TAROT CARDS - OSWALD WIRTH PACK Although the Oswald Wirth deck is attributed, as a design, to Wirth, the fact is that the idea for the deck was suggested by the French occultist, Eliphas Levi, and is steeped in nineteenth century romantic occultism. Wirth was helped in his design partly by Stanislas de Guaita, who interposed a number of nineteenth century occult concepts on a deck which owed a great deal to the traditional Marseilles design. These four cards from the Oswald Wirth deck have been chosen to illustrate something of Wirth and de Guaita's unique approach to Tarot symbolism. The z
TAROT CARDS - OSWALD WIRTH PACK Although the Oswald Wirth deck is attributed, as a design, to Wirth, the fact is that the idea for the deck was suggested by the French occultist, Eliphas Levi, and is steeped in nineteenth century romantic occultism. Wirth was helped in his design partly by Stanislas de Guaita, who interposed a number of nineteenth century occult concepts on a deck which owed a great deal to the traditional Marseilles design. These four cards from the Oswald Wirth deck have been chosen to illustrate something of Wirth and de Guaita's unique approach to Tarot symbolism. The zero card, The Fool [here, Le Fou] shows the wanderer, unaware of the treasures in his bag, threatened from behind by a wild cat [in the text, however, Wirth refers to the creature as a dog], and in front by a crocodile. The Hebrew letter Shin is associated with the card. Card 1, The Juggler [here, Le Bateleur] follows the Marseilles tradition, but the man is given a hat intended to reflect the lemniscate, or figure of eight, as symbol of the planetary movements, and of the spiritual world above his head. The objects on the magician's table are the symbols of the Four Suites of the Minor deck. The Hebrew letter Aleph is associated with the card, and it is observed that the body and arms of the Bateleur are so placed as to form this first Hebrew letter. Card 7, The Chariot introduces certain Egyptian themes that were so popular in nineteenth century occultism. Instead of being drawn by two horses the chariot is pulled by two sphinxes. Symbolic of the heavens, there are twelve stars (the twelve signs of the zodiac) emblazoned on the curtain above the chariot: his crown consists of three pentragrams (symbols ever-popular with Levi, who succeeded in completely misunderstanding its esoteric symbolism). The Hebrew letter Zain is associated with the card. Below the Winged Horus, on front of the chariot, is a design intended to represent the Hindu lingam - though it has
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