The Tarot of the Bohemians: The Most Ancient Book in the World for the Exclusive Use of Initiates (Absolute Key to Occult Science)

xxbii, 355 pp. Translated by A.P. Morton. Preface by A.E. Waite, one of the creators of the Rider-Waite tarot deck. Illustrated with plates and woodcuts. To the casual observer, they're just a pack of playing cards. But to initiates, the mysterious figures of the Tarot deck symbolize the keys to ancient wisdom. The 78 cards can be employed to unlock the secrets of the universe and to foretell the future — but only by those who comprehend their esoteric truths. A pillar of occult science, The Tarot of the Bohemians provides a theological element to the work begun by Antoine Court de Gébelin, Etteila, and Éliphas Lévi, and advanced by A.E. Waite, the distinguished scholar and designer of the most widely known deck. Geared toward initiates, its topics include an introduction to the study of the Tarot as well as its symbolism and applications.