Where to start?

DaisyDragonfly

Is it possible to read either if you have no interest in Astrology?

Qabalah I like (though with reservations about what the point of it is. Wrong part of the forum to ask that, I guess!) and Gnosticism is something I'm familiar with. Is it better, in that case, to go with the Thoth?

Grigori

DaisyDragonfly said:
Is it possible to read either if you have no interest in Astrology?

Qabalah I like (though with reservations about what the point of it is. Wrong part of the forum to ask that, I guess!) and Gnosticism is something I'm familiar with. Is it better, in that case, to go with the Thoth?

Lots of folks read the decks without any knowledge of the astrology. Astrology is an important part of the structure of both decks, but you don't need to know about it to use the decks. Or, if you did want to learn a little, just a few keywords for each planet and sign would be a fine place to stop at perhaps.

It's hard to say which deck would be preferable if you want to ignore the astrology altogether though. The images on the Liber T minors are astrological images, but there is a lot more there to work with intuitively which may in fact make it easier for you. The Thoth by contrast has less astrological imagery, but without an understanding of what the planets and sign mean, it may need a higher amount of intuition to read well (for some folks at least).

I guess if you're trying to decide between the two, I'd look at some images of the minors online, and see if you could read them based on the image alone. Whichever is easier would be the deck for you

DaisyDragonfly

Thanks for this, Grigori

I have the Thoth and am getting something out of it, even if it's not what Crowley put into it! :laugh:

I think I'll work through the Book of Thoth and then see where I am... I'm tending towards studying the qabbalistic aspects at least. If I can get that, I might be okay...

I'll get the Liber T, though, just to have as a comparative deck.

Thanks again for the advice

It's very much appreciated.

Grigori said:
Lots of folks read the decks without any knowledge of the astrology. Astrology is an important part of the structure of both decks, but you don't need to know about it to use the decks. Or, if you did want to learn a little, just a few keywords for each planet and sign would be a fine place to stop at perhaps.

It's hard to say which deck would be preferable if you want to ignore the astrology altogether though. The images on the Liber T minors are astrological images, but there is a lot more there to work with intuitively which may in fact make it easier for you. The Thoth by contrast has less astrological imagery, but without an understanding of what the planets and sign mean, it may need a higher amount of intuition to read well (for some folks at least).

I guess if you're trying to decide between the two, I'd look at some images of the minors online, and see if you could read them based on the image alone. Whichever is easier would be the deck for you