The Black Grimoire Tarot (in the original Dark Grimoire Tarot) is a mystical deck that deserves special attention, as it belongs to the section of the Tarot where the "Dark Forces" are revered.
The very name Black Grimoire speaks volumes. And if it is translated into “human” language, then it becomes completely uncomfortable, because the word Grimoire denotes a collection or a book that describes rituals for summoning various spirits. The Black Grimoire Tarot is often referred to as the "Book of Shadows" or the "Necronomicon". The Book of Shadows is an ancient book that was written by powerful black magicians and sorcerers. The Necronomicon is a book invented by the writer Howard Lovecraft, in which, according to the author's idea, various rituals and the history of Ancient Civilizations were described. This name is often found in his works. Actually, Lovecraft's work inspired the artist Michele Penko to create the Black Grimoire Tarot cards, which were based on the stories about the Necronomicon book. Soaked through with various symbols and mysticism, the Black Grimoire deck in its images reflects the signs of fate and the ways of life invisible to us, lost in the temporary space of this world.deck structure
So, let's move on to the structure and meaning of the Black Girmoire Tarot cards. As in any deck that obeys the Tarot system, the Black Grimoire Tarot has 78 cards. Of these, 22 are the Major Arcana and 56 are the Minor. The Major Arcana is based on images of situations from the mythical book Necronomicon. A feature of the Major Arcana in this deck is that the Arcana "Strength" and "Justice" are reversed, 11 and 8, respectively. This somewhat contradicts the arrangement of the Arcana of the classical Tarot system. The Minor Arcana in the Black Grimoire Tarot are, in fact, four different books that contain secret knowledge. Each suit describes the discovery, use, traps and possibilities of the book to which it belongs. Thus, the suit of Wands is the Grimoire of Light, the suit of Pentacles is the Grimoire of Shadows, the suit of Cups is the Grimoire of Dreams, and the last suit of Swords is the Grimoire of Demons.Principles of working with a deck
is the key or tool with which you can open and see the darkest corners of human aspirations, desires and fears that are born in the depths of our subconscious. So this deck is not suitable for considering any domestic issues or those related to everyday life. When working with the deck, the tarologist must understand that the meanings of the Black Grimoire Tarot are aimed at gaining knowledge about what is hidden deep in the subconscious, about the dark side of the soul and the fears of the questioner. Therefore, it is recommended to use this deck only for experienced tarologists who will be able to use this information for the benefit of the questioner, in order to achieve balance in his life. After all, the Black Grimoire Tarot displays the most hidden corners of our consciousness, which it is highly undesirable for outsiders to know about.Split hexagram layout
The “Split Hexogram” layout (creator of the layout Eldemurov F.P.) shows the interaction of two opposing forces. It is used in those cases when it is necessary to see with what result and how exactly the interaction of a person’s actions and external circumstances that arise in his path will occur. The actions and actions of a person will be represented by a triangle, the top of which is directed upwards. And external circumstances will show a triangle with a top pointing down. The value of the layout positions: The first three positions refer to the triangle of external influence and represent: 1. Spiritual influence coming from the past. That is, in fact, this position points to what happened before, to the circumstances from which it all began. 2. Spiritual influence coming from the most probable future. The card in this position will show the circumstances that will arise further, indicate what will happen. 3. Advice that proceeds from the existing state of external affairs. A card in this position will mean both direct advice, warning of something and indicating the current situation, and indicating who or what caused the current situation. The following three positions refer to the triangle of internal influence and are interpreted as follows: 4. The state of the subconscious or instinctive side of the psyche of the querent. A card in this position will indicate the inner background of the problem that has arisen. That is, to what the situation began for the querent himself. 5. The state of the conscious side of the psyche of the querent, his perception and understanding of the current situation. That is, the card will indicate what the questioner is currently thinking about. The card that fell out in this position will show whether the person understands what is happening to him at all.
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tarot "Black Grimoire" or "Necronomicon" one of the most mysterious, mysterious and little-studied decks. This book is a kind of excursion into the worlds of Lovecraft's heroes, which are easily guessed in the images of this deck.
Like many other decks based on literary works or myths, this deck is an oracle. Her way of conveying information is a picture, an image that "talks" to us. And it is very important to understand not only the character or situation that we see here, but also the idea that was embedded in this image.
With the help of this book, you will plunge into the world of the distorted, inverted reality of Lovecraft, whose nightmarish images live in the depths of the unconscious of each of us. You will learn to read them, understand them, which means you can tame them.
