Customer Reviews

The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Being the Equinox Volume III No. V

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Crowley sets his whimsical, humorous (notorious?) writing style aside, to take a deep, reverent look at The Tarot. This book contains more information about The Tarot and the Creation of The Tarot than numerous other books combined. This is not a "fluffy" book for amateurs, but a well-written and researched work connecting The Tarot with The Qabalah and Astrology.

If the tiny booklet in the Tarot package left you wanting, this is the book you desire to fulfill your hunger and thirst for more knowledge. I have been reading books about The Tarot for ten years and "The Book of Thoth" has quenched my thirst.

However, I also recommend purchasing "The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Symbols," by Angeles Arrien ("Tarot Symbols from a Psychological, Mythological, and Cross-Cultural Perspective").

"The Tarot Handbook...." by Arrien, uses Illustrations of "The Thoth Deck," by Crowley and Lady Frieda Haris to explain the Jungian Psychology of the system, and gives a Helpful Overview of Interpreting the Thoth deck.

So-far, "The Thoth Deck" is the BEST deck I have ever found (I collect Numerous decks) aside from "The Ceremonial Magick Deck" (by Lon Duquette) & "The Masonic Tarot" (which is hard to find). Nearly every Serious Tarot User/Student I know uses The Thoth Deck, with wonderful & Accurate Results.

I do suggest, however, finding the Palm-sized Thoth deck, as opposed to the Oversized Deck--which is harder to manipulate. The cards work on a principle of Psychokenisis combined with Jungian Psychology. But, whatever works for you, personally.

"The Book of Thoth" is a great asset to any Tarot Library and a good place to start studying the System. However, many people need to begin with a simple deck, such as Rider-Waite, before delving into the in-depth study of Crowley's works.

Aleister Crowley's writing (in general) certainly is one of the most complex styles that I have come across. Quite a learned man, however one must realize to bypass the content of his words and see through them as if they were covers to different tombs of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. His Book of Thoth (Egyptian Tarot) may be his best work and seeming most thought out (aside from Magick: Book 4). To buy the book is not enough, one surely would need the card set as well to get the full effect of his descriptions of the cards. Introducing the Tarot in history as well as the inflential men of the Tarot. Highly regarding Eliphas Levi and his book Transcendental Magic: Its Dogma and History as one the best and classic works on the Tarot (also suggested is Paul Foster Cases book "The Tarot: The Wisdom of the Ages"). I would say that Tarot Divnitors are not advised for this book because Crowley does not use the cards to fortell anothers future, but rather as meditative devices to alter ones consciousness and peer into the unknown world, seeing the other universe - that is prophecy. After explaining the relationship of the Qaballah, he moves on to the deck itself beginning like most with the Fool. Going through all 22 Trumps and 56 Minor cards deciphering the cards himself and placing it in word symbols for you to figure out. Its not often one can understand this at first reading. Many readings are neccessary, as well as looking through many other books of Tarot and occultism to begin to unlock Crowleys 'tombs.' You will soon find yourself not reading it, but referring to it like one uses a dictionary. If one wants a fresh new look at what Crowley is talking implying in all of his sublime wordiness, I highly and strongly reccomend Timothy Leary's book "Game of Life" and "Info-Psychology." The former is a dedication to Crowleys work on the Tarot told in Leary's style (which he equates evolution with Tarot), while the latter is Leary's own neuraliterate book which ties in with the former. The Book of Thoth is the most original book to date on the Tarot system and highly reccomended for anyone looking to understand truly what the cards mean, as well as Crowleyites and occultists in general. A wonderful piece of work!

Brilliant! Eloquent and detailed exposition on the symbols of the Thoth Tarot deck, and the Universe itself. Not only an invaluable resouce for those studying magick and the occult but also those in the fields of anthropology, psychology and theology (Christian mystics may find the discussions of the Fool, The Hanged Man and Death in particular interesting.)
Familiar (and not-so familiar) symbols are discussed in-depth, revealing their origins, and true nature.
Contains detailed and tables of correspondences including the Qabala, I-Ching, Planets, Astrology etc

An absolute "MUST HAVE" for students of Magick and the Tarot
Can not reccomend this book highly enough.

