Customer Reviews

Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was very disappointed when I received this deck. I fell in love with the Thoth Tarot after recieving a reading from a friend. Her cards were beautifully vibrant. I immediately ordered this deck. When it arrived, I was stunned to discover that the cards were not as beautiful as I remembered. The cards had a murky green tinge to them. When I compared them to my friend's deck, I discovered that they were not the same. Her deck was printed in Switzerland and mine was printed in Belgium.

There was a huge difference in the appearance and feel of the cards. The green tint on the cards printed in Belgium made readings seem ominous and foreboding.

I had to search the Internet for months before I found someone who had a copy of the large deck printed in Switzerland. At that time Amazon did not have the Swiss version, however, they now have it listed as "Swiss Crowley Large Thoth Tarot Deck"..... Ifyou can get a copy of the Swiss deck, I highly recommend it for it'sbeauty and powerful readings. But don't waste your money on the deckprinted in Belgium. It is an insult to thebeautiful art work of LadyFrieda Harris and not at all a pleasures to read with.

The material is a lot for a beginner to absorb. The imagery is captivating, and provides a springboard for further investigation. Since acquiring the Thoth Tarot Deck, I have had a lot more reading to do.

I have worked with this deck for many years, and I must say that it gives very accurate results. I do not think it is a great Beginner's Deck (try Rider-Waite for that, or purchase one of the books mentioned below)--however, the woman who created this deck infused a wealth of information into the Artwork.

The Major Arcana are quite Beautiful and the Esoteric Symbolism worked into the Deck, throughout, is a Wealth of Knowledge. The placement of two Major Arcana cards are different than most standard decks, but comparable with a set of Egyptian Tarot Cards, from another Mystery school (and, as I have been informed by a reader of my reviews, many decks previous to this era, had the same attributions).

As with all things in life, it is best to investigate many different branches of this field of study, but I know that Most of the Tarot Readers I have met use The Thoth Deck more than any other deck in their collection. The Wonderful Artwork and Fascinating Symbolism give the Reader a vast-array of information to draw-from. My Wife is a locally renowned Tarot Reader and she swears by this deck, for accuracy....and, ALL of her friends swear by her Accuracy.

The Thoth Deck has some Great Companion Books, such as: "The Tarot Handbook : Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols," by Angeles Arrien --and, of course, "The Book of Thoth" by Aleister Crowley, Frieda Harris (Illustrator).

I suggest buying the hand-sized Deck, because Large Decks are usually very cumbersome and it is hard to get a good psychokenetic feel for the cards. It is always best to have a deck that can be easily manipulated in the hands, for better accuracy in readings.

Thousands of people believe this is the best deck on the market, and I am one of them.

I also highly recommend Lon Duquette's Ceremonial Tarot Deck, to be used in conjunction with The Thoth Deck.

I love the Tarot. I have like a hundred different decks, and they're the only things I keep organized and safe (yes, my wand and athame are somewhere under my bed), and these cards are easily my favourite out of all my decks. I know the cards themselves aren't supposed to have power, but my deck has some strange thing going on with it (although I have been known to do some strange things concerning Crowley). In fact, the night I got the cards I couldn't let go of them and actually SLEPT with them. I also lost them once, but was drawn to them so I knew exactly where they were (unlike with my athame). But you can't go totally by what I'm saying because I sometimes carry powers to far and weird stuff happens. ANYWAY, THESE ARE GREAT CARDS, but NOT for beginners. The pictures are great, and give you a great sense of the Tarot. If you really like the Tarot and are intrested in Crowley, these are definatley (did I spell that right?) for you.

The Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck was obviously carefully crafted with regard for the true meanings behind each card and for the feelings that each image invokes. The deck is strewn with lush imagery and colorful symbolism. My only complaint about the deck(and the reason that it only received four stars) was because they're a bit oversized. It's quite difficult to shuffle with these because of their size.

