Why was I ever afraid of this deck?

Carla

When I first started with the tarot (two years now, nearly--I'm still a newbie, but I feel I'm making good strides), I was frankly freaked out by this deck. I didn't get it and didn't want to get it. The artwork creeped me out. All those esoteric symbols. Goats. Horns. Twistedy folk. Drippy looking things. Aleicester Crowley? He liked to draw a cock in his signature! Wait, he put one on the Devil Card! EEEWW! I went and bought Universal Waite and Rabbit Tarot. Forget Mr. Freaky!

So today, when I opened the deck, I was prepared to dislike it. But guess what. The colours are beautiful. The art is amazing. After all the time I've spent looking at RWS, and even TdM, I can see what's going on in the majors, I think. It's like the majors refracted through prisms. I am looking forward to working with the deck. It feels nice in the hand. The cards are just the right size, the card stock shuffles beautifully. The thing stinks to high heaven, though. You'd have thought it was a Meuller deck, I had to keep checking the box to see that it's US Games.

Anyway. I'll post my first reading and see what you all think. :)
 

nicky

enjoy the ride :)
 

Carla

Thanks, Nicky! Hopefully studying the real thing will help me with Haindl, Vision Quest and my few other Thoth-ish decks.
 

Barleywine

Thanks, Nicky! Hopefully studying the real thing will help me with Haindl, Vision Quest and my few other Thoth-ish decks.

Interestingly, I'm just starting to explore other "Thoth-ish" decks after using the real thing for almost 40 years. The Haindl is quite nice and I'm zeroing in on a few others. But the Thoth is not likely to be dethroned.
 

Chiska

Every time I take out one of my Thoth decks, I wonder why I have any others!

Good on you for putting aside your aversion and taking the first step. It is a beautiful deck, full of wondrous things to explore. Each time you look at a card, you will discover something new.

I was never "afraid" of it - had no notions about it at all really. I didn't realize there were issues with it until the early 90s when I was going to buy one and had an extra deck of a friend's to "try out." My (now) ex went ballistic!! He nearly broke my arm and life was pretty crappy for a while.

Now I have 6 Thoth decks.
 

Hathor

Wow, I feel the same exact way as Chiska ! I have tons of decks, but this one, well, it truly is a most beautiful, wonderful deck. Period.

Congratulations Carla ! You won't be disappointed.

Hathor
 

ravenest

Anyway. I'll post my first reading and see what you all think. :)

Cool! Someone's first ever Thoth reading. Considering what you said and how you feel about the deck now (which is how I felt when I first sighted one ALL those years ago) it should be interesting.

I have no idea now what my first reading was.
 

Aeon418

He liked to draw a cock in his signature!
Stick with the Thoth and you will get used to Crowley's humour. You may even come to like it. })
Wait, he put one on the Devil Card! EEEWW!
Oh how horrible!

But wait! It gets worse! :bugeyed:

There's a big gaping vagina on the Universe card. And if that wasn't bad enough there's another one on the Ace of Disks........ and there's a cock in it! EEEWW!

Welcome to the world of Thoth. :laugh:
 

Storm82

enjoy the deck :)

(it will stop stinking :D if you like to stop stinking sooner - leave it out of the box)
 

Barleywine

Stick with the Thoth and you will get used to Crowley's humour. You may even come to like it. })

Oh how horrible!

But wait! It gets worse! :bugeyed:

There's a big gaping vagina on the Universe card. And if that wasn't bad enough there's another one on the Ace of Disks........ and there's a cock in it! EEEWW!

Welcome to the world of Thoth. :laugh:

As Le Fanu pointed out in another thread, it might be a good time to do a little biographical reading on Mr. Crowley to see what he was up to. The sensationalism he evoked wasn't ALL intentional ;)