purchasing them simultaneously.

This book, while written to accompany the Tarot of Ceremonial Magick deck, is good enough to stand on its own. The information provided can be applied to other decks as well. The book starts with an introduction to Qabala. A quick and dirty coverage of the four worlds, the ten Sephiroth and the thirty-two paths is provided. The tetragrammaton, Crowley's Naples arrangement, and the Hebrew alphabet are also covered...

Overall the book did a good job of describing the Golden Dawn and Crowley systems in an easy to understand manner, but the prime thrust of the book was Ceremonial Magick. The book flows very well, and I had no difficulty following the authors theories, nor did I get overly bored, even though I have little interest in Ceremonial Magick or the Enochian system. This book would make an excellent reference work for those who are interested in these subjects, and provides some introductory information on esoteric Tarot and Tarot and Magick. Michele Jackson

I got the ceremonial magick deck before I got this companion book. Basicly it is a little more in depth information than what is given in the deck's instruction booklet. But the appendixes are filled with goetic magick and some other rituals. Overall, the book is a total rehash of the deck's instruction booklet and the appendix information is available elsewhere. But Duquette's deck, barring some simple artwork, is a good, accurate deck by a modern magician who knows what he's talking about. This book will be an aid to those who have the deck for it, but would be a lot better for someone who is new to reading tarot cards.