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The Tarot: The Origins, Meaning and Uses of the Cards
In this authoritative study, Douglas explores the traditions, myths, and religions associated with the Tarot, investigates their psychological importance, and shows how to use the cards for divination.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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125 people want to read
About the author
Alfred Douglas
7 books5 followersAlfred Douglas was born in Yorkshire, England in 1942. From a very young age, he was interested in the folklore, the European magical tradition, esoteric symbolism, and the work of Carl Jung. Douglas studied with Madeline Montalban, who was a student of Aleister Crowley in the 1930s.
From 1968 to 1971, Douglas collaborated with artist David Sheridan, son of author and astrologer Jo Sheridan, to create the Sheridan Douglas Tarot deck, which was published in 1972 to accompany Alfred Douglas's book The Tarot: the Origins, Meaning and Uses of the Cards.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one person named Alfred Douglas. This individual is not Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, who is listed on GR as Alfred Bruce Douglas .
From 1968 to 1971, Douglas collaborated with artist David Sheridan, son of author and astrologer Jo Sheridan, to create the Sheridan Douglas Tarot deck, which was published in 1972 to accompany Alfred Douglas's book The Tarot: the Origins, Meaning and Uses of the Cards.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one person named Alfred Douglas. This individual is not Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, who is listed on GR as Alfred Bruce Douglas .
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 3, 2016
Tarot cards have intrigued me ever since I've seen a deck. They're so pretty and mysterious and so different, yet so closely related in look to our familiar playing cards, and so many of the decks are rich in symbolism. I started collecting decks, and even reading them for friends for fun, even though I'm a thorough-going rationalist and don't believe they can be tools of divination.
I also don't believe in a lot of nonsense promulgated about their origins. The Wiki will tell you there's just no evidence of playing cards in Europe, either literary or surviving cards, before the 14th century; Tarot cards aren't old enough to have originated in Ancient Egypt. And as for any connection with the Gypsies, as the chapter on "The Origin of Tarot Cards" mentions, "the Gypsies did not appear in the West in any numbers until the middle of the 15th century, a full hundred years after the cards were known in every country from Italy to Northern France." At least Douglas doesn't do anything to promulgate such myths. He even offers a timeline of the of the earliest known references to playing cards and his history seems credible.
I do find this book fun and informative. It has chapters on origins and symbolism, even how to play the game of Tarrocco. It offers three spreads: the classic 9 card "Celtic Cross," the well-known 7 card "Ellipse Spread" (called here the "Horseshoe Spread") and a 13 card "Circular Spread." The book covers each card of the Major and Minor Arcana, devoting pages to each. And I like the deck featured in the book. It's pretty, and with the Tarot I'm all about the shiny!
I also don't believe in a lot of nonsense promulgated about their origins. The Wiki will tell you there's just no evidence of playing cards in Europe, either literary or surviving cards, before the 14th century; Tarot cards aren't old enough to have originated in Ancient Egypt. And as for any connection with the Gypsies, as the chapter on "The Origin of Tarot Cards" mentions, "the Gypsies did not appear in the West in any numbers until the middle of the 15th century, a full hundred years after the cards were known in every country from Italy to Northern France." At least Douglas doesn't do anything to promulgate such myths. He even offers a timeline of the of the earliest known references to playing cards and his history seems credible.
I do find this book fun and informative. It has chapters on origins and symbolism, even how to play the game of Tarrocco. It offers three spreads: the classic 9 card "Celtic Cross," the well-known 7 card "Ellipse Spread" (called here the "Horseshoe Spread") and a 13 card "Circular Spread." The book covers each card of the Major and Minor Arcana, devoting pages to each. And I like the deck featured in the book. It's pretty, and with the Tarot I'm all about the shiny!
February 13, 2020
Occultist Alfred Douglas presents a guide to the Tarot.
Rather than the text ,this book’s real legacy is the Sheridan-Douglas tarot deck created from its illustrations. The clean stripped, down images with strong black lines, rendered in bold colors, exude a 1960s vibe while retaining a timeless quality. The deck is Rider-Waite-Smith-based without strictly adhering to Pamela Coleman Smith’s original illustrations. It manages to be both traditional and non-traditional at the same same.
