Question on Banzhaf's Thoth Books in English

EmpyreanKnight

rwcarter said:
I have to back off a little on this. The Lovers card is discussed over 5 pages in the Crowley Tarot. I have neither the time nor the inclination to transcribe 5 pages (@2 columns per page) of text.

Both books provide interpretations under the categories of General, Consciousness, Profession and Relationships/Partnership (called Relationship in Crowley, Partnership in Keywords). Crowley gives multi-sentence paragraphs for the interpretations, while Keywords lives up to its name and gives keywords. Profession and Relationship together are shorter than the General interpretation, so I'll compare those for you.

Both books discuss some of the same symbols, while each book also discusses symbols that the other doesn't.

HTH,
Rodney

Wow Rodney. When you said you would just put up comparative sections of both books, I thought you had electronic copies of both, so you'd just copy-paste them. I never thought you were considering transcribing them. You are just too kind, and I mean really. I'm just happy that you didn't do that or I'd feel like a schmuck.

But reading your excerpts, yeah I guess to be thorough, it's over-all better to just buy both books. Reading through various comments here and in other threads and sites, it seems that Keywords is not simply an abridged version of the other, never mind the common author, but a separate book in its own right. I guess I was just splitting hairs because I kinda promised to curb my expenses on Tarot and related stuff, so I'd cut back as much as I can. But what the heck, $20 isn't going to send me to the poorhouse, and this is the last time I'm indulging myself for a long time (fingers crossed). So yeah I'd just get both. Thanks a lot!

rwcarter

EmpyreanKnight said:
Wow Rodney. When you said you would just put up comparative sections of both books, I thought you had electronic copies of both, so you'd just copy-paste them. I never thought you were considering transcribing them. You are just too kind, and I mean really. I'm just happy that you didn't do that or I'd feel like a schmuck.

Nah, I'm old (school) - I like physical books, not electronic ones. There's nothing like having 3 or 4 books out at the same time, cross-referencing and checking or culling info from all of them at the same time. I don't think you can do that with those new-fangled electronic thingamagigees. (I work in IT, but freely admit to being a Luddite.)

EmpyreanKnight said:
I guess I was just splitting hairs because I kinda promised to curb my expenses on Tarot and related stuff, so I'd cut back as much as I can. But what the heck, $20 isn't going to send me to the poorhouse, and this is the last time I'm indulging myself for a long time (fingers crossed). So yeah I'd just get both. Thanks a lot!

You're quite welcome. To repay me, promise me that when you indulge yourself again (I can bet, a lot sooner than you'd like), you'll cut yourself some slack, OK? :laugh:

Rodney

EmpyreanKnight

rwcarter said:
Nah, I'm old (school) - I like physical books, not electronic ones. There's nothing like having 3 or 4 books out at the same time, cross-referencing and checking or culling info from all of them at the same time. I don't think you can do that with those new-fangled electronic thingamagigees. (I work in IT, but freely admit to being a Luddite.)

I did not know that we had a lot in common, Rodney. I work in IT myself, but specifically in development and project management (glances at the dreaded PMBOK in undisguised horror). And like you, being a bibliophile, I would never trade the sensual feel of physical books over e-books. But I must say, having an oversized phablet with luminescent technologies that very closely simulates the look of paper is pretty enticing. I admit to having succumbed to that, but not fully.

rwcarter said:
You're quite welcome. To repay me, promise me that when you indulge yourself again (I can bet, a lot sooner than you'd like), you'll cut yourself some slack, OK?

Rodney

I'd have to say your bet is pretty safe. Yeah, I won't be so hard on myself now. Been a pretty good boy for almost half a year, I deserve a reward, right? But yeah, thanks so much for helping with the Banzhaf books, Rodney.

Barleywine

rwcarter said:
Nah, I'm old (school) - I like physical books, not electronic ones. There's nothing like having 3 or 4 books out at the same time, cross-referencing and checking or culling info from all of them at the same time. I don't think you can do that with those new-fangled electronic thingamagigees. (I work in IT, but freely admit to being a Luddite.)

Likewise, but some of my physical books meet the definition of "loose-leaf" now, rather than bound volumes; if I drop them, I have half-an-hour's work getting the pages back in order

Maybe some of you IT wizards can clear something up for me. Some programs (I think they might have been word processors) used to have the ability to view documents in side-by-side panes, which would make it much more convenient to compare the content of e-books rather than having to flip between windows. But I don't see a way to do that in pdf form under Windows 7. Sure would be nice for comparing the two Banzhaf books, assuming you can get them as e-books.

Other than being able to view text in HUGE font sizes to compensate for aging eyes, the main value I've found in electronic media for tarot is the wonderfully clear and vivid images of the cards that many apps provide.

EmpyreanKnight

Barleywine said:
Maybe some of you IT wizards can clear something up for me. Some programs (I think they might have been word processors) used to have the ability to view documents in side-by-side panes, which would make it much more convenient to compare the content of e-books rather than having to flip between windows. But I don't see a way to do that in pdf form under Windows 7. Sure would be nice for comparing the two Banzhaf books, assuming you can get them as e-books.

Hi Barleywine! Ebooks come in many file types aside from pdfs, but since those are the focus of your question, it shan't be too hard. You definitely may be able to view two pdf documents under a Windows 7 personal computer or laptop at the side by side at the same time. These instructions work for Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is the usual pdf reader used in most devices. It is very easy and safe to download and install if you do not have it yet. With that:

1. Open Ebook 1.pdf and make sure it is not in the Maximized state. You may toggle between the Maximized and Un-Maximized states by clicking the square/s button next to the close (X) button at the right-uppermost side of the document.

2. Once it is Un-Maximized (i.e. it does not fill the screen), drag the whole document via the title bar (the topmost bar of the document with the title - in this case 'Ebook 1.pdf' - written in it) so that its left side sits firmly on the left half of the screen.

3. You may then resize it by dragging its borders to fill approximately half the screen. By this time, Ebook 1.pdf should look like half the document size it was, filling the left half of the screen while the right side remains empty. We will fill the right side with Ebook 2

4. Open Ebook 2.pdf and follow the same routine as with Ebook 1.pdf by resizing it and dragging it to the right half of the screen.

5. Adjust both ebook sizes and positions until you're very comfy. Make sure that the scroll bars of both documents are visible though for easy access.

6. Once you have mastered this you may actually prefer to have the partition between the upper and the lower half so that the font size would not be sacrificed. Just follow the same logic.

In this way, both ebooks are simultaneously open at different sides of the same screen. Note that the scroll bars of both are not uni-controlled - you can scroll to page 40 in Ebook 1 while you go to page 264 for Ebook 2. You may then compare different parts of the two books at the same time.

There might be better ways to do this, but this is the simplest one I can find. Hope it proves useful to you.

EmpyreanKnight

Almost one year on and I can say that The Crowley Tarot has been a huge help in my Thoth journey. Absolutely worth every penny, and I highly recommend it.

Just this week, I was also very lucky to snag a new copy of the Keywords book on eBay for $4. I can't wait to devour it when that (sorta) steak hits my plate. Thanks everyone!