Tarot - Mirror of the Soul: Handbook for the Aleister Crowley Tarot

by Gerd Ziegler

A classic guide to one of the most popular Tarot decks, showing how the tarot symbology mirror the inner reality of our personal and spiritual path.The 78 cards of the Thoth Tarot were painted by Lady Frieda Harris according to instructions from famed occult scholar Aleister Crowley. The result is a magnificent art deco work rich in Egyptian symbolism, alchemy and magic, and contains kabalistic and astrological attributions. It has become one of the most popular and influential Tarot decks ever Mirror of the Soul provides an accessible, indepth guide to the Crowley/Harris Thoth Tarot. It explores different ways of working Thoth Tarot, guiding your inner exploration, sometimes pointing the way to handle daily situations or difficult decision-making.The author, Gerd Ziegler, has studied and practiced humanistic and spiritual therapy in-depth. First published by Weiser Books in 1988, his Tarot— Mirror of the Soul remains a widely respected classic on the interpretation of the Crowly/Harris Thoth.

Genres: Tarot, Occult, Reference, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Divination, Philosophy

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Lisbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this in London, at a metaphysical shop somewhere in Paddington. It was rainy and I was still in a state of blissful wandering such as one acquires when thousands of miles from home for the first time. I remember picking it up and thumbing through it - when a huge beam of light simultaneously parted through the clouds and illumined a singular passage. I don't remember which one, but that was enough of a sign. I bought it, and the accompanying Thoth deck, and still use them to this day.

Crowley's Thoth is often touted as a difficult deck, not one for beginners, et al. I was oblivious of that when I bought the Thoth and this book allowed me to remain blissful in my ignorance of such complexity. Moreover it opened the doors to true psychic phenomena in that nearly everything I read over was rendered so much clearer in relationship to where I spiritually was at the time of the reading. And it is that influence, rather than anything that the book specifically said, that makes this so high in my estimation - I learned to approach the Tarot from that perspective of spiritual alignment, which is what a great book often does.

[Polina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a great book to get me started with the Thoth tarot but after a while I found the overly positive interpretations of the card starting to sound like the beginners oracle decks so popular with the self help and new age community which has put me off using the book in the long run.

[S Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book - my favorite tarot book. I often consult it, because the Crowley deck is my favorite deck. There are some spelling errors, etc in translation, but I don't mind. I enjoy this author's perspective. Wonderful book if you use Tarot for meditation on your life.

[Sherrymoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used it for practising with the Aleister Crowely Tarot-Set.

[Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books to learn the card meanings in the Thoth tarot. I've used this book for years and have yet to come by another that I find quite as helpful and interesting as this one. Ziegler does an amazing job at making the deck come alive. I recommend this deck to anyone who is looking to learn Thoth. It doesn't go too deeply into Crowley or the Hermetic Qabalah approach to the deck - so bare that in mind... but as introductory & card meanings go: this one is unmatched.

[Connor · Rating 1 out of 5]

The most useful part of the book is the identification of obscure images on the cards; most of it is lifted from Frieda Harris's 1942 essay for the exhibition of her paintings. The rest is a mountebank's shouts, such as this quote: "Becoming one with the all-embracing, omnipresent love is such a silent ecstasy, a cosmic orgasm!"

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best companion book to the Thoth Tarot Deck by Aleister Crowley I've found. It's accessible without being dim-witted and campy. It's thorough without being too windy and overtly esoteric.

[Aleksandar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to understand Thoth tarot card interpretations.

[Literarischunterwegs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Da ich schon immer einen kleinen Hang zur Mystik und den Dingen zwischen Himmel und Erde, die man sich nicht so ohne Weiteres erklären kann, hatte, habe ich auch immer schon mit solchen Kartendecks und deren Nutzung geliebäugelt und "rumgespielt". Neben den Lenormandkarten, einem Zigeunertarot, habe ich auch ein Rider Wait Tarot.
Letzte Woche empfahl meine Yoga - Lehrerin obiges Tarot, welches sie in ihrer Yogaausbildung empfohlen bekam. Ich habe es mir besorgt und muss sagen, dass es von allen bisher für mich das Beeindruckendste ist. Es bezieht sich wirklich auf den Legenden selbst und dessen Fragen. Es ist nicht aufs Orakeln oder eine Zukunftsvorhersage ausgerichtet. Somit hilft es einem die eigene Intuition besser zu erkennen, zu nutzen und diese bei Entscheidungen zielführend zu nutzen. Somit zumindest wird im Buch geworben. Die Beschreibungen und Erklärungen zielen in jedem Fall schon mal genau darauf ab. Was ich als Nutzer dann daraus mache, ist wieder individuell. Ich kann mir durchaus vorstellen, dass ich diese Karten mit ihren 1200 Symbolen, die sehr an den Ursprungskarten der damaligen Zeit angelegt sind, durchaus in den nächsten Zeit durch das Ziehen einer Tageskarte mal näher beleuchten und somit meine Intuition stärker integrieren werde.

[Danskmacabre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly average interpretation of the deck. Feels more like a new age interpretation than what rea really intended. It's still an interesting read though.

There's a really bad GLARING error towards the beginning of the book where it describes the elemental attribution of the suits.
It describes SWORDS as a WATER suit, which it is not, it's a AIR suit.
How can this have been missed?

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The official handbook and guide for Aleister Crowley's Thoth tarot deck. Well written, insightful and easy to read. I am currently learning tarot; I have the Rider Waite deck and although the Thoth deck is slightly different, this book helped me to gain more insight into Rider Waite cards, as some of them overlap, and to be able to see the cards from a different perspective.

[Laura Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid tarot book. It’s an accessible self help, therapeutic point of view that I think many would find useful. I feel the same about the deck. I love the Crowley deck as an exceptional deck. It’s interesting too that it’s Aleister Crowley’s deck that has this sort of positive, behavioral point of view. The combination of the two is brilliant IMHO.

[Belle Meade School]

133.33

[Elle Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful in a way most tarot books aren't. Get ready to know yourself.

[Eliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great starting point for thoth tarot. no where near comprehensive but a non-intimidating intro

[Books By Hala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t want people claiming that I promote witchcraft. But in general, tarot card decks are filled with symbols and beautiful art. I recommend you take a look at them for fun, read their symbolism and messages in order to relate to books written by Dante for example and Dan Brown specifically along with Egyptian and Greek mythologies and renaissance related literature.

[Alba Cunill Fulquet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sin duda está mejor que los minúsculos librillos que suelen acompañar las barajas de tarot. Aun así la interpretación de algunas cartas no me ha quedado clara y ahora tengo muchas más preguntas que intentaré resolver con otro libro.

[Liberty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, whether you believe or not, this book offers some nice changes in perspective.

[beau · Rating 3 out of 5]

my fave book for this deck. <3

[Dani (The Pluviophile Writer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great guide to the Aleister Crowley Tarot Deck. The deck feels naked without it!