Recommended Reading?

I've been using the Thoth deck for a couple of years now (my first and favorite deck) but I feel like it's so complex that I don't understand it as well as I could, especially since most things I've read on tarot are based on RWS, a deck I don't even own or use. I bought The Book of Thoth a while ago and found it to be illuminating, but I also feel that since I'm not familiar with a lot of the Kabbalistic symbolism and such that I'm really missing out on some of the things Crowley writes about--also, he's not exactly easy reading (not that I can't handle that).

So, I know there are a few different books about this deck that are written more for the average reader. I want to find a good book that will give me a better picture of Crowley's vision but which explains things in a way that doesn't depend on a lot of background knowledge that Crowley's writing just assumes the reader will be familar with. Are there any books like this? What different books on the Thoth Tarot can people recommend, and why? If anyone can help me out with this, I'd be really grateful.

Your best bet would be to take a look at Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo DuQuette.

Lon wrote it specifically to fill in those gaps in background knowledge that you mentioned.

I second that - an interesting read, even though DuQuette insists on apologising for Crowley which I find slightly annoying. I have to say that, much like DuQuette himself says, the best read is still Crowley's BOT. I actually find that only by re-reading the book several times over do I really get a handle on what Crowley is saying. Plus, as my own understanding of alchemy, qabalah etc grows, so does the BOT grow in value with every read. I used to read Crowley's essays on the various cards and think, "okay, that's all well and good, but what are you TALKING about man?". Then, bit by bit it starts to make sense.

Maybe that's not the answer you were looking for but...

Worth reading the book of the law if you haven't already. DuQuette gives a useful synopsis but straight from the horse's mouth is better.

Beyond that, any good book on Qabalah will aid your understanding: Regardie's Garden of Pomegranates is supposed to be a classic (but I still haven't got round to reading it tbh). Dion Fortune's Mystical Qabalah is a fantastic read.

Beyond that, any good book on Qabalah will aid your understanding

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Most definitely !

I second spiral's recommendation of Dion Fortune's Mystical Qabalah. It's an excellent introduction to Qabalah. It does have one draw back though, it only examines the Sephiroth on the Tree of Life and not the paths.

Two more modern introductions to Qabalah are:

The Chicken Qabalah by Lon Milo DuQuette. (again !) If you don't understand the basics of Qabalah after reading this you never will. It's very, very good and humorous at the same time.

Qabalah: A Magical Primer by John Bonner. Another good introduction to Qabalah. The added bonus with this one is that is uses the Thelemic/Crowley hebrew letter attributions instead of the Golden Dawn ones used in most other books.

I also recomend Lons book and HIGHLY recomend The Mystical Qabalah.
An easier read that covers the sephiroth,the paths, and the tarot is Gareth Knight's " A Practical Guide To Qabalistic Symbolism.

I also got a lot from Duquette's book The Chicken Qabalah.

The Thoth is a complex deck because Crowley's was a complex mind and Lady Harris's art one of complex imagery. You cannot fully understand what Crowley intended by reading works that reduce his vision to the level of the "average reader." Say what you want about him, but Crowley was not "average". You actually do have to learn about all those things Crowley knew in order to understand and appreciate his Tarot, just as you have to know many different things about the world of Renaissance Italy in order to understand and appreciate the Sistine Chapel. The Thoth deck was not intended for the "average reader" any more than quantum mechanics was intended for the average plumber.

If you want to learn more about the relationship between the Qabalah and Tarot get a copy of Robert Wang's The Qabalistic Tarot from http://www.marcusaureliuspress.com/ for an excellent and detailed overview, and continue to study - study - Crowley's book. He's not an easy read because he's not writing for "average readers," he's writing for the handful who will have the energy and motivation to do the kind of work he did in order to write his book. If you're not willing to do that - and there's no shame in that - then just forget about it. There's no reason to put a lot of energy into studying something that doesn't interest you. But reading popularizers who've done all the research and then reduced it to a Dick & Jane primer for a quick buck is a waste of both your time and your money.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I've seen "Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot" before but didn't know if it was worth reading or not. I'll definitely look into some of the suggested books on qabalistic symbolism, because it's something I've been interested in anyway.

And to fyreflye, I do want to continue to study Crowley and to understand all the stuff he's writing about. The problem is I have no idea where to begin studying all the different systems he draws on (I mean, between the Qabalah and astrology and the I Ching and alchemy, I only have so much time/money/patience to spend trying to figure it all out. One thing at a time, right?), and his book is only of limited usefulness to me without all the background knowledge he assumes a reader should have. I doubt I'll ever understand all the deck in all its complexity, but I'd like to see if I can't get a little more insight from those with the knowledge and understanding to make some of it a bit more accessible. I certainly don't want a "Dick and Jane primer"--I can't stand it when authors reduce everything to meaningless fluff, trying to accomodate beginners. It is a waste of time and money, like you said, so that's why I'm trying to look at others' opinions of different books so I don't end up buying something that's basically useless.

Have to agree with FyreFlye re: work. One of the things that is frustrating from a beginner's standpoint is that when Crowley talks about a particular card, he paints a very detailed picture drawing on all of these elements you mention above and more, and you're expected to have a high level of understanding of each. Studying Thoth has lead me to studying all of these other disciplines and to understanding how they are interrelated, and _that_ is the real jewel, I think.

I mean, between the Qabalah and astrology and the I Ching and alchemy, I only have so much time/money/patience to spend trying to figure it all out. One thing at a time, right?

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This sums up the way I feel about life! SO much to learn; so many avenues to explore... Studying Thoth is like picking at threads. One minute you're reading BOT; then you're skipping into Astrology; back to BOT; into Homer's classics; off into Qabalah. It's a constant, dizzying whirlwind of inspiration and assimilation... and I have to say that I'm quite addicted! Hats off to Mr. Crowley.

Reading the Book of Thoth

Okay, I am a Crowley beginner, despite having had his fabulous deck for many years. Have just started reading his Book of Thoth and can only seem to understand about every tenth word - if I'm lucky Is there a clearer route to tackling this infinite subject, or am I trying to run before I can walk? I am relatively brave when tackling big subjects but feel like I'm floating on a wide, wide ocean looking for land. Help!

Fury xxx