The Divination part of the Book of Thoth

[zephyr_heart]

Does the phrases from the Book of Thoth regarding the steps for divination means that the diviner should stop doing the reading?

It says, "Tell the Querent what he has come for: if wrong, abandon the divination." for the "First Operation" part and "On a second failure, abandon the divination." on the "Second Operation" part.

 

[Abrac]

I believe it means the reading should be stopped. Crowley used methods like this to 'test the spirits' to see if the information he was getting was reliable.

Regarding step number five in the Second Operation, I believe it's supposed to say "If right" at the beginning like in step six for the first operation. So on the second failure in step four, quit. But "If right, read the stack, counting and pairing as before." (as in step seven of the first operation).

 

[zephyr_heart]

Thanks for the information, but why is it necessary to do so?

 

[Aeon418]

Thanks for the information, but why is it necessary to do so?

Would you rather continue with a divination that was providing inaccurate or unreliable information?

Crowley's method isn't like the modern day "intuitive"(?) method, where you simply accept whatever cards come up and then bend the interpretation towards the desired outcome. On the contrary, Crowley's method accepts that divination is rife with trickery, deceit, and deception. Checks and intuition, in the proper sense, were needed to ensure that the cards were not leading you up the garden path.

 

[rif]

And by Crowley's method, you mean the Golden Dawn's method, right?

If the OP looks in the Golden Dawn forum, there are also posts to be found on this method of divination. Try a search for "Opening of the Key" or OOTK.

 

[zephyr_heart]

Crowley's method isn't like the modern day "intuitive"(?) method, where you simply accept whatever cards come up and then bend the interpretation towards the desired outcome. On the contrary, Crowley's method accepts that divination is rife with trickery, deceit, and deception. Checks and intuition, in the proper sense, were needed to ensure that the cards were not leading you up the garden path.

So, in other words, I think it's like some kind of password you need to say before you can be given access to the vault, and on top of that, there can only be one opportunity to get inside or no opportunity at all because access is denied (is this kind of parable is too much simplifying it?)

 

[Aeon418]

So, in other words, I think it's like some kind of password you need to say before you can be given access to the vault, and on top of that, there can only be one opportunity to get inside or no opportunity at all because access is denied (is this kind of parable is too much simplifying it?)

In Crowley's system divination was attributed to the path of Qoph. Divining with the Tarot was likened to following the narrow path in Atu XVIII The Moon. Tarot reading provides innumerable opportunities to stray from that path into the murky waters of illusion and self-deception.