Alfred Douglas — not to be confused with Oscar Wilde’s paramour Lord Alfred Douglas — is the grandson of the Order of the Golden Dawn, having studied with a student of Aleister Crowley. He gives a solid overview of tarot practice circa 1970. Douglas delves heavily into the esoteric, and this book will appeal to lovers of esoteric tarot more than contemporary readers.
Although I have not done a side by side comparison, the divinatory meanings seem to be on par with Eden Gray's The Tarot Revealed. The author does the Hero's Journey, based on Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, through the Major Arcana rather then the Fool's Journey, which was a refreshing change of pace. I also liked how he addressed the court cards separately from the minors.
If I own the deck, I like to read the accompanying book to learn more about the deck creator's intention and see what symbols s/he feels are important. I was very curious about the imagery and some of the unusual color choices in this deck. But oddly, the descriptions given were the traditional depictions and not of the cards in the Sheridan-Douglas deck. None of the quirks and deliberate stylistic choices were explained, which I found disappointing. The book does, however, contain the black and white line drawings from which the deck was created, so the illustrations can be used for reference.
Rather than the text ,this book’s real legacy is the Sheridan-Douglas tarot deck created from its illustrations. The clean stripped, down images with strong black lines, rendered in bold colors, exude a 1960s vibe while retaining a timeless quality. The deck is Rider-Waite-Smith-based without strictly adhering to Pamela Coleman Smith’s original illustrations. It manages to be both traditional and non-traditional at the same same.
Alfred Douglas — not to be confused with Oscar Wilde’s paramour Lord Alfred Douglas — is the grandson of the Order of the Golden Dawn, having studied with a student of Aleister Crowley. He gives a solid overview of tarot practice circa 1970. Douglas delves heavily into the esoteric, and this book will appeal to lovers of esoteric tarot more than contemporary readers.
Although I have not done a side by side comparison, the divinatory meanings seem to be on par with Eden Gray's The Tarot Revealed. The author does the Hero's Journey, based on Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, through the Major Arcana rather then the Fool's Journey, which was a refreshing change of pace. I also liked how he addressed the court cards separately from the minors.
If I own the deck, I like to read the accompanying book to learn more about the deck creator's intention and see what symbols s/he feels are important. I was very curious about the imagery and some of the unusual color choices in this deck. But oddly, the descriptions given were the traditional depictions and not of the cards in the Sheridan-Douglas deck. None of the quirks and deliberate stylistic choices were explained, which I found disappointing. The book does, however, contain the black and white line drawings from which the deck was created, so the illustrations can be used for reference.
November 27, 2025
It is a fairly basic book about the exoteric Tarot, but it did help me to decipher rods from swords on an old French deck I own so…respect. If you are into the lowest form of use for the Tarot-divination, then it is not a bad choice for getting started. As an initiate, I cannot disclose its Highest Purpose due to personal oaths of confidentiality. I will state that they are 78 encyclopedia for the symbol literate and as such, the basic text for many occidental Lodges. Other texts in the public domain like Frater Papus’ Tarot of the Bohemians, go into more of the esoteric meanings. The Tarot is an invaluable source of scholarship regarding the nine-chambered soul of God and man, expanding one’s consciousness and more about demons and angels than one would want to ever learn. However, since things seem to be heating up here in this Kali Yuga Armageddon, it just might save your life and your soul and is probably gonna be on the Final if you ever want to get off the Wheel.
March 20, 2020
Alfred Douglas opens this garden-variety guide (the title, while no-nonsense, is hardly inspiring) with a chapter on the tarot’s history detailed enough to suggest credibility. But in a much later chapter on how to consult the cards, while discussing Jung’s theory of synchronicity, Douglas raises the topic of astrology and, perhaps in his own pre-emptive defence, writes, ‘When Sir Isaac Newton was upbraided by the then Astronomer Royal for his professed belief in astrology, Newton’s reply was: “I, Sir, have studied the subject—you have not.”’
Versions of the above, taken out of context, can be found in countless astrology books, so this oft-repeated fiction casts doubt on Douglas’s scholarship. Nonetheless, his guide is generic enough to suffice, if old-fashioned, the interpretations tending towards upright/good or reversed/bad. All 78 cards are illustrated by his astrologer partner’s son with black-and-white line drawings typical of a standard deck, accompanied by a description that often doesn’t match, as in the bareheaded Knight of Batons who ‘wears the familiar large floppy-brimmed hat’. That Douglas has also written on the I Ching and ESP and been a frequent guest on radio and TV might account for the general audience at which this book is pitched.
