The Tarot of the Bohemians

Papus’s classic study attempts to trace the tarot’s origins, structure, and hidden meanings through the lens of nineteenth-century occultism. Historically important for popularizing the tarot as an esoteric synthesis, the book offers readers speculations on tarot history, symbolic readings of the cards, and connections to astrology, Kabbalah, and divination.

Papus was the pseudonym of Gérard Encausse (1865–1916), a French physician and one of the most influential figures in late nineteenth-century occultism. He helped systematize and popularize French esoteric traditions through works on magic, Kabbalah, Tarot, and ceremonial occult philosophy, and he was a prominent organizer within the Martinist movement.