am i missing something?

[pseudonim]

i am in the middle of a 2 day/night learning session on the thoth deck.

is it as easy as i think and practice?

ive learned elemental dignities, card counting, pairing, court characteristics, the majors, the list goes on...
ive read the book of thoth, duquettes commentary on it, book t, and various internet sources

i feel like im missing something, as if reading the thoth spread is obvious

what do i do? i feel like im faking it when i read them

any comments will be met with gratitude... implied gratitude.

[Always Wondering]

I don't have DuQuette's Thoth Book but I am pretty sure there is a section on Thelema in there you might want to read. And you may notice quotes from The Book of Law in the Book of Thoth.

The Thoth deck is a picture book of Thelema. If you use it simply for reading you very well might have a feeling of skimming the surface.


Also, it may be that your mind has caught onto these symbols and concepts very quickly, but they are still sinking into other areas of consciousness.

On the other hand, I have moments of thinking the Thoth and Thelema are so very simple, before I start overthinking again.


AW

[pseudonim]

i will definitely check out the section about thelema.

and youre right, i was just using the cards for doing readings. i just know theres more to it than that.

someone on these forums said the thoth tarot is a lifelong endeavor. after only a few days and a few books, i can see just that.

that damn rabbit hole never stops going deeper.

thanks

[Barleywine]

I had much the same experience: I was able to read successfully with the Thoth deck very soon after starting to study it. It was my first deck; I had no prior RWS experience other than reading a couple of Eden Gray primers. (I guess I was too dumb to be intimidated!) But I was already an astrologer in the early '70s and had read a little on the hermetic qabalah, primarily Dion Fortune and William Gray, so the correspondences weren't entirely foreign to me. Once I picked up the BOTA course-work and Paul Foster Case's books, it made even more sense, as did reading Robert Wang's "Qabalistic Tarot" and James Sturzaker's "Kabbalistic Aphorisms" some years later. Much of Crowley's own work was always out on the far fringe of scrutability, though (and some of it still is ). I've spent many an evening unraveling the esoteric principles and inferences in the Book of Thoth. As AW said, pursuing Crowley's non-Tarot writing was a big help, especially the Book of the Law, Book 4, Magick Without Tears, 777 (mainly for its tables of correspondences) and portions of Gems from the Equinox (although it clearly reflects compiler Israel Regardie's personal preferences).

[pseudonim]

barleywine,

thanks for the list of sources. ive written down the books that helped you understand thoth outside of crowleys writings, as i already have them all. i cannot thank you enough.

cheers