Divination: The Occult Tarot

 

The Occult Tarot

By Travis McHenry 

The Occult Tarot is a highly unusual tarot deck created by occult author and deck designer Travis McHenry and published by  Rockpool Publishing⁠ in 2020. Unlike most tarot decks, which are based on traditional tarot symbolism such as the Rider–Waite–Smith system, this deck replaces the conventional imagery with the spirits and sigils of the 72 Goetic demons from the medieval grimoire tradition, together with six additional ruling infernal princes.  Number=1). McHenry describes it as the first tarot deck specifically designed around the principles of Solomonic demonology and ceremonial magic.  dged parts of the self.

Whether one regards the spirits as literal entities, archetypes, or psychological forces, the Occult Tarot is designed to bring those concealed energies into conscious awareness, making it one of the most distinctive and controversial tarot decks of the modern era.

The deck occupies a unique place among modern tarot decks because it blends tarot symbolism with the traditions of ceremonial magic, grimoires, and spirit catalogues. It is not simply a tarot deck with dark artwork; it is a deck built around a specific magical system.

Origins and Inspiration

The deck is primarily inspired by the Ars Goetia, the first section of the grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon. The Ars Goetia describes seventy-two spirits said to have been bound by King Solomon and includes their seals, ranks, powers, and methods of evocation.

McHenry assigned these spirits to the seventy-eight cards of the tarot. Each card depicts a specific spirit along with:

• Its traditional seal or sigil.
• Its rank (King, Duke, Marquis, President, etc.).
• Its attributed powers.
• Correspondences used in ceremonial magic.
• Divinatory meanings.

The result is a hybrid of tarot and grimoire.

The Artwork

The artwork is intentionally stark and evocative. Rather than depicting scenes like those found in the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, the cards focus on:

• The spirit itself.
• Its sigil.
• Traditional occult symbolism.
• Planetary and elemental correspondences.

Many readers find the deck visually powerful because it feels more like an old magical manuscript than a conventional tarot deck.

How the Major Arcana Differ

One of the deck’s most unusual features is its treatment of the Major Arcana.

Traditional tarot presents archetypes such as:

• The Fool
• The Magician
• The High Priestess
• Death
• The Devil

In the Occult Tarot, these cards are represented by specific spirits whose characteristics echo the archetypal meanings of the traditional cards.

For example, rather than portraying an allegorical Devil figure, the card may feature a spirit associated with temptation, hidden knowledge, or power.

This creates a very different reading experience. Instead of asking, “What archetype is active?” the reader may ask, “What force or intelligence is influencing this situation?”

The Demons as Archetypes

Many modern users do not view the spirits literally.

Instead, they approach the deck psychologically, seeing the seventy-two demons as representations of:

• Desires
• Fears
• Ambition
• Creativity
• Anger
• Hidden talents
• Personal shadows

This approach is influenced by modern occultism and depth psychology, particularly the concept of the Shadow developed by Carl Jung.

Under this interpretation, the deck becomes a tool for self-exploration rather than spirit work.

The Deck and Ritual Magic

Some ceremonial magicians use the deck differently.

For practitioners of Solomonic magic, the cards can function as:

• Meditation aids.
• Study tools for Goetic spirits.
• Focus objects during ritual.
• A means of exploring magical correspondences.

However, experienced ceremonial magicians generally emphasise that simply owning the deck is not equivalent to performing spirit evocation. Ritual work requires extensive preparation, training, and a broader magical framework.

Strengths of the Deck

It deserves praise it for:

• Rich occult symbolism.
• Excellent production quality.
• A detailed guidebook.
• Strong shadow-work potential.
• Its integration of tarot and grimoire traditions.

Many collectors consider it one of the most innovative occult tarot decks produced in recent decades.

Criticisms

The deck is not for everyone.

Common criticisms include:

• It departs significantly from traditional tarot structure.
• Beginners may find it difficult to interpret.
• Some religious practitioners object to its use of demonic imagery.
• Readers seeking gentle or uplifting imagery may find it intense.

Because of its focus on Goetic spirits, many tarot readers view it as a specialist deck rather than an everyday reading deck.

Occult Significance

From an esoteric perspective, the Occult Tarot reflects a broader trend in modern Western occultism: the blending of tarot, ceremonial magic, alchemy, astrology, and spirit lore into a single symbolic system.

Whether one sees the spirits as actual entities, symbolic intelligences, or psychological forces, the deck invites the reader to confront hidden aspects of experience—power, temptation, wisdom, fear, desire, and transformation. In that sense, it serves much the same purpose as traditional tarot: illuminating what lies beneath the surface, but through the lens of medieval grimoires and ceremonial magic rather than Renaissance allegory.

For many occultists, the Occult Tarot is best understood not as a “demonic tarot deck,” but as a symbolic map of the darker, more mysterious regions of the human psyche and the Western esoteric tradition.

About the creator  Travis McHenry 

Travis McHenry is a contemporary occult author, tarot creator, researcher, and publisher best known for developing the Occult Tarot, Angel Tarot, and several other divination decks that combine historical occult traditions with modern card reading practices. 

McHenry’s occult career began with a fascination for tarot in his youth. Rather than focusing solely on modern tarot interpretations, he became interested in the historical origins of tarot, ceremonial magic, grimoires, and esoteric traditions. This eventually led him to create a series of decks based on specific magical systems.  

Some of his best-known works include:

• Occult Tarot
• Angel Tarot
• Hieronymus Bosch Tarot
• Occult Guide to the Tarot
• An Occult Guide to the Tarot
• Into the Abyss: The Memoirs of a Paranormal Adventurer  

His decks often draw upon:

• Ceremonial magic
• Kabbalah
• Angelology
• Demonology
• Historical tarot traditions
• Renaissance and medieval occult literature

A Scholar of the Western Esoteric Tradition

One of McHenry’s distinguishing characteristics is his emphasis on primary historical sources. He frequently references grimoires such as the The Lesser Key of Solomon and explores the connections between tarot, astrology, alchemy, and ceremonial magic. His work attempts to bridge the gap between academic history and practical occultism.  

Paranormal Interests

Before becoming widely known in tarot circles, McHenry was active in paranormal research. He investigated subjects including:

• Bigfoot traditions
• UFO reports
• Ghost phenomena
• Folklore and cryptozoology

These experiences formed the basis of some of his early writings and helped shape his broader interest in unexplained phenomena.  

Westarctica

Outside occultism, McHenry is also known for founding the micronation of Westarctica, a long-running project based on a territorial claim in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Although largely symbolic, the project attracted considerable media attention and remains one of the better-known micronations in the world.  

How He Is Viewed in the Occult Community

Among modern occultists, McHenry is generally regarded as:

• A prolific deck creator.
• A populariser of Goetic demonology and angelic magic.
• A researcher of tarot history.
• A bridge between traditional ceremonial magic and modern divination.  

Travis McHenry: Tarot as Living Occult History

What distinguishes McHenry is his desire to reconnect tarot with the wider world of grimoires, folklore, ceremonial magic, angelology, and demonology.

His decks often ask:

• What if the Goetic spirits were tarot cards?
• What if angels formed a tarot system?
• What if medieval occult texts were translated into a divinatory format?

This is why he is less a system-builder than Crowley or Case and more a curator and interpreter of older esoteric traditions.

His work tends to appeal especially to readers interested in the more traditional and ceremonial side of Western esotericism rather than purely psychological or New Age approaches to tarot.