The last post from Frater Orpheus’ FB feed re: alternate versions of Thoth Deck cards:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
More on Frieda Harris
So as it turns out, I missed at least four cards, two of which are at Penn State. Special thanks to Bart Deleplanque & Robert Furtkamp for pointing these out to me. In truth, I had seen a couple of these but simply overlooked them as three of these variants are nearly indistinguishable from the officially adopted cards upon first look. However, it could be that there are more notable and striking differences when viewed in color.
The first is a variant of the Wheel of Fortune in which the Sphinx, who sits atop the wheel, is bearing a different style of sword then that depicted in the final, which is also pointed in a different direction.
This is followed by a variant of the Ten of Swords, also known as “Ruin”. Here we find the two central swords (in the positions of Chesed and Geburah) have simple crosses for hilts, whereas in the official version these crosses are capped by spheres adorned with a circle at the center. Also, a crossbar of sorts has been added to hilt of the sword in the position of Yesod.
The third image is of the Seven of Wands, also known as “Valor”. Here we find that the central and 7th Wand looks entirely different, but in both cases, they appear as a branch or root and stand in stark contrast to the other wands depicted in this card.
The fourth image is what appears to be draft of the Four of Wands, as the Venus and Aries symbols indicate, however in this rendition two of the wands are missing.
The final image is a note scribbled by Crowley on the obverse side of the alternate Ace of Pentacles shared a few days ago which simply reads, “ I am very uncertain about this. It must be looked at again after the rest of the suit is done.”—something I am sure Harris heard more than once, as all evidence would suggest.
Ok, so our new tally of alternate cards is as follows: six Magus cards, seven Ace cards, seven Court cards, eleven Trump cards and four small cards, for a total of 35 alternate cards and counting. In all likelihood, other renditions will eventually surface. For those keeping count, a full deck is 78 cards which means that Harris offered a minimum of 113 paintings before completing the Thoth deck to Crowley’s satisfaction.
Everyone enjoy your weekend and stay safe!
Love is the law, love under will
Orpheus