My rating of the book is subject to change depending on the type of knowledge you think it will impart. If you want a simple interpretory key for Crowley's Thoth Tarot, I rate this book a 1 and think the booklet that accompanies the deck coupled with studies of the Golden Dawn with better serve you. As a reference tool to aid your understanding of Qabalah and some of the deeper (and I do mean DEEEEEP) belief systems underlying the tarot, I rate it a 5. That's why my overall rating of the book is a 3.

To me, it's a must for any serious student of occult studies, especially if you're really drawn to the Tarot. The Book of Thoth is one of those books that can take a life time to read and its concepts can take quite awhile to digest. I'm a book junkie and I had a serious headache by the time I got a few pages into this one. Not that its content is not valuable - it is just very dense. Those already familiar with Crowley's work will probably have an easier time understanding it, but if you're a newcomer to metaphysics, I'd recommend waiting awhile before you pick this one up. Crowley chronicled so much metaphysical information in his lifetime and within his writing there is a lot of truth to be uncovered ... but then there's the chaff of his insanity to seperate from the grain of his experience. Having a background in some of the beliefs which influenced his own prior to immersing yourself in this book would probably aid your interpretation of it tremendously - I got it a year into my tarot studies and it was tooooooo much, but now, 14 years later, it's an easier read. Deciding whether or not you will purchase this book really depends on how deeply you want to scratch the surface of occult studies and that genius everyone loves to hate: Aleister Crowley. In closing, I strongly recommend that you read some excerpts from this book before committing to its purchase.

This book is a good book for those who are working their way on the Tree of Life. It explains, in a lot of detail, why the symbols are the way they are. Crowley uses the Scientific method to get his point across and uses alot of mathematics to describe his formulas, so be prepared to think about what you are reading. Also, keep in mind, he was writing at the begining of this century. This is not an easy read, however, but once you understand some of the basics, you realize how the tarot fits into all of this.

This book is not for normal tarot readers in search of how to read tarot, but it can help you along those lines if you pay close attention to the work. This book is more along the lines of self-discovery. This is described as that each card correlates in some way to the Tree of Life and that it shows it's true nature through the cards, thus allows the reader to work with the Tree of Life via the Tarot. You do not need the tarot to work on the Tree of Life, but it helps. Kind of like sign posts on the way to the Kether.

If you are interested in evolution of the soul and enlightenment, this book will help. (It also might help with your mathematical skills! :) ) Keep an open mind, and genuinely think about everything that Crowley is saying, and you will reap alot of information from this book.

This is a definite MUST READ for those who are searching for enlightenment!

The Thoth Tarot has become one of the most popular Tarot decks in the world, and The Book of Thoth is Crowley's last word on the subject. Anyone interested in Tarot or the western mystery traditions should read and study it. It's Crowley's Magnum Opus, and I'd give it six stars if I could. However, for the beginning tarotist or someone unprepared for the style and erudition of Crowley's writing it can be an impossible read, and so I also recommend in the strongest terms Duquette's "Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot" --not as a replacement for The Book of Thoth, but as a companion text. It's the only commentary on the subject by a real Crowley expert (a 30 year veteran of Crowley's O.T.O.) and a real tarot expert (a Certified Tarot Grand Master). No one can make Crowley understandable like Lon Milo Duquette, and for me his book is Rosetta Stone of The Book of Thoth and the Thoth Tarot.

Written near the end of his life, "The Book of Thoth" is often considered to be Aleister Crowley's last great masterwork. It ought at least to stand as proof that his decades-long addiction to heroin had not completely obliterated his mind (as often suggested) - for here we find Crowley in classic form, pithy yet poetic, verbose yet vivid, recklessly enthusiastic yet simultaneously scathingly cynical. And sharp as a tack. This is not a book written by some senile old degenerate.

