Home›Sources›A History of the Occult TarotSourcesA History of the Occult TarotCitation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextDivinity Atlas. "A History of the Occult Tarot." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/a-history-of-the-occult-tarot.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextDivinity Atlas. (n.d.). A History of the Occult Tarot. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/a-history-of-the-occult-tarotCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{divinityatlas-a-history-of-the-occult-tarot, author = {Divinity Atlas}, title = {A History of the Occult Tarot}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/a-history-of-the-occult-tarot}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXRonald Decker and Michael Dummett's scholarly history of the occult tarot, published by Duckworth, covering the Golden Dawn's tarot attributions, the Waite-Smith deck and the Crowley-Harris Thoth deck as historical developments in the card's reinterpretation as a magical and divinatory tool. Dummett's standing as the leading historian of playing cards and the academic publication place this at this atlas's top tier. It is a strong source for how and when specific occult tarot systems and decks were actually created. It documents this history rather than validating any deck's divinatory claims, which are outside what historical scholarship can confirm.FactsCross-Tradition ConnectionsClaims Backed By This Source (568 claims)Comments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsCitationAuthorWell-attestedRonald Decker and Michael DummettPublisherWell-attestedDuckworthPublication YearWell-attested2002URLWell-attestedhttps://www.duckworthbooks.co.uk/book/the-history-of-the-occult-tarot/Source TypeWell-attestedScholarly workAssessmentReliability TierWell-attested1A scholarly history from Michael Dummett, the leading historian of playing cards, and Ronald Decker, covering the Golden Dawn's tarot attributions and the Waite-Smith and Thoth decks as historical developments.NotesWell-attestedCovers the Golden Dawn attributions, the Waite-Smith deck and the Crowley-Harris Thoth deck.Cross-Tradition ConnectionsAssociated WithThoth, Deities Well-attested This source names Thoth directly: "deck and the Crowley-Harris Thoth deck as historical developments in the card's reinterpretation as a magical and divinatory tool."Source A History of the Occult TarotRonald Decker and Michael Dummetttier 1Claims Backed By This Source (568 claims)This source backs 568 claims across the atlas. As facts: 409 well-attested, 2 scholarly debate. As cited relationships: 49 holds. Plus 108 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.Disposition By TopicDecans, 216 claims: 144 well-attested, 36 holds, 36 general references.Articles, 118 claims: 117 well-attested, 1 general references.Tree of Life Paths, 68 claims: 46 well-attested, 22 general references.Tarot Spreads, 35 claims: 18 well-attested, 17 general references.Tarot Decks, 30 claims: 24 well-attested, 2 scholarly debate, 1 holds, 3 general references.Esoteric Texts, 18 claims: 15 well-attested, 3 general references.Disciplines, 14 claims: 7 well-attested, 4 holds, 3 general references.Secret Societies, 12 claims: 7 well-attested, 4 holds, 1 general references.Tarot, 11 claims: 4 well-attested, 7 general references.Sources, 9 claims: 8 well-attested, 1 holds.Historical Figures, 8 claims: 5 well-attested, 1 holds, 2 general references.Rituals, 8 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 general references.Playing Card Suits, 4 claims: 4 general references.Years, 4 claims: 2 holds, 2 general references.Categories, 3 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 general references.Religious Symbols, 3 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 general references.Studies, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.Subcategories, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.Tarot Suits, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.Lenormand Cards, 1 claims: 1 general references.Well-attested409ArticlesA Book Written to Accompany a DeckA Mystery School Taught Through the Tarot, by PostA Tree of Life Drawn into a Pip CardCorrespondences, and a Note on the AuthorCrowley's Tarot, and Lady Frieda HarrisEtteilla, a Fortune Teller, and a Parlour GameFrom Gebelin to Dummett, How the Question Was SettledHow the Modern Deck Was AssembledLetter, trump and starNeither Ancient nor CelticOrdinary Cards, Read in CombinationReversals, Significators, Clarifiers and the Shadow CardSola Busca's Reach into the Rider-Waite-SmithTables, and What a Table Does to a SubjectTen Positions Is a Lot to Hold ApartThe Aces, and the Invention of the Minor CardsThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryThe Card and Its ImageryShowing 1 to 50 of 198 entities carrying this claim. NextScholarly debate2Tarot DecksSola BuscaHolds49DecansDecan 1 of AquariusDecan 1 of AriesDecan 1 of CancerDecan 1 of CapricornDecan 1 of GeminiDecan 1 of LeoDecan 1 of LibraDecan 1 of PiscesDecan 1 of SagittariusDecan 1 of ScorpioDecan 1 of TaurusDecan 1 of VirgoDecan 2 of AquariusDecan 2 of AriesDecan 2 of CancerDecan 2 of CapricornDecan 2 of GeminiDecan 2 of LeoDecan 2 of LibraDecan 2 of PiscesDecan 2 of SagittariusDecan 2 of ScorpioDecan 2 of TaurusDecan 2 of VirgoDecan 3 of AquariusDecan 3 of AriesDecan 3 of CancerDecan 3 of CapricornDecan 3 of GeminiDecan 3 of LeoDecan 3 of LibraDecan 3 of PiscesDecan 3 of SagittariusDecan 3 of ScorpioDecan 3 of TaurusDecan 3 of VirgoDisciplinesCartomancyHistorical FiguresArthur Edward WaiteSecret SocietiesBuilders of the AdytumSourcesA History of the Occult TarotTarot DecksSola BuscaYears19221944General References108ArticlesWhat a Tarot Deck Entry CoversCategoriesTree of Life PathsDecansDecan 1 of AquariusDecan 1 of AriesDecan 1 of CancerDecan 1 of CapricornDecan 1 of GeminiDecan 1 of LeoDecan 1 of LibraDecan 1 of PiscesDecan 1 of SagittariusDecan 1 of ScorpioDecan 1 of TaurusDecan 1 of VirgoDecan 2 of AquariusDecan 2 of AriesDecan 2 of CancerDecan 2 of CapricornDecan 2 of GeminiDecan 2 of LeoDecan 2 of LibraDecan 2 of PiscesDecan 2 of SagittariusDecan 2 of ScorpioDecan 2 of TaurusDecan 2 of VirgoDecan 3 of AquariusDecan 3 of AriesDecan 3 of CancerDecan 3 of CapricornDecan 3 of GeminiDecan 3 of LeoDecan 3 of LibraDecan 3 of PiscesDecan 3 of SagittariusDecan 3 of ScorpioDecan 3 of TaurusDecan 3 of VirgoDisciplinesCartomancyOracle CardsTarotEsoteric TextsBook T (The Tarot)Liber 777The Book of ThothHistorical FiguresArthur Edward WaiteÉliphas LéviLenormand CardsRiderPlaying Card SuitsClubsDiamondsHeartsShowing 1 to 50 of 108 entities carrying this claim. NextComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year