A question about Liber T Tarot

[Emily]

I have now had a thorough look at all of the Thoth variants that appealed to me at all. Out of them all there isn't one that I find to be all that I want. The one I have, if it had deeper tones would be perfect. But now I am thinking that I may want to try the Liber T. At least it has bright coloring. That for me is a large factor.

The Liber T isn't such a hard deck to get into and, for the most part, can be used with Thoth books so you'll never be left struggling. In every deck you'll find cards that don't appeal but the artwork on the Liber T isn't really that bad. I love the kind of readings it gives, it's a nice honest deck to work with.

 

[Stark Raven]

The Liber T isn't such a hard deck to get into and, for the most part, can be used with Thoth books so you'll never be left struggling. In every deck you'll find cards that don't appeal but the artwork on the Liber T isn't really that bad. I love the kind of readings it gives, it's a nice honest deck to work with.

The main thing I don't like about it is the blankness I get from some images. But sometimes that's just an impression you get while looking at a deck online. Maybe that won't be the case in my hands.

 

[Emily]

The main thing I don't like about it is the blankness I get from some images. But sometimes that's just an impression you get while looking at a deck online. Maybe that won't be the case in my hands.

I cheated a bit when I got my first Liber T, I got a black sharpie and wrote both the Liber T and Thoth keywords at the bottom of the card. I've always used the keywords as a stepping stone for the basic meanings of the cards but it doesn't take long for the smaller images on the Minors to get working, and they get you seeing other meanings too, sometimes the deck can be very literal and to the point. Also I am still learning about the Decans, Scion's PDF is an amazing read - if you don't have it, it might be worth a look. The Major and Courts are very Thoth-like so I do read Thoth books and I keep a copy of the Thoth LWB in the Liber T's deck case.

If you do decide to get the deck, go through it and take the cards out that you blank with. Read what the card is supposed to mean and then look at the artwork, what do you see, what impressions do you get.

 

[devilkitty]

It seems to refer an act at Crowley's abbey of Thelema in Cefalu, Sicily. The figure on the left is reminiscent of Crowley & the figures on the right...

See also Apuleius' The Golden Ass, chapter 46 in particular. I suspect this to be the source (or at least the inspiration) for the image of the decan in the Picatrix.

 

[Stark Raven]

If you do decide to get the deck, go through it and take the cards out that you blank with. Read what the card is supposed to mean and then look at the artwork, what do you see, what impressions do you get.

I will do as you suggest here. That's a great idea. Those cards would likely never yield blankness again after true study.

See also Apuleius' The Golden Ass, chapter 46 in particular. I suspect this to be the source (or at least the inspiration) for the image of the decan in the Picatrix.

Thanks for this. Appreciated.

 

[Wooden Nickel]

a Pic from Picatrix

Great thread! So much information here. I thought I'd contribute a medieval version of the image in question (10 of Cups: the woman & donkey encounter) from a manuscript of Picatrix. It's a large, clear image, quite SFW, that goes back to the Middle Ages, and Picatrix was apparently the Golden Dawn's source for decan emblems. What surprises me is how dewy-eyed and innocent both parties look!



I found this in Pingree's Latin edition of Picatrix, which is freely available on-line. The plates in the last 15 pages, reproducing planet and decan images from various manuscripts, are well worth looking at.

 

[Parzival]

Liber T

The medieval image is certainly more subtle, conversation earlier in contrast to copulation later. But the whole thing can be seen symbolically rather than graphically-- being satiated wildly by the animal nature. Provocatively over the top, but symbolically apropos.

 

[Stark Raven]

The medieval image is certainly more subtle, conversation earlier in contrast to copulation later. But the whole thing can be seen symbolically rather than graphically-- being satiated wildly by the animal nature. Provocatively over the top, but symbolically apropos.

Yes, agreed... the mere representation is enough, we don't need it spelt out for us in a full scale and color representation of the graphic imagery, do we, lol...

 

[Emily]

Thanks for posting the pic, very interesting. I'm going to search out the version of the Picatrix you mention.

 

[Wooden Nickel]

The pdf of Picatrix is hosted by the library of the Warburg Institute, University of London.

Here it is:
http://catalogue.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/record=b2205454~S12