zan_chan
Have you guys seen this article about Angeles Arrien's book and alternate approaches to reading the Thoth on Mary Greer's blog? I can't figure out what to make of it and was hoping for some opinions from you Thoth-y types
Here I am starting off on this journey with Bat Chicken, hoping to study the Thoth and Crowleyism to the best of our abilities, and then I come upon an article that says that the study bit is unnecessary and Thoth can simply be taken for what it is, having a reader call upon the "collective unconscious" in order to read the "repetition of archetypal images and themes [from] across world-wide human cultures".
On first reading this article (and then confirming such ideas with a wise friend) I assumed that it was nothing but an exercise in extreme laziness. In the past week of mounting research, confusion, frustration, and bitterness (and fun and intrigue, too!) into the Thoth, I can definitely understand how and why someone would want to come up with a reason to get to use the deck without doing the work. On its own, the Thoth is a beautiful stack of cards and it's easy to see why any reader would want a chance to play with them. Not every reader, however, wants to do all the work involved to get to know the deck in the way I would assume Crowley would have wanted.
But then Ms. Greer does make a good point in quoting the beginning of the Book of Thoth. About the book itself, Crowley writes, "Its perusal may be omitted with advantage." Is that Crowley humor, or is there really something to it?
Thoughts?
Here I am starting off on this journey with Bat Chicken, hoping to study the Thoth and Crowleyism to the best of our abilities, and then I come upon an article that says that the study bit is unnecessary and Thoth can simply be taken for what it is, having a reader call upon the "collective unconscious" in order to read the "repetition of archetypal images and themes [from] across world-wide human cultures".
On first reading this article (and then confirming such ideas with a wise friend) I assumed that it was nothing but an exercise in extreme laziness. In the past week of mounting research, confusion, frustration, and bitterness (and fun and intrigue, too!) into the Thoth, I can definitely understand how and why someone would want to come up with a reason to get to use the deck without doing the work. On its own, the Thoth is a beautiful stack of cards and it's easy to see why any reader would want a chance to play with them. Not every reader, however, wants to do all the work involved to get to know the deck in the way I would assume Crowley would have wanted.
But then Ms. Greer does make a good point in quoting the beginning of the Book of Thoth. About the book itself, Crowley writes, "Its perusal may be omitted with advantage." Is that Crowley humor, or is there really something to it?
Thoughts?