Why is the Thoth so popular in Germany?

[Cassandra022]

Another question from me, yes. What can I say, this deck has suddenly captured my attention like woah :]

Been wondering this for a while though. Both Crowley and Harris were UK citizens, not German. Yet this deck seems to have been published a lot in germany, and a lot of the books about it are by german authors, and I'm kind of just...curious, how that association developed?

 

[Aeon418]

I don't know why the Thoth is currently so popular in Germany. But there are several contributing factors that may partially explain it. Crowley lived in Germany for a number of years and became quite popular. The Ordo Templi Orientis was originally a German order. Crowley was well known in German occult circles and among the native quasi-masonic groups. One of Crowley's most loyal supporters was a German - Karl Germer - who setup up a publishing firm called Thelema Verlag to print German translations of Crowley's books.

 

[Grigori]

Also German's tend to appreciate superior technology

 

[Dryope]

Funny, I just noticed yesterday that a lot of books on the Thoth tarot have been written by german authors, so I was asking myself the same question

 

[Aulruna]

Some mundane explanations - this ocurred to me when I read the thread about Tarot reading in the 80ies:

- When I started reading in 1982, RWS and Thoth were the only two decks you normally found in bookstores. The few others that were around were not readily available. I was soooo psyched when I stumbled across a store in a big city which offered a grand total of FIVE different decks! (The other three being a Marseilles, the Flying Hearts, and the Witches by Hall.)

- One of the most popular German experts for Tarot and Astrology, the late Hajo Banzhaf, has published the "Workbook for the Crowley Tarot" early in the 90ies. I think it was the only one around back then for "mainstream readers", along with Arrien. Ziegler came on next and his book was offered with the Thoth in one of these clamshell sets, also very strongly marketed.

Last but not least, Germany's market is much less new agey (though most decks by major publishers get translated these days) and more focused on either esoteric tradition or pure "fortune telling".

Just my theories though

 

[Cassandra022]

really interesting, Aeon and Aulruna, that makes a lot of sense from historical and common-sense perspective!

Grigori, I think your metaphor is quite apt ;]

 

[ravenest]

Also German's tend to appreciate superior technology

And structure and order ... so they got a bit of Mercury / Saturn happening there - that helps to appreciate AC.