Versions of the above, taken out of context, can be found in countless astrology books, so this oft-repeated fiction casts doubt on Douglas’s scholarship. Nonetheless, his guide is generic enough to suffice, if old-fashioned, the interpretations tending towards upright/good or reversed/bad. All 78 cards are illustrated by his astrologer partner’s son with black-and-white line drawings typical of a standard deck, accompanied by a description that often doesn’t match, as in the bareheaded Knight of Batons who ‘wears the familiar large floppy-brimmed hat’. That Douglas has also written on the I Ching and ESP and been a frequent guest on radio and TV might account for the general audience at which this book is pitched.
December 15, 2022
4,5 ☆.
Wow. Una guida fine e concisa. L'introduzione storica è sintetica e gradevolmente proporzionata. Gli Arcani maggiori sono spiegati su pagine brevi ma dense di significato con priorità all'interpretazione esoterica: essi rappresentano tappe archetipiche di ogni viaggio iniziatico e da questo bisogna partire. I significati mondani sono riportati in conclusione, sommariamente ma con una precisione che è una boccata d'aria fresca. Per ulteriori sfumature è un utile esercizio dedurre la propria interpretazione dal significato esoterico più elevato ("As above, so below" saprà bene chi s'interessa di questi temi). Gli Arcani minori sono rappresentati velocemente, questa guida non intende descriverli con minuzia perciò le manca un carattere enciclopedico. Alcune stese sono proposte in chiusura con esempi chiarissimi. A coronare il tutto un'esposizione tersa ed elegante, un po' più ricca di quanto si usi attualmente (purtroppo).
La guida è snella, per quanto densa, essenziale e svelta su alcune parti, come gli Arcani minori. Non aggiunge molto ai lettori di lunga esperienza, ma credo che rimanga un bel riferimento bibliografico sugli essenziali dei Tarocchi (a proposito, la guida stessa offre una lunga e affascinante bibliografia).
Ecco, io vorrei non aver speso tanto denaro perlustrando volumi moderni, colorati, amichevoli e condiscendenti, avrei voluto trovare questo fin dai tempi delle mie prime stese: uno fatto bene ne vale dieci di tanti altri.
Wow. Una guida fine e concisa. L'introduzione storica è sintetica e gradevolmente proporzionata. Gli Arcani maggiori sono spiegati su pagine brevi ma dense di significato con priorità all'interpretazione esoterica: essi rappresentano tappe archetipiche di ogni viaggio iniziatico e da questo bisogna partire. I significati mondani sono riportati in conclusione, sommariamente ma con una precisione che è una boccata d'aria fresca. Per ulteriori sfumature è un utile esercizio dedurre la propria interpretazione dal significato esoterico più elevato ("As above, so below" saprà bene chi s'interessa di questi temi). Gli Arcani minori sono rappresentati velocemente, questa guida non intende descriverli con minuzia perciò le manca un carattere enciclopedico. Alcune stese sono proposte in chiusura con esempi chiarissimi. A coronare il tutto un'esposizione tersa ed elegante, un po' più ricca di quanto si usi attualmente (purtroppo).
La guida è snella, per quanto densa, essenziale e svelta su alcune parti, come gli Arcani minori. Non aggiunge molto ai lettori di lunga esperienza, ma credo che rimanga un bel riferimento bibliografico sugli essenziali dei Tarocchi (a proposito, la guida stessa offre una lunga e affascinante bibliografia).
Ecco, io vorrei non aver speso tanto denaro perlustrando volumi moderni, colorati, amichevoli e condiscendenti, avrei voluto trovare questo fin dai tempi delle mie prime stese: uno fatto bene ne vale dieci di tanti altri.
September 2, 2024
"Tarot" Alfreda Douglasa to ciekawa książka, którą poleciłabym adeptom kart tarota, szczególnie tym początkującym.
