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Sol Invictus: The-God Tarot
Explore the myths, legends, and folklore found in Tarot cards, as well as descriptions of how to use and read the cards. Each card's symbolism and mythology is explained in depth, referencing original sources of the legends so that you can discover more yourself. Several original Tarot spreads are included for use with The God Tarot, inspired by the deck itself and the many mythologies and Gods explored in its cards. Includes: 78 original and colorful tarot cards Special instructive manual providing interpretations and symbolism, including myths and divine aspects, and 10 revealing layouts for successful tarot spreads.
- GenresTarot
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2007
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October 14, 2022
In spite of the current Tarot Renaissance, there is still an unfortunate dearth of decks that explore the Divine Masculine. Out of literally thousands available under the sun, I think there's only a half-dozen or so that explore the primal masculine archetypes. Published in the oughties, the Sol Invictus has the distinction of being the very first of these. And it still remains peerless among its kind, because of the wealth of decks I've worked with, it's firmly relegated in the elite tier of remarkably erudite, exhaustively researched Tarots.
The depth of its ideas, the scholarly rigor that characterized the explication of each card, and the judicious creativity that went into the commission of the diverse personalities that populated its arcana is nothing short of inspired. I mean - Socrates for the Nurturer/Queen of Swords and Casanova for the Master/King of Wands? It's the rare deck where I have absolutely no objection to any of the selections the creators made. Among some majors, Huggens actually chose suitable theo-mythological concepts instead of divinities, such as The Dying and Resurrecting God-Men for Arcanum XII and Buddha's Enlightenment for XXI (the Laughing Buddha himself appears as the deity of the Nine of Coins). Some cards feature multiple divinities, like Freyr, Tyr, Cernunnos, and Atlas for Arcanum IV and the Oak and Holly Kings for the Five of Wands. Aside from gods and heroes culled from sundry panthea, it also includes celebrated personages who are either historical, legendary, or even literary. It was a delight to discover obscure but evocative figures and see how they can so aptly mirror familiar Tarot principles.
The companion book is a treasure for anyone with a scholarly bent. For each card, the image and symbolism is discussed in detail. The As Above section explores its loftier aspects, including the mythological/historical narratives and masculine archetypes that weds the divinity to the essence of the arcanum that it represents. So Below deals with its more mundane, divinatory applications, complete with a considerable list of keywords at its very end. Despite the card backs being reversible, the book doesn't include reversed meanings. While I would have preferred that they do, I interpret reversed cards as simply the opposite of their upright aspects anyway, so this doesn't faze me at all.
Aside from these card sections, there's also the Introductory part which discusses the nature of, the genesis, and the theories behind the deck. There is also a part about Using it, which includes rituals and pathworking. I'm looking forward to reading with the ten spreads included in the final part, the first four of which seem to mirror the seminal King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert L. Moore. That book isn't included in the voluminous bibliography though, which is puzzling.
The deck comes in a sturdy, well-designed box that is opened via a small white ribbon that separates the magnetic clasp. The book and cards are stored in distinct compartments. The latter are a tad bigger than the average and pleasingly thick too, which makes it a pleasure to shuffle for anyone with big hands. It's matte and made of durable material.
Admittedly, the art might take some getting used to. Nic Phillips's clean, unostentatious style is not devoid of charm though. Working with them, the images began to grow on me, and now I'm thoroughly hooked by their calm, sweet energy, which stands in subversive (and effective!) contrast to the aggression and impassioned intensity one usually expects from the male aspect of Deity. The Sol Invictus also commands a stiffer price compared to most mass-produced decks but really, with its superb production value and information-dense text, it's simply worth it.
9.5/10; 5 stars.
The depth of its ideas, the scholarly rigor that characterized the explication of each card, and the judicious creativity that went into the commission of the diverse personalities that populated its arcana is nothing short of inspired. I mean - Socrates for the Nurturer/Queen of Swords and Casanova for the Master/King of Wands? It's the rare deck where I have absolutely no objection to any of the selections the creators made. Among some majors, Huggens actually chose suitable theo-mythological concepts instead of divinities, such as The Dying and Resurrecting God-Men for Arcanum XII and Buddha's Enlightenment for XXI (the Laughing Buddha himself appears as the deity of the Nine of Coins). Some cards feature multiple divinities, like Freyr, Tyr, Cernunnos, and Atlas for Arcanum IV and the Oak and Holly Kings for the Five of Wands. Aside from gods and heroes culled from sundry panthea, it also includes celebrated personages who are either historical, legendary, or even literary. It was a delight to discover obscure but evocative figures and see how they can so aptly mirror familiar Tarot principles.
The companion book is a treasure for anyone with a scholarly bent. For each card, the image and symbolism is discussed in detail. The As Above section explores its loftier aspects, including the mythological/historical narratives and masculine archetypes that weds the divinity to the essence of the arcanum that it represents. So Below deals with its more mundane, divinatory applications, complete with a considerable list of keywords at its very end. Despite the card backs being reversible, the book doesn't include reversed meanings. While I would have preferred that they do, I interpret reversed cards as simply the opposite of their upright aspects anyway, so this doesn't faze me at all.
Aside from these card sections, there's also the Introductory part which discusses the nature of, the genesis, and the theories behind the deck. There is also a part about Using it, which includes rituals and pathworking. I'm looking forward to reading with the ten spreads included in the final part, the first four of which seem to mirror the seminal King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert L. Moore. That book isn't included in the voluminous bibliography though, which is puzzling.
The deck comes in a sturdy, well-designed box that is opened via a small white ribbon that separates the magnetic clasp. The book and cards are stored in distinct compartments. The latter are a tad bigger than the average and pleasingly thick too, which makes it a pleasure to shuffle for anyone with big hands. It's matte and made of durable material.
Admittedly, the art might take some getting used to. Nic Phillips's clean, unostentatious style is not devoid of charm though. Working with them, the images began to grow on me, and now I'm thoroughly hooked by their calm, sweet energy, which stands in subversive (and effective!) contrast to the aggression and impassioned intensity one usually expects from the male aspect of Deity. The Sol Invictus also commands a stiffer price compared to most mass-produced decks but really, with its superb production value and information-dense text, it's simply worth it.
9.5/10; 5 stars.
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