Tarot - The Royal Road
Preface

I wrote this manual, titled The Royal Road, back in the mid-1980's. At that time, I could find very little information on the Thoth Tarot, and Crowley's book proved a far bit over my head for those early stages of my development. Still, I wanted a resource I could use, especially when reading for myself, as well as one I could give to a friend who also wanted to learn to read this deck. So, I scoured bookstores for the few books I could find on the subject, took from them what resonated with me, and added my own insights and experiences as time went by. I did a rewrite in 1991, but haven't touched it since then. As I look through some of its pages, I realize it's probably time it went through a whole new rewrite in order to add updates and insights I've gained with this deck over the past 11 years. However, I fear that will have to wait now until I have a considerable block of free time; perhaps during a winter vacation spend snowbound at home.

In this website, I have classified the Tarot as an Art separate and apart from the Craft. This is deliberate on my part. The Craft is our spiritual path. The Tarot is not a integral tenet of that path, but rather a tool to aid anyone who has an an open mind and seeking heart. You don't have to be Pagan to read the cards, though we may have a headstart in understanding the energies, elemental influences and, with the Thoth deck at least, the astrological and numerological correspondences of the cards. The most important aspect of learning to read, however, is teaching yourself to stay open to possibilities; to step away from yourself and allow the Higher Power to work through you via the cards.

I am very intense on the subject of ethics and responsibility where reading the cards is concerned. Hope and guidance can come from a properly interpreted spread; but great damage can be done when they're read haphazardly or with a hidden agenda. As a reader, you have a responsibility to the person for whom you're reading, to the Power channeling knowledge through the cards to you, and also to yourself. The Rede and the Karmic Laws are not suspended when you sit down to do a reading.

Take what knowledge you may of this work, but realize the many hours that went into compiling and writing it. I have no problem if you want to use this work in your own study, or if you want to use pieces of it on your own website. All I ask is that you credit me as the author. Other than that, I hope it serves you well.

Personally, I want to thank a very special friend of mine who helped make it possible to move this book to the website. Mike spent many long hours proofing, scanning, and doing the coding on most of this tome of mine. I appreciate his dedication to the task, and congratulate him on a job done most excellently! Thank you, Mike…

-- Lady Shyra, 4/2000