Hard Sell
Hey Bodhran,
I'll jump in on the pro-side. A couple things to think about:
I'm a HUGE fan of this deck, but well aware that the (self-created) unsettling aura around Crowley puts many people off this deck from the get-go. Which was exactly his intention, natch.
Crowley's life was something like the Sufi "Way of Blame" which seeks to disguise its good works in a veneer of offense. As the Devil says in Goethe's Faust:
"I am that force in the Universe forever striving towards Evil, forever accomplishing Good." That said, Mr. Crowley is an
extremely important, intelligent figure in the History of Western Magic. Like the Waite/Smith deck, the Thoth is something that was built with sweat, blood, and lightning over a period of years. No namby-pamby cobbled together artdeck here. Even if you don't agree with Crowley's thought or Harris' images, in the process of
disagreeing with them you will learn a colossal amount about practically every thread of the Western esoteric traditions (and a sprinkle of East as well
). The
Book of Thoth is 5000 times more readable, informative and engaging than the purposefully murky ramblings of Waite's
Key to the Tarot. So I'd say buy it for the educational value and the richness of the study opportunity.
The Thoth is also one of the most detailed decks in terms of attributions and structure. It can take weeks to tease all of the meaning out of a single card. The unbelievable devotion, energy, and scholarship that went into crafting its structure are matched only by the rich beautiful paintings by adept Frieda Harris. You could buy the deck to deepen your appreciation both of the artwork (which can seem challenging at first glance, like the Marseille, frankly
) and the years of elaborate interconnected magick-work that made Crowley so certain he knew how to (re)create a Tarot for the new Aeon. It's a terrific entry point for examination of astrology, mythology, alchemy, ceremonial magic, angels, Gematria, and
especially Qabalah (which deserves a paragraph of its own).
Want to deepen your knowledge of Qabala? The Minors of this deck are one of the most robust ways to experience the Qabala as a narrative
in process. If you've ever been curious about the actual source of the meanings people bandy about, the Thoth represents an opportunity to take hold of the tradition in a vigorous way that's less-openly afforded by the RWS. Want to do some Tree of Life climbing? As wonderful as this deck is for divination, it's designed almost entirely as a meditative and magical tool to assist/challenge the seeker of Gnosis. Even if you don't
believe in the association between Qabala and Tarot, 90% of the deck creators in the world do, so you'd be adding to your practical store of knowledge about differing systems.
You can also buy it because it's cheap! The Thoth deck is so popular and such a classic that different editions are available online for a tenth of their initial price. You can often find copies on eBay for $3. So if you're at all curious, it's extremely easy to satisfy that curiosity. In fact there are other decks inspired by the Thoth that are equally available for LOW-LOW-LOW prices, so if Lady Harris' paintings are too intense/weird, there are options. !!!
But
wait there's
MORE!!
If you're a deck creator, you should purchase the Thoth because the copious correspondence between Crowly and Harris discussing the creation and revisions of the images is both substantial and
available. Unlike almost any deck created before 1970, the Thoth can offer a concrete record of its development to anyone curious enough to seek. The letters between these two wacky talents detail the nuts-and-bolts process that resulted in the deck and the challenges/triumphs of the process. Thrilling and hilarious.
Also, like it or not, it IS the other critically important deck of the 20th century, so by studying it you are opening up a whole other subset of decks that eschew other traditions. Without the Thoth there would be no Haindl, no Gill, no Via, no Liber T, no Cosmic Tribe, no Quest, etc etc. So buy it in the spirit of opening new worlds to conquer. Crowley had a keen, ferocious sense of his place in the History of Magic, so even when he heads off in a strange unexpected tangent, it's for reasons that bear examination. Knowledge of these Thothesque decks only deepen and enrich your grasp on the more "familiar" decks in your collection... refracting in surprising and illuminating ways.
I could go on, but I may be beating the proverbial deceased equine. I thought someone should get a little specific. The Great Beast and I share a birthday }
{ so I sometimes feel like I have a duty to point seekers in a direction on Uncle Al's behalf.
Hope this helps.
Scion
