Thoth Tarot 1943

Lady Frieda Harris made this Thoth Tarot card, of unknown date, which encodes many esoteric symbols. Occultism was of widespread interest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this card is a visual compendium of different secret traditions, including freemasonry, kabbalah, and astrology. Harris belonged to a number of esoteric societies and her art explores the commonalities between their doctrines. It's difficult for those outside these traditions to unpack the precise meanings of the symbols in this image. However, we can observe that the artist gives visual form to ideas and beliefs that cannot be expressed literally or discursively. Harris self-consciously challenges the visual conventions of Western art in order to represent a different kind of knowledge. To better understand works like this, historians consult the publications and records of occult societies, the biographies of their members, and the wider social context that shaped the history of esotericism. Ultimately, the meaning of this work is contingent on the social and institutional histories that brought it into being.