Item 2 — Thoth Tarot (Aleister Crowley / Lady Frieda Harris)

Published · Researched 2026-09-20

Researched 2026-09-20 · checkpoint saved same day

Overview

Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc. distributes; currently published by AGMüller, distributed by U.S. Games. Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) editions exist for collectors (licensed).
Purpose: The canonical esoteric/occult tarot — Golden Dawn/astrological/Qabalistic attributions per Crowley's Book of Thoth; art deco paintings by Lady Frieda Harris.
2026 edition: Standard "Large" U.S. Games edition + Pocket/Small sizes; in print continuously since 1969 ("never been out of print").

Social standing

Social pulse: Strong, reverent niche standing — the "second deck" for serious readers. Threads users post acquisition pride ("got my hands on a Thoth tarot deck⭐️"). On Reddit and review threads, described as "one of my favorite decks," "complex and elaborate system that pulls no punches — would recommend."
Consensus: The most artistically admired tarot; consensus warns it is NOT a beginner deck — steep learning curve (renamed majors: Lust/Adjustment/Art/Aeon/Universe), requires study.
Recurring praise:
- Artwork: "beautiful," "stunning art deco," Qabalistically accurate colors; used since 1995–2001 by long-term readers with "no complaints."
- The small/pocket size fits small hands and shuffles easily.
- Packaging detail praised: box slides off to reveal inner box + spread poster specific to Thoth.
Complaints / failure modes:
- Large size is hard to handle — standard large cards are 3.75" × 5.5" (95 × 140 mm); many owners call them unwieldy to shuffle; the pocket edition exists precisely as the fix.
- Thin cardstock — multiple owners: "cards are quite thin and the cardstock feels more like playing cards than tarot cards"; durability questioned.
- Unhelpful booklet — "the book with the cards is not very helpful for interpreting"; owners buy separate Thoth books (Fiebig & Burger guide; Crowley's Book of Thoth).
- Flimsy kit packaging (Book & Cards set) — reviewers transfer deck to a pouch for shelf storage.
- Defects/packaging issues in some printings (newhopepsychology review).
- Controversy around Crowley — some readers avoid the deck due to the author's reputation (social debate, not a product failure).
Verified quotes (real, attributed, paraphrased for fair use):
- Reddit-style owner review (crawled via aggregator, undated): "not as thick as some I have, but that makes them easier to shuffle... definitely one of my favorite decks!"
- Long-term user (review quoted in aggregator): "I've been using the Thoth deck since around 2001... colors and quality match any I have seen... No complaints."
- rachelswirl.co.uk (UK tarot reviewer): noted the kit's "flimsy cardboard template" and that the smaller cards are "far easier for me to shuffle and to work with than many of my chunkier, heavier and larger tarot decks."
- Threads: a user posting their new Thoth deck with a star emoji drew community congratulations — acquisition-as-status in occult circles.

Social validation

Tier: T2 — Threads (acquisition posts) + browser-indexed owner reviews (Reddit-sourced review aggregators; rachelswirl.co.uk review; newhopepsychology review updated 2026-09-14) + Etsy vintage market.
Sources and what each proves:
- Threads search Sept 2026: proves ongoing acquisition enthusiasm and beginner "worth it?" intent questions.
- Owner reviews via denisse-ensor.firebaseapp aggregator: prove long-term loyalty (users since 1995/2001) and the thin-stock consensus.
- rachelswirl.co.uk: proves packaging and card-size discourse among reviewers.
- TarotGarden listing (crawled 3 days ago, 2026-09): proves collector-level edition literacy (green-box vs blue-box printings, greenish cast debate).
Meta-unique finds:
- FB Marketplace (query "Thoth tarot Crowley", Sept 20 2026): no listings returned — thin local used market.
- No Page Transparency/Ad Library evidence found for counterfeiting around Thoth (lower counterfeit profile than RWS — UNVERIFIED whether this reflects reality or search depth).
Links: https://tarotgarden.com/thoth-tarot-deck-usg-green-box-large-size-edition/ ; https://twentysidedstore.com/products/tarot-deck-crowley-thoth ; https://www.rachelswirl.co.uk/review/reading-reviewing-the-thoth-tarot/

Key specs table

Attribute	Detail
Card count	78 (80 in some kits incl. 2 extra)
Card size	Large: 3.75" × 5.5" (95 × 140 mm); Small/Pocket smaller
Stock / finish	Coated card stock, smooth finish; reported thinner than typical tarot decks
Guidebook	Instruction booklet (Harris essays + Kaplan commentary); 96-page guidebook in Book & Cards kit
Editions	Large (green/blue box), Small, Pocket, Book & Cards kit, OTO white-box vintage editions
Publisher	AGMüller / distributed by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Year	First published 1969; in print continuously since

Pricing (dated 2026-09-20)

New: U.S. Games standard Large ~$31.99 USD (Twenty Sided, sold out); TarotArts Small $15.95, Pocket $13.48; TarotGarden green-box large $34.00 (out of stock); EU ~€47 (s4t.store); Amazon.ca CA$48.11.
Vintage/collector: Etsy 1970s U.S. Games Belgium edition $330; OTO 1978 white box C $541; small OTO $349.99; Etsy estate find "Paul Edition" $236. Reflects real collector premium.
FB Marketplace used range: None found 2026-09-20 — UNVERIFIED.
Price observation date: 2026-09-20.

Included / else needed

Included: 78 cards + instruction booklet in tuck/slide box; kit adds 96-page guidebook + spread poster.
Else needed: a serious Thoth study book (Crowley's Book of Thoth, Fiebig & Burger) — community consensus that the included booklet is insufficient.

Support reality

Reprints: Continuously in print since 1969.
Counterfeit handling: Lower counterfeit chatter than RWS; U.S. Games distribution network is the authenticity channel — UNVERIFIED on publisher enforcement specifics.
Support rep: Not community-discussed — UNVERIFIED.

Community verdict

The Thoth is the occultist's prestige deck — revered artwork, a demanding system, and lifelong loyalty from its users. Community warns beginners away (steep curve, unwieldy large cards, thin stock) while long-term readers call it irreplaceable. Pocket size + a proper study book is the community-approved way in.