The Hermetic Tarot Options

I was wondering if anyone else on this forum uses the Hermetic Tarot deck. I am new to the use of the Tarot and I have been contemplating the meanings of the symbolisms in the cards but I feel I am way off. Is there any literature that you guys would recommend on the Hermetic Tarot deck or any book that would benefit me to learn about the tarot?

Seeing as how you're "just learning the tarot" if I were you, I'd go for the Rider-Waite version or some deck that follows it closely. I've said it before, and I know I probably sound like a broken record to some but I'm of the firm belief that by beginning with and learning the "traditional" symbolism, one will be better equipped to handle more advanced decks that deviate from it. There are a lot of decks that follow the R-W symbolism. The Hermetic tarot is one largely for intuition and the development of it. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the better ones that I've seen ... but I don't think it quite qualifies as a beginner's deck.

Seeing as how you're "just learning the tarot" if I were you, I'd go for the Rider-Waite version or some deck that follows it closely. I've said it before, and I know I probably sound like a broken record to some but I'm of the firm belief that by beginning with and learning the "traditional" symbolism, one will be better equipped to handle more advanced decks that deviate from it. There are a lot of decks that follow the R-W symbolism. The Hermetic tarot is one largely for intuition and the development of it. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the better ones that I've seen ... but I don't think it quite qualifies as a beginner's deck.

I hear you. Thanks for the advice. I picked it up because I was reading Modern Magick recommended the use of this deck for a beginner. I want to try and get the most out of this deck since I already made the purchase of it.

I hear you. Thanks for the advice. I picked it up because I was reading Modern Magick recommended the use of this deck for a beginner. I want to try and get the most out of this deck since I already made the purchase of it.

Hermeticists tend to recommend Hermetic things. Things that aren't related to that don't really exist to them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif)

There's a pretty decent book by Scott Hollander called Tarot for Beginners which is an uberbasic primer if you don't mind how melodramatic he can be. "Tarot Symbolism" by Robert V O'Neil is dedicated solely to the symbolic parts of tarot (which is a large part of it) and "The Tarot" by C.C. Zain was pretty good, IMHO.

Hermeticists tend to recommend Hermetic things. Things that aren't related to that don't really exist to them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif)

There's a pretty decent book by Scott Hollander called Tarot for Beginners which is an uberbasic primer if you don't mind how melodramatic he can be. "Tarot Symbolism" by Robert V O'Neil is dedicated solely to the symbolic parts of tarot (which is a large part of it) and "The Tarot" by C.C. Zain was pretty good, IMHO.

I really appreciate it. Thank you for the help. I am really new to magic altogether and it gets a little overwhelming at times but I find it fascinating to say the least.

I really want to get theory down before I even step into any ritual work. I find myself indulged in a few books at a time which I have never do but I am soaking in all of the information which is good. If you have any suggestions for me, not only regarding the tarot, please tell me. But I know as a researcher I need to find the information for myself but anything pushing me into the right direction will be very helpful. My craving of knowledge has drawn me to this subject for some reason. But again, thank you.

hello SagBomb. I am glad to hear you are well and truly stuck into it. I had a hard time choosing a tarot to use as well. I still have trouble and the most recent tarot I have is the Golden tarot. it is based on the raider waite. but I dont like it much. im not really using it. f all the tarot I got. the raider wiate was one of the best to start. I liked its clear symbolism.
I havent seen the hermetic taort. it might be really good. better of getting the raider to start and then the others aswell to compare and over time you will find the one that works best with you.
picking tarot is a fussing and picky business. magicians end up owning quite a few.
Me at the moment Im actually using playing cards.
I got into cartomancy. I really think that the old way of divination with playing cards is interesting.
Whatever you enjoy using. that you feel comfortable is the best. when you really get to know them. anything can work.
Good Luck.
But I can still use the spread from Modern Magick. were he says you should do a divination before every evocation

Did you manage to make a white robe yet. its really easy like get a sheet of white linen and cut it than sow it. It really makes a difference. it sets the atmosphere when you do the ritual. with the candles and incense. you will be well equipped to practice the modern magick book. Let me know your progress okay

This post has been edited by xXDaemonReignXx: Oct 28 2009, 05:59 AM

picking tarot is a fussing and picky business. magicians end up owning quite a few.
Me at the moment Im actually using playing cards.
I got into cartomancy. I really think that the old way of divination with playing cards is interesting.

Oh yeah. I've got three decks myself, PLUS a deck of playing cards I use solely for divining. Of the Tarot decks, one mimics the Hermetic tarot, one follows the Rider-Waite version SORT OF (the reversed cards have their own meanings which differ) and the other has its own meanings entirely. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

This post has been edited by Kriemhilde: Oct 28 2009, 11:48 AM

I have about 10 packs of tarot. some are very useful others are just for looks like my vampire tarot. Ive got I ching. Ive got divination bones. and runes. divination books. Ive tried it all.
for my playing cards I use a card deck that looks aged and worn from ellusionist. always enjoyed the rustic look.

This post has been edited by DaemonReign: Oct 28 2009, 06:26 PM

The reason I picked up this deck was because of the black and white art work and it had some kind of allure to me. I looked at other decks and for some reason this deck pulled me in. When I get the funds, I'll get another deck to work with and someday I can comeback and use this one. Thanks guys.

I think you should stick with the hermetic tarot. If you like it and are drawn to it. defiantly keep it as your main tarot until you find a better one.
Just because you like it and will probably be looking at it and using it more often. you will get familiar with the symbolism faster. You don't really need a book to learn the symbolism. just learn the raider waite symbolism for each card and it should be based of this than any symbols that you don't understand just contemplate the meaning. you will be doing this in the tarot card scanning method on Modern Magick anyway

the more you handle it. and keep it close. the tarot gets infused with your energy and starts to work better. keep it close to your bed and if you shuffle it a couple times a day to do a quick reading you will find that the tarot will start to come alive.

