• Deck Title: An Occult Guide to the Tarot
• Author: Travis McHenry
• Publisher: Rockpool Publishing
• Published Date: September 2025
• Published: Australia
• ISBN: 9781923208148
• RRP: AU$39.99 / GB£22.00
• Reviewer name: Bec Birrell @myinnerwitch

An Occult Guide to the Tarot is a beautiful 272 page, hard cover, full colour visual feast for anyone who loves to dive into the esoteric associations of the Tarot. Before I have even opened the pages I am impressed by the stunning cover design. An intricate woven pattern using monochromatic gloss varnish on matt to create a web of interlocking pentagrams and circles. A vibrant slice of red pierces through containing the title, referencing the essence of magic – a great design by Rockpool Publishing, as are the beautifully laid out pages throughout.

Travis McHenry, also the author of the Occult Tarot, the Angel Tarot and Hieronymous Bosch Tarot, is a skilled researcher who spends his time living between rural Pennsylvania and Sao Paulo, Brazil. McHenry has written a deep dive into the history of the cards. An Occult Guide to the Tarot covers a good amount of information, yet is also very accessible in its delivery. After an introduction outlining his own journey of discovering Tarot and fascination in uncovering it in more depth, Travis outlines the History of Tarot with reference to where the cards originated. He takes us on a timeline from the origins of games and playing cards, to Islamic traders into Europe. He touches on the Egyptian, Greek and Renaissance philosophies, as well as the tarot histories of China, India, Persia, and the Mamluk. McHenry also outlines the Spanish, Italian and French influences on the cards, as they arrived in Europe.

McHenry then focuses his discussion on the occult overlay associated with the work of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and the creation of the Waite-Smith deck.  He outlines the origins of occult knowledge from magical texts, the Library of Alexandria, King Solomon, Hermes Trismegistus, Court de Gebelin, Count de Mellet, Etteilla, Lenormand, Eliphas Levi and Papus.

The section of the Major Arcana looks at the details of each card through the lens of history and kabbalah. In addition to the text, there are full colour visuals and illustrations with comparisons of cards through the ages.

I loved seeing the inclusion of illustrations and paintings that served as inspirations for the cards; something we rarely see in other Tarot books, making this book a richly interesting visual and historical resource.

The section on the Minor Arcana begins with an introduction highlighting the astrological decan associations and the developments of the Golden Dawn in refining these associations within modern decks. Here the author outlines the historical context of the pip style, the Sola Busca Tarot and the illustrated representations Pamela Colman Smith painted for the minors of the Waite-Smith deck.

Each of the Minors is outlined with comparisons of cards from pips to the influence of the Sola Busca in Pamela Colman Smiths final artwork, showing a fascinating visual journey of influence, interpretation and refinement.

This is not a book that covers reading techniques, but rather a journey through the development of the historic Tarot deck, its history and its occult overlay. An Occult Guide to the Tarot offers knowledge that will enhance your connection to the cards and add multiple layers to inspire you to weave a rich story within your readings.

You can get An Occult Guide to the Tarot at https://www.rockpoolpublishing.com/occult-guide-to-the-tarot

By Bec Birrell