Deck Review: Initiatory Golden Dawn Tarot

Patrizio Evangelisti (art), Initiatory Golden Dawn Tarot. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2008. ISBN: 9780738713878. (Link to US Distributor Llewellyn).

Genre: Tarot decks

Subgenre: Golden Dawn, esoterica

Format: 78-card deck with little white book

Source: I own this one 

 

 

Justice-XI card

I first used this deck in November of 2024. It comes in a tuck box with a little white book (LWB). We get the typical Lo Scarabeo LWB in five languages: English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German. 

LWB includes a small history of Golden Dawn and their Tarot decks. Once the contents of the Liber T were revealed, various authors made decks interpreting the Golden Dawn card descriptions. Patrizio Evangelisti is the artist for this deck. He did not know about previous Golden Dawn deck versions, so he made the art for this deck based on Golden Dawn texts. The goal was to make a deck consistent with Golden Dawn tradition and that works for modern audiences. 

I can say the deck works pretty well for me. I was a bit intimidated initially, concerned the deck may be too esoteric for me. Once I started working with the deck, I found that it worked for me. The LWB states that the brief card meanings draw partially on the Liber T; the meanings are supplemented using works by Edward Arthur Waite, Aleister Crowley, and their disciples. Card meanings are brief, mostly keywords. Meanings are positive and negative (reversed). If you in the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) method, you can still do that with this deck; the cards can work for you that way. However, meanings in the LWB can and often do differ from RWS, so I do suggest reading the LWB. I think you may get some new insights and ideas to add to your repertoire if you read the LWB. 

The card art is fantasy realistic. It may be a bit reminiscent of some graphic novels. Art is colorful and expressive with good attention to detail. Some cards display emotional intensity. A few cards feature artistic nudity. As I mentioned, if you read within RWS, cards can work for you. It can also work if you read Thoth Tarot. For intuitive readers, the expressive art may provide enough for readings. 

Two of Cups

The cards measure about 4 3/4 inches by 2 1/2 inches. This is an older style of Lo Scarabeo deck, so the art has a white border with card name in multiple languages. The deck is fully illustrated. Note that knights in this deck are equivalent to kings in most other decks. The cards have a soft glossy finish, and they can be shuffled easily. 

This is a good deck overall, but I would not recommend it for beginners. If you are an experienced reader and/or want to explore a deck closer to the Golden Dawn's vision, this is a good and accessible choice. I really like this one, and I am happy to have it in my collection. While I can use it well know, I am curious and would like to read more on the Golden Dawn society and how they envisioned Tarot. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

Photos are mine from my deck.