The Tarot of The Bohemians

The Tarot of The Bohemians 

Papus 

William Rider & Son, Limited 1910 

Second Edition Revised. Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Indigo cloth binding with beautiful lettering and intricate illustration stamped in gilt onto the cover and spine. A folded piece of paper in the front cover features notes on the 'major arcana' presumably written by the previous owner who has inscribed her name on the free endpaper in the same blue cursive, dated 1922. This edition includes a preface to the french edition and numerous plates and woodcuts throughout illustrating the tarot iconography. Some minor shelfwear at edges of cover and spine, and some slight fading and discoloration, though the gilt is fantastically vivid. Some foxing on the free endpaper and the coverpages, as well as some toning that progressively lessens and then disappears once one has reached the actual content of the book. The interior is clean with very minimal marking whatsoever. Slight pull away from the hinge on the inside of both the front and back boards, though no real threat to the structure/binding of the book. Overall it is a lovely copy. It was authored by Gérard Encausse under the pseudonym 'Papus', a Parisian occultist and esotericist who was a member of the Hermetic brotherhood of light and the Hermetic order of the Golden Dawn. This fascinating little book provides a comprehensive guide to the world of tarot and illustrates the vibrance of the Kabbalistic practices in late 19th century europe.