Thoth Tarot Deck: What It Is, How It Differs, and How to Start

Who Created the Thoth Tarot Deck?

Published editions such as the U.S. Games small edition present all 78 cards at dimensions of 2.75 by 4.375 inches and highlight Qabalistic and astrological symbolism (US Games Systems).

Because those specific attributions shape how each card is structured, readers pair the cards with system-specific reference material instead of general tarot booklets.

How Thoth Differs from the Rider-Waite Tradition

When people compare Thoth to the card meanings in the Rider-Waite tradition, the practical difference lies in how each system pairs its visual symbolism with its own foundational commentary.

In A. E. Waite's 1910 text The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (which credits artist Pamela Colman Smith on its title page), the 22 Major Arcana cards are presented through symbolic figures and scenes alongside Waite's esoteric commentary—such as the Magician standing before a table with the four suit emblems and a figure-eight sign above his head, or the High Priestess seated between black and white pillars with a partly covered scroll (Wikisource). In modern reflective practice, these historical symbolic illustrations are read as prompts for self-examination rather than guaranteed predictions of future events.

The Thoth deck uses its own distinct visual vocabulary and interpretive structure. Because the two traditions organize symbol and commentary differently, substituting a Rider-Waite keyword list during a Thoth study session misses the context built for that deck.

Why You Should Use a Thoth-Specific Guide

Every tarot tradition has its own internal vocabulary. If you pull a card in a Rider-Waite deck—for example, the Hermit holding a lantern containing a star, or Strength showing a woman and a lion—you can look up how Waite's text interprets those exact visual elements (Wikisource).

With the Thoth deck, relying on general reference pages built around Rider-Waite imagery can blur the boundaries between two distinct systems. Starting with the booklet included in your specific box set gives you the baseline context intended for that edition. For a dedicated book-length companion, Lon Milo DuQuette's Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot (New Edition, Weiser Books, 2017) provides a card-by-card explanation of Crowley's intended attributions and includes a new introduction (Red Wheel / Weiser).

Is the Thoth Tarot Good for Beginners?

Whether the Thoth deck suits you as a first or second deck depends on how you prefer to learn:

• Choose Thoth if: You enjoy studying structured symbolic systems, want to explore its specific correspondences alongside Lady Frieda Harris's art, and are happy to read a dedicated companion guide as you go.
• Start with a Rider-Waite deck if: You want to begin with the tradition used in our Rider-Waite card guide, or you prefer learning from Waite and Smith's emblematic scenes first.

You do not need prior occult training to appreciate the artwork, nor do you have to memorize every attribution on day one. Treating the deck as a tool for structured reflection—rather than a test of esoteric memory or a predictor of fixed outcomes—keeps the learning curve manageable.

How to Read Thoth Cards: A 3-Step Practice Exercise

When you sit down with a Thoth card (or compare it with a familiar card from your current deck), separate what you see from what the guidebook says and how you apply it to your life. This three-part exercise keeps you grounded in the actual card in front of you.

1. Record Pure Visual Observation

Look at a single card for one minute before opening any book. Write down three concrete visual details: posture, geometric shapes, colors, or objects.

For instance, if you were practicing this step with Waite's Star card, your observation note would simply record a large star surrounded by seven smaller stars above a figure pouring from two jugs (Wikisource). On your chosen Thoth card, note the dominant colors, central figure or emblem, and background geometry without trying to decode their formal meaning yet.

2. Check Your Edition's Guidebook

Next, open the booklet that came with your Thoth deck or a dedicated Thoth reference book. Write down one or two core themes or attributions that the commentary links to the card you drew.

Keep the tradition boundary clear: do not paste a Rider-Waite definition over a Thoth card if your Thoth guide points in a different direction. Note how the text connects the symbol on the card to a broader concept or mood.

3. Frame One Reflective Question

Translate that theme into a practical, open-ended question about your current situation. Remember that tarot cards do not diagnose problems, read other people's minds, or guarantee future events. Instead, use the symbol to prompt self-reflection.

Use this conditional study worksheet in your journal, filling in the bracketed fields from the actual card and booklet in front of you:

• Card and source: [Write the exact Thoth card title + the edition booklet or reference book you are consulting]
• Observation: [List 3 visible details on the card—for example: primary color palette, central figure or symbol, and background forms]
• Guidebook theme: [Summarize in your own words what your chosen Thoth guide says about those symbols or attributions]
• Conditional reflection (if the guide's theme involves balancing competing demands): Where in my current work schedule am I treating two obligations as equally urgent when one actually needs to wait?

Working through one card at a time in this way lets you build familiarity with the Thoth Tarot at your own pace, grounded in direct observation and clear reference material.

Sources

• US Games Systems — Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck (Small)
• Red Wheel / Weiser — Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot (New Edition)
• Wikisource — The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (Part 2)