It will be especially useful for specialists working with magical techniques, with the identification of the presence of magical influences, the area of their influence, prescription and method of influence. But the areas of work with this deck are not limited to magic. If you can make contact with the deck, then it will become an indispensable tool in ordinary predictions, albeit with a certain amount of negativity. This deck is better than others at showing imperceptible at first glance obstacles and flaws.
Who is this book for?
This book is for those who want to work with this deck, who want to learn its secrets, to establish contact with it. It is difficult for beginners to understand, but it causes controversy among experienced tarologists. This is the deck that is usually hidden away until there is enough experience and knowledge to work with it.
What is this book for?
This is a reference book, the book is the key to understanding the images of the deck. It will help you understand the images of the deck, the methods of working with it, the features of the layouts. Descriptions of cards in the book, in addition to the general meaning, include such elements as:
Information about the work from which the image is taken, excerpts from books about this image,
The fear or personality disorder that this card represents
The method of the method of influence (if there is an indication), the area of \u200b\u200blife or the psyche, which is directed by magical or other influences
Introduction
Chapter 1
Characters from Lovecraft's works in the Dark Grimoire tarot
The main thoughts that the deck carries
The origins of our fears
Major arcana - a reflection of unconscious psychological negative attitudes
Minor arcana - a form of manifestation of internal attitudes in human life
Features of working with the deck and its scope
How this book is structured
Chapter 2
Description and symbolism
Relations
Work
Finance
magical effect
Core fear
Chapter 3
Suit of Cups
Description of each lasso according to the scheme:
Description and symbolism
Relations
Work
Finance
magical effect
Core fear
suit of denarii
Suit of wands
Chapter 4
Determining your fear and its manifestations (technique)
Identifying Negative Attitudes
Work on the correction of fears and negative attitudes with the help of 2 decks
Chapter 5
The layout of the MBC
The layout of "diagnosing the presence of magical effects, determining prescription and areas of damage"
Applications
Bibliography
Abstracts
When you take this deck in your hands for the first time, you begin to feel heavy energy, and looking at the images, you seem to plunge into the world of madness, dark magic and creatures of another reality. This deck seems to awaken in us that side of the personality, the presence of which we deny in ourselves, we do not recognize, but which is in each of us. And this deck encourages us to get to know this part of us better, to look into the eyes of our darkness and recognize its right to exist.
In his works, Lovecraft shows that each of us has a part of the dark force, and without a proper attitude towards it, recognition of its importance, we cannot cope with it, take control. It shows our fears, which, when suppressed, can cause personality disorders and even deprive the mind, provoke the emergence of insanity. And he also shows us the way to healing from these fears.
Anyone familiar with the books of Howard Lovecraft can easily guess the characters on the cards, the mad musician Erich Zann on the deuce of swords from the story "The Music of Erich Zann", or the mental clinic client Joe Slater from the story "Behind the Wall of Sleep". After rereading these stories, you can easily understand the meaning of the card, the meaning of its appearance in the layout, which means that you can correctly make the necessary prediction.
The major arcana of this deck usually show deep psychotrauma at an unconscious level, on the basis of which a person perceives the world around him. Minor arcana - how these injuries manifest themselves outside, in society, in the daily affairs of a person or in his attitude towards himself.
In this deck, the general ideas of suits are slightly changed. Cups are people with their ordinary life, when they have not yet come into contact with anything sinister and supernatural. Their ordinary life, with emotions and experiences. Pentacles are the first contact with the invisible world and the area of interest of a person who is faced with something that is beyond ordinary understanding. This is research and the search for something important. Wands are active actions for studying this world, searching for truth and evaluating the other world from the standpoint of human logic. And this is a very dangerous moment, at which a breakdown can occur and the possibility of a transition to the dark side opens up. And, finally, swords are an otherworldly, dark world, from which it is difficult to return, where madness lives.
Thanks to this structure of the arcana, this deck can be used to "correct" the client's condition with the help of two decks, one of which is the Dark Grimoire, and the other is any other deck, even the same Rider-Waite.
The images of this deck play a special role in determining the presence of magical influence. Not all cards in this deck are associated with magic, which allows you to avoid mistakes. And the images of the minor arcana often quite accurately help to determine the purpose of a magical attack and the method of influence.
Since this deck is an oracle, it is not advisable to use reversed cards. This may confuse the interpretation. Each card is a part of the plot, the image of the hero of H. Lovecraft's works, and the selection of these plots for the cards is not accidental. It already contains all the necessary values. And the use of reversed cards does not make the plot clearer, and can only distort it, taking it away from the original, implied meaning.
Description of 2 cards
Devil
Description and symbolism
The map depicts the moment of the ritual of worship of the Ancients. According to the stories, they live in the sea, at great depths, and only at the call, under certain chants of people, they can go to land.
