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The Qabalistic Tarot |
My one regret concerning this book is that I have avoided it for three years fearing that the subject matter and its presentation were too academic for my little Capricorn brain. My purchase of this book was prompted by chance - thanks to Ebay. A low bid and a win finally made me the owner of a hardbound edition of this book, including its original dust cover in very good condition. The yellowing of the small store label in the bottom corner of the back (New Age Books & Things, Inc.) make me believe that this originally sat on the shelf in 1983 when this book was first published. I have seen the newer printing in paperback on shelves today. Don’t be hesitant to delve into material that is twenty years old. The Qabalah ain’t going anywhere. Mr. Wang’s information is vital and alive and very accessible.
The main reason to buy this book and read it cover to cover, particularly for the Rider-Waite enthusiast (I count myself as one) is the great insight this book gives you as to why the cards have certain meanings historically. This happens as a side benefit due to the format Mr. Wang uses in his interpretation of the paths and spheres of the tree of life. Mr. Wang ties each sphere and path to a Tarot card, but for his illustrations, he uses the Golden Dawn deck, the Rider-Waite deck, Alister Crowley’s Thoth deck and the Marseilles deck. In his introduction, he gives a history of Tarot and some background on these four decks, followed by a history of the Qabalah. This information alone is worth the price of the book. It is concise, informational and, most critically, enjoyable to read.
Mr. Wang then takes us on a journey down the Tree of Life, sphere by sphere, beginning with the Aces and traveling through the tens. After a brief, detailed account of all the perspectives from which we can view the Tree of Life, he takes us back up the Tree of Life along the paths, from The World to The Fool. He begins each section with a graphic showing the cards from the four different decks. He then describes how the cards relate, not only to their position on the Tree of Life, but also to each other. This technique allows the reader to see the evolution of the symbolism in the cards from 1748 (Marseilles) until 1944 (Crowley). I personally discovered that the Golden Dawn and Crowley decks were much more connected to the “secret” meanings found in the Qabalah than were the other two decks, including my favorite, the Rider-Waite. I must admit that as I study the Qabalah more and incorporate it more into my life and readings, I may very well be forced to switch reading decks based on these stronger connections.
Believe me, these card interpretations are anything but dry and academic. Mr. Wang spices up his inspection of the cards with interesting historical comments on the people involved with the secret societies and the development of the four decks. I found his editorial comments on Mr. Crowley and Golden Dawn particularly entertaining. He is also very straightforward about the sexual content hidden (sometimes not so subtly) in the cards. There you have it. Sex sells. Go buy this book.
His final chapter on skrying (meditation on the paths and spheres of the Tree) and devination have some essential, logical information. I particularly liked his advice on the development of psychism. He put into writing what I have been telling my students for years.
Once again, do not be afraid of this book. It is so nice to finally see all of this information in one place, making this a great read, but also a wonderful textbook for beginning Qabalah students and a necessary reference manual for advanced study and research. The Qabalistic Tarot: A Textbook of Mystical Philosophy (ISBN 0-87728-520-9) by Robert Wang is a welcome addition to the bookshelf of anyone even remotely interested in the Qabalah and the Tree of Life. It will give you a new appreciation of your cards, no matter which deck you use.