raeanne
Hi all,
Sorry, I have been away for a few days. I guess I need to clarify my question. I didn’t intend to discuss Crowley (pro or con). I was asking about the need to ‘get into his head’ which I don’t think is necessary. The way I see things is that an artist creates a work of art with a certain vision in mind. They attempt to convey a certain meaning or energy. But, the interesting thing about art is that the viewer may see something entirely different! Crowley might have meant one thing but I might see something completely different. It happens with paintings, poetry, music, and pretty much all forms of art. Intellectually it is nice to know what the artist was trying to convey but I personally don’t have to use that connection. I know that there are those people who believe that they have to stick to the meaning that the artist used…this card means this because the artist said so. I believe that I can build my own meaning. (Now, I also have to say that certain symbols can convey a public meaning. In the USA there have been disagreements about the use of the Confederate flag. Some people see it as a tribute to their ancestors who fought under that flag and others see it as a symbol of racial hatred. I wouldn’t go around showing that symbol without understanding how the public might react to it. But for me personally it can have whatever meaning I choose to give it or no specific meaning at all.) As for the Thoth tarot deck, I have read Crowley’s work. I agree with some points and disagree with others. If he put a certain symbol on a card for a specific reason, I can choose to agree with that or not. I can use his artwork and create my own meanings. As always, that's just my own viewpoint and I am always interested in hearing how others see things.
Sorry, I have been away for a few days. I guess I need to clarify my question. I didn’t intend to discuss Crowley (pro or con). I was asking about the need to ‘get into his head’ which I don’t think is necessary. The way I see things is that an artist creates a work of art with a certain vision in mind. They attempt to convey a certain meaning or energy. But, the interesting thing about art is that the viewer may see something entirely different! Crowley might have meant one thing but I might see something completely different. It happens with paintings, poetry, music, and pretty much all forms of art. Intellectually it is nice to know what the artist was trying to convey but I personally don’t have to use that connection. I know that there are those people who believe that they have to stick to the meaning that the artist used…this card means this because the artist said so. I believe that I can build my own meaning. (Now, I also have to say that certain symbols can convey a public meaning. In the USA there have been disagreements about the use of the Confederate flag. Some people see it as a tribute to their ancestors who fought under that flag and others see it as a symbol of racial hatred. I wouldn’t go around showing that symbol without understanding how the public might react to it. But for me personally it can have whatever meaning I choose to give it or no specific meaning at all.) As for the Thoth tarot deck, I have read Crowley’s work. I agree with some points and disagree with others. If he put a certain symbol on a card for a specific reason, I can choose to agree with that or not. I can use his artwork and create my own meanings. As always, that's just my own viewpoint and I am always interested in hearing how others see things.
