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Reviews -

"Today the Bestian Tarot arrived from Slovakia. It is a full 78 card deck, and each card has a black background with the image set in the central space.  Each image seems to act like a nimbus of light illuminating the dark space of the card. This is a rather fine production. It is in a small edition of only 50 copies, so will appeal to collectors and others drawn to this esoteric imagery" Adam McLean, The Artwork of Modern Tarot, June 4th, 2007

"The deck stands tall as the cards are a bit thicker than the average deck. Each robust card comes with a double Aestheteka averse tri-knot on the back and a jet-black background. The cards are laminated and give of a glossy sheen which compliments the beautiful and terrible modern-fusion art of Eris-X. The neon colors, images of historical and legendary figures, planetary and hermetic symbols all blend seamlessly together to create a beautiful tapestry of esoteric wisdom.

Each suit comes with a rather new zero through nine sequence as opposed to the traditional one through ten. Court cards portray classical images of legendary and historical figures, from King Arthur to Da Vinci to Dionysus, which convey the meanings of the cards.

But the Major Arcana is where this deck becomes truly innovative. It leaves behind the orthodox formula just enough to let the Aestheteka philosophy really shine through. No where is this more evident than in the ATU I, which is traditionally the Magus, in the Aestheteka Tarot Satan. The Gnostic Luciferian Hedonistic ideas of the Aestheteka system are interpreted and plainly displayed in the art of Eris-X, and the overall feel is a psychedelic trance of oscillating archetypes which promise to bend the mind and inspire the soul to heights of abstract intuition previously unknown.

Understanding the schema and attributions of the cards requires an in depth study of the Aestheteka system as presented in Edward O'Toole's Sophia Bestiae and Grimiore Bestiae.

On the whole I am deeply pleased with the deck and plan to begin a course of meditation on the individual cards, to see what secrets and inspiration the intricate and alluring symbols might hold. The Tarot Bestiae makes for a wonderful ride through post-modern Gnostic Hedonistic Luciferian and Bestian Symbolism. Carl Jung would be proud." Frater I.A., Magickal Paradigms, June 9th 2007

The Bestian Tarot

Much mystery surrounds the Tarot, not least because its origins have never been precisely pinpointed. Most Tarot historians agree that it was created sometime in the first quarter of the 15th Century, most likely in or around Milan, possibly at the request of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti as a parlour or gambling game, and which was known as ‘Triumphs’. What makes the Tarot so enticing, when compared to the other card games of that and later periods, is the heavy use of symbolism which has never been satisfactorily and universally explained.
There are many ‘interpretations’ of the reasoning behind the Tarot’s creation, some more far-fetched than others. Keeping with what is known about that period in Italy’s history, when the country was a collection of city-states, when the Holy Roman Emperor ruled above all, and when there were clear distinctions between societal classes, we may begin to use a more concrete approach to the fantastic imagery portrayed on the cards. Possibly the best summary of the original concept behind the cards is that they were (simultaneous to being a simple card game) an allegorical cosmograph, showing the progression of Spiritual man from his lowest state – the poor beggar (which we now know as The Fool, or The Virgin in the Tarot Bestiae) to The World (meaning The Universe, or God as Kether). The Major Arcana distinctly shows this in terms of the contemporary medieval Weltanschauung, creating a linear path from the physical plane (the Estates of Man) into the then highly important Fates and Virtues, across the Boundary of Fire (where Death and the Devil reside…) and onto the highest plane – that of The Heavens, ultimately reaching God.
However, certain cards tell us that the creator of the Tarot was also playing a dangerous and heretical game; the inclusion of the female Pope and the female Empress did not fit with contemporary religious or political thought and are clearly Gnostic Dualist symbols placed deliberately. Taking the Gnostic undercurrent further we may then begin to question why the final card of the Major Arcana is entitled ‘The World’ and not ‘God’, yet it is synonymous. While the original Tarot was most definitely created as a card game, its inventor had ulterior motives and it is the mystery of these, most particularly in that each of the cards relates to a precise aspect of the human condition and its spiritual evolution, that has enabled card readers to lift the veil of this reality for so many centuries and peek behind into the shadowy recesses of our existence.
The Bestian Tarot is the culmination of many years of tarot usage. As with the alterations made to the original tarot when it reached France, Switzerland, Belgian and Southern Italy to reflect local traditions, the Bestian Tarot reflects a more modern interpretation of the cards. The concepts hold true to the vein of tarot but much of the outdated and superfluous symbolism has been removed and instead replaced with strong Jungian imagery designed by the hermetic sigil artist ErisX to directly access the Unconscious. The Bestian Tarot is Luciferian Gnostic in nature and corresponds to the Aestheteka system of Edward O’Toole (it is strongly suggested that the reader familiarizes themselves first with the books Sophia Bestiae and Grimoire Bestiae).