Rather it is a typically abstruse amalgamation of sundry skeins of esoteric tradition under the aegis of this system of at-first-glance frivolous symbols derived from medieval playing cards. (Or, if we choose, we may accept the occult yarn that the playing cards themselves represent a degraded form of the original ancient symbolic system, of which "The Book of Thoth" is the modern rehabilitation. This question of origin is "irrelevant even if it were certain" - for the Tarot presented here "must stand or fall as a system on its own merits.") The 22 Trumps or "Atu," 16 Court Cards and 40 Small Cards of the conventional Deck are shown to resume the doctrines of the Holy Qabalah in pictorial form. Specifically, the 22 Trumps correspond with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the 22 Paths on the Tree of Life; the 16 Court Cards with the 16 sub-Elements, combinations of the original four (Fire, Water, Air, Earth) which also correspond with the four letters of the Divine Name IHVH; and the 40 Small Cards refer to the 10 Sephiroth of the Tree manifested through the four Elements. The evidence for this is built up in the course of a fascinating excursion through strange and forgotten byways of legend and folklore, all referred to and analyzed in terms of the correspondences embodied in the Tarot. "The Book of Thoth" is thus in one aspect an effort of anthropology and comparative religion, but Crowley makes rather a point of insisting that historical accuracy itself is ultimately subordinate to practical "magical" utility - in other words, it makes no real difference whether a given symbol be authentically descended from old Egypt, so long as it proves efficacious for the modern Initiate.

Thoth or Tahuti, the Egyptian correlative of the Greek Hermes and the Roman Mercurius, is of course the Messenger of the Gods, "the Wisdom, the Will, the Word, the Logos by whom the worlds were created;" thus it is fitting that this hieratic "Book," which "gives you the map of the Kingdom of Heaven, and also the best way to take it by force," should be attributed to him. And indeed the astonishing complexity of the system elaborated therein, with its sublime coherence and consistency over such a vast terrain of symbolism, inclines one to credit the claim that its creation must have been assisted by "superiors whose mental processes were, or are, pertaining to a higher Dimension." Yet (again) one needn't accept the least of Crowley's assertions on "faith:" all that is required is a willingness to investigate. For its very integrity and originality, "The Book of Thoth" must at first baffle the "uninitiate;" but if he persist in its study and allow its correspondences to penetrate to the unconscious, it shall unfold for him as the Rose gives its honey to the bees.

The Book of Thoth is Aleister Crowley's masterwork on the Qabalistic symbology of the Tarot. Written and published in the latter years of his life, this book synthesizes and crystalizes his thought and philosophy on the Qabalah and Thelema in one neat package. Rarely was his writing so down to earth and engaging as in this book. As such, this might perhaps be the best Crowley book for the beginner. His discussions of the root mythos surrounding the symbology of each of the 22 Major Arcana cards is as enlightening as it is entertaining, and the overview of the Qabalistic meaning attributed to the 56 Lesser Arcana is nothing less than an authoritative primer on the Qabalah. Highly recommended.

For those who view the Tarot as a self-transformation tool or tool in magick, this is one of the books I would recommend that actually view the tarot in this way. Most people view the Tarot as a fun little fortune-telling device and do not take it seriously, and sadly most books on the market share this view. Aleister Crowley certainly was strange to say the least and while not all may agree with his way of seeing things, I believe this book will be of tremendous help to a serious student of the Tarot. Crowley covers every aspect of every card and illustrations are used from the Thoth Tarot which was commissioned by him and painted by Frieda Harris. The symbolism comes mainly from ceremonial magick and the Qabala, and for those unfamiliar with those systems re-reading will no doubt be required, but it is well worth it. Also, knowledge of Crowley's Book of the Law may be desired, because he refers to it frequently.

A great asset to those wishing to take their study of the Tarot one step further.

The Thoth tarot deck is one of the most popular today; its lucid, interconnected, and rich depth of symbolism is rewarding and thought-provoking. The artwork is excellent, the symbolism behind it compelling. Crowley's "Book of Thoth" is an excellent book for both the beginner and more advanced students, serving as an introductory work pointing out multiple rewarding paths of study for the interested student to pursue, from astrology to Kabbalah to Thelema's philosophy. One of his most accessible works, the writing style is lucid and entertaining, mixing a well-presented wealth of information with dry and frequently perverse humor. One of the best Tarot books you will ever own, period