Can the Liber T be read just like the Thoth?

[Professor X]

The reason I am asking this is because I am currently unemployed so I dont have any money for a Thoth right now. But I DO have a Liber T deck. I know Crowley didnt create the Liber T but It is indeed set up to be basically a clone of the Thoth but in its own way.

The reason I am asking because I have held back on REALLY getting into the Liber T because I planned on getting a Thoth deck. I didnt want to concentrate on the Liber T but not be able to transfer what I learned to the Thoth. I would assume that since it is set up basically the same that whatever knowledge I learn about the cards I can roll over right into the Thoth and keep on progressing.

I did a reading with my Wang Golden Dawn deck concerning this issue where I drew 3 cards looking for information on the issue.

3 of Cups - Lord of Pleasure -Cardinal Water
7 of Swords- Lord of Unstable Effort -Fixed Air
The Empress-- Venus/Lucifer the light bringer. The cosmic womb waiting to
give birth.

From this reading I would say that reading the Liber T that way is emotionally pleasing in a psychic sense. But it could possible cause confusion mentally but in a cosmic sense it will shine light on something new giving birth to a new situation. Venus the planet sends 1/3 of the light it recieves from the Sun to the Earth. Perhaps this is a sign that the Liber T conveys a part of what the Thoth conveys but not quite the full picture. It does indeed point to the Liber T as being a bringer of light BUT I do need to eventually get myself a Thoth.

Anything anyone else has to add will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Aeon418]

Short and sweet answer: Yes!

At their core all Golden Dawn inspired decks are essentially the same. They may often look very different from each other, but they are merely differing artistic interpretations of the same system. (Golden Dawn/Thelemic Hermetic Qabalah) And that's the important point to remember. Any artistic nuances are of secondary importance.

It's not an exageration to say that once you have begun to master the underlying system you could do a reading with 78 blank cards with their names and numbers written on them. It wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

 

[Emily]

Hi Professor X,

The Liber T can be read exactly the same as the Thoth, the Courts and Majors follow the artwork of the Thoth and the Minors have the small Thoth images.

The colours are different and as the Thoth is precisely drawn so the Liber T is abstract. Where the Liber T differs is the use of the Decans on the Minors but the deck has no dedicated book so unless you start to read Scion's PDF for the Liber T you wouldn't be able to work out which Decan was which. The use of the Decans adds a completely different level, which makes the deck even more interesting to use.

I first bought the Liber T with the hope that it would provide me with a stepping stone into the Thoth - it didn't take me long to realise that I don't need the Thoth, not with such a fascinating deck to keep me company.

Also the LWB to the Liber T is the only one that I've ever sat down and read, its an interesting read, not very long but interesting all the same.

 

[Professor X]

Thanks a lot guys. I do plan on getting a Thoth as soon as I am able to.
I think the artwork on the Thoth is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Eventually I will get one but until then the Liber T will do.

 

[Lillie]

Short and sweet answer: Yes!

At their core all Golden Dawn inspired decks are essentially the same. They may often look very different from each other, but they are merely differing artistic interpretations of the same system. (Golden Dawn/Thelemic Hermetic Qabalah) And that's the important point to remember. Any artistic nuances are of secondary importance.

It's not an exageration to say that once you have begun to master the underlying system you could do a reading with 78 blank cards with their names and numbers written on them. It wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

I can read any deck as the Thoth.

I can read the Hello Kitty deck as the Thoth.
Well, no, I can't. But only because I don't have a Hello Kitty deck.

 

[Aeon418]

I can read any deck as the Thoth.

I can read the Hello Kitty deck as the Thoth.
Well, no, I can't. But only because I don't have a Hello Kitty deck.

Or how about reading the Hello Kitty as a variation of Book T.

Just like the Thoth deck is.

 

[Le Fanu]

The Liber T Majors/Atús, Courts and Aces are very near to the Thoth (though I remember the Ace of Swords is inverted/different from the Thoth). If it were me, I would start studying the Majors and Courts and Aces and then hope that by the time I had got to know them all thoroughly, my situation had improved and I could get myself a Thoth... The Liber T Minors, to me, are very different in feeling & imagery.

But what Emily says is interesting (and she should know). If you really like the Liber T, why see it as a stepping stone to anything...

 

[ravenest]

I can read any deck as the Thoth.

I can read the Hello Kitty deck as the Thoth.
Well, no, I can't. But only because I don't have a Hello Kitty deck.

Lillie - now your've done it! I want a Thoth converted Hello Kitty Deck (Hello Sekhmet?) - its already 'coming through' ; tarty, drunk, naked kitty on Beast's back ...

 

[Emily]

I was going to mention the Minors too, in a little more detail.

I think Le Fanu is right, if you move onto the Thoth after studying the Liber T Minors then you might hit a sticky place - the whole of the Liber T, but especially the Minors, have the uncanny knack of being very intuitive and very visual. It's the small images that do it, I take the card as a whole but sometimes it is just the smaller images that speak to me.

For me this is where the deck moves away from the Thoth - You can read any deck intuitively, the Thoth might open up for you, it never did for me, but the Liber T makes it so easy.

Maybe just study and enjoy your Liber T, get a Thoth when you can afford one - you'll probably use both decks anyway and you'll have a head start of using the Thoth.

 

[Aeon418]

I think Le Fanu is right, if you move onto the Thoth after studying the Liber T Minors then you might hit a sticky place - the whole of the Liber T, but especially the Minors, have the uncanny knack of being very intuitive and very visual. It's the small images that do it, I take the card as a whole but sometimes it is just the smaller images that speak to me.

This sort of confirms what I said before. If you understand the system that actually generates the meanings of the cards you don't need pictures.

There is nothing in the Liber T deck that is not already implied in the system of the Thoth Tarot, and that includes the decans. 777 is a wonderful reference.