Benebell Wen is the author of Holistic Tarot, creator of the Spirit Keeper’s Tarot, and is currently at work on a reconstruction of the Grand Etteilla. She is also the author of The Tao of Craft and her latest publication is I Ching, The Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes.
This is a nuts and bolts foundational primer on the advent of occult tarot, who the key players were, and how esotericism popularized during 18th century France continues to influence occultism in tarot today. We’ll be covering the implications of esoteric teachings hidden in plain sight and the five key influences in occult tarot architecture: Hermeticism, Pythagorean mysticism, Hellenistic Astrology, Renaissance Alchemy, and the Kabbalah. We’ll then explore how these five influences converge through the lenses of Gnosticism, Rosicrucianism, and Freemasonry, lending themselves to the esoteric tarot designs of modern history.