The Tarot of Madness and Beauty

The "unmentionable Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred" is best known from the references that appear in the short stories of H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) and other authors who wrote stories grouped together as part of the "Cthulhu Mythos." The stories are filled with tales of evil and horror, of ancient, all-powerful gods who once ruled the earth and who are trying to rule again.

Recently, famed occultist Donald Tyson has written two books in this tradition. The first is his version of the Necronomicon, what has been called the most comprehensive version of that book. The second book, Alhazred, is the autobiography of the "mad Arab" himself. Now, completing the trilogy is the most amazing deck and book in this tradition, the Necronomicon Tarot.

It's in the Cards

The first thing you'll note about the 78 cards of this deck is the spectacular art by the well-known fantasy artist, Anne Stokes. What you'll notice is the beauty...and the madness. Images of the ghouls and evil magicians, of necromancers and horrendous entities bespeak a chance for ultimate power and knowledge.

At the same time, the images will have an eerie familiarity. That's because the images follow the same pattern as that of the famous Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Rider-Waite deck. This makes the Necronomicon Tarot the first deck that is completely usable as a Tarot with any Tarot spread.

There's More in the Book

Next in the box you'll see the book Secrets of the Necronomicon Tarot. Befitting its uncanny contents, its shape is uniquely horizontal rather than the typical vertical book design. Here you'll find everything you need to know in order to understand the meanings of each card. Included is the unique Necronomicon Layout spread that uses the major and minor arcana in different sections, making sure that both are used fully in a general reading that covers family life, social life, love life and school life.

But the true strangeness and design is in the cards and their link to the bizarre worlds of the Necronomicon:

The fool is the blind idiot god Azathoth. He represents innocence, simplicity and new beginnings in a reading.

The magician is Nyarlathotep who represents attainment, mastery, skill, and more in a reading.

The Empress is represented by Shub-Niggurath, with a bestial head with wild hair like black bristles. In a reading she represents fertility, vitality, wildness, good health, and more.

Strength is a Shoggoth, similar to the form of an amoeba but the size of an elephant. When this card appears in a reading it means indomitable spirit, endurance, defiance, valor, nobility, and more.

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Necronomicon Tarot by Anne Stokes & Donald Tyson Donald Tyson's trilogy of works — inspired by the magical adventures of the mad sorcerer Abdul Alhazred — achieves brilliant completion with Necronomicon Tarot. ISBN: 0-7387-1086-5 Price: $26.95

Forty Secrets Every Pagan Must Know


There are so many paths for Witches, Wiccans, and Pagans, that the concept of some sort of universal truth seems almost impossible--almost! And if you could discover this information, how do you make it understandable, practical, and usable by Pagans all over the world?

There is a myth that thousands of years ago, secret wisdom was stored in pictures. Why not turn that myth into a reality? That's exactly what Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor have done with The Hidden Path.

The Hidden Path consists of two parts. The first is the set of forty images that contain all of the information. To make the information look beautiful they have again used the artistic skills of Mickie Mueller. To make the information easy to carry and use, it is in the form of a deck of cards. The second part is the book, The Seeker's Guide to the Hidden Path. It's all contained in a boxed set.

The images of The Hidden Path a mated god and goddess through the Wheel of the Year. No deity names are used so you can use this information no matter what Pagan system you follow. The emphasis is on mystical and spiritual dimensions of Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism in a way that will vitalize modern traditions.

Three Uses

The images on these cards have three major uses. First, even though they are in no way related to the Tarot, they can be used for divination. In fact, they can be used by themselves or joined with Raven and Stephanie's earlier deck, The Well Worn Path. Second, they can be used to teach mystical concepts every Pagan should know. And third, they are a tool for establishing spiritual alignments. The book includes information on all three areas. It also features the Looking Glass spread for a divinatory overview of areas such as career, money, and love, the Wheel of the Year spread to show you influences in each coming month, plus two more spreads specially designed for use with these cards.

The Images

The key to using this powerful tool is in understanding the images on the cards. The book reveals divinatory meanings of each card and provides keywords to help you remember that meaning. It also shares the Pagan teaching associated with the image on the card and the "Shadow's Edge," the way to use the image to achieve spiritual alignments in your life.

The first card is Sacred Bough. Its keywords include quest, journey, and chosen path. The teaching concerns the image of a sacred bough in Europe and how it assures a safe passage to the Otherworld. The Shadow's Edge concerning this card tells us that death is not required to experience existence outside the flesh.

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The Hidden Path by Raven Grimassi & Stephanie Taylor artwork by Mickie Mueller Multi-faceted and magical, this deck can be used by those on a nature-based spiritual path for divination, pathworking, celebrating seasonal rites, creating ritual experiences, and accessing the hidden Mysteries of the Craft. ISBN: 0-7387-1070-9 Price: $19.95

Excerpt

The Hidden Path
by Raven Grimassi & Stephanie Taylor

The theme that runs through this deck is associated with the myths and legends of the Otherworld. The images in The Hidden Path deck contain the essence of mystical concepts that are both ancient and modern. In this way the deck connects you with a living tradition that spans past, present, and future.

The essential theme begins with the idea of the Silver Bough and the Golden Bough. These sacred branches appear in ancient myth and legend where they grant safe passage to and from the Otherworld or Underworld. Those who carried the sacred bough entered the realm beyond in order to retrieve information, oracle power, or a magical vessel.

The mystical journey within the deck begins with the opening of the secret door, which is hidden from normal view. The setting for the majority of the cards in this deck takes place in the Otherworld where we find the Faery or Elven race. Here the reader is guided through an initiation experience that includes experiencing the eight festivals, or Sabbats, of the Wheel of the Year. In effect, the experience of this deck is within the Otherworld, which connects you directly with the astral impressions that empower each of the seasonal rites.

The eight festival cards depicted in this deck present a mated goddess and god pair. Together they journey through the Wheel of the Year in a shared mythical tale that brings a cohesive understanding to the divine presence within the seasons of Nature. Here the goddess and god have titles instead of names, which allow the user of the deck to relate to the images regardless of personal cultural preference. The storyline provided in the companion book to The Hidden Path deck, encourages the reader to experience herself or himself as the hero on a sacred quest in the Otherworld.

As you work with this deck you will find that the cards serve as alignments to Otherworld beings (the Elven or Faery), as well as bridges to the inner realms themselves. Journey Through the Hidden Path in this book (163-180) contains a guided image journey through each of the cards. This will aid in connecting you to the mystical themes reflected in the images.

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ISBN 0-7387-1253-1
Price $ 19.95