Books, Books and More Books!
A peek at my current bookstack and what I'm reading as I study Thoth (again)!
Since getting back into my Thoth studies, I’ve been diving heavily back into my books and even added in a few new ones recently! I thought I would share some of my recent book acquisitions and what I’m currently reading. I plan to share a more in depth look at my daily card practice/study and journaling in another post so as not to turn this post into a novel… I’m guilty of doing that way too often!
Let’s dive in, shall we?
This post originally started out as a “Currently Reading” but I wanted to share some newly attained books that have made their way into my bookstack. I’m the type of reader who likes to read a few books at once, unless it’s fiction, I’m monogamous when it comes to that genre. Right now I’m reading three books, it was four but eh, that one kind of got pushed to the backburner (again).
Currently Reading
My main focus is The Book of Thoth by the Master Therion himself, Aleister Crowley. Back when I first got into my Thoth studies (four years prior) I had this book on my radar but instead, I started with Lon Milo DuQuette’s Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot. I’m partially glad I did that because it gave me a pretty good foundation and basic understanding of Crowley’s text. I’m taking my sweet time with The Book of Thoth and annotating it heavily along the way so as to soak it all in. Many folks warned me that this book would be heavy and difficult read but I’m not finding it difficult at all, at least for me personally. Perhaps it was the primer that Mr. DueQuette’s book gave me. Aside from a few words here and there, I’m finding The Book of Thoth to be fascinating! It’s quite interesting and has helped fill in some gaps I’ve had while reading other Thoth related books. Going right to the source is always a great idea!
On that note, the other book I’m reading is indeed Lon Milo DueQuette’s Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, again! I read this several years back and studied each card as I went alongside it, but I wanted a refresher. I’ve been picking this book up here and there when I feel the urge to dive into Mr. DuQuette’s great sense of humor. Despite having already read this book, I’m still finding new things that I missed the first time I went through it. This is the first book I always recommend to anyone new to Thoth or curious, it’s a great way to build a good foundation on the entire system without feeling overwhelmed by all the rabbit holes you can dive into.
The third book that I’m currently reading is one that arrived the other day in the mail, it’s Gerd Ziegler’s Tarot: Mirror of the Soul. This book kept popping up in the Thoth groups I’m in and I finally decided to check it out for myself to see what all the hype was and OMG I love it! As someone who tries to keep a journaling habit (and fails 99% of the time) this book has some great things to chew on when it comes to using the cards daily. I wish I had purchased this book much sooner, it can also be used with RWS and other decks but be aware that it leans towards Thoth. At the end of each card interpretation are four bullet points to explore:
Indications - Something to chew on and look for
Question - Great for journaling
Suggestion - Ways to connect to the card
Affirmation - A daily mantra or focus
I also really love the spreads in the back, specifically one that I’ve actually been searching for online for ages. The spread is the Seven-Card Eclipse and it features, you guessed it, 7-cards. It’s similar to the Celtic Cross but I really love the positions in this specific spread and layout, it’s a V shape. I plan to try it out this weekend for my week ahead reading and see how it goes!
Other Books
Some other books on my table at the moment is Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law, this is one I’ve already partially read on my Kindle but I wanted to physical book and it’s pretty cheap (like under $7) and a very short read. While I’m not a Thelemite, I do partake in Liber Resh (Solar) almost daily. I’m always up before sunrise so it fits perfectly into my daily life and it’s been quite interesting.
Also, I was reading The Chicken Qabalah by Lon Milo DuQuette pretty steadily but I just recently set it aside to focus on the others I’m reading. Seriously, I love Lon’s writing and this book is no different. I was getting quite heavily into the Hermetic Qabalah, this book breaks things down and makes it more digestible to grasp. I’ll return to this book soon enough!
Lastly, I have an astrology book that I have been using alongside my Thoth studies. That book is Stephen Arroyo’s Chart Interpretation Handbook. I’ve actually had this book for a few years now and still refer to it when I get the urge to dip my toes into astrology. It’s been a great companion while I work with Thoth and the section I use most is “the planets in the signs” since the Minor Arcana is tied to this closely (ex: 3 of Swords - Saturn in Libra). It just gives me another perspective to connect with, but it’s great for natal charts and learning astrology as well!
What are you currently reading right now? Do share, I’d love to hear in the comments!
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