Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn - Golden Dawn symbolism from new angles
*** Collecters Item ***
Most Golden Dawn decks are static. Figures stand square in front of you, symbols sit neatly in place. This deck turns the camera.
Patrizio Evangelisti draws the 78 cards with perspectives rarely seen in tarot. Bird's-eye, worm's-eye, diagonal angles. It does not change the symbolism, but it does change how you look at it. Giordano Berti, specialist in tarot history, supervised the esoteric precision throughout the process.
What you see on the cards
The Minor Arcana follow the Rider-Waite-Smith structure. That makes them recognisable if you already work with RWS. The Major Arcana draw more directly on Golden Dawn documents, with occult-theoretical elements not found in every deck.
The colours are bright and contrast strongly. Dark shadows next to light planes. The lines are sharp, the faces realistic. It feels contemporary, not historicising.
The dynamism lies mainly in the perspective. A scene drawn from above gives distance, overview, control. The same scene seen from below feels larger, heavier, more imposed. Evangelisti plays with this deliberately.
How you work with it
The multilingual guidebook contains basic information in five languages, including English and German. No extended essays, but enough to get you started. The deck assumes you already know the RWS meanings or are willing to look them up.
The format of 71 x 122 mm is standard and shuffles comfortably. The cardstock has a light gloss that intensifies the colours without becoming reflective. The cards are sturdy enough for regular use.
When laying cards, pay specific attention to the angle of view. That angle changes how you experience the meaning, even when the symbolism stays the same.
About Giordano Berti
Giordano Berti is an Italian author and one of the most respected tarot historians worldwide. He has published dozens of books on tarot and Western esotericism, organised exhibitions and advised museums. For this deck he ensured that the Golden Dawn symbolism was correctly represented, even within Evangelisti's renewed visual language.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Card size: 71 x 122 mm
- Cardstock quality: sturdy cardstock with light gloss
- Guidebook language: multilingual (English, Spanish, French, Italian, German)
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- ISBN: 9780738713878
- Supervision: Giordano Berti
- Illustrator: Patrizio Evangelisti
Questions we often get
How does this deck differ from other Golden Dawn decks?
Most Golden Dawn decks use a flat, frontal perspective. This deck draws many scenes from unusual angles, making the symbolism more dynamic without changing the esoteric foundation.
Is knowledge of the Golden Dawn system required?
No. The Minor Arcana follow RWS, so if you know that structure you can work with this immediately. The Major Arcana contain more Golden Dawn-specific elements, but the images speak even without theoretical background.
