Advice for a beginner?

[Aure]

As you may have read on my thread on 'New Members' and on the thread here on Internet resources, I'm a novice on Thoth Tarot. I've had the deck (two actually) for a couple of years and have done occasional readings for myself. Now I have been more active with the cards and would like to know where to start in learning how to use them?

I have Ziegler's book and some info I printed from the net but I'm not sure whether to study the meanings in them carefully or to just 'play' with them and maybe look up the meaning from manuals if necessary.

I don't know anybody back here who would have a study group so you guys are really my only source of information on the subject.

[jog1118]

have a look at the "Using Tarot Cards" forum and check out the sticky "Forum Table of Contents-How to Read"...the topics here are applicable to any deck, IMO...

:smoker:

edited to correct sticky name

[Simone]

Hi there, and welcome!

I'm using Ziegler's books too for occasional reference. IMO he has quite an intreresting way of approaching and interpreting the Thoth deck.

What I did to get into the deck was just starting readings (for myself in the beginning) and looking up the meanings. So after a while, I got to know every card and its "meanings by the book", and then intuition began to whisper ;)

Light and love and enjoy your deck!
Simone

[Thea Lynx]

Hi Aure,

By far, I prefer Ziegler's Mirror of the Soul when I need to refer to the text. It was especially helpful when I first worked with my Thoth deck. The affirmations and meditations helped me to remember and understanding the meanings of each card and its interplay with the others.

Arrien's Tarot Handbook is also wonderful, but quite a handful at first. She does, however, have daily log and growth card charts in the book complete with permission to photocopy. I use the daily log sheets religiously - it is a wonderful tool to pick up on the trends of what cards come up most often for you in a given time period or overall.

I know some who complain about the labeling on the minors (like "ruin" on the ten of swords) but I have found that since each card must be viewed with the full range of its meanings in mind when looking at a spread, these key words are very helpful to me.

Thea Lynx

[kingsofsleep]

Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo Duquette is a really great book that helps you to understand the universally feared (but greatly needed) Book of Thoth by AC.
I would also suggest The Crowley Tarot Handbook by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf .
Personally, I don't like Ziegler as I find him to be a bit too happy, happy, joy, joy...tarot, like life just isn't that way.
To me at least, self honesty is a key component of reading the cards and if all you ever think is that the glass is half full then you will never be completely honest with yourself.
I'm not saying that one should have a bleak and desolate view of life either. I am a complete believer in the power of positive thinking. I just think that when assessing a situation one should be able to accept the darkside that is inherent in us all. We need that balance.

KoS

[Phoenyx*]

Welcome to the boards KoS. :)

[crystal cove]

Originally posted by Aure

I have Ziegler's book and some info I printed from the net but I'm not sure whether to study the meanings in them carefully or to just 'play' with them and maybe look up the meaning from manuals if necessary.



I have Ziegler's book, Arrien's book, and I plan to get Duquette's new book, if I can ever manage to get around to it. ;)

I like to read what others have to say about the cards, but make up my own mind as to what the cards mean to me. It's easier in the long run than memorizing other people's opinion. In fact, as time goes on, I use books less and less. Trust yourself!

[Centaur]

Hi Aure,

I agree with what has been said already. I guess I am also a novice with regards to the Thoth. I too have Ziegler's book, and I also occasionally refer to the on-line version of the Book of Thoth by Mr C. As others have said, I think that it is handy to read through the books available to yourself and familiarise yourself with each card meaning, etc. But equally important, I feel, is the experience of connecting the cards to oneself: sort of like an association exercise whereby you become more intimate with each card, its symbols, and meanings.

I like to look at the cards and just let my mind wander too.

As twenty~one says, I think that it is very important to trust yourself.

C

[lionette]

I see kingsofsleep has already recommended my fave! "The Crowley Tarot" by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf. (ISBN: 0880797150)
Lots of interesting symbology tidbits. Easy to read and good reference.

