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Frieda Harris
Born: 13 August 1877 in London England. Died: 5 November 1962 in Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
See her artwork HERE.
Frieda Bloxam was a daughter of surgeon John Astley Bloxam, F.R.C.S. She married Percy Harris in April 1901. Percy Harris served as a Liberal Party MP 1916-18 and 1922–45, and was Chief Whip for his party. After her husband was created a baronet in 1932 she was entitled to style herself Lady Harris but preferred to use Lady Frieda Harris.
Frieda and Percy Harris had two sons: Jack (born 1906, later Sir Jack Harris) and Thomas (born 1908).
After the death of her husband, she moved to a houseboat on the lake at Srinagar, Kashmir, where she died, aged 85, on November 5, 1962. She was buried at the Christian cemetery at the Sheikh Bagh on the banks of the Jhelum River.
Frieda Harris was commissioned by Aleister Crowley to paint the Thoth Tarot. Although involved in the women's branch of Freemasonry—Co-Freemasonry—her interest in the occult was not deep. Crowley had to initiate her into his Orders to expand her knowledge and commence the spiritual training necessary to design a deck of such power.
By his own admission, the deck was intended to be traditional, but she encouraged him to commit his occult, magical, spiritual and scientific knowledge to the project. Apart from his mother, Frieda Harris was probably the strongest, longest lasting and most platonic relationship in his life. The extant letters from Frieda Harris to Crowley show her fondness and compassion for him, despite his regular begging for more money. Along with Louis Wilkinson, Frieda seems to be one of the few genuine friends in Crowley's life.
There were three significant events in 1937—she met Aleister Crowley; he initiated her into his own Order, and she studied the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. Crowley was on the lookout for a talented artist for the three month Tarot project. His headhunter was Clifford Bax, playwright, author, and co-editor of an art & literature magazine entitled The Golden Hind between 1922-24, founded by Austin Osman Spare. On 9 June 1937 Bax had intended to introduce the artists Meum Stewart and Leslie Blanche to Crowley, but they do not seem to have turned up, so he invited Frieda instead. Bax may have known Harris through Masonic links. Clifford Bax was also instrumental in introducing John Symonds to Crowley.
Symonds takes up the Frieda Harris story: "Aleister helped her through the portals of the mystical Order of the A∴A∴. She took the name of Tzaba “Hosts”, which adds up to 93; this is also the number of the thelema current which she was trying to tap."
Frieda Harris was no stranger to ritual through her membership of Co-Masonry, but her knowledge was lacking. As well as reading books by Crowley, her studies of Anthroposophy were to be a critical aspect in the creation of the Tarot. It is quite possible that her studies of Steiner were suggested by Crowley himself. He is on the record as saying that his mission was to continue the work of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Theosophy. Another avenue may have been Greta Valentine who introduced Frieda to anthroposophy.
Greta Valentine was a London socialite whom Crowley loved, but probably never conquered. "When they met in 1936 she was studying anthroposophy, the mystical teachings of Rudolf Steiner, whose school she attended. Her own interests stopped short of traditional occultism." Greta was an artist friend of Frieda, and it was at her house in Hyde Park Crescent, London, that Frieda and Crowley worked on the Book of Thoth.
Frieda lived the construction and design of the deck to the point that events in her life mirrored the cards she was working on. For example, when she was working on the Eight and Nine of Swords, she experienced all sorts of accidents and delays.
Frieda was sending Crowley a regular stipend throughout the project. She was also using her society contacts to find financial backers for the exhibition of the paintings, the catalogues, and for the publication of the Tarot. The mental, emotional and spiritual pressures took its toll on Frieda, who became somewhat erratic. Crowley was sufficiently concerned to call in the lawyers to protect his 66% investment in the project. Despite the legal hitches, Crowley gives Frieda fulsome praise in the Introduction to the Book of Thoth—this from a man who spent much of his life creating enemies: "She devoted her genius to the Work. With incredible rapidity she picked up the rhythm, and with inexhaustible patience submitted to the correction of the fanatical slave-driver that she had invoked, often painting the same card as many as eight times until it measured up to has Vanadium Steel yardstick!"
Throughout the project she insisted on her own anonymity, but she reveled in working for such a notorious man. Although the Book of Thoth was published in a 200 limited edition, neither Crowley nor Frieda lived to see the deck printed.
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Frieda with Sunflower |
