10/07/2025
The Tarot of the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) Deck Created by: Jason Augustus Newcomb
The great thing about this deck is that it is both a tool for divination as well as a portable magical tool kit that will give you access to the magic of late antiquity right in the palm of your hands.
The art is based on ancient Greek pottery, late antiquity magical gems and the talismans of the PGM. It is very much a "magical" Tarot. There are more than 40 talismans from the PGM incorporated into the deck, and it does not assign normal Tarot titles to the major arcana so they can be used flexibly in readings, and more comfortably in ritual.
It is a Tarot, in that it has 78(+) cards, (it actually has 100 cards) but it has a lot more going on. It has 56 "minors" that are based on "black figure" pottery and 22(+22) majors based on red-figure pottery. Part of the "Homer oracle" is also incorporated in the 2-10 minors, as well as related talismans from the PGM. Unlike most modern Tarot creations it is not really oriented around Qabalah or the Rider-Waite model, but is instead much more directly related to Pythagorean and Platonic philosophy and a chthonic magical journey.
Many of the oracular choices and image choices were inspired by Jason Augustus Newcomb's visionary work, and he also spent several thousand hours in papyrus manuscript archives, visiting museums with pottery and magical gem collections both remotely and in person, and studying dozens of books on theurgy, pottery, ancient magic and ancient philosophy to immerse himself fully in the project.
The deck was expanded by crowdfunding backers and includes: 100 cards with 44 deity (major arcana cards) and 56 numbered or court cards containing talismanic images drawn from the PGM, many of which have never been published before in visual form.
The book that is included, was also expanded and includes: an exploration of the structure and process of creating the deck, descriptions of each card, and brief instructions for consecrations and divinations. It also includes instructions on using the cards for visionary portals to communicate with the divine. Simple and direct "Tarot Spells" related to all the cards are also included. And of course don't forget the "materia magica" of the PGM in an appendix that lists every physical object in the PGM with associated deity cards where appropriate.
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