I was so dissapointed with this deck- was anyone else?

archer1 said:

I made the same mistake some of you have and tried to read with them without a strong enough foundation of Kaballah. Use the deck one card at a time. .

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I disagree with this, archer. I read with the Thoth, and have for the past few years, and what I know of kabbala could fit on the head of a pin. The deck speaks to me nonetheless, and my readings are spot on when I read with the Thoth, according to my sitters. Your mileage, apparently, varies.

T.

afrosaxon said:

I disagree with this, archer. I read with the Thoth, and have for the past few years, and what I know of kabbala could fit on the head of a pin. The deck speaks to me nonetheless, and my readings are spot on when I read with the Thoth, according to my sitters. Your mileage, apparently, varies.

T.

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Yes indeed. I read with it using just the images and get very interesting readings. Don't limit it just because so much was deliberately put into it; that isn't fair to the deck. What was put in can come out in other ways.

Considering it took me YEARS to finally take the leap from RWS based decks to the Thoth, I must say, my initial impression is quite positive.

Since I already had decks like Navigators and Sun and Moon and Lo Scarabeo which are at least a bit Thoth influenced, and several decks where the pips are much less illustrated than this, its really not a leap at all.

I have a lovely keywords book that explains the symbolism very succintly too, which is great because it helps me connect with this system, which really is quite similar to RWS at heart, without overlong explanations which I dont need since Im already familiar with tarot and have other books for that...

The minors are quite brilliant in their symbols really showing the meaning even though not illustrated fully...the astrological correspondences in particular are brilliant.

and my first little reading with this deck was SO on point...

So no, I must say, I am not disappointed at all :0

Fascinating thread. How did I miss this one?

Of course I love the Thoth. It is quite a recent thing though as during my first stint with tarot years ago I quite simply overlooked this deck; too busy with the flavour of the month 80s decks like The Prediction. I saw the deck but it just looked too weird and futuristic to me.

But after having lived a little, and - admittedly - early difficulties getting to grips with it, struggling with certain concepts and having to study it like I was at school, it suddenly opened its doors to me.

I find the artwork quite dizzying and intoxicating. I don't actually find Frieda Harris a great artist, technically speaking but it doesn't matter as she conveys the intensity which is behind the deck. And that is what matters for me.

But I love it. It has been said again and again and it is so, so true; the Thoth will meet you at whatever level you are at. Learn a bit more and it will provide a bit more.

It is the only deck I never get tired of. I go off and play with other decks, enjoy other decks but the inner, intense me reaches a point when only the Thoth will do.

But for a newcomer it must be hard to make inroads into a deck which comes with so much baggage!

Grigori said:

For me this is one of the strengths of the Thoth. It is flexing the boundaries of where you're comfortable and changing you. It's not supposed to be natural, it's supposed to be super-natural

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I couldn't agree more! When I bought my first Thoth in ... um ... 1994? I did a reading with it - and broke up with my then-boyfriend immediately after 'cuz the cards told me so.

Best decision, ever : )