The Thoth deck was designed by Aleister Crowley and illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris with the intention of updating and "correcting" the classic Tarot as well as making it more esoteric. If I had to describe the deck as a whole, it would be to say that it is a cross between the Steampunk genre and psychedelic imagery. They nailed the esoteric piece!
The major arcana and the court cards are the easiest for me to understand and work with. They are "scenes" of a sort and contain symbols that can be related to with with relative ease. The pip cards, however, are merely depictions of the suit symbols (Wands, Discs, Swords & Cups). Single-word annotations at the bottom of the cards point the Reader to the underlying meanings for each one, which is helpful. One of the most interesting aspects of the Thoth is that there are no Kings or Pages. The court cards are Princess, Prince, Queen and Knight.
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| Thoth 3 of Discs There is no obvious visual meaning the symbolism is highly esoteric. |
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| Witches Tarot 3 of Pentacles The scene reveals the meaning; |
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| Green Witch Tarot 3 of Pentacles Again we see a scene that tells a clear story. |
The images, nevertheless, are powerful and invoke strong emotional reactions. There is an obvious masculine energy in the images and in the deck itself. The intuitive revelations are blunt, forthright and uncompromising. Whether the messages are positive or negative, they are delivered without apology; we are distinctly made accountable for ourselves.
The Thoth deck has been on my wish list for some time. I have heard so many good things about it over the years, but did not purchase the deck until now because... Well, I don't know why exactly. Recently I had a reading done for me by a wonderful new friend who uses the Thoth deck regularly. It was the best, most insightful and accurate reading I have ever had. And I've had quite a few! Using the Thoth, my friend honed in on the energies surrounding my query like an arrow truly aimed hits a bulls eye. It was incredible! I was so impressed that the deck was promptly re-positioned to the top of my list. I had to find out more about it.
Which brings me back to the beginning of this post...
I am an experiential and visual learner. Experience is paying off, albeit slowly. The visual aspect is giving me a bit of grief. But every day I feel a deeper connection to this deck. I think that, in time, I will even be able to pick it up with confidence and use it to do good readings for others. For now, though, the learning process is pacing itself with methodical deliberation.
I am pleased to have the Thoth deck in my collection. It represents an intriguing chapter in divinatory history; one that I am not overly familiar with. Yet! It's also something I can now share with a friend.
