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Paul Foster Case
Paul Foster Case (October 3, 1884 - March 2, 1954) was an American occultist of the early 20th century and author of numerous books on occult tarot and Qabalah. He was best known f...view morePaul Foster Case (October 3, 1884 - March 2, 1954) was an American occultist of the early 20th century and author of numerous books on occult tarot and Qabalah. He was best known for his contributions to the field of occultism with his written lessons for associate members of Builders of the Adytum or B.O.T.A.
Born in Fairport, New York in 1884, his parents were members of the Congregationalist Church and his father was the town librarian. A talented musician with an honorary doctorate in music, Case embarked on a successful career as a violinist, and orchestra conductor.
He began his lifelong study of the Tarot after meeting occultist Claude Bragdon in 1900, who questioned him on the origin of playing cards. Case discovered a link to tarot, called ‘The Game of Man’, and eventually published for the first time in history the correct attributions of the Hebrew letters and numbers of the 22 major trumps of the Tarot—the B.O.T.A. tarot deck.
In 1916 Case published a groundbreaking series of articles on the Tarot Keys, titled The Secret Doctrine of the Tarot, in the popular occult magazine The Word. The articles attracted wide notice in the occult community for organizing and clarifying what had previously been confusing and scattered occult doctrines about the meaning of the tarot cards.
In 1918, Case joined Alpha et Omega (A.O.) and quickly moved up initiations in the Rosicrucian grades (True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order). He left A.O. in 1922 and set up his own mystery school, offering a comprehensive correspondence course called The Ageless Wisdom. By 1923, he had formed The School of Ageless Wisdom.
He later moved to Los Angeles, where he established the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.), and over the next three decades organized the curriculum of correspondence lessons covering the Western Mystery Tradition: occult tarot, Qabalah, and hermetic alchemy.
Case passed away while vacationing in Mexico in 1954, aged 69.view less
Books by Paul Foster Case
The Great Seal of the United States: Its History, Symbolism and Message for the New Age (9th Edition)