This image is taken from Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth. The map depicts a ritual at Devil's Reef when acolytes of the Order of Daegon perform their rituals. They sacrifice someone, and in return they get a good catch and the possibility of immortality, but already in the form of vile monsters. The monster on the map is a Great Old One awakened from a dream.
Relations
Complete submission to the desires and whims of a partner, even if you do not notice it. You have lost yourself, lost your true desires and abilities, coveting illusory wealth and happiness, and perhaps succumbing to beautiful promises. Very soon, you will pay for this.
Work
You are sacrificing too much to achieve your goals at work. You have become so conform to the image that was imposed on you that it began to interfere with your rest of your life. You obey the rules and the way of life in the team, which is completely alien to you.
Finance
You have become too greedy. You don't see the line between greed and wealth. You have as much as you need for life, but you want more, and this can cause serious trouble, and even push you to a crime, or make you a victim of criminals, without the possibility of returning the lost. Do not get involved in any even the most attractive adventures, otherwise you may suffer physically, or even lose your life.
magical effect
Appeal to black magic to destroy a person. Possible possession by entities.
Core fear
There is no fear here as such. This card reflects your attitude to life, where the world seems alien to you, where you feel like a stranger, and therefore you think you have the right to take what, in your opinion, no one will give you. Your inherent vindictiveness and desire for profit may sooner or later wake up and lead you to the path of crime.
2 swords
Description and symbolism
The card depicts a young man standing on a rock or cliff. His eyes are blindfolded, a violin is in his hands, and above his head is the night sky with stars. He plays on it. Around the cliff are visible incomprehensible, creepy creatures that listen to his music. Fog or smoke swirls around, due to which it is impossible to make out the outlines of surrounding objects.
In the man in the picture, the character of the story "The Music of Erich Zann" is easily guessed. The only difference is the tool. In the story, the musician was under the influence of an external force while playing. He didn't see or hear anything at that moment. Hence the eye patch. At the same time, the city disappeared outside the window of his closet, a frightening void arose in which unusual sounds were heard made by incomprehensible creatures. Therefore, in the picture, he stands in the fog, on a tiny piece of rock, around which terrible creatures swarm.
Card meaning
Your will is suppressed, you are being manipulated. You are aware of the danger, but you cannot break out of this vicious circle. It is necessary to use someone's help to solve problems or improve the situation. Fear to look at the situation from the other side.
Relations
In relationships, you depend on the whims of the other person. You're scared, but there's nothing you can do about it. To change the situation, you need outside help.
Work
You are in a subordinate position, your will is suppressed, and you no longer see the need to quit. You need to heed the advice from the outside, otherwise you will have very serious problems. The fear of losing your job keeps you from seeing how you are being exploited.
Finance
In matters of finance, you depend on the opinions and desires of others. There is a danger of becoming a victim of scammers
magical effect
It is aimed at suppressing the will and subordinating a person to his desires.
Core fear
Fear of dependence on others and reducing communication with others to a minimum for the sake of it.
Fantastic and mysterious images on the cards serve as a key to understanding the secrets of the past, provide information about the present and the future.
Tarot Black Grimoire with mystical and eerie images, affects the subconscious level. It is used by magicians capable of working with dark forces. Not every magician can boast of divination skills with the help of this mysterious and enigmatic deck.
Tarot "Necronomicon" is the only one of the decks of cards that needs to interpret the meaning of the highest arcana, based on the cards of the same suit that have fallen around other cards.
The deck should not be disturbed by questions that are not of great importance. Like classic decks, the Black Grimoire tarot consists of 78 cards. Their exceptional feature is that every fortuneteller can look into the most secret corners of his essence, understand doubts, recognize fears and interpret them correctly.
A fortuneteller with the help of this deck is able to neutralize all negativity. If you learn how to use the mystical and mysterious tarot correctly, they will tell you about all the possible scenarios.
It is required to be prudent and not play with the Black Grimoire tarot deck, it should only be used for its intended purpose, and if you are sure that it is necessary.
How cards work
Many people think that tarot shows the future in the form of movie pieces, but this is a delusion. The future, with the help of magical manipulations, looks like a web consisting of human emotions, intentions, aspirations. A tarot reader or magician must notice and understand the correct ways to correct the situation, to warn the fortuneteller against a fatal mistake.
Even such a powerful divination tool does not affect freedom of choice. Information about the future must be correctly understood and it will become a weapon in the hands of a fortuneteller. If you interpret it incorrectly, it will simply not be needed.
To solve ordinary issues, it is worth using simple cards; it is impossible to find out information about domestic disputes or unimportant problems. It is recommended to resort to the help of dark forces only in difficult situations.