Autor napisał interesujący wstęp o początkach kart, czym był Tarot kiedyś i czym dla ludzi jest teraz. Znalazło się tu wiele wiedzy oraz ciekawostek. Później poświęcił trochę miejsca na ogólną symbolikę, wyjaśnienie struktur talii, a później dość obszernie omówił znaczenie każdej z kart.
Ta książka to kawał porządnej wiedzy, liczne wskazówki dotyczące stawiania oraz interpretacji kart, ale również wielka inspiracja do własnej praktyki.
Ogromnie polecam, wydawnictwo ponownie odwaliło kawał dobrej roboty. Myślę, że z książki najbardziej skorzystają osoby początkujące. Na pewno będzie to jeden z tytułów, które jako pierwsze wymieniam, gdy ktoś prosi mnie o polecenie czegoś na start z tarotem.
Autor napisał interesujący wstęp o początkach kart, czym był Tarot kiedyś i czym dla ludzi jest teraz. Znalazło się tu wiele wiedzy oraz ciekawostek. Później poświęcił trochę miejsca na ogólną symbolikę, wyjaśnienie struktur talii, a później dość obszernie omówił znaczenie każdej z kart.
Ta książka to kawał porządnej wiedzy, liczne wskazówki dotyczące stawiania oraz interpretacji kart, ale również wielka inspiracja do własnej praktyki.
Ogromnie polecam, wydawnictwo ponownie odwaliło kawał dobrej roboty. Myślę, że z książki najbardziej skorzystają osoby początkujące. Na pewno będzie to jeden z tytułów, które jako pierwsze wymieniam, gdy ktoś prosi mnie o polecenie czegoś na start z tarotem.
November 3, 2020
If you're new to tarot cards and their reading, this brief, well-organized, and well-written text will tell you just about everything you need to know to get started. It touches on what is known of the history of the deck (not much), on some of the different packs that have been produced, on the "esoteric tarot" or using the Major Arcana as objects of meditation for spiritual growth, and it describes each card and its meaning. The author is not a spacey, "New Age" type; he examines the tarot mainly from the standpoint of Jungian psychology and its reliance on the symbolism of Gnosticism and alchemy. He comes across as a common-sense observer who is very well informed and who definitely believes in the power of the tarot to awaken our spiritual selves and to peer into the future.
September 8, 2021
This was a delightful overview of all things tarot.
The historical chapters were especially fascinating and I would have liked more but, like most tarot books, the bulk of its length is devoted to explicating the symbolism of the major and minor arcana for the purposes of divination. That said, this book does not assume a belief in the occult properties of tarot—though the author seems convinced—and makes a great place to start for those like me (the merely curious).
The card illustrations, from an original deck by David Sheridan, are enchanting.
The historical chapters were especially fascinating and I would have liked more but, like most tarot books, the bulk of its length is devoted to explicating the symbolism of the major and minor arcana for the purposes of divination. That said, this book does not assume a belief in the occult properties of tarot—though the author seems convinced—and makes a great place to start for those like me (the merely curious).
The card illustrations, from an original deck by David Sheridan, are enchanting.
April 15, 2020
Published in 1972, this book is dated in the ways in which it relates Tarot symbolism to everyday life. Douglas also assigns some unusual divinatory meanings to some of the cards. But his history seems basically sound, and he does not traffic excessively in woo-woo.
November 22, 2017
Jungian take on tarot.
March 14, 2018
Only read what seemed relevant to me. Very interesting interpretation of the Major Arcana and the Tarot's historical basis seems well researched.
January 26, 2021
This will be helpful.
January 2, 2025
the best book if you're interested in tarot.
May 4, 2021
This is a favourite book, and although I don't use the tarot very much these days, I like having it around for its wisdom and insights. It is a fascinating interpretation of the cards that makes real sense of the symbolism and feels psychologically authentic. Like the interpretations, the line drawings illustrating it (that can also be bought as a full-colour pack) manage to have a traditional look, but a very modern simplicity. They are visually articulate and very helpful when interpreting the cards yourself. The book also includes an interesting history of the Tarot.
March 8, 2011
If I were only going to have one book on hte Tarot, I'd go with Eden Gray which is why I make this a 3 -3 does mean I do like it. He takes a scholarly approach to history and lightly touches on Gnosticism, memory treatises, Grail hallows and the four treasures of Ireland. He does cover each card and offer different reading spreads.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews