Table of Contents
The first Tarot deck to faithfully adhere to the Solomonic principles of demon conjuration, the Occult Tarot allows practitioners to discover the power of ancient Demons and learn to tame the beasts that wander between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Product description from the publisher
If you search for a tarot or oracle deck about goetic demons or things related to them, you will likely stumble upon Goetia: Tarot in Darkness or Occult Tarot. They both have all the demons from Ars Goetia. However, the latter expands into a full tarot deck by adding six rulers into the mix, while the former adds Lilith and Lucifer, for example. In addition, these two decks have a completely different art style.
Occult Tarot uses a more traditional style familiar to old grimoires, while Goetia: Tarot in Darkness uses more modern interpretations. Both have their place in the world of demonolatry. Goetia: Tarot in Darkness will look good on your altar, while Occult Tarot feels a bit more academic and good for learning.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Deck box is good-looking and sturdy + Cards are a great quick reference to demons | – Guidebook doesn’t give you much – Art is mainly copy&paste from Dictionnaire Infernal |
About the Creator of Occult Tarot
Travis McHenry is a well-known occultist who has authored books on the history of tarot. He was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, where he was exposed to the folklore of the Appalachian Mountains. This sparked his passion for uncovering and sharing hidden truths behind mythological tales. Eventually, he encountered a coven of witches who gave him permission to publish the first written history of their magical tradition.
Travis has explored various religions and was even an ordained deacon in the Baptist Church. His diverse spiritual background has given him a unique perspective on harnessing the divine energies found in cultures worldwide. From 2001 to 2008, he served as an intelligence specialist in the United States Navy. During this time, he used his analytical and research skills to track terrorist groups and assess the military capabilities of foreign countries. After leaving the military, he worked as a recruiter for a telephone psychic company. Here, he developed a process for identifying and verifying individuals with intuitive powers.
Cards and the Artwork
This deck has 78 cards, which makes it a full tarot deck. In order to achieve that, some cards have been added. In addition to the 72 demons from Ars Goetia, you get six ruling demons that are not part of the original text. Those rulers are Azazel, Baphomet, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Lucifuge Rofocale, and Moloch.
The paper quality feels decent, and the cards look nice. However, my deck has started to bend slightly, so the quality could be better. Each card has a red gilded edge, which looks good against the black backs of the cards.
Each card contains a lot of information. On the top, you will find the card’s tarot correspondence. It is useful if you are using this deck as a tarot deck. You will also find the goetic number of the demon (if applicable), the name of the demon and the ruling angel of the demon. However, the name of the ruling is in Hebrew (I think), so it’s only as useful if you know the language.
The main part of the card, as always, is the picture of the demon. As mentioned before, the art style resembles that of old grimoires. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, at least some, if not all, of them are from the Dictionnaire Infernal. This gives the cards a nice academic feel, as you can easily compare them to original grimoires.
The lower part of the cards has the demon’s abilities and a collection of seals and sigils from different sources. This works as a quick reference to what each demon is all about. As with Goetia: Tarot in Darkness, I would have liked to learn more about each demon without having to take a look at Ars Goetia or other sources. More on that later.
The Guidebook
The guidebook consists of 103 pages and is made of high-quality paper with a durable feel. It is easy to flip through, and the size is perfect. However, the positives end there. The first few pages only contain basic information about the deck and its theme, leaving much to be desired. The introduction of the guidebook provides only the bare minimum, and the rest of the pages are pretty much useless. They contain the exact same information that you can already find on the cards themselves. So, it has many of the same problems as the Goetia: Tarot in Darkness regarding the guidebook.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are an experienced demonology enthusiast, the Occult Tarot deck could be a valuable addition to your collection. It provides a quick reference to Goetic demons and their abilities, and the traditional art style gives it an academic feel. However, the guidebook is lacking and doesn’t provide much additional information beyond what is already on the cards. Overall, it is a well-made deck with sturdy cards and decent paper quality.
