The Symbols in the Thoth Deck

The Thoth deck was designed by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Freida Harris. It was compiled in the last few years of Aleister Crowley’s life and he also published a book about it called the Book of Thoth. This deck is perhaps the most symbol-heavy deck of tarot cards you will ever see. If you just want to learn to read your first deck of tarot cards, I recommend the Rider-Waite deck (which I prefer to call the Smith-Waite-Rider deck) and not the Thoth deck. A lot of the symbolism in this deck is from Qabalah and Hermetics so without a firm grounding in these subjects it may be hard to remember. The Thoth deck however might be an interesting study for someone pursuing Hermetic Mysticism as it will instruct them in symbolism.

Studying the symbolism in these cards is believed by some to provide the means to traverse the Tree of Life. I think of these as symbols as signs on the way that will help us confirm where we are on the route. It is with their use that certain rituals may be constructed. However, in my opinion, a ritual which mentions various symbols which appear associated with the various paths will do little to advance the mystic. They will simply learn the symbols associated with their goal and ponder them a bit. Alternatively, identifying the aspect of the practitioner which is already a part of the target sephirah and moving the consciousness to that part of the practitioner allows for advancement. For example, to move from Malkuth to Yesod is to identify with the astral self. The symbolism of the sephiroth however provides us with the means to derive the aspect of the self, which resides within the respective sephiroth. The initiate should learn to develop spirit vision, rising on the planes or astral projection and apply the techniques learned in that process to other sephiroth. Can this method be used to climb the Tree of Life and enter the palace of the creator? I cannot yet confirm for I am only a little further along the path and have not yet finished it. However I have seen enough to believe that there is something special about the journey that changes and empowers the practitioner.

For now, this is a work in progress that might take some time. Also, I will be working backwards through the Trumps because of my own personal work that will happen to coincide with this.