Drifting off from Thoth deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Aure	16 Feb 2004
It seems me and my Thoth decks don't get along very well right now... I used to use my deck before and we've had this love/hate-type of relationship ever since I bought it. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. Lately I've tried to like it but then the images look to me like the artist took a dose of acid and threw up on the canvas... Weird me... There's something bothering me in the images, they're beautiful and then they're not... Yesterday I tried to look at the cards one by one to see if I get any intuitive meanings in my head for them and nothing!! Sure, there are the keywords and so on but still - nothing! Has this happened to anyone else? I'm waiting for my new Radiant Rider-Waite to arrive this week, so hopefully I get along with that one...

crystal cove	16 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Aure It seems me and my Thoth decks don't get along very well right now... I used to use my deck before and we've had this love/hate-type of relationship ever since I bought it. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. Lately I've tried to like it but then the images look to me like the artist took a dose of acid and threw up on the canvas... Weird me... There's something bothering me in the images, they're beautiful and then they're not... Yesterday I tried to look at the cards one by one to see if I get any intuitive meanings in my head for them and nothing!! Sure, there are the keywords and so on but still - nothing! Has this happened to anyone else? I'm waiting for my new Radiant Rider-Waite to arrive this week, so hopefully I get along with that one... Yes, I've gradually come to the conclusion that the Rider Waite and it's clones are not for me. But taste in decks is an individual thing. If you're not getting anything from the Thoth......there are hundreds more to choose from. ;)

Darla	16 Feb 2004
I know the feeling from the Thoth. I bought it as my first deck because next to the Rider-Waite it was recommended as the best deck everywhere. I couldn't read with it. Disappointed I put it aside for a little while but my interest in Tarot didn't fade and shortly after that I bought the Sacred Circle and got immediate good readings with it. Sure, the Thoth is a difficult deck for an absolute beginner but after three years of studying tarot I'm still unable to read with it. The images say nothing to me. Nothing! But you obviously got good readings from the Thoth at certain times. I think the Thoth is a deck which can attract you at times and sometimes you need a break from it. Just put it aside for a while and spend time with another deck. When you feel like Thoth try it again. :)

lionette	16 Feb 2004
Yes, Aure, I completely understand! I found that I was getting consistently negative and even confusing responses to the cards/spreads after using it for about a year regularly. All of a sudden the deck just felt very "wrong" and very unsettling, so decided to explore other decks. First got the Light & Shadow (see a few cards at http://www3.sympatico.ca/terrir/lightandshadow.html) then New Century (see majors at http://www.rolf-eichelmann.de/karten_e.html). Love both of these. The L&S is so easy to feel comfortable with almost right away. Still don't feel quite right with Thoth and rarely use it. I find it good for study and comparison with other decks, but not straight reading anymore. happy deck shopping ! :)

Hedera	16 Feb 2004
Aure, if you find you don't get along with the Radiant RWS either, you might consider trying a Thoth-workalike deck. That way, you could still use the symbolism and structure you're used to, but you would have different artwork that you might find more pleasing and that could give your mind a little jolt. There are quite a few decks that follow/are kin to Thoth rather than RWS. Off the top of my head: Haindl, Rohrig, Ancient Egyptian, Vision Quest, Cosmic, Cosmic Tribe (my all-time favourite deck - had to plug it! ;) ), Swedish Witch. The artwork of these decks is very diverse. Scans of them can be seen here at Aeclectic, and/or Tarotpassages, among other places. (I'm in a bit of a hurry, otherwise I would have posted links to pics. Maybe later) :)

Kosmos	16 Feb 2004
I've had my thoth deck for less than a week. I am still quite enamoured with it, but I get the sense that it has an agenda... as if there are points that I have to work against it. I should probably read Crowley's work in more detail to see if I can find out what *that* is. Edit: I forgot to mention that I find Osho Zen tarot to be free of this feeling. It is my first deck and I think that I was drawn to thoth because something about the two decks gives off this 'complimentary opposites' vibration. Consider doing what I did backwards and maybe you'll find that the Osho deck works where the thoth has come to a standstill.

ros	16 Feb 2004
Yes I'm putting these on the back burner to sizzle a while. I have the love/hate thingy going on with these also. I feel someday these may come in handy, but not now.

Rusty Neon	16 Feb 2004
There's a new deck by LoScarabeo coming out around May 2004 called Liber T - Tarot of Stars Eternal. It may interest you. It has fully illustrated pips but the deck is based on Crowley's Book of Thoth. Check out the thread that Lee recently started regarding that new deck. Quote: Originally posted by Aure It seems me and my Thoth decks don't get along very well right now... I used to use my deck before and we've had this love/hate-type of relationship ever since I bought it. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. Lately I've tried to like it but then the images look to me like the artist took a dose of acid and threw up on the canvas... Weird me... There's something bothering me in the images, they're beautiful and then they're not... Yesterday I tried to look at the cards one by one to see if I get any intuitive meanings in my head for them and nothing!! Sure, there are the keywords and so on but still - nothing! Has this happened to anyone else? I'm waiting for my new Radiant Rider-Waite to arrive this week, so hopefully I get along with that one...

The Drifting off from Thoth deck thread was originally posted on 16 Feb 2004 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.