French occultism and esoteric tarot
The Book of Thoth (Manière de se récréer avec le jeu de cartes nommé les Tarots)
The first systematic work to provide a mystical and divinatory framework for the Tarot, attributing its origins to ancient Egypt and the god Thoth. Etteilla (Jean-Baptiste Alliette) revolutionized playing card divination by creating the first tarot deck specifically designed for occult purposes and providing detailed interpretations for each card. The work establishes correspondences between tarot cards and astrology, elements, and Egyptian symbolism. This groundbreaking 18th-century French text transformed tarot from a card game into an esoteric tool, influencing all subsequent tarot traditions including the Rider-Waite and Thoth decks.
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Contents25 chapters
- 01Plate: La Force
- 02Second Cahier: Title Page
- 03Notice on the Four Volumes and Cahiers
- 04Second Cahier: Maniere de se recreer avec le jeu de cartes nommees Tarots
- 05The First Feuillets of the Book of Thot
- 06Physical Order of the Twenty-Two Hieroglyphs
- 07Order of the Egyptian Numbers
- 08The Four Ages: Age of Gold
- 09The Four Ages: Age of Silver
- 10The Four Ages: Age of Brass
- 11The Four Ages: Age of Iron
- 12Divisions of the Book in One to Seven Books
- 13Chronologie et Genealogie Sacrees
- 14Supplement to the Second Cahier: Fifth Book of the Tarots
- 15End of the Second Cahier Material
- 16Plate: La Justice
- 17First Cahier: Title Page
- 18Editor's Notice
- 19First Cahier: Maniere de se recreer avec le jeu de cartes nommees Tarots
- 20Chronology of the Egyptian Sages and the Book of Thot
- 21Horloge Planetaire
- 22Supplement to the First Cahier
- 23Body of the Work
- 24Corrections and Additions to the First Cahier
- 25Further Notes on the Book of Thot and the Occult Sciences
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