Article first published on www3.sympatico.ca/terrir/harris.html.
Posted in PS-Magazine.com with permission.

Lady Frieda Harris was the wife of the liberal British Member of Parliament, Sir Percy Alfred Harris. She was born Marguerit Frieda Bloxam. She was a great admirer of Aleister Crowley and it is rumoured that they were romantically connected. It is definitely known that her husband did not share her admiration for Crowley.

Harris and Crowley worked together for five years on the card design project (which was supposed to last only three months). He sent her lists of symbols to include on each card, but gave her great latitude in the actual design of the cards. The result was a magnificent collection of paintings.

Although many people associate Aleister Crowley with "black magic," the imagery in this beautiful Art Deco style Tarot deck does not reflect any such associations. Crowley, in his writings, liked to "shock" his readers. He was also self-serving and egotistical. When the cards appeared in limited edition in 1944, Crowley pocketed all of the royalties. He did not share a cent with the artist. The deck was not reproduced again until after both of their deaths.

After her husband's death in 1952, Lady Frieda Harris chose to live the last ten years of her life in India, surviving on modest sales of her paintings, and literary works. She died in poverty in 1962.

Despite the fact that Crowley collected all of the original royalties, Lady Frieda Harris maintained full and complete ownership of the copyright to the paintings and the deck. After her death, the originals and the rights of her heirs were left to the Warburg Institute, in London, England. Aleister Crowley owned nothing of this deck.

Some Tarot scholars have suggested that the Book of Thoth, commonly known as the Crowley Thoth deck, should rightfully be known as the Harris Deck.

Illustrations:
Photograph of Lady Frieda Harris (circa 1941). From Sword of Wisdom: MacGregor Mathers and "The Golden Dawn" by Ithell Colquhoun (copyright ©1975 Colquhoun). Found on Villa Revak Tarot Site . Adjustment from the Crowley Thoth Deck.