Dont worry about collecting all the books as a beginner. it better to stick to One book and have a good understanding of it. otherwise you will be stuck with a hundred books but have never finished any of them. I am awefull at this but Ive been a magickian for a while. long enough to know the value of personal experience over book knowledge. practical over theory. One of the things that western ceremonial magick dosent cover much of is meditation.
I believe this is the first step and gateway to everything in magick. maybe a good book on hatha yoga and chakra will serve you well aswell.

That is actually the reason I purchased Astral Dynamics, which is very informative book, and not only on OBE. The energy work in there is very interesting and I have been trying to do it but keep failing. I think my frustration is keeping me back in my progress thus far. Any suggestions on what to read on yoga, meditation and working with the chakras because I completely agree that you are right in saying that is the first step in magick?

As for the tarot deck, I am just going to study the deck as much ass possible. I tend to look at theory first but since I feel so drawn to this one deck, I know I have to experience the deck and not just gather information on it.

the more you handle it. and keep it close. the tarot gets infused with your energy and starts to work better. keep it close to your bed and if you shuffle it a couple times a day to do a quick reading you will find that the tarot will start to come alive.

I think this is one of those New Age rubbish beliefs that pervades the whole divination scene. Tarot cards are a tool, like your wand and robes made out of bed sheets and what have you. You get better by using them, not by sleeping with them. Tarot cards, like other tools, have no intrinsic power of their own and it's the user's ability that determines whether a reading is successful or not. They're not going to make the user psychic. They're not going to foretell anything that is beyond the user's ability. And such an ability is probably not going to appear over night, so if one finds oneself receiving unusually vivid visions or hearing audible words, unless one is an unknown prodigy or something, one should probably get the deck exorcised as it is likely possessed. I don't believe that keeping a deck close, under my pillow, in my pocket, etc., and away from other people's hands is going to do anything to improve or decrease my ability to read them. Practise, or lack thereof, will. Sure, once upon a time ago I had that belief, but observation and experimentation has led me to believe that that's just another silly little idiosyncratic superstition of "those people" who call themselves "occultists."

Personally, when I'm not using them, I like to put them in an old jewelry box. To keep them clean.

No offense do you Daemon, I'm talking about those white like freaks ... the same ones responsible for the 2012 garbage and think that knowledge of the chakras is a "great secret." >.>

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/horse.gif)

Well Kriemhilde. I do find that if I carry the cards in my pocket all day when I do a reading the results are very strong and it gives me a very clear and useful reading. If I just keep them in a box and take them out only to do a reading the reading is usually garbage for me. So I do actually believe this myth. Ive heard If you sleep with them under your pillow they will give better readings. but I just keep them face down on top of mt bedside table next to my dream dairy,
So I'm a believer no matter what you think Kriemhilde (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif) LOL

SagBomb I have astral dynamics. 90 days to mastering astral projection and energy work by Robert Bruce.

the problem with the astral dynamics and I have read the book a few times. is that the information is there but I like the step by step guide in astral dynamics so you know were to start and can progress step by step. in Astral dynamics the information is everywhere but It does get very detailed.
The raising energy and body bounce and storing energy and all of that is super useful in magick.
what part of astral dynamics are you having difficulty with. you should probably start the body awareness with the fingers and toes and then do energy bounce on the arms and legs. than do the full body bounce

I think with the hath yoga. I liked a book called the Chakra Workbook by Anna Voigt. its a good book on the subject and doesnt get too lost in detail. then there is always thesatyananda yoga books. Kundilini Tantra by Swami Satyananda saraswati is a good one.
Just have a look at your bookshop. aslong as it is a serious book and has all the meditation for the chakras it should be okay. It should have pranayama breathing exercises and Asana postures.

If you do the meditation once a day. than a LBRP and tarot reading aswell as research you will get a lot of insight from it. aswell as keeping a dream dairy and you should have a magick dairy and scrying mirror. make a robe and have candles and incense. these are the basic tools to begin. I would get them If I was serious about learning. Hope this helps.

This post has been edited by xXDaemonReignXx: Oct 30 2009, 04:57 AM

Before replying to the replies, I wanted to share an experience that I had last night. I had just got done reading for the night and I had my tarot cards next to me. I took them out and prayed/mediated upon them for awhile. After that, I separated the Major Arcana and I shuffled the deck until I was satisfied. I felt the need to pray/meditate on the shuffled deck. Upon doing this I had the Judgement card pop into my head for some reason. I thought it was a little weird. I flipped the card on the top of the deck to study and it was Justice. I studied that and I thought to myself I wonder what the card on the bottom of the deck is. I flip in over and it is Judgement. I just found it to be a little weird since that card was flashing in my head while mediating. I think I will pick from the bottom of the deck from now on.

But onto the responses. I have tried using the body awareness but I seem to fail at stimulating it. I use the techniques in the book but it really doesn't seem to work. I use my fingers to try and stimulate the energy but it does not seem to work out for me.

I have just been looking at a few pictures of the hermetic tarot from the web. they look amazing. very occultish. I actually Like the black and white layout. I thinking of buying it myself.

With the tarot thing that happened to you. I think it is quite amazing. Im glad to hear that you have gotten some positive things from the tarot.
usually when you do a reading they tell you to use your intuition and choose the cards from wherever in the deck you feel right. let your intuition do the rest.
you can also be intuitive with the card layout and place the cards were you want. instead of following a particular card layout.

With the energy body awareness you just need to practice. it gets better over time. try to do little circles around the middle knuckle of your thumb and see If you get any response.
anyways congrats on your achievement. keep it up. Let me know of your progress okay SagBomb. cya