According to this tarot deck, the most secret desires and shameful addictions of a fortuneteller are revealed. A person must be ready to face the hidden fears hidden in the secret depths of the soul.
deck structure
Like any tarot deck, the Black Grimoire consists of 78 arcane cards. There are 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The basis of the images of the Major Arcana are situations from the book "Necronomicon".
Their peculiarity is that the Arcana "Strength" and "Justice" change places, 11 and 8, respectively. This is not the case with the classical tarot system. The Minor Arcana are four different books that contain secret knowledge.
Each of the suits tells the discovery, application, various traps, of the very book to which it belongs. Suits have the following meanings:
- The suit of Wands is a grimoire of Light.
- "Pentacles" is a grimoire of "Shadows".
- "Cups" - grimoire "Dreams".
- "Swords" - Grimoire "Demons".
Only their correct interpretation will help the fortuneteller look into the secret corners of the human soul, find out the fears and desires born by the subconscious.
The fortune teller should treat the Black Grimoire as well as a living being, they are a model of the Universe. They also need to be stored properly.
To do this, you should buy a special velvet bag and store them together with incense in a clean place. The most suitable place is a magic chest. The cards must be treated as a friend. They should not be allowed to be touched by other people, except when, when divining a person, you ask him to shuffle the deck by asking him a question.
This is necessary so that the mystical deck is fed by the energy of a person and the cards give the most accurate answer. Do not ask the cards questions for the sake of pampering, it will end in tears. Do not guess to those people who ask to do this to check whether the cards work or not.
Tarot, like other magical attributes, belong to a different kind of magic. Dark forces help in the fulfillment of cherished desires, contribute to rapid changes in life, and also enhance the accuracy of divination. How to quickly and correctly know your own future? Magicians, adherents of the Dark Forces prefer a special type of divination cards - the Black Grimoire Tarot.
Tarot Black Grimoire is used by magicians, adherents of the Dark Forces
Since ancient times, grimoires were called collections of books of rituals of black magic, which were passed down from generation to generation under the strictest confidence. To this day, the Black Grimoire Tarot is referred to by the old name "Book of Shadows" or "Necronomicon".
Fans of such a unique deck of divination cards agree on one thing - predictions based on the use of dark magic come true unconditionally, but only for people who approach Tarot prophecies with all seriousness and responsibility. How to use the Book of Shadows correctly?
The essence of the Black Grimoire deck
It is difficult to find a more mystical deck of cards for divination than the Book of Shadows. Each symbol, sign has a special purpose and affects the result of divination. Skillful hands and a trained mind can easily figure out the intricacies of cards, but for beginners, a deck with a complex structure is unlikely to succumb the first time. The composition of the standard deck includes seventy-eight cards of different significance (according to the hierarchy).
A third of the cards are the major (fundamental) arcana, while the rest are auxiliary symbols. The quality of the prediction directly depends on the ability of a person to analyze, to draw up a general picture of future events, because individually, the cards are just images on colorful paper (countless moires).
The appearance of the cards favorably distinguishes the Book of Shadows from similar fortune-telling Tarot decks. Small changes have occurred in the position of the lasso. The symbols for Strength and Justice, or rather their location, have been deliberately changed. It is simply impossible to confuse the magical attributes of the Grimoire type with any other divination cards. Such an oversight can spoil the whole prediction or even harm the one who reads the layout incorrectly.
A feature of the structure of the Grimoire deck in Tarot
The structure of the deck allows you to use its components, both together and separately. With the help of Grimoire Cards, you are subject to turning points of the past, important fateful points in the present and decisive events in the future.
You will be able not only to slightly open the door of the future, but also to find out what has been hidden inside you for so long. Hiding, hiding behind other feelings. Knowing the secrets of your own soul, you will gain freedom. Clarity of mind. The possibilities of the Tarot of Dark Magic are endless, you just have to use them without collateral harm.
Each of the four dark books is responsible for that part of the power that it can predict, tell its secrets. The Book of Light is the responsibility of the Suit of Wands, the Shadows are subordinate to the Pentacles, the Grimoire of Dreams is associated with the Suit of Cups, and the last Book of Demons is inextricably linked to the Suit of Swords.
Tarot Black Grimoire allows you to get an accurate forecast
Knowing the history and structure of the deck, which not every magician decides to take on, ensures the creation of the correct forecast with the right warnings and useful tips. Do not neglect precautions, be diligent students, and one day unknown secrets will be revealed to your eyes.
How do Black Grimoire Cards work?
Despite popular belief, Tarot does not show the future like movie pieces. The future, if revealed by magical manipulation, is a web of a million impermanent ones. Human emotions, intentions, aspirations and interventions determine the path.
