Three Thoth

“Wow, you read cards, too?”

Pay me enough, and I’ll read chicken entrails. Buyer’s choice.

Thoth Deck

Can’t explain why but I was motivated to gather an image of all three sizes that I tend to carry. More as talismans rather than tools of the trade, but — whatever.

Three Thoth

The three sizes? The one in the middle, it lives in a box, now, and it’s the oldest of the decks — at close to 30 years, and originally a gift from an astrology teacher. Not clearly visible is the slight crease in the middle from repeated shuffling.

A bent deck?

Off and on, in the course of a career as a reader, that deck has seen some usage. I recall the first time I opened the cards, seemed like the images were magically glowing.

Three Thoth

The largest one has seen the most miles, traveling back and forth across the state — and the country — while being used, from the early days to the present. It is a seriously high-mileage deck, more than 20 years of use, and the original box, a bit beat up, still has the New Age Books price tag on it, so that dates the point of sale.

That big deck, just last weekend, as a point of instruction, setting up, I pulled the cards out of their tote bag, and placed them on the corner, to my left.

The cards serve more as a talisman and touchstone, rather than any practical application.

Three Thoth

Finally, because I was splitting up the gear and trying to get all organized, I got the “pocket edition” off Amazon so I would have a smaller deck for my carry-on style go-bag. Again, more as a talisman than as anything else. Seems a little smaller that a standard deck of playing cards, but, of course thicker with 78 cards on durable plastic-like material

Three Thoth

While I’ve read the material, and I’ve studied the symbols, the mythology, and the tales, this is the only style of tarot deck I’ve ever been totally comfortable with, and that’s all that matters. Doing some spurious research, I learned a new aspect to one way to read the cards. One my my favorite components to this set of symbols is the way the astrology is integral, woven into the artwork.

The two show decks, the cards that travel with me, as I bounce about?

cf., astrofish.net/travel

There is another talisman carried in the bag, either to protect, to attract, or some times, I’m unsure of the usage and exact meaning. The little deck has piece of Ruby Zoisite and there is larger spear of Labradorite riding with the bigger set. Been together, stones and cards, for a long time, now. Part of that tradition dates back to a Scorpio, and that, my friends, has been aeons.

Three Thoth

Originally imagined as a three-month project, according to my original sources, the Thoth Deck itself turned into a three year project, consuming their author and the artist during London’s Blitz. Might have some affect on the timbre of design.

Supposedly, and I’ve heard this from several sources, the University of Texas special collections has one of the original decks, and dedicated Thelma students make pilgrimage to handle the cards blessed by the author.

In some editions of the deck, one or two that I’ve got, there’s evidence of the reworking of the cards, looking for what the author wanted. Like with the three Magus cards. Not every deck has those, though, not all three.

Three Thoth

As seen here—

Three Thoth

astrofish.net/travel