David Shoemaker

The Thoth Tarot, Astrology, & Other Selected Writings David Shoemaker

Phyllis Seckler (1917-2004) was introduced to the teachings of Aleister Crowley in the late 1930s and became a regular participant in the activities of Agape Lodge of the Ordo Templi Orientis in California, and rose to become a Ninth Degree member of the "Sovereign Sanctuary of the Gnosis." She was admitted to the A.'. A.'. under the tutelage of Jane Wolfe, eventually taking the now well-known magical name Soror Meral and was later confirmed as an Adeptus Minor by Crowley's successor, Karl Germer.

Seckler was a key figure in the reinauguration of the O. T. O. in 1969, and a few years later she founded the College of Thelema, with the intention that it would provide important background training and education for aspirants to the A.'. A.'. Seckler played a crucial role in the history of Thelema, not only through her efforts to explore and revive Crowley's creed, but also by training a new generation of its students. Her legacy continues under the auspices of the Temple of the Silver Star, the magical organization she chartered shortly before her death, which serves as the repository of her literary estate, library and archives.

The Thoth Tarot, Astrology & Other Selected Writings, is edited by three of Phyllis Seckler's former students: David Shoemaker, Gregory Peters, and Rorac Johnson. It includes a biographical sketch of Phyllis Seckler drawn from her own autobiographical writings, and two of her most important essays: "The Tarot Trumps of Thoth and Psychology" - a detailed analysis of the psychological and magical symbolism of the Trumps of the Thoth deck - and "Thoth Tarot and Astrology," a significant study of astrology and the natal chart, with special reference to the cards of the Thoth deck. Both of these essays were previously serialized in Seckler's journal In the Continuum, but they are here presented for the first time in book form, accompanied by redrawn and corrected diagrams. In addition to the essays the book also contains a selection of important correspondence between Seckler, Aleister Crowley, Karl Germer and Jane Wolfe. These are followed by a transcript of the last major interview conducted with Phyllis Seckler, in which she recounted the details of her introduction to Thelema and involvement with the old Agape Lodge, her subsequent participation in various Thelemic organizations, and her thoughts on developments within the Thelemic world.