The task of the magician or tarot reader is to see some detour routes or warn a person from a fatal mistake. The will and freedom of choice of cards, even as powerful as the Tarot Necronomicon, are not affected. Knowledge about the future can become your weapon or unnecessary information.
Tarot Black Grimoire is not suitable for solving minor issues and everyday problems
To solve simple issues, it is advisable to use simple cards, with a weaker energy supply. To sort out domestic disputes or minor problems with the help of the Book of Shadows is a risky business. You should be sure that your troubles cannot be solved without the help of the Dark Forces. Tarot cards see the most hidden human desires and the most shameful addictions. Be ready to face your fears and accept everything that you consciously kept hidden in the depths of your soul.
Known Safe Hands of the Book of Shadows
It is not so difficult to see the current situation and its further development if the deck of cards is in the right hands. Why do I need to adhere to standard schemes in the layout of cards? By resorting to ready-made fortune-telling, time-tested and the experience of magicians, you will save time and effort. With the help of ready-made schemes, the prediction will take place without delays and hitches.
Among other things, it is the ordered alignment that will provide comprehensive information on the questions you are interested in. You don’t need to invent a wheel if you learned how to use it long ago, so follow folk wisdom - without additional preparation, use the standard layout of the Grimoire deck.
The layout of the so-called Hexagram is based on the interaction of two opposing forces at once. A person who has entered into confrontation with the external environment and circumstances can receive the most weighty advice. With the help of divination cards, two pyramids are created, predicting the probable outcome of the whole situation.
The structure of the finished divination scheme of four cards:
- the past associated with human spirituality;
- circumstances - the beginning of a difficult situation;
- spiritual state - probable future;
- advice at the intersection of two forces.
The second stage of divination indicates internal changes in a person from the beginning of the problem to the probable moment of its resolution. A more ordered divination consists of cards indicating:
- the root cause of the internal conflict (what actually led to the problem);
- awareness of a person about the causes of what is happening;
- advice;
- likely outcome.
Tarot Black Grimoire help identify psychological problems
Not every person is able to independently understand the problem, and even more so to understand its origins. Most often, people blame the weather, the state, others for troubles, but not themselves. Powerful Grimoire cards easily determine the psychological problems of a person, bringing out his most secret vices.
The meaning of the cards of the Books of Shadows lends itself only to a strong spirit, psychologically stable and morally tempered people. Aspiring mages rarely endure the weight of powerful Grimoire decks.
Major arcana cards of the Black Grimoire deck
It is not enough to learn the meaning of each individual card, you still need to subtly feel their connection with each other. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take up fortune-telling using the Book of Shadows, but before that, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the interpretation of each symbol of the deck. The Grimoire Arcana Senior in the hierarchy include:
Fool's card
One of the most frightening cards of the entire layout, which depicts a person with the ability to see otherworldly creatures. Detachment, fear in the eyes and a straitjacket are the symbolism of such a Major Arcana.
The card speaks of the need to know one's own inner abilities without fear inspired from outside. As frightening as the forces hidden under the mask of horror are, they must be accepted. And having accepted, develop for the benefit of your own future.
Mage
A sorcerer, captured during painstaking work, learning his own secret craft. The main distinguishing feature of any experienced magician is interaction with other worlds, control over them. Unlike the madmen, the sorcerer depicted on the card is the owner of life, he does not stand on the sidelines, does not watch how the world around him collapses.
The Magician's card indicates strength, and if difficulties arise on your way, do not despair, the magical layout promises a solution to all troubles with the help of the strength of your character and spirit.
Priestess Card
The symbols of the card indicate control, as the Priestess can easily handle a ready-made Grimoire. In the layout, the card symbolizes the feminine, strength and pleasure from the power received.
Emperor
A strong senior lasso, indicating excessive confidence and authority. The card in the layout promises a successful completion of affairs, but only under certain circumstances. The criticality of this symbol is that on the way to the goal, the person whose interpretation is the Emperor will stop at nothing. Arkan warns of the danger of impending consequences.
Chariot
Signs that suggest the driving force of all life on Earth. Seeing this lasso in the layout, you must think about the reasons for your own actions. Do you want to be the person who makes certain mistakes? The truth lies in the cards adjacent to the Chariot.
Hermit Card
In divination, such a card always symbolizes solitude, voluntary loneliness and is far from always clear. A person who looks sociable and friendly, in fact, can become the prototype of the Hermit.
Death
A card that frightens with just its name is never taken literally in divination. The Grimoire deck is full of scary pictures and the sign of Death should hardly scare you. The card symbolizes the end, the dead past or obsolete relationships.
