Thoth study group (Individual cards)

Dragonfly

Happy to help hope we can keep this going as well. There is so much to this deck it's great having so many eyes to help see everything and also help with the meaning. Many Blessings to you all.
 

Tarot Hermit

moondust said:
Thanks MystiqueMoonlight ( I think I spelled your name wrong in other posts :( sorry)

Thanks for posting the descriptions. Don't move on to another card yet. Even if we all don't have that deck, I find it interesting that the deck was published that way.

Did they give any notes about it anywhere as to why they did that? Maybe there were different paintings originally. Or for any esoteric reasons, like manifesting on 3 different levels??

What are your thoughts on it, and how have you been working with it in the deck??

(be prepared I ask a lot of questions, always curious)
Have a nice day,
Moondust

Actually there is no great secret involved in publishing the three magus cards. When printing from what I understand there is room for 80 cards. Now they used to put the unicursal hexagram on one of the cards and information about the O.T.O. on other extra card. There are two publishing companies for the Thoth deck if I remember correctly and only one of them uses the three magus cards.

Actually when the cards were being painted by Lady Frieda Harris there were quite a few of the cards that had more than one version. I have no idea who had the final say so as to which of the paintings would be used.

Tarot Hermit
 

MystiqueMoonlight

The 3 Magus cards

OK here it is in a nut shell.

Yes Lady Frieda Harris did actually do 3 interpretations of the Magus card and they were on display in the Warburg Institute in London. Werner Ganser did see them and he suggested that they be included in the reprinted deck in 1986.

There is actually no real evidence that implies that there are multiples for the other cards in existence. Obviously it is likely that Lady Frieda Harris did produce more than one sketch for all the other cards (artists often do when they are creating), however it is more likely that these never made the final draft as they may not have been what she was trying to achieve for those.

The suggestion is that the 3 Magus cards were painted to capture specific esoteric notions as imagined by Lady Frieda herself. Alester Crowley actually really only preferred the one that appears in all the decks and that is why that one only really went to print.

Upon suggestion by Harald Schulze-Theiler there always existed 2 other "invisible" cards in every set of Tarot (he refers to the Oswald Wirth deck) and he implied that there were actually to other Fools. However it is suggested by Akron-Hojo Banzhaf in his book "The Crowley Tarot" that it is more relevant to the 2 extra Magus cards in the Thoth Deck.

In order to prevent a long thread here I refer to paragraph 3 page 11 and 12 of his book. I hope this is ok.

The choice then is to either allow the 80 cards to remain in the deck or remove 2 of the Magus cards.

I love this card and I have chosen to keep all 3 in the deck and use them in my readings.
 

Dragonfly

Hi MystiqueMoonlight just a quick ? What do you do when more than one Magus come up in a reading ? If thats ever happen to you before. Many Blessings :)
 

MystiqueMoonlight

Dragonfly said:
Hi MystiqueMoonlight just a quick ? What do you do when more than one Magus come up in a reading ? If thats ever happen to you before. Many Blessings :)

Well because each of these cards is unique to each other so far as the graphics are concerned they tend to influence my intuition differently depending on their position in the layout.

Sometimes of course they may even relate to each other throughout the layout strengthening the purpose of the first Magus card that appeared in the layout. The symbols on each of the cards are all still there only the appearance of the Magus and the way he interacts with each of these symbols (glyphs etc) change.

It is quite interesting to see how having 3 Magi can actually influence a reading (even if it is only a 3 card reading and 2 of the Magi appear).

I recommend to those who have this deck to give it a try and share their experience (or readings) with us.
 

MystiqueMoonlight

Further to the topic of the 3 Magus cards I would like to refer you (for those of you who have the book) to pages 13 through 15 of The Book of Thoth.

In it Alester Crowley provides a brilliant explanation of the numbering system (0-10) based on the ancient Qabala and the Tree of Life.

More notably he recognises the numbers 7,8 &9 as follows:-

"...one must look to the Vedanta System for a more lucid interpretation although they correspond very closely to the Qabalstic ideas. In the Hindu analysis of existence the Rishis (Sages) postulate three qualities: Sat, the Escence of Being itself; Chit Thought or Intellect; and Ananda (usually translated Bliss), the pleasure experienced by Being in the cause of events...."

I personally believe that the 3 Magi are actually meant to be included in the deck as 3 seperate cards. I see them as represenative of the same Magus but in 3 different personalities. Kind of compared to the 3 wise men who followed the Star of Bethlehem who weren't actually Kings but were seen to be wise because of there spiritual understanding in astrology, alchemy and numerology or the 3 Chinese Foo Lok Tso who represent furtune, longevity and wisdom.

Therefore these 3 cards are a broader explanation of the same and may be used as a pinnacle part of a reading.

This is my personal understanding and belief anyways.

Blessed be.......
 

Dragonfly

Wow what a great way of looking at the three cards that way. I will try that for my next reading. One quick ? as always. Dose anyone have a book where all three cards are mentioned and explans what the symbols mean. Or am I making way to much of this. And just stick to one general meaing for all three cards. Have a Great weekend everyone. :)
 

MystiqueMoonlight

Dragonfly said:
Wow what a great way of looking at the three cards that way. I will try that for my next reading. One quick ? as always. Dose anyone have a book where all three cards are mentioned and explans what the symbols mean. Or am I making way to much of this. And just stick to one general meaing for all three cards. Have a Great weekend everyone. :)

Dragonfly,

I am not aware of any book that discusses all 3 Magus cards as having seperate meanings. I don't believe that is the intent of them anyways.

The book "The Crowley Tarot" by Akron-Hajo Banzhof does mention the 3 Magi but breifly.

Do give it a try in your readings and let us know what your results were.....


Blessed be.....
 

Dragonfly

Thank You. :) Blessings to you and yours :)