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[[File:Visconti-Example.jpg|250px|left]]
[[File:Aleister Crowley.jpg|200px|left]]
The '''[[Visconti-Sforza Tarot]]''' is used collectively to refer to incomplete sets of approximately 15 [[Tarot]] decks from the middle of the 15th century, now located in various museums, libraries, and private collections around the world.
'''[[Aleister Crowley]]''' was an English [[occultist]], [[magician]], poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of [[Thelema]], identifying himself as the [[prophet]] entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of [[Horus]] in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a [[recreational drug]] user, bisexual, and an individualist social critic.


No complete deck has survived; rather, some collections boast a few face cards, while some consist of a single card. They are the oldest surviving tarot cards and date back to a period when tarot was still called ''Trionfi'' cards, and used for playing everyday card games. They were commissioned by Filippo Maria Visconti, the Duke of Milan, and by his successor and son-in-law Francesco Sforza. They had a significant impact on the visual composition, card numbering and interpretation of modern Tarot decks.
Several Western esoteric traditions other than Thelema were also influenced by Crowley, with Djurdjevic observing that "Crowley's influence on twentieth-century and contemporary esotericism has been enormous". [[Gerald Gardner]], founder of [[Gardnerian Wicca]], made use of much of Crowley's published material when composing the Gardnerian ritual liturgy. [[L. Ron Hubbard]], the American founder of [[Scientology]], was involved in Thelema in the early 1940s (with [[Jack Parsons]]), and it has been argued that Crowley's ideas influenced some of Hubbard's work.


Updated versions of the deck have been published by [[U.S. Games Systems]].
'''([[Aleister Crowley|Full Article...]])'''
 
'''([[Visconti-Sforza Tarot|Full Article...]])'''

Latest revision as of 16:20, 13 December 2025

Aleister Crowley.jpg

Aleister Crowley was an English occultist, magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a recreational drug user, bisexual, and an individualist social critic.

Several Western esoteric traditions other than Thelema were also influenced by Crowley, with Djurdjevic observing that "Crowley's influence on twentieth-century and contemporary esotericism has been enormous". Gerald Gardner, founder of Gardnerian Wicca, made use of much of Crowley's published material when composing the Gardnerian ritual liturgy. L. Ron Hubbard, the American founder of Scientology, was involved in Thelema in the early 1940s (with Jack Parsons), and it has been argued that Crowley's ideas influenced some of Hubbard's work.

(Full Article...)