Differences between Thoth and RWS decks?

Urgh, a total aside, but what is it with all the competitiveness? Either tarot is a means to further learning or spiritual growth, or it's to be used in service of others. I just don't see where the whole "I'm better at it than you are" bit comes in. That dude sounds like a right pain in the a, nisaba!

herself said:

Urgh, a total aside, but what is it with all the competitiveness? Either tarot is a means to further learning or spiritual growth, or it's to be used in service of others. I just don't see where the whole "I'm better at it than you are" bit comes in. That dude sounds like a right pain in the a, nisaba!

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It's probably his way of coping with a poor self image. It's a PITA, but also it's kind of pathetic.

I have both. I use both. I love both.

I mostly use the RWS based decks, but sometimes if I'm in a darker mood, I'll reach for the Thoth.

But then, even some RWS type decks are pretty dark as well.

I'm very drawn to the Thoth, but a lot of people find it intimidating. I will say, the Thoth is not a deck for the faint of heart. It will mess with you. It will try to scare you. It will refuse to give you readings that make any kind of sense until you threaten to ship it back out the door if it doesn't start behaving itself.

What? It doesn't do that to everybody?

Asbestos Mango said:

... but a lot of people find it intimidating. I will say, the Thoth is not a deck for the faint of heart. It will mess with you.

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It will?

It will try to scare you.

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<scared> IT WILL?

It will refuse to give you readings that make any kind of sense until you threaten to ship it back out the door if it doesn't start behaving itself.

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I must have been treating mine all wrong. Mine is far creepier than that - it lies in its box until I pull it out, shuffle it, and lay out some cards. Then it makes sense. What is it trying to do to me? Argh! <pulls out hair>

Mine tries to seduce my other decks...

(I have several thoths of one type or another and only one has Manners...)

I've just started reading with the Thoth. It never used to interest me before, but suddenly it called to me; Shouted, actually!

I put it on my Amazon wishlist, and within a week it turned up at my local used book store (hadn't been there the last time I was in)....
Like it was meant to be!

I agree with the more experienced readers on this forum who say that you can read the Thoth intuitively, right out of the box. BUT your readings will probably be much deeper and more informative if you're familiar with either/all the systems of: Kabbala, Astrology, Numerology & elemental dignities. This is true with any deck, nor just Thoth, but with Thoth the references to other systems are much more in your face.

People say that Thoth is a dark deck, but I feel it is just really honest and perceptive.
To some, this probably IS the scary thing about it!

I see Thoth as a deck for intense, honest self-examinations, but I can also see it being brutally direct when Querents are in denial, or keep asking the same question over and over.
In fact, I think I've just found a secret weapon for those times:
"Oh, you want to ask about you ex boyfriend AGAIN?!?!? Well, Ive got just the deck here, it is called the Thoth...muahahahaha!"

In Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia there was once a shop called Gypsy John's. I was in there one day, when I was in my early twenties, looking at the Thoth deck & book when a guy who had been talking to Gypsy John made the comment, "Crowley's a hard master." Well, I thought, he's not going to be my master. I want to be my own master. After many years with the book and deck, which I didn't buy there, I can see where he was coming from but I see them not just as cards for readings and a book to explain the cards but as tools for self-discovery and self-improvement. (I won't say self-mastery because I haven't achieved that).

As was said before it doesn't matter what tools you have to hand. Use them for their fit purpose. All people are teachers and all experiences are teachers.

<grin> I went to a magical art exhibition yesterday, and there were a few of Uncle Al's paintings in the exhibit.

There were also three - er - chemically enhanced wannabe Thelemites (if they would recognise the word) wandering around talking as coherently as their intoxication would let them - which wasn't very.

One of them asked me if I knew Crowley had done a Tarot deck and if I knew anyone who had seen it. <cackle>

nisaba said:

<grin> I went to a magical art exhibition yesterday, and there were a few of Uncle Al's paintings in the exhibit.

There were also three - er - chemically enhanced wannabe Thelemites (if they would recognise the word) wandering around talking as coherently as their intoxication would let them - which wasn't very.

One of them asked me if I knew Crowley had done a Tarot deck and if I knew anyone who had seen it. <cackle>

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I love it. ROFLMAO. Did you string them along? And they say youth is wasted on the young. Who wouldv'e thought?

This thread just made me ordered a Thoth deck!