Selected Resources for
New Students of Tarot
By James W. Revak
Selected Resources for
New Students of Tarot
By James W. Revak
BOOKS INTRODUCTORY Numerous introductory books on Tarot exist. By all means, browse at local, on-line, and used bookstores. Although Tarot can and should be fun, also be aware that it can be challenging and does require study; books which promise to make you a competent reader in, say, an evening are typically junk. Because a book is in print does not mean that it is reliable or will be helpful. Know also that the little books, which are often enclosed with Tarot decks, vary in quality from barely adequate to terrible, are always seriously limited by their tiny format, and typically should not be relied upon exclusively.
You may wish, therefore, to get your feet wet by trying one of the following books. Alternatively, you may wish to ask an experienced Tarotist for his/her opinion before purchasing a given book. Finally, always read critically.
Learning Tarot: A Book for Beginners by Joan Bunning (Samuel Weiser, ISBN 1578630487). This commendable book is closely based on the author’s methodical Learning Tarot: An On-Line Course.
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack (HarperCollins, ISBN 0722535724). This book comprises an insightful introduction to interpreting cards. Each card receives sensible treatment which typically includes divinatory meanings, brief discussions of lessons and wisdom which may be offered, and concise analysis of its imagery and symbols. To a lesser extent, the author explores reversed cards, card spreads, and how to do readings. Pollack’s writing is clear and straightforward. On the other hand, some readers may find her approach weak with regard to traditional Occultism or Western Esotericism. The book is illustrated primarily with a Rider-Waite-Smith deck and probably best used with a member of this family or one of many similar decks (see Other Decks).
Illustration (above): Cover from Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack (copyright © 1997 Pollack).
Tarot for Your Self: A Workbook for Personal Transformation by Mary K. Greer (Newcastle, ISBN 0878770771). This popular title, which emphasizes an intuitive or meditative approach to Tarot, suggests a wide variety of ways to begin quickly to explore the cards. Users report that the author presents engaging methods and practical tips to help the new Tarotist to begin to learn how to interpret cards and apply them to such areas of life as working with emotions, healing, and creativity. The author’s writing is clear, direct, and easy to understand. On the other hand, some readers may find her approach weak with regard to traditional Occultism or Western Esotericism. Additionally, the section devoted to history is riddled with errors and the compendium of divinatory meanings for individual cards is skimpy. The book is illustrated with cards from a wide variety of decks and other sources. Some of Greer’s work may also be found at Tarot: Tools and Rites of Transformation by the author and Ed Buryn.
The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore by Cynthia Giles (Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0671891014). This short book is a good introduction to Tarot in general. It will not teach you the specifics of reading cards. However, the author provides a valuable, generally objective overview of Tarot history, and briefly discusses lessons and wisdom which Tarot may offer. Giles suggests practical do-it-yourself projects for increasing your understanding of the cards. She also explores theories which may help to explain why the cards work; however, some readers will find them downright silly. Giles’ writing is clear and direct, and she has a knack for presenting difficult ideas so that the attentive reader can easily grasp them. The book boasts a valuable bibliography, which includes synopses of numerous titles. Illustrations are from a variety of decks and other sources.
Illustration (above): Cover from The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore by Cynthia Giles (copyright © 1992 Giles).
Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis (Llewellyn, ISBN 1567184006). This title is a sensible introduction to interpreting cards. Each one receives insightful treatment, which includes divinatory meanings and key words and phrases. Each treatment also includes brief advice which may apply to the situation at hand and concise descriptions of people whom the card may represent. The author also covers interpretations of reversed cards. To a lesser extent, he explores card spreads, doing readings, and how astrology and numerology may relate to Tarot. Louis’ writing is lucid and concise. On the other hand, some readers will find his approach very weak with regard to traditional Occultism or Western Esotericism. The book is illustrated with the The Robