Owl Tarot
Feeling like I should clarify - when I talk about using the Thoth as a spiritual tool rather than an every day divination tool its not because its a more "serious" deck. Using the metaphor of language, I would say that it is "written in a language" that engages me on a spiritual level. For example, when investigating the heirophant: I am more apt when working with the Thoth deck to explore the mysteries of the heirophant as it relates to my HGA and the new aeon, rather than to read it as the passing down of knowledge through traditional avenues, which for me would be the more direct divination interpretation. I'm more likely to take into account the qabbalistic meaning of the card and its placement on the tree of life and use it to explore my current spiritual tasks using that framework. Of course that has a bearing on, say, career path... But I'm reaching for the deck in the same context that I would if I was meditating or going into trance space or performing a ritual. I do tend to apply tarot to my life in this framework in general, rather than using it in a divinatory sense (aside from my current nerdy obsession with hedgewitchery). I do read in a divinatory fashion for other people and I do make a distinction between the two because not everyone is coming to me for spiritual consultation. I don't personally align with esotericism myself, which is why I studied the Thoth for a while and then moved away from it... I think its fascinating in its own right and I certainly am not belittling it in any way.
I agree that Thoth is a powerful tool for those who love it and I do agree it is great for Spiritual use. My point previously (if you clarified in response to my previous post) was aiming at a mistake (in my opinion) that many Thoth readers do (not you, it was a more generic statement). They personally judge what is personally important for them, use Thoth to read about what is important according to them and disregard as of minor importance what they deem as such. Of course, it is a different thing if you enjoy working with more then one decks and you use them according to your or your querent's will. But, in my experience, an issue which may sound simple or foolish might really have a deep impact upon an individual, and this is why I don't like to "play God" on such matters. I only judge the importance of the readings I do for myself as a part of my work.
About the subject of the reading, in my experience every single card comes through perfectly in any type of question as long as one believes that it will do so. For me, the way to actually utilize Thoth for everything (according to the axiom "As above, so below") is to work without lust of result, as Crowley instructed for every Magickal operation to be performed (I do think all readings are such), and a really vital tool is -in my opinion- the "heart of the cards" (Yu-Gi-Oh reference). Thoth, or any other deck, will aid the seeker depending on his/her ability to use it I think. The better it is, the more questions he/she will be able to answer. So, as you yourself said, "But I'm reaching for the deck in the same context that I would if I was meditating or going into trance space or performing a ritual". Your viewpoint of choice affects the result, and since you have already chosen what you want to assimilate from the deck (or you reach for it), this is what the deck will reveal to you, just like it someone who uses it purely for Divination might not see something of a Spiritual nature within a reading.
Of course, I do think Thoth is really great to use for personal work and Spiritual matters, but I don't think it "ends" there and that's it's limit, just like I don't think it can only be used for Divination. Uniting both aspects is what I think Thoth does really well, as long as it has a "medium" (a.k.a. reader) able to transend personal preferences and that leads to a better personal understanding of it. The essense of my words is pretty well described by Crowley:
Book of Thoth said:The position of the student of the Tarot is very similar. In this essay, and in these designs, is given an analysis of the general character of each card; but he cannot reach any true appreciation of them without observing their behaviour over a long period; he can only come to an understanding of the Tarot through experience. It will not be sufficient for him to intensify his studies of the cards as objective things; he must use them; he must live with them. They, too, must live with him. A card is not isolated from its fellows. The reactions of the cards, their interplay with each other, must be built into the very life of the student.
Then how is he to use them? How is he to blend their life with his? The ideal way is that of contemplation. But this involves initiation of such high degree that it is impossible to describe the method in this place. Nor is it either attractive or suitable to most people. The practical every-day commonplace way is divination.