The Tarot Architect: How to Become the Master Builder of Your Spiritual Temple

by Lon Milo DuQuette, Mary K. Greer (foreword)

“You do not learn tarot. Tarot teaches you.”
—Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford
 
For many, the tarot serves as a compass, illuminating the path to their “true will” and guiding them toward their destiny. If you’ve ever felt stuck or unsure of which way to turn, the tarot offers a beacon, revealing unseen options and providing clarity on difficult decisions. Now, you have a unique opportunity to master the art of tarot under Lon Milo DuQuette, an internationally recognized authority on tarot and esoteric principles.
 
You will discover how to interact with the cards, whether new to the tarot or an experienced reader, along with learning the unique colors, correspondences, the basic symbolism of each of the seventy-eight tarot cards, their history, and simple ritual exercises designed to activate and integrate the spiritual forces resident in each individual card. By the end of the book, you’ll bring together all the knowledge you’ve learned to create your own tarot deck—a tangible reflection of your journey and a tool for continued spiritual growth and divinatory practice.
 
“This is an indispensable tarot grimoire that is both accessible and profound. The serious student of Western Mystery Traditions is going to cherish this text.”
—Benebell Wen, author of I Ching, the Oracle and Holistic Tarot
 
“Few people have explored the underlying dynamics among the qabalistic and tarot correspondences to the extent that Lon DuQuette has.”
—Mary Greer, author of Tarot for Your Self

Genres: Tarot, Occult, Nonfiction, Divination, Spirituality

368 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2025

About the author

Lon Milo DuQuette is an American singer-song writer, author, lecturer, and occultist, best known as an author who applies humor in the field of Western Hermeticism.

Born in Long Beach, California and raised in Columbus, Nebraska, he was an aspiring studio musician and recording artist in the 1970s, releasing two singles and an album, Charley D. and Milo, on the Epic Records label.

He married to his high school sweetheart, Constance Jean Duquette. They live in Costa Mesa, California and have one son, Jean-Paul.

Since 1975 he has been a National and International governing officer of Ordo Templi Orientis, a religious and fraternal organization founded in the early part of the 20th century. Since 1996 he has been the O.T.O.'s United States Deputy Grand Master and one of the most visible members of the Order. He is also an Archbishop of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica, the ecclesiastical arm of O.T.O.

Reviews

[Emily Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fan Girl Review

I have been a long time fan of Duquette’s work in part because it very approachable and leaves one with the confidence to practice. Will I create my own deck probably not but will happily color as a meditation exercise. Worth the time to read once and then again and again to do the work.

[Nya Thryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is only by working the rituals, that any significant degree of understanding can develop. If you wait until you are positive you understand all aspects of the ceremony before beginning to work, you will never begin to work.”
Lon Milo DuQuette, The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema

[WAYDEJACK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the most immersing experience I've ever had with the tarot in my life, thus far. It could rightly be claimed as Lon Milo DuQuette's Magnum Opus. Reading this book is more of a journey through the tarot, than simply a listing of correspondences. I took the time (363 days or just slightly under a year), to draw and paint each card as I progressed through the book, stopping only to do the exercises and meditations in between, treating each one as a magickal ritual, integrating each card into my very being. To say that working through this book was an initiatory experience would be an understatement. It has been the most profound initiation experience of my life, and I don't say that lightly. For those approaching this book, I would only say that you'll get out exactly what you put into it. If you treat it like a coloring book, that's what it'll be lol, but ultimately it's so much more.

[Joannah Keats · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a beginner-level tarot book disguised as an intermediate/advanced take on the discipline. I made it about 45% of the way through before abandoning it as there was nothing new, unique, or interesting in the material. I am genuinely surprised that Mary K Greer wrote the foreword to this, because unless you’re a beginner specifically to the Thoth tarot, her books are the best foundational texts for beginner and intermediate tarot practitioners. Unfortunately, I gained nothing useful in these pages.

[Deseno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duquette never disappoints!

This authour is a caliber above the rest. A splendid book on Thoth tarot, the connection to the tree of life in its various levels. I particularly enjoyed the Apendices section which I use every time I read my Thoth tarot as a guide. It opened my eyes to alternative meanings of the cards, I had to unlearn the traditional meanings of other decks to tackle the Thoth, as Crowley intended. Lon keep on imparting your wisdom to I thy humble student, you will be immortal and live on in your books.

[Skott Holck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just my quick read. Next I will read it with printed tarot blanks to color along as I read.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

DuQuette states that for many, the Tarot serves as a compass that illuminates the path to "true will" and personal destiny. In her foreword, Mary Greer notes that the Tarot can be used to mirror one's experiences, as well as to manipulate one's experiences and the world around us. This is done with the use of magical correspondences initiated by the late 19th-century Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Greer notes that the system integrates numbers, astrology, color, sound, geometry, letters, and the Qabalistic Tree of Life.

In his section on building the foundation for reading the Tarot using the above correspondences, he introduces the reader to the Four Qabalistic Worlds, the Four Parts of the Soul, The Four Elements, Tarot Suits and Court Cards, In this section he also includes an active meditation.

The section on the Tree of Life and the Sepher Yetzirah, addresses the ten numbers and the Tree of Life. This is also where we see the planetary spheres introduced.

The section on the Cube of Space addresses the Three Primitive Elemental Trumps, the Three Dimensions, the Three Mother Letters, the Seven Planetary Trumps, and the Seven Double Letters.

The sections on creating your own deck start with the Mother Letter Trumps, moving on to the Double Letter Trumps, the Simple Letter Trumps, the Lessor (Minor) Arcana, the Aces and Princesses, the Knights, Queens, and Princes, and the Small Cards (numbers 2 through 10). There is a full page black and white image for each card, with explanations of the imagery and symbols, and suggestions as to how to make the card your own.

This book is replete with explanations, diagrams. exercises, and rituals to bring this information solidly into the reader's life. This is a book to be worked with, again and again and again. It is not something that you read and put down. The information is easy to follow and understand. The goal is to illuminate your own path by activating and integrating the wisdom and energy within the cards.

This book would be of interest to those wishing to learn about the esoteric foundation of the Tarot and those wishing to integrate the Tarot as a tool of self-knowledge into their lives.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lon Milo DuQuette has a rare ability to make the Western Mystery Tradition feel playful without making it shallow, and this book is a good example of that. The central idea of building an inner spiritual temple through tarot is genuinely compelling, especially because he treats it as something you participate in through meditation, symbolism, exercises, and making rather than simply a concept to admire from across the room. I liked the practical invitation to arrange, study, and even create a deck as a way of learning its underlying structure. It gives the material a tactile quality, which is helpful when the Hermetic and Qabalistic layers start to get complicated. DuQuette is still very much DuQuette, so there is humor, enthusiasm, and the occasional moment where you feel like he is inviting you down three esoteric rabbit holes at once. My only real criticism of the book itself is that its focus is more specialized than the title initially suggests. Readers looking for a general course in reading tarot may be surprised by how much of it is about the inner temple, the Thoth/Crowley tradition, and the process of constructing a particular kind of relationship with the cards. But for readers drawn to that work, there is a lot here to engage with. Also, the cover looks like AI slop and it is genuinely gross. This book deserved better.

[william m manzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book that is so much more than a book it truly is a Tarot workbook. Brilliant insights and exercises that bring the whole subject to life. All done with the authors great understanding and humour. This is not a book you read through it offers you a chance to understand the Tarot and make it your own. I am on second read through but can see it being a good friend for some time to come.

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid guide but a bit overly specific in scope for my tastes.

[Audra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks, my cards are damp now from all the kissing.