Becoming a Thoth-devotee: newbie questions...

balenciaga said:

Oh boy, I'm in trouble because I read the Princes as Kings; the Knights as Knights. Guys on horseback just look like Knights, so as not to confuse my mind when I read, I figured I would just leave it like that. It all comes down to how your mind processes the images, in the end.
I am interested in reading at least some of the Book of Thoth, but I will skip the heavy parts.(!)
Wish me luck (I'll need it). But I do love the way it speaks to me.

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I didn't find the Book of Thoth too difficult--just a bit outdated since Crowley was trying to mesh science with metaphysics with the little bit of science that was available at the turn of the 20th century. Sort of comical at times if you consider it, but his purely metaphysical considerations are worth looking into. The reason why Crowley used the Knights to represent "Kings" is because, in old matrilineal times, the new king ascended to the throne by killing the old king and marrying the princess of the kingdom. Quite the family drama, as you would imagine.

In Crowley's mind, the Knight was much more symbolic of the violent history needed to become a legitimate ruler of those times.

balenciaga said:

Oh boy, I'm in trouble because I read the Princes as Kings; the Knights as Knights. Guys on horseback just look like Knights, so as not to confuse my mind when I read, I figured I would just leave it like that. It all comes down to how your mind processes the images, in the end.
I am interested in reading at least some of the Book of Thoth, but I will skip the heavy parts.(!)
Wish me luck (I'll need it). But I do love the way it speaks to me.

Click to expand...

Oh dear.
Your post has just reminded me that the last time this question was asked I gave the reply that Knights = knights cos of the horses and kings = princes because the chariot is just a moving throne.

*blush*

Anyhow, no worries, it don't matter.
The prince becomes the knight, the knight is reborn as the prince.
So it works both ways.
Just read the card as itself, however it seems at the time.

balenciaga said:

...I read ... the Knights as Knights. Guys on horseback just look like Knights, so as not to confuse my mind when I read, I figured I would just leave it like that. It all comes down to how your mind processes the images, in the end.

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But the Knights ARE knights. As you say. It's just that the role of ruler (king) is now given over to the Queen - this represents a significant change due to the influence of the new Aeon. But the 'first flash' of energy (Yod in tetragrammaton) is still represented as a 'male' energy - Knight - and the second manifestation or modification of energy - He in Tetragrammaton- is the female Queen. Crowley changed the formula somewhat but also included the old formular, in a way. He explains it clearly in the set up of the Gnostic Mass and why a Priestess is now introduced in the ceremony.

Also see the Lust card where the female rides the male.

The new female energy and role is obviously being expressed in our societies (or fighting still to be expressed) but the new male way is a little confusing becasue many of these new age men's movements are not accepting the vigor force fire and violent tendencies within the male and suppressing it (thus resulting in 'cool, groovey. great hip looking, new age guys that still loose the plot and beat up on their girls friends - suppression makes it worse.)

The formular of the Knight (and the 7 Headed Beast in the majors) seems to be a much more accurate and healthy representation.

Gottcha. Thanks to everyone for the help.

Lillie said:

For me Art is not Temperance.
In particular.

Knight = king
Queen = Queen
Prince = Knight
Princess = Page

But they don't really fit.

You have to read the Thoth as the thoth.
if you read the thoth with RWS meanings you are just reading the RWS by proxy.
(and the same the other way round, which I do)

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I agree with you about having to read the Thoth and Thoth, and not get tangled up with the RWS meanings.

I use Thoth most of the time and each court card has its unique energy:

Knights = Matured masculine energies in respect to their suits. Example: Knight of Wands. Matured masculine fire energy, very focused and ready to act.

Queens = Matured feminine energies. Receptive and solid.

Princes = Young masculine energies. Spreading out without a single direction.

Princesses = Young feminine energies. Receptive; lack the experiences of the Queens.