Thoth tarot quiz: Crowley, Harris and the new names
A quiz on the Thoth deck: how Crowley and Frieda Harris spent five years on it, why it waited until 1969 to be printed and which cards got new names.
- 5 questions
- ≈ 2 min
- +5 bronze keys for a flawless run
What is the Thoth tarot?
This quiz tests what you know about the Thoth deck, the other great deck of the twentieth century after Rider-Waite-Smith. It was conceived by the English occultist Aleister Crowley and painted by the artist Frieda Harris. A job planned to take a few months stretched from 1938 to 1943. The deck was not printed until 1969, by which time both of its creators had died.
Thoth builds on the system of correspondences of the Golden Dawn and takes it further. The cards are full of astrology, geometry and color, and scenes are often replaced by symbols. That is why the deck has a reputation for difficulty: experienced readers admire it, while beginners usually find it harder than decks with a scene on every card.
Which cards were renamed in the Thoth deck?
Crowley changed several familiar titles. Strength became Lust, Temperance became Art, Judgement became the Aeon and Justice became Adjustment. Princesses replaced the Pages, the suit of Pentacles turned into Disks, and every number card got a short title of its own. The Ten of Swords, for example, is called Ruin, and the Three of Cups is Abundance.
These titles are not random: they give the meaning of a card in a single word and help you read a spread without a guidebook. In 1944 Crowley published The Book of Thoth to explain the deck, and Harris's original paintings are now held at the Warburg Institute in London.
How the quiz works
Each run draws five questions from a pool of twelve: the creators, the dates, the new card names and the most common misconceptions. Some questions ask you to pick a card from four pictures. After each answer you get an explanation, and the run ends with a full review. Answer everything correctly and Tayna awards you keys.
Tayna's deck follows the classic tradition rather than Thoth, but this deck is well worth knowing. It shows that the same card can sound different in different systems, and it trains you to look at a symbol more closely. Sometimes a card's new name helps you understand its old meaning better.
All questions and answers
Open after you play: the full question set with right answers and explanations.
1. Who painted the Thoth deck to Crowley's design?
Right answer: Frieda Harris
Lady Frieda Harris painted the cards under Crowley's direction and brought her love of geometry to them.
2. Which arcanum is called Lust in the Thoth deck?
Right answer: Strength
Strength became Lust: Crowley saw in it not taming but joyful union with a living force.
3. Roughly how long did Frieda Harris spend painting the Thoth cards?
Right answer: About five years
The job was planned for a few months and stretched from 1938 to 1943.
4. The Thoth deck was printed right after it was finished, in 1944.
Right answer: Myth
1944 saw The Book of Thoth with black-and-white plates; the deck itself was printed in 1969.
5. Who replaces the Pages in the Thoth deck?
Right answer: Princesses
Princesses take the Pages' place, following the Golden Dawn system for the court cards.
6. Which arcanum is called Art in the Thoth deck?
Right answer: Temperance
Temperance became Art: Crowley saw the blending of opposites as an alchemical craft.
7. What is the suit of Pentacles called in the Thoth deck?
Right answer: Disks
The suit became Disks. Crowley saw it not as a coin but as a spinning wheel of earthly life.
8. The Thoth Five of Disks is titled Worry. What is the card about?
Right answer: Anxiety and want
Worry matches the classic meaning: hardship and the fear of being left without support.
9. What is written on the Thoth number cards besides the number?
Right answer: A keyword title
Each number card has a title: the Ten of Swords is Ruin, the Three of Cups is Abundance.
10. The Thoth deck is the easiest deck for a first look at tarot.
Right answer: Myth
Thoth is heavy on symbols and light on scenes, so beginners usually start with a scenic deck.
11. Which arcanum is called the Aeon in the Thoth deck?
Right answer: Judgement
Judgement became the Aeon: instead of a last judgement, a change of eras and a new age waking.
12. Where are Frieda Harris's original Thoth paintings kept?
Right answer: The Warburg Institute
The paintings are held at the Warburg Institute in London and are shown from time to time.