I have seen this question many times over time in the forum, and I thought I'd write a little something here...
Many people say study of the Thoth takes time, resources, and long study. They say it is complicated, non user-friendly, and that study of all that goes into it is a mind-boggling procedure. Well, everyone who has ever said that is 100% correct. However, I think that, at least for the purpose of discussion, it is important to understand what that really means.
Study of the Thoth does take time and a certain level of commitment, but that is exactly what the deck was planned for. Crowley abhorred the thought that the deck would be sold without the book, as it would then be used for what he called "fortune telling," which was not his aim when creating it. The Thoth was made as a kind of spiritual journey and, as such, cannot be learned and then discarded, nor is there a quick and easy way to learn it. In my opinion, there shouldn't be.
When studying Kabbalah I don't always understand everything, and I haven't gotten around to astrology at all yet, but I'm in no hurry. In the short time I have studied the Thoth and its related disciplines, I feel it has contributed immensely to my life and my understanding of the spiritual world we live in. That indeed, is the true study of the Thoth, and the only thing it demands... is that you want to share in the knowledge that it has to impart. Not by learning to use it, but the study itself is part of using it, perhaps the most important part.
The Thoth
can be read intuitively, I did so myself for many years, and still do. However, if by "intuitive" one means discarding all that has been written about it, in a sense one is cheating oneself of 98% of what the deck is and what it has to offer. On the other hand, "intuition" can also mean absorbing the studies of the Thoth and the spiritual world it describes and then incorporating that knowledge into the readings, then it is a wonderful experience.
People have stated on this thread that Kabbalah is difficult, and The Book of Thoth incomprehensible. Well, they are, but so what? I can't make heads or tails of Kabbalah yet, but the little I have learned is fascinating, and has already helped me with understanding of the deck, and really, life in general. I don't think one should learn (at least the basics) of it to get though it and get it over with, but to take your time with it, and take all that you can from it. The same thing with the Book of Thoth... I understood little the first time I read it, but now I read perhaps a sentence a day, sometimes a paragraph, and I do learn something new each time, my eyes are opened and inspired every time I open it.
This is how I see the Thoth. It is not easy, it does not spoonfeed you, and, really, your destination with it is very irrelevant. The journey is the main thing, perhaps the only thing, that is important with this deck, more than any other. It also goes to how people see Tarot in general. I don't like the view that Tarot is just a way to answer questions, or even meditation and divination, but to make us all better people with heightened awareness. In a sense, the reading itself is just a small part of using the cards; the most important aspect is the behind the scenes work that goes into it. If you are an intuitive reader, then it is the hours on which you reflect upon the cards and make them mean something to you; if otherwise, then it is the study of the profound occult and philosophical ideas that go into Tarot. Not that the Thoth asks you to stop feeling, it is actually a very important part of it, but that you develop your feeling with knowledge and wisdom.
Remember Moses and Jesus in the desert, Muhammad in his cave, Elijah in the time of the famine... spirituality takes time and effort, and seldom do the great mysteries come to those who take the quick and easy path. Thankfully we have the Thoth as a map, but it does not mean the journey itself is less arduous or takes less time. I won't go into a rant about modern society and New Age, but it is a relatively new invention, that knowing nothing = knowing everything.
After all that, the best way to deal with the Thoth is through "effortless effort," and endless patience, both of which the Thoth teaches, if you really want to learn.
