Okay, so I’ve been meaning to get into tarot for a while now, and I finally decided to take the plunge. I’d heard a lot about the Aleister Crowley Thoth deck, with all its esoteric symbolism and, let’s be honest, slightly intimidating reputation. But I’m a “go big or go home” kind of person, so I ordered the deck online.
When it arrived, I was immediately struck by the artwork. It’s… intense. Really vibrant colors, strange figures, and tons of little details that I knew I’d have to learn about. I spent the first evening just looking at each card, one by one. I mean, I didn’t even try to do a reading. I just wanted to get a feel for the imagery.
Digging into the Book
The deck came with a little booklet, but it was pretty basic. So, I went online and found some resources – a few websites, a couple of forums, and even a YouTube video or two. I started to get a sense of the underlying system, the Qabalah, the astrological correspondences, all that stuff. It’s a lot to take in, to be honest.
- Major Arcana: These are the big, symbolic cards, like The Magician, The Lovers, and Death. I learned that they represent major life lessons and archetypes. I realized that it needs to take much time to research.
- Minor Arcana: These are more like regular playing cards, with four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Disks) and numbered cards. These are supposed to be about more day-to-day events and situations. I understood that each of these represents a different part of the practice.
- Court Cards: These are the “people” cards (Knights, Queens, Princes, Princesses). They can represent actual people in your life, or aspects of yourself. I practiced with each cards to know its real meaning.
The main thing I picked up is that this isn’t a deck you can just pick up and start using intuitively. I did see some reviews on the websites from others. There’s a lot of background knowledge you need to even begin to understand the cards. It’s not impossible, but it definitely takes dedication.
My First Attempt
After a few days of research, I decided to try a simple three-card spread – past, present, future. I shuffled the cards, focused on a question I had, and laid them out. Honestly, I was kind of lost. I had the basic meanings, but I couldn’t quite put them together into a coherent narrative. I mean, what does The Aeon have to do with my work situation? No idea.
I went back to the resources I’d found, tried to see if I could find any specific interpretations for the combination of cards I’d drawn. It helped a little, but it was still pretty confusing.
Practice Time
I know that this is going to take a lot of practice. I’m not giving up, though. I’m actually kind of fascinated by the whole system, even if it’s a bit overwhelming. I think my next step is to try doing daily card draws, just to get more familiar with the individual cards and their meanings. Then maybe I’ll try some more complex spreads. I’m also thinking about joining a local tarot group, if I can find one. It might be helpful to learn from people who actually know what they’re doing!
All in all, it’s a work in progress. I’m definitely a beginner, but I’m excited to keep learning. It is a really cool journey to learn and do it yourself, right?
