Golden Dawn Original Tarot Design

The Happy Squirrel

Hi All
I am not sure if the "original design" referred to in LM DuQuette's book "Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot" is that of the Golden Dawn but this is my understanding. If so, is there any good deck which made good attempt to reproduce this? I googled some images and saw some rather awkward looking decks but whose designs appear to be consistent with some of the descriptions I read In Du Quette's book. Those maybe all that's out there. But I thought I double check here. Thanks in advance!
 

Zephyros

Probably the most faithful is the Golden Dawn Tarot, made by Robert Wang under Israel Regardie. It is faithful not only in its symbolism but also in how rough it is, seeing as GD members who rose that far in the grades made their own decks, and most were not accomplished artists (neither is Wang). The Golden Dawn Magical Tarot by the Ciceros is also good, but not as faithful and in any case I don't like how it looks.

While I use the Hermetic as my go-to GD deck, it isn't quite a faithful reproduction. It has pips instead of hands coming out of clouds, and a few other irregularities.

If you want to see what sorts of things these decks are based on, the Whare-Ra is as authentic as it gets.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Thank you !!

PS: By the way "whare" means "house" in te reo Maori in New Zealand. Is Whare Ra a New Zealand based organisation / artist / etc ?
 

The Happy Squirrel

Okay I just saw that it is indeed in New Zealand :)
 

The Happy Squirrel

Probably the most faithful is the Golden Dawn Tarot, made by Robert Wang under Israel Regardie. It is faithful not only in its symbolism but also in how rough it is, seeing as GD members who rose that far in the grades made their own decks, and most were not accomplished artists (neither is Wang). The Golden Dawn Magical Tarot by the Ciceros is also good, but not as faithful and in any case I don't like how it looks.



While I use the Hermetic as my go-to GD deck, it isn't quite a faithful reproduction. It has pips instead of hands coming out of clouds, and a few other irregularities.



If you want to see what sorts of things these decks are based on, the Whare-Ra is as authentic as it gets.


Is this the deck Closrapexa?

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/golden-dawn-magical/
 

Zephyros

That's the deck by the Ciceros.
 

The Happy Squirrel

I can find a complete deck of the Whare Ra .....
 

Zephyros

Of course how did I miss that :/
Found them

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/golden-dawn/

Wang's deck has a great deal of authentic charm, but I find that it has little else. As a study tool, my heart was drawn to the Hermetic both because it makes a point of being cluttered with things that are important for study and also its whiteness allowed me to write on it and add a few things that weren't on it.

I think that for a beginner authenticity is less important than how well a deck functions as a study aid. Another one you might want to consider is the Tarot of the Sephiroth. It is a very different animal, though. A Kabbalistic deck based on the Golden Dawn Tree, and it illustrates the paths and all that quite well.
 

The Happy Squirrel

I have the Hermetic deck and I am a little intimidated by it..... Love how it looks though, except for the humans. Will check out Tarot of the Sephiroth.

I only intend this deck tis be a reference deck though.... At least for now :)