Death is a card that can symbolize an obsolete relationship
Cards with a long history, imbued with a power that is hard to imagine. An intangible power that favorably affects your life or has nothing to do with you. Only a person decides how meaningful his path will become. The Dark Book Tarot Gallery is a collection of symbols that mean everything and nothing at the same time. In your hands are incredible possibilities, answers to questions that do not yet exist.
Do you use them? Foresight on divination cards must be approached with all caution and respect. The powers you have are dangerous, and you can't use them for fun. Black Grimoire cards guarantee the most accurate, most comprehensive divination, but they cannot promise you a carefree, happy life. Before you ask questions, make sure you're prepared to receive answers.
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Tarot Black Grimoire Necronomicon, which I want to introduce you to today, is a very interesting, unusual, but at the same time rather gloomy deck that opens the door to the intricate labyrinths of the subconscious, internal fears and mysterious magical actions. It is in my personal collection, so the review will be based on my own impressions of working with it. Of course, I will not bypass the history of the appearance of this deck.
History of the deck
The author of the deck was a trio of quite well-known people in the circle of tarot readers: this is Pietro Alligo - the ideological inspirer, art director and founder of the publishing house Lo Scarabeo, writer Ricardo Minetti and artist Michele Penko, who created these excellent, slightly frightening, but very multifaceted images of the Black Grimoire Tarot . Of course, Michele Penko was inspired primarily by the works of Howard Lovecraft - an American writer, journalist and poet, the author of heartbreaking stories in the style of mysticism, fantasy and horror.
The Necronomicon is the name of a fictional book by Lovecraft that is referenced multiple times in his writings. This is a kind of collection of ancient mysterious rituals, rites and spells written by black magicians and sorcerers of the past. They say that this fictional book has a real historical prototype - at least the famous British occultist Kenneth Grant took Lovecraft's Necronomicon quite seriously, as did many modern writers and journalists.
We don't know for sure if this Black Grimoire actually existed, but the artwork we see on the Arcana of this Tarot does look like the ancient witchcraft texts really found expression through stunning, deep and multifaceted illustrations filled with magical, dark symbolism. The deck was first published in 2008 by the Italian publishing house Lo Scarabeo, and a year later it was republished by llewllyn Publications (USA).
Key features of the deck
Tarot Black Grimoire Necronomicon does not exactly repeat any of the existing traditions. This is the author's vision of the topic, while respecting the classical structure of the Arcana, but the archetypes themselves are presented in a completely different way. Perhaps someone will see echoes in some cards, since the Minor Arcana are drawn and among them there are those whose plot can be interpreted in the context of the classics, but I would not recommend doing this. It is best to perceive these cards as a completely unique system that shows us a picture of the world from a completely different, dark side.
The suits are traditional, but each of them is an independent thematic grimoire. Pentacles show the needs and desires of the physical body of a person, Cups immerse us in a dream world filled with the deepest emotions, Swords are a grimoire of demons, explaining that control and strength can ultimately lead to despair and madness, and Wands reveal our creative abilities.
Symbolism of the deck
Is there any special symbolism in the Black Grimoire Tarot cards? Of course there is, but not everyone will understand it. These are mysterious books, ritual and magical objects, details of the situation, clothes, facial expressions of characters - in all this one can discern hidden semantic nuances. I once heard the opinion that in order to understand this deck, you need to know Lovecraft's work very well. I don't agree with this. Yes, of course, I once read the works of the horror master, but I never tried to compare the plots of the cards with his stories. For me, this deck seems to live on its own, it already contains everything you need in deep illustrations. She is the book itself, the Grimoire, so I don't think it requires shoveling all of Lovecraft's works to work with her.
Major Arcana
Let's look at some of the Major Arcana. Of course, I am delighted with absolutely all the images of the deck, since the artist managed to create a truly unique creation, but then my review will drag on for a huge number of pages. So let's go through the most interesting ones.
Let's start with the Fool, the zero Arcana that opens the gallery of the Black Grimoire Tarot. I have never met such a Fool. He sits shackled in a straitjacket, and hordes of strange people, creatures and demons hustle around him. Above the head of the madman hangs a lamp, which, it seems to me, symbolizes the newly discovered possibility of the subconscious, which will make the darkness and everything that hides in it recede. But will the Fool take advantage of this opportunity, or will he prefer to live surrounded by his own demons, firmly established in the depths of his unconscious? By the way, judging by the posture and facial expression of the character, he is quite well in control of himself and what is happening in his head does not frighten him at all.