If you have at least three years of experience with reading one of the many Rider-Waite based decks and want something a bit more challenging, Crowley's Thoth deck is one of the best around. Crowley departs from the Waite-style decks in several areas. Certain cards are given different numbers and names. Strength, for instance, becomes Lust,Temperance is Art, and Justice is Adjustment. The concept of reversals is replaced by Elemental Dignities, which leads to more nuanced readings. The system of attributes is based on the Kabbalah, so experience or knowledge of this is helpful as well. Crowley uses a Golden Dawn derived system of correspondence, but departs from this by moving the Star, as per his communication with Awaiss. Lady Frieda Harriss' surrealistic artwork perfectly compliments Crowley's wild spiritual vision. Many of the cards contain not situations, but totally abscract representations. This makes the deck more useful for deep spiritual readings than for bread and butter divination. A perfect deck for esoteric contemplation or pre-ritual divination.

This is the best deck that i have ever seen. It has beautiful artwork and gives accurate readings that are so true it's scary. This is the first tarot deck that i have ever owned and i will continue to use it until it is so worn that i have to replace it. It helps to have some tarot or symbolism background, but if you don't it comes with a cute little cheat book. Remember- tarot cards won't work properly if you buy them for yourself!!! You are supposed to receive them as a gift. I'd also reccomend keeping them in a self-made pouch or baggie prefferably of black or purple silk. Anyway - they are the best ever!!!

This tarot deck is somewhat different from other decks I have seen. The artwork is quite beautiful; many cards have pastel themes and then brighter areas of blue, orange, or green. Frequently, the coloration of a card provides a quick cue as to the card's meaning (for example, the Tower is ominously orange and black, and the Sun is a warm yellow). Particularly in the case of the Major Arcana cards, the interpretation is evident by just looking at the artwork. There is a distinctively Egyptian look to the cards, and a great deal of animal imagery (particularly snakes) as well as some floral imagery.

Some of the traditional names of cards in the Major Arcana have been changed (Justice becomes Adjustment, Strength becomes Lust, etc.). I feel that some of these changes are more appropriate than others, but that is my own reaction and what is important is that you choose a deck that's right for you.

One criticism is that the artwork on the numbered cards of the Minor Arcana offers few clues as to the meaning of the cards (if this is important to you, a deck such as the Rider-Waite deck may be more appropriate). However, at the bottom of each numbered card is one word which summarizes its meaning.

Also in the Minor Arcana, names of court cards have been altered somewhat. Kings become Knights, Knights become Princes, and Pages become Princesses. This adds gender balance to the deck.

Another thing to consider when thinking about buying this deck is your level of knowledge about the tarot and the occult in general. There is a lot of symbolism in this deck; each Major Arcana card also includes the Hebrew letter and the astrological symbol that are connected with the card. This is of little help to the beginner but can be quite useful for the advanced user.

The instruction booklet that comes with the cards is helpful. It may even be used in lieu of purchasing an additional book to aid in performing readings (though if you are serious about using the tarot, you will probably want additional resources). It provides details of a very easy-to-read 15-card spread (much easier to interpret than the Celtic Cross, in my opinion).

A final concern is that this deck may not be good for those with small hands (like me). The cards are quite large and can be difficult to handle.

Overall, I would recommend this deck, particularly for advanced users of the tarot or for people with a wider interest in other areas of the occult (such as astrology or the Qabalah). However, I would advise beginners to choose a more traditional deck.

This beautiful tarot deck, when purchased along with "The Tarot Handbook-Practical Applications" by Angles Arrien are two of the most highly powerful instruments of guidance. Practical, spiritual, mystical, Jungian and applicable to everyday life, you must work with these tools to experience the richness and the rightness of the answers you will receive. The images are rich with color and symbolism, the cards and book correspond with each other exactly so there can be no errors in interpretation, especially for beginners. As a tool for meditation and personal growth and information, this is what I come back to over and over again. THE TRUTH IS POWERFUL !

The Crowley deck is fantastic and fascinating, especially as a meditation too. I have one suggestion, for anyone who buys this book: Find a copy of "The Qabalistic Tarot" by Robert Wang