Another book by on of the above authors, "Keywords for the Crowley Tarot" by Hajo banzhaf and Brigitte Theler. I've found it good as a quick reference and helped to broaden my vocabulary past the keyword printed on card.

Good luck with the deck!

[Emily]

There really isn't that many books on the Thoth to read but the few that are available are all good in their own ways.

Keywords for the Crowley tarot is short and to the point, Mirror of the Soul is a little more involved and makes you question the cards, see how they relate to you, The Handbook to the Cards (Banzhaf) is a big book and is really extensive in its interpretations, a heavy read lol - the Arrien books sort of goes off and does its own thing, a big book .

Tarot as your companion (Banzhaf) compares the Rider Waite and the Thoth and then the new book by DuQuette is based on explaining the Thoth through Crowley's own writings. I like all of these books for different reasons and couldn't really name a favourite although I am enjoying DuQuette's book. :)

Edited to say:-

I forgot all about The Book of Thoth, read about the cards in Crowley's own words lol (I don't have this book---yet) :)

[kingsofsleep]

Originally posted by Triquetra
Welcome to the boards KoS. :)

Why thankyou. I am loking forward to many discusions...


BOT is a bitch at times to understand. Crowley expects a rather high level of expertise in many areas of the occult. Everytime I read it, something else comes through and I have one of those "ah ha!!" moments.
I would definitely agree that reading others interpretations for the cards is a good thing. You also have to take into account what the books were written for and what you are going to use the cards for. For example, Duquette's book is all about alchemy and magick, while Arrien (in my opinion) is all about personal development from a different, rather new agey perspective. All points are valid, it's just where are you coming from that really decides what's going to work for you best.
My own weakness is a real lack of knowledge about the kabbalah. Something I am going to try and rectify in the future. I also study a lot buddhism and have been able to see a lot of simliarities in eastern philosophies and tradition "western" occult theories.
I rarely, if ever, use them for divination. Rather, they are a mirror, a tool if you will for my own personal development. I hardly ever read for another so the Thoth is intensely personal. I guess thats why self-honesty plays such a huge role it for me. I actually try and use the cards to keep me honest at times...

[Mimers]

When I first bought my Thoth deck, I also purchased James Wanless' book, New Age Tarot. It is very simplified and has very creative spreads that help you learn the meanings of the cards. It is not a Crowley oriented book.

I am currently reading DuQuette's book, and I highly reccomend it! wonderfully written.

Mimi

[Imagemaker]

Please visit this Thoth site and let me know what you think--the home address is hrih.hypermart.net and you can work through to the tarot divinations, or the link below opens directly to a choice of spreads. In revealing the card, I find the full range of keyword points and questions to be very insightful and challenging. Better than books I've seen on Thoth.

http://www.hrih.hypermart.net/divinations/tarot/openings/

[lark]

Wonderful site Imagemaker thanks for sharing it!
I just bought DuQuettte's book yesterday.
I started reading it in the store and couldn't put it down.
It's written with such a wonderful sense of humor.
And very understandable.
Can't wait to dig into it deeper.

[Imagemaker]

I don't know if the descriptions and keywords of the card on the HRIH site come from published books, but I like the questions and the "personal" communications that come with each card overview.

I was using this site before I even knew what deck these cards came from. And after joining AT, I get so much more from HRIH. It's an odd, rather cryptic place--based in the Oriental College in Amsterdam, I gather.

[Ani]

I've been working with the Thoth deck on and off for a few years, all the books are good but I still needed to really understand the energies of these cards. I recently started using the Ancient Egyptian Tarot by Clive Barrett which is really easy to understand just by the pictures but is also based on the same energies of the Thoth, when I am studying the cards I lay down the large Thoth cards and place the Egyptian cards over top so the names are exposed ( these names apply to this deck also ) after meditating on the energies of a card I can compare this with the Thoth card. This is working surprisingly well for me.