On the Arcana Lovers, we see a young man and a girl holding hands. It seems that they are saying goodbye to each other, although it is very difficult for each of them to make such a decision. Behind, in the distance stretches a strange landscape, shrouded in mist, against which stands a female figure in red clothes. The lovers stand on the path that leads just there, into this unknown and frightening world. The red figure seems to hint that the choice must be made with the heart. What will the heroes of the map choose to do? Will one of them go down the path of the unknown or will they decide to stay together, unable to sacrifice their sincere feeling? Will the girl let her beloved go alone, or will she want to go on a journey with him? The choice must be made, despite the fact that it is highly ambiguous.
The Arcana Justice in the Black Grimoire Tarot is generally amazing. See what a fine line it reveals! On the one hand, we clearly see the ritual of black magic, which many a priori call "bad". But do we know why the person symbolizing whom the Voodoo doll lies on the table deserved such treatment? It seems to me that Arkan hints at the fact that it is impossible to unambiguously divide our actions and desires into “bad” and “good”. What is evil for one is good for another. Harmony is in the balance between these two "fires".
The hanged man in this deck is a real suicide who decided to commit suicide in a tiny room under the very roof, where, apparently, he lived until that time. Pay attention to the setting: a half-empty bottle of alcohol, an ashtray with numerous cigarette butts, a large mysterious book on the table, but at the same time closed. It seems to me that this man clearly did not make a spontaneous decision to commit suicide. He considered it long and carefully. It was not an impulsive, immature act. But what was the reason? Perhaps it is hidden in the pages of this most mysterious book? Perhaps he decided to sacrifice himself so that other people would not suffer? Or maybe the mysterious ancient knowledge opened up a completely different path for him, which will lead him to a completely different world, where the view from the window will no longer be so depressing? Who knows who knows…
The moon, created by Michele Penco, is almost a classic, but in a darker, Lovecraftian way. A man, headlong, rushes along a dark road illuminated by moonlight. Where does this path lead? Apparently, to the shore of the lake, where he will be overtaken by the monsters moving behind him. Are these monsters real or do they gain power over us only when we plunge into the dark world of our own subconscious? Maybe you should not drown in the depths of your fears, but muster up the courage to stop and turn to face them?
And we will complete the review of the Trumps of the deck with the Arcana World Tarot Black Grimoire Necronomicon. I think he's amazing too. Look: in the background we see majestic structures built by ancient civilizations - they symbolize fundamentality. The girl sitting on the rubble is a reality, and the faces of mysterious creatures in a haze of fog are ephemeral, the realm of our imagination. The key of the map is in the union of these three components, which mean the world. And all of them may well be subject to a person - this is evidenced by the pose of the girl and the book that he holds on his lap.
Minor Arcana
As I said, the Minor Arcana of the deck are divided into four grimoires. Let's look at two cards of each suit to understand how the main theme manifests in them. Let's start with the Wands - the grimoire of fire, which shows us the creativity and power of the fire element, which separates darkness from light.
The Six of Wands symbolizes surprise. From the flames blazing somewhere outside the fire map, a terrible creature appears with burning eyes and an envelope in his hand. The man did not expect the appearance of a monster, he is confused and does not know what to do. What is contained in this envelope: bad or good news? What will our hero do: run away or calmly accept the information that the creature from the other world transmits? This should be judged by the tarologist himself, depending on the situation. But one thing is clear - Arkan clearly speaks of unexpected events and our ability to respond to them.
Now let's turn to the Nine of Wands. The illustration shows a girl who is separated from the monsters by a wall of fire. Terrible creatures retreat in fear. But the fire could not flare up on its own, so it would be logical to assume that it was the girl who kindled it, thereby creating an island of safety for herself. Her talent is in the ability to control herself, find a way out of difficult situations, hone her skills and successfully apply them in practice.
The swords in the Black Grimoire Tarot are responsible for our thoughts, which sometimes push us into the abyss of madness. This is a mysterious grimoire of demons generated by our mind. I personally really like the Two and Eight of this suit.
The Deuce depicts a violinist standing on a high stump and playing his favorite violin with his eyes closed. A storm is raging around him, and monsters have crowded around the stump, but they cannot reach the hero. It seems to me that the card says that we are able to control our mind. Just close your eyes, let go of what is happening and allow yourself to immerse yourself in positive thoughts. When we think about the pleasant, even the most hopeless situation becomes less frightening. And who knows, maybe the storm will soon subside, and the monsters will get tired of waiting for the end of the melody and they will go in search of another, more shy victim?
The Eight of Swords shows us the trap of the mind. When we give free rein to our fear, it fetters our movements, prevents us from developing, doing something important. The heroine of the card created a hopeless situation for herself, succumbing to her own fears, complexes, prejudices, and thereby allowed the three-eyed giant to imprison herself in a jar.
