The Occult Publishing Wars: How Two Rival Orders Gave Us Different Tarot Worlds
Today's Lesson In the early 1900s, two competing magical orders in England were locked in a bitter rivalry that would shape tarot forever. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, once unified, splintered dramatically around 1900, with factions led by A.E. Waite and Aleister Crowley taking very different paths. Both men would create tarot decks that embodied their opposing philosophies—and their personal animosity toward each other. Waite, working with artist Pamela Colman Smith, published his deck in 1909, emphasizing Christian mysticism and accessible symbolism. Crowley, determined to outdo his rival, spent decades developing his Thoth deck with artist Lady Frieda Harris, published in 1969, which leaned heavily into Egyptian mythology and complex ceremonial magic. What makes this rivalry fascinating isn't just the personal drama—it's that most modern tarot readers are unknowingly choosing sides in a century-old magical feud. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck became the template for hundreds of derivative decks, prioritizing intuitive reading and psychological interpretation. The Thoth deck, meanwhile, influenced a different lineage of decks focused on astrological correspondences and occult theory. These weren't just artistic choices; they were fundamentally different visions of what tarot should be and who it should serve. Waite wanted tarot for spiritual seekers. Crowley wanted…