Oswald Wirth

Joseph Paul Oswald Wirth (5 August 1860, Brienz, Canton of Bern – 9 March 1943) was a Swiss occultist, artist and writer.

In 1887, Wirth was practicing as a hypnotic healer or, as he described it, "curative magnetism," when he was introduced by a member of the clergy to Stanislas de Guaita. Wirth was impressed with de Guaita's knowledge of magnetic healing, and having dabbled in Theosophy, was grateful for De Guaita's introduction to the tarot as a magical system. This launched a decade-long role for Wirth as de Guaita's secretary, disciple, and fellow student of [Western esotericism|esotericism]] and symbolism.

By 1889, Wirth had created, under the guidance of de Guaita, a cartomantic Tarot consisting only of the twenty-two Major Arcana. Known as "Les 22 Arcanes du Tarot Kabbalistique", it followed the designs of the Tarot de Marseille closely but introduced several alterations, incorporating extant occult symbolism into the cards. Wirth's deck was featured in the 1889 book ''Le Tarot des Bohémiens'' by Gérard Encausse and listed as one of the eight most important modern tarot decks. The Wirth/de Guaita deck is significant in the history of the tarot for being the first in a long line of occult, cartomantic, and initiatory decks.

His interests also included Freemasonry and Astrology. He wrote many books in French regarding Freemasonry, most importantly a set of three volumes explaining Freemasonry's first three degrees.

Wirth is best known as the author of ''Le Tarot des imagiers du Moyen Âge'' (1927), translated and published in English as ''The Tarot of the Magicians'' (1985).

On 28 January 1884 Wirth was initiated in the regular Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge ''La Bienfaisance Châlonnaise'' affiliated to the Grand Orient of France. In 1889, he joined the Scottish Rite ''Travail et les Vrais Amis Fidèles'' where he became Grand Master. In 1898, the latter lodge was admitted to the Grand Lodge of France. Provided by Wikipedia