Cups in the Black Grimoire Tarot show our feelings, emotions, both explicit and hidden. This is a grimoire of dreams, where fantasy is mixed with reality.
On the Six of Cups card, we see a girl sitting by the window, behind which a real apocalypse is being played out. A hurricane wind is raging, which is about to begin to tear roofs off houses, but this does not seem to bother our heroine at all. What happens to her? I have two options: either she is overcome by boredom and indifference, so she does not even make an attempt to escape from the hurricane or help one of the townspeople, or she is so deeply mired in her thoughts that she simply does not notice what is happening around.
The Eight of Cups illustrates a situation in which a man in a black cassock shows a girl a book, but she brushes him off as if from an annoying fly. It seems to me that the map can speak of a certain conservatism of views, unwillingness to learn something new and consider in more detail what is offered to us. She is guided only by her own emotions, but not by reason. Perhaps this book contains very important information that will allow the heroine to radically change her life? But she just doesn't want to accept it. Also, this Minor Arcana, in my opinion, can report that someone obsessively offers us something that we currently consider completely unnecessary, useless.
And finally, let's move on to the Pentacles, symbolizing our physical needs and manifestations of the material world. I suggest looking at the Six and Nine of this suit.
So, the Six of Pentacles Tarot Black Grimoire Necronomicon is pure manipulation. See with what fury the demons reach for the little thing that the man with a sly smile holds out to them! We see here perseverance, uncontrollable emotions, the pursuit of a free "distribution of elephants" - from the crowd, and on the other hand - cunning and the ability to manipulate the masses. Who knows, maybe the crowd is not demons at all, but the same ordinary people who have lost their human appearance due to the thirst for possession?
The nine shows the long way that the girl has come. She had almost reached the place she was aiming for. But is this the beautiful castle she dreamed of? In my opinion, this is a dungeon without windows and doors. It is possible to get inside through a small window at the very top, and for this you will have to climb a very high and dangerous staircase. What can the card say? The fact that we have not yet reached the goal and there is still a serious test ahead? Or that the achieved goal turned out to be not at all what we imagined it to be?
As you can see, all the Minor Arcana are very interesting. You can look at them for a very long time, each time finding more and more new semantic nuances. Now let's move on to the court cards.
court cards
Since we are looking at a very dark deck that works with the subconscious, we should not expect the usual images of the Court cards. We will not analyze them in detail, since it is much more interesting to determine the character traits of these characters on our own. For example, I spent more than one day on this. But I will say right away - on all court cards of the same suit, we clearly see the element corresponding to them, i.e. all Wands will be fiery, active, all Cups will be emotional and sensitive, Swords will be clear intellectuals, and Pentacles will be practical people. For example, I will give one image of each suit.
Features of the interpretation of cards
The meanings of the Black Grimoire Tarot cards, as I said, are quite easy to read intuitively. A competent tarot reader can even do without any additional literature. In the MBC, which, by the way, I do not recommend looking at at all, the inverted positions of the Arcana are also given, I found a similar approach in the book on this deck by Dmitry Nevsky. But personally, it’s not entirely clear to me why to turn over the cards, the interpretation of which is already quite multifaceted and allows you to see all possible aspects in the layout. In a word, whether or not to use "shifters" - in this case, it's up to you to decide.
What issues is the deck suitable for?
Initially, I bought the Necronomicon Black Grimoire Tarot as a tool for working with subconscious fears, complexes, psychological problems, and also for diagnosing magical influences. But, as practice has shown, these cards may well work as a universal deck. I tried to consider relationships, work, questions of self-realization and even the circumstances of the death of a person - and in all these cases I received clear, beautifully detailed answers. Therefore, I can safely say that if you find a common language with this deck, it may well become your main one.
Who is the card for?
- Loves Lovecraft's work
- For those who are looking for a dark deck for magical diagnostics
- Those who like to delve into the subconscious of the querent, as well as tarot psychologists
- Those who want to work with their own inner fears
The MBC for the Black Grimoire, frankly, is no good at all. For me personally, half of the keywords presented in it did not intersect at all with what I myself see in the illustrations. I also have a book by Dmitry Nevsky “Tarot Black Grimoire Necronomicon. The power of fears ”is already a better option. But, again, the author offers his own, subjective opinion about the symbolism and meaning of the cards, so I also did not agree with him in everything, although my interpretation of some cards, surprisingly, agreed with Nevsky's vision.
I know that there is still a book by Larisa Vasilenko called “Shadows of the Ancients in the Black Grimoire Tarot”, but, alas, I am not familiar with its content. In a word, there is plenty of literature on sale to study the deck, but I still recommend that you start with your own, intuitive impression of each Arcana.
This concludes my review. Thank you for your attention!
