| An interesting deck embracing a wealth of occult wisdom, these cards are not for the faint-hearted or indeed for anyone new to Tarot – and without at least a working knowledge of the fundamentals of astrology and numerology. It is clear, however, that these cards would reward close study! When compared with either the cards in the Egyptian Tarot with their striking black borders behind a ragged-edged papyrus design on which each card’s image appears or the cards in the even more striking Nefertari’s Tarots which again feature black borders and a predominance of gold as the background to each card’s image, the cards in the Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot deck are considerably plainer. The cards are slightly smaller than the two Lo Scarabeo decks. They have a white background and feature clearly defined images. Produced by US Games, the cards come with a 47 page LWB, written only in English so that it contains far more information than the standard multi-lingual Lo Scarabeo LWB. There is information about the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light, and about the ways in which these cards seek to integrate astrology, alchemy, numerology, the Kabala and magic, and about how the design has incorporated well-deliberated choices about the use of colour. There is also an explanation of the significance of the highly symbolic design on the back of the cards. Many of the Major Arcana cards have different names from those with which we are more familiar: a few of these being Arcanum II which is Veiled Isis and Arcanum III which is Isis Unveiled; Arcanum VI - The Two Paths: Arcanum VII - The Conqueror; Arcanum XIV - The Alchemist; Arcanum XV - The Black Magician; Arcanum XVI - The Lightning; Arcanum XXI - The Adapt and the card that begins most decks – The Fool – appears here as Arcanum XXII - The Materialist. A study of the Major Arcana cards alone would certainly deepen our understanding of these archetypes. For many, it will be the Minor Arcana cards that will make this deck a difficult one to use for readings. The cards feature simple clearly defined images appropriate to their element or suit - scepters, swords, coins and cups - but do not have pictorial representations comparable to those of the RWC deck and those decks influenced by it. The cards are discussed numerically with an emphasis on their numerological and astrological attributes. For those whose appetite for arcane knowledge has been whetted by what this deck has to offer, and who want to explore these cards beyond the confines of the LWB, C.C. Zain’s “The Sacred Tarot”, we are informed in the LWB, contains “detailed interpretations, and complete instructions on how to use the cards”. |
