Hello my dears,
It’s Mystic Munta here from Dragged Around London. While you don’t often find me walking the streets of London trying to pick up some trade like my sisters, I do offer courses in tarot. Why do I do this? Because rarely do I find people that can teach them well!
I often find people saying things like “you just make it up based on whatever you feel.”… ummm… no! Where’s the psychic aptitude in that? Also, there is so much misinformation these days. Back in the old days, it was so underground that people kept it secret and released as much information about it as misinformation. It would seem today even with bizarre inventions that I can hardly fathom such as the internet that we haven’t yet made the strides to unearth the truth buried beneath amongst the lies.
I am writing to you today about a wonderous book that I happened upon. I found it hidden in an old second-hand bookshop that can’t tell the difference between Dion Fortune, Doreen Valiente or Doreen Virtue. 3 ladies that you really don’t want to get mixed up if you appreciate their help from beyond the grave. Doreen Virtue isn’t really beyond the grave, but her knowledge of real spiritual things was somewhat of a miscarriage so perhaps that is…
The book I’m referring to is Bill Butler’s Definitive Tarot. This was printed in 1975 before modern occultists started selling modern trash to wannabes like selling “low-fat” ice cream to Weight Watchers and watching them bloat!
The author does something respectful indeed. He make a summary of many people’s view of each card and put thems one after another so for each card if it is looked up in this book you can find all their opinions and discern for yourself which one seems right. The authors he summarises are:
- Paul Foster Case,
- Aleister Crowley,
- Paul Christian,
- Alfred Douglas,
- Eden Gray,
- Israel Regardie (who he takes as the authority on Golden Dawn view of the tarot)
- Grimaud,
- Paul Huson,
- Yitzhac Kahn,
- S. R. Kaplan,
- Gareth Knight,
- Frank Lind,
- Samuel Liddel MacGregor Mathers,
- Mayananda,
- Papus,
- Mouni Sadhu,
- A. E. Thierens,
- Arland Ussher, and
- Arthur Edward Waite
While many of these are summarised to only one or two lines, never before or since have I ever seen such dictionary of the cards. Not only are the meanings of the cards put one above the other for comparison, but so are some basic descriptions of what the cards depict. However, the book does lack the pictures that would make it complete. Probably a reflection on 1975 printing practices more than anything!
A rare but incredible find for anyone who can get a hand on it. Two are available for less than £5 on the British Amazon. I also recommend people check ABE books!
Get one your tarot notes are incomplete without it.
Remember be fun, be fruit, be fabulous and get escorted through London by one of my drag sisters of Dragged Around London
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