I think the Thoth is calling me... but why?

I'm a bit puzzled. For years now I've been more or less certain that the Thoth would be too much for me. I like the artwork for art's sake, but all that esoterica seems *way* over my head. I can't stand the RWS really, and in the past few months I've been happily reading almost exclusively with Marseille decks.

And yet - the Thoth. It's like an itch. There's a copy of it that sits just so in my hand at a shop I frequent. Every time I go in I pick it up and put it down. It's been sitting there for weeks. The same thing happened with my first reading deck. It just sat there, beckoning.

But why? Kabbalah especially is waaay over my head. Astrology and elements I'm okay with, not brilliant, but okay. More or less I read intuitively which is why I like the blank slate of TdMs so much.

So why is the Thoth attracting me so much?

Dawn

Maybe you feel you need a challenge. Instead of saying "I'm no good" at something, give it a try. Worst case scenario, you have a new, pretty deck.

closrapexa said:

Maybe you feel you need a challenge. Instead of saying "I'm no good" at something, give it a try. Worst case scenario, you have a new, pretty deck.

Click to expand...

You know what? You're right.

I now have the deck, and weirdly, there's no LWB. Perhaps a sign not to worry about it?

Dawn

Really? None? What edition did you buy? Is it new or used?

closrapexa said:

Really? None? What edition did you buy? Is it new or used?

Click to expand...

AGM in a blue box. The box and cards were sealed. I thought it was odd too.

Dawn

Both of my Thoth decks (USG printed in Belgium) have "with instruction booklet" printed on the box. It's actually much more informative than the average LWB.

Mine doesn't have 'with instruction booklet' printed on the box. Interesting.

Maybe call into the shop and see if they have a copy in another Thoth, it should have come with one and as LRichard said, its a lot more informative than LWB 's usually are and it's well worth the read.

Here are Harris's notes for the gallery exhibition, included in the LWB and the main reason it surpasses other LWBs. The LWB also has the standard divinatory section, but it is just that, standard, and not something I remember clearly (I lost my own LWB sometime, don't remember when or where).

http://www.100thmonkeypress.com/biblio/acrowley/books/thoth_catalog_1/thoth_catalog_1.htm

For more in-depth information, there are many other books on a variety of topics relating to the deck. Opinions vary, but I found DuQuette's book to be very good. I don't consult it as often as I once did, having moved on to other Thoth-sources, but it is still a great reference book. Other books concentrate more on the reading aspect of the deck, rather than what I see as the "spiritual journey" aspect, but it is up to you. Still other books are just terrible, so it would be good to ask or search the forums before buying. Even if you are a strictly intuitive reader, I still encourage you to read on the deck's symbolism, as it is both fascinating and opens up the deck dramatically.

to answer my own question...

Hell's bells. I feel like an idiot.

A few months ago I started working through 'Around the Tarot in 78 Days'. I took a pause halfway through because what I was experiencing through doing the 'gated spreads' was really quite intense and profound, and I wanted to take a breather.

I started with it again a couple of days ago and today's lesson was on the Knight of Cups. And part of the lesson was an extract from the Book of Thoth. Crowley has only been mentioned in passing up until this point, so I was amazed it would appear on this very day I bought the Thoth deck.

Not only that, but the entire premise of the book is that one works up the Tree of Life. *headdesk* So it would seem Kabbalah isn't so beyond me as I thought... Indeed, through this book I'm experiencing it...

Really rather excited now.
Dawn