Thoth and his Book

This short ritual serves to make divining with Tarot cards easier and more deep. It allows for more extensive and precise insight than a simple reading. Since it is also considerably more elaborate, performing it will usually be worth the effort only in the case of very important questions. It will only support divinatory skills, not replace them. If necessary, it can easily be adopted for other divination methods - for rune casting, you might work with Odin instead of Thoth, for instance. The ritual requires knowledge about Thoth as well as practical experience with divination, trance travel and invocations into oneself.

Prior to the ritual, preparations as are common for invocatory workings, such as ritual cleansing, meditation and preparation of the ritual space with fitting items, symbols, numbers and incenses, may be made in any complexity that seems appropriate.

They are not necessary, however - the whole ritual can be performed in a way it looks completely identical to an ordinary reading from the outside.

In the beginning, you draw a circle around you (in your imagination or using your finger) and declare (in your mind or loudly): "This circle is sanctified to Thoth." or something similar. Now the cards are carefully shuffled and the question worded. It is important to phrase the query not in the first, but in the third person. So if it is about you, act as if you were asking on someone else's behalf. While shuffling, slowly go into a trance state. Especially for experienced readers, the shuffling sound and movement has a trance inducing effect anyway - use this.

You do the third person phrasing to prepare for the actual reading, which you do in a state where you don't identify "yourself" with your everyday awareness, but with Thoth. Your everyday awareness is a third person in that moment. This seperation is advisable because it efficiently suspends personal emotional attachment, which is one of the greatest obstacles to divining.

When you are in trance, spread out the cards as you usually do prior to drawing them. Then go on a trance travel to Thoth. Ask whether he would like to help you finding the answer to your question. If he agrees, invite him to come with you to the place you consecrated to him. Return to your body quickly and call Thoth by his name (in your mind or loudly). Should you wish so, you might also use other calls. He will come into your body; you can guide this process with visualization if you want. When you feel the usual signs of a beginning invocation, remember your aim, the answering of the question, and keep it in mind while Thoth fills you.

This will not only guide the invocation, but also damp its intensity. This effect is intended - a controlled influence from the deity is required in this ritual, as opposed to full trance.

During your identification with Thoth, you now draw the cards, spread them out and interpret them. The effect from Thoths presence in your mind will perhaps not be very noticable, but you might as well encounter various unusual effects such as spontaneously inventing new spreads or interpreting cards very much differently from your usual style. Accept this things as natural and wonder some other day. If the invocation becomes too weak, ask Thoth to return to the center of your thinking. When you have the answer, memorize it well and thank Thoth in a way that seems fitting to you. Take your time for the goodbye - you might talk a little, for example, or (trance) travel back together.

At this point, you are in a rather deep trance, which gives you a good opportunity for a conversation with Thoth that may prove very rewarding. He is a pleasant and instructive dialog partner. ;-)

In the end, you again give thanks to Thoth, for his presence this time, and return to your normal awareness. Bring your consecrated-to-Thoth environment back into its normal condition by sending the Thoth energy that forms it back to him.