The Bestian Tarot permits the reader to find light in the darkness.
 

Here are a few examples of this stunning and powerful deck. The real cards do not have watermarks and have a much higher resolution and are 70 x120 mm in size. Each card has been specifically designed so that every aspect has direct relevance to its meaning – including the various colours used, planetary and other symbols, shapes, personages, titles, etc.

Major Arcana

1 - Satan (The Magician)

All may not be as it seems but the illusion is in the Querant’s hands – this is a very powerful card which places the Querant’s destiny and success firmly under his or her own control. Master of one’s own Will; able to change one’s environment through sheer force of Will. Positive and negative – must be prepared to accept consequences of actions. Self-control. Insecurity and a lack of ambition mean failure

2 - Isis (Papess / High Priestess)

The feminine. A conduit for the forces of life and nature. Accessing the Unconscious through dreams. Microcosm-macrocosm. Intuition. Wisdom. Purity. Telepathy.

4 - Father (Emperor)

Protector, provider, power, wealth. Solar influence. Ambition. Masculine figure.

Head
--------
Heart

6 - The Lovers

Lucifer & Kali. Duallism. Integration of light and darkness (male and female). Love of ourselves and for others. Intimacy. Companionship. Relationship.
 

7 - The Beast (The Chariot)

The Self as God. Control of Will enabling Divine Power.
Requires study, practice and perseverance – sweat, blood and tears – to achieve one’s goal. The explorer.

14 - The Christos (Temperance)

Harmony, peaceful acceptance of Divine and spiritual possession in order to awaken the Unconscious.

Minor Arcana

The Major Arcana deals with the progressive spiritual development of Man from novice to Godhood; the Minor Arcana deals with the Earthly, Material Plane – False Reality. Within the cards we may find every aspect of our physical existence and learn to anticipate both problems and fortunes so that neither come upon us unexpected. We may learn to analyze both ourselves and our lives so that our environment no longer resembles an existentialist nightmare. We may progress from prey to predator while in human form within the realm of the Demiurgos.
Note – the numbers do not run from 1-10 but from 0-9, 0 being the Aestheteka symbol, 1-9 being the Neteru (read Grimoire Bestiae for explanation; note difference between the Bestian Tree and the Sephiroth). For experienced Tarot users, the Bestian ‘0’ cards should be read as the traditional ‘10’ cards.
The traditional Wands have become Bones (read the Rite of Necromancy, Grimoire Bsetiae for a fuller understanding of this symbolic shift).
As with the Major Arcana, the cards of the Minor Arcana are designed to invoke a deep Unconscious reaction in the reader – by merely looking at the card (after meditating upon them previously), the reader should intuitively know what the card signifies. Each card has been titled to reflect its essence.

0 of Pentacles

Wealth

4 of Bones

Hurdle overcome. Minor Goal achieved.

Prince of Cups

Beethoven

King of Pentacles

Wayland the Smith

The deck was printed in the first week of May, 2007 as a limited run of 50 copies. We welcome offers to sell, distribute or even publish the Bestian Tarot around the world.

You may now purchase the Bestian Tarot as pre-order. the price is 55 USD, including postage and packaging, for the full 78 card pack and Little White Book. Each pack ordered directly from the Aestheteka site will be signed by Edward O'Toole. Please use Paypal or contact us at tarot@aestheteka.com for alternative payment methods.

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