Crowley & Thoth cards

I was talking about Tarot with some people the other day, and one girl mentioned that she didn't practice anything to do with Thoth cards. Thoth was a death God, and that those cards were basically bad. Well I'm reading Don Milo Duqette (sp) tips on analyzing the cards. But I can't help but wonder the greater mysterious underlining meaning of the complex system.

I get that he borrowed from a bunch of religions, but was his aim Satanic or crooked? I'm just not as informed about Crowley and I wonder if I should stick with Rider Waite or other cards because I'm not getting these cards, and I'm wary of using them. I feel like it's one big riddle. Like a puzzle that looks like a flower but by the time you get done picking apart the flower it's dead. I dunno it's frustrating. I got answers from Rider Waite, so far nothing has much worked with these cards. They dumbfound me.

This is the line that struck me from the book. It was a line on the Devil card, which corresponds to Capricorn. He called Jesus Christ Satan, or Crowley did in the quote. That just bothered me. if Satan is fictional, why later does he call him Yeshua or Jesus? I started thinking Crowley's aim was just wacky.

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Permalink Reply by Alaina on June 11, 2012 at 2:13am

I have the Thoth deck as well, and I get the same issue when trying to use them, very confusing to me, unlike my other decks, however, I like that its a puzzle and I'm reading the book now Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot and The Book of Thoth.

I would love to hear from someone who uses this deck and understands it too. Even my husband can't quite explain it to me, and he's crowley obsessed.

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Permalink Reply by Gabrielle on June 11, 2012 at 2:24am

The challenge can be fun, no doubt. I have had a few successful readings for other people. It helps to just let the messages come to you. I was going to attempt a reading tonight, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow. I've been attempting the Key spread, which is somewhat complicated but interesting. Good luck with your learning Thoth! Have you tried using the I Ching? It's really not as hard as it looks.

Yeah I'm not giving up on this, too intriguing. It probably doesn't help that it's 2 am. haha.

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Permalink Reply by Alaina on June 11, 2012 at 2:47am

It is a challenge but thats what I like, it doesn't come easy!

I have used the I Ching before and I like it, my friend introduced it to me a few years ago after she learned that I'm into feng shui...

I'm a night owl and get all my energy late at night, but even still I love to read and do my studying during daytime hours with plenty of coffee! If I drink it at night, there's no way I'm sleeping.

I draw a tarot card every day from one of my decks as daily guidance or introspection, and todays card was from the Thoth deck--ATU I, The Magus. It represents mercury, which is action and energy, and also will and wisdom. In other decks, I think this card reflects the Magician or Juggler.

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Permalink Reply by Gabrielle on June 11, 2012 at 5:14am

Thanks so much for your in depth clarification. I had learned death meant a sort of rebirth, as it had symbolized this in the past so it shouldn't be any different in the Thoth deck. I have had luck with the Rider Waite in the past but I've gotten rusty or I'm redefining how i read cards and trying to get better at it than I was. Do you practice divination and use the Thoth cards? Have you found any invocations or blessings help you to connect better?

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SponsorPermalink Reply by Fen on June 11, 2012 at 9:37am

yes...people always forget about the influence of the GD...if they are serious about Tarot, they need to know the history.......and a simple "as above, so below" "so below as above" will help decipher the tarot .....and yes, Thoth was a God of Wisdom, not sure where she got that from....thanks for posting this

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Permalink Reply by Sagemoon on June 11, 2012 at 9:20am

I was given the Thoth deck by a friend who did not like working with it. The cards were beautiful but I didn't jive with them either. I gave it a good few years but...I gave them away to someone else. I don't think the cards are bad. But I have wondered if the pictures have an essance that just doesn't fit my soul's code. I'm not sure how else to explain it. Some decks make sense to me upon picking them up and others just don't feel right.

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Permalink Reply by Garlic Clove on June 11, 2012 at 9:53am

I think you just summed up my whole experience with the Toth Deck right there. I know so little about Crowley and the OTO (mine is an antique OTO version of the deck) that I just don't get the cards, and really don't want to work with them until I do. It was given to me by my SO's parents. It had belonged to a friend of theirs but they didn't know much about it. I think they just figured "Oh it's a tarot deck and she likes tarot so I guess she can use it." I keep it because I know it had sentimental value to them, but I just can't make heads or tails of it. They didn't even have the little booklet that comes with it, but another reader friend of mine actually had a spare one. Eventually, I plan on getting the Toth book myself, but I still prefer my Ship of Fools deck.

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Permalink Reply by Vigdisdotter on June 11, 2012 at 10:23am

I love my Thoth deck. I don't find it confusing at all. I find it very blunt, irreverent and and sometimes with a dark sense of humour. In other words, it matches my personality rather well.

If you want to understand the deck, learning the system that spawned it is a good start, but learning how to read imagery in general is what I'd suggest, because you can apply that skill to most decks out there. Pick up the book 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack.