The Tarot of the Bohemians Absolute Key to Occult Science

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. This revised edition includes a Preface by Waite in addition to illustrative plates, charts, and tables.

Papus was the pen name of Gérard Encausse (1865–1916), a Spanish-born French physician. After years of researching the occult, Kabbalah, alchemy, and magic, he was among the first to offer a serious study of the Tarot. He co-founded the Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Croix and was active in the Hermetic Brotherhood of the Light.

CONTENTS.

PART I.
THE "GENERAL KEY TO THE TAROT," GIVING THE ABSOLUTE KEY TO OCCULT SCIENCE.

CHAP. I.--INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE TAROT: Approaching End of Materialism--Synthesis--The Occult Science--The Secret Societies--The Cultus--The People, Transmitter of Esoterism--The Gypsies--The Sacred Word of Freemasonry--Our Work

II.--THE SACRED WORD YOD-HE-VAU-HE: The Kabbalah and the Sacred Word--The Yod--The He--The Vau--The 2nd He--Synthesis of the Sacred Word

III.--THE ESOTERISM OF NUMBERS: The Theosophic Numbers and Operations--Signification of the Numbers

IV.--ANALOGY BETWEEN THE SACRED WORD AND NUMBERS: The Kabbalistic Word and the Series of Numbers--Explanation of the Tetractys of Pythagoras--Figuration of the General Law

V.--THE KEY TO THE MINOR ARCANA: Formation of the Tarot--Study of a Colour--The Four Figures--The Ten Numbers--Affinity between the Figures and the Numbers--Study of the Four Colours--A Comprehensive Glance over the Minor Arcana

VI.--THE KEY TO THE MAJOR ARCANA: The Major Arcana--1st Ternary--2nd Ternary--1st Septenary--2nd Septenary-The Three Septenaries and the Ternary of Transition

VII.--CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MAJOR AND MINOR ARCANA: Domination of the 1st Septenary--Affinities of the 2nd Septenary in the Tarot, Card by Card--Ditto of the 3rd Septenary--General Affinities--Affinities of Yod, He, Vau, and of the 2nd He General Figure giving the Key to the Tarot

PART II.

SYMBOLISM IN THE TAROT.

APPLICATION OF THE GENERAL KEY TO THE SYMBOLISM.

VIII.--INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SYMBOLISM: The Symbols--The Primitive Terms--Key of Symbolism--Definition of the Sense of one of the Symbols--General Law of Symbolism

IX.--HISTORY OF THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TAROT. INQUIRY INTO ITS ORIGIN: The Tarot is an Egyptian Book--Its Transformations--Mantegna's Pack--Venetian Tarot--Florentine Tarot--Bolognese Tarot--Hindu Tarot--p. xi Chinese Tarot-Modem Tarots--Etteila--Marseilles--Besançon--Watillaux--Oswald Wirth--Italian and German Tarots--Constitution of the Symbolism of the Tarot--The Primitive Hieroglyphic Signs--The 22 Hebrew Letters

X.--THE SYMBOLICAL TAROT. THE 1ST SEPTENARY. ARCANA 1 TO 7. THEOGONY: Scheme of Work--Key to the 1st Septenary--The 1st Card of the Tarot the Origin of all the others--The Three Principles of the Absolute--The Trinity--Figure of the 1st Card and its Affinities 2nd Card--The High Priestess (Beth)3rd Card--The Empress (Gimel) 4th Card--The Emperor (Daleth) 5th Card--The Pope (He) 6th Card--The Lovers (Van) Summary--Constitution of God

XI.--2ND SEPTENARY. ANDROGONY: Key to the 2nd Septenary 7th Card--The Chariot (Zain) 8th Card--Justice (Cheth) 9th Card--The Hermit (Teth) 10th Card--The Wheel of Fortune (Yod) 11th Card--Strength (Kaph) 12th Card--The Hanged Man (Lamed)Summary--Constitution of Man

XII.--3RD SEPTENARY. COSMOGONY: Key to the 3rd Septenary 13th Card--Death (Mem) 14th Card--Temperance (Nun) 15th Card--The Devil (Samech) 16th Card--The Lightning-struck Tower (Zain) 17th Card--The Star (Phe) 18th Card--The Moon (Tzaddi)Summary--Constitution of the Universe

XIII.--GENERAL TRANSITION 19th Card--The Sun (Qoph) 20th Card--The Judgment (Resh) 21st Card--The Foolish Man (Shin) 22nd Card--The Universe (Tau) Summary

XIV.--GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLICAL TAROT: Involution and Evolution Theogony.--The Absolute according to Wronski, Lacuria, and the Tarot--Theogony of Divers Religions identical with that of the Tarot--Summary Androgony: Figure with Summary Cosmogony: Figure with Summary Figure containing the Symbolism of all the Major Arcana, enabling the Signification of each Card to be easily defined

PART III.

APPLICATIONS OF THE TAROT.

XV.--GENERAL KEY TO THE APPLICATIONS OF THE TAROT: The Principle and the Forms--The 21st Card of the Tarot is a Figure--Principle--The Tarot--The Year--The Month--The Day--The Human Life

XVI.--THE ASTRONOMIC TAROT: Egyptian Astronomy--The Four Seasons--The Twelve Months--The Thirty-six Decans--The Planets--Absolute Analogy with the Tarot--Figure containing the Application of the Tarot to Astronomy--Key to the Astrological Works of Christian--Oswald Wirth's Astronomical Tarot

XVII.--THE INITIATIVE TAROT: Ch. Barlet's Essay on this Subject--Involution and Evolution--The Hours of Apollonius of Tyana--The Phases of Initiation represented by the Tarot Barlet's Work upon the COSMOGONIC TAROT

XVIII.--THE KABBALISTIC TAROT: Deductions by Etteila upon the Book of Thoth--Example of the Application of the Tarot to the Kabbalah, the Hierogram of Adam by Stanislas de Gualta

XIX.--THE AUTHORS WHO HAVE INTERESTED THEMSELVES IN THE TAROT: Raymond Lulle--Cardan--Postel--The Rosicrucians--Court de Gébelin--Etteila--Claude de Saint-Martin--J. A. Vaillaint--Christian--Eliphas Levi--St. de Guaita--Joséphin Péladan--The Platonist--Theosophical Publications--F. Ch. Barlet--O. Wirth--Poirel--Ely Star--H. P. Blavatsky--Ch. de Sivry--Mathers

XX.--THE DIVINING TAROT IN SEVEN LESSONS. Introduction: To our Lady Readers--Astronomy and Astrology--Intuition--Fortune-telling by the Tarot in Seven Lessons 1st Lesson--Simplification of the Rules of Fortune-telling by the Tarot 2nd Lesson--Minor Arcana--Signification p. xiv--A good Memory unnecessary for their retention-Key to the Divining Tarot 3rd Lesson--Major Arcana--Signification from a Divining Point of View 4th Lesson--Basis of the Application of this Knowledge--Arrangement of the Cards 5th Lesson--Reading the Tarot--Rapid Process--Elaborate Process 6th Lesson--Etteila's original and unpublished Method of reading the Tarot (from one of his rarest works). 1st Deal--2nd Deal--3rd Deal--4th Deal 7th Lesson--Conclusion--Bibliography

XXI.--APPLICATION OF THE TAROT TO GAMES: The Royal Game of the Human Life according to the Egyptians--The Unity of Games in the Tarot

XXII.--CONCLUSION OF THE WORK

INDEX

TABLE OF THE AUTHORS AND PRINCIPAL WORKS QUOTED