Gerd Ziegler's Tarot: Mirror of the Soul

Rose said:

Just like the book "78 Degrees of Wisdom" doesn't cover everything about the Waite deck, Akron & Banzhof's book doesn't cover the Thoth deck as completely as the "Book of Thoth." I think both those books were designed to get people started.

Click to expand...

Forgive me Rose, for I am going to disagree with you again... but that is what makes discussions interesting, right?

I disagree with the equivalence made between 78DW and Akron Banzhof. 78 Degrees of Wisdom is a very deep book. There was a need and place for this book. I think RP has really mined the deck very deeply for all the nuggets of gold she could find, not that there won't always be more. I don't think this is just a book to "get people started", although I if I am wrong, I would really be delighted, because I would love to read something even deeper.

ON the other hand, in case you haven't noticed (joke) the Akron/Banzhoff book pisses me off...much the same way secondary manuals and courses on "Windows" irritate me -- I just don't see what they add.

Thanks for this discussion. I am a newcomer to the Thoth and chose the Ziegler over Thoth's own book because it seemed less dark. I have noticed the optimistic Ziegler interpretations but was happy to go along with them for a while.

I think I might have to get the Thoth book itself. I found a website which has good inormation (and the Thoth book). I think it is called "Atu".

Moongold

Wouldn't you consider the Ziegler book a guide to inner work using the Thoth, rather than a guide to the Thoth itself?

Here again is the link to the site with the entire book of Thoth:

http://www.angelfire.com/celeb/Crowley/thoth/mainnav.html

I love the comments from everyone about the importance of the Book of Thoth, but I'm not sure I agree that Crowley's book is the very last word on interpreting the deck (even if he is the author). Why not? I think the comparable metaphor is that between abstract mathematics (theory) and applied mathematics (engineering). Just because the abstract mathematician may eventually be able to derive all the rules of engineering from his/her own work, does that mean that engineering, the work of applying their theories, is any less important? Certainly Crowley's Book of Thoth gives us nearly every bit of symbolism, every metaphysical theory he intended to cram into the deck. Basically, it is a complete work of abstract philosophy, a fine theoretical statement of every thing that went into the machine.

But is that to say that there's no room for books discussing how to apply the symbolism, the theory in the real world? To say no would be like saying that because one knows how the car was built, then there's no need for driver's ed. And I wouldn't want to share the road with that driver! How about you?

That is true Cascade Jon, I would even venture to say there is almost nothing in the Book of Thoth on actually using the Thoth Deck for engineering, or for using the deck as a car.

Heh, wise ass

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAH

I've only been using the Thoth for a few weeks but noticed almost right away that none of my Rider Waite inspired books was right for this deck. I tried to read parts of The Book of Thoth online before deciding whether to buy it, I think to be honest its a little deep for me at the moment lol, - The books that I have, when used together, give me good insight into what this deck is about.
I wouldn't, however, be able to point at one book and say that it is the best - I have Mirror of the Soul, Keywords, The Crowley Tarot handbook and the Handbook by Angeles Arrien. I like all of these books for different reasons and they are all helping me get the feel of the Thoth deck.
I sometimes wonder why the Thoth deck wasn't published in Crowley's lifetime, Why didn't he publish it? Or was it just supposed to stay between the covers of The Book of Thoth?

If memory serves, there were a great many funding difficulties associated with the Thoth deck and, after many years of wrangling, it was finally published in 1944. Crowley died in 1947. I wonder what he would have thought about the current popularity of the deck.

In addition to the works that have been mentioned here, there is also a book about the Thoth -- unhappily (in my view) entitled New Age Tarot -- by James Wanless.

Ahh so the deck was published in his lifetime, I thought I'd read that it was published after. At least he did see it as a deck then - I too wonder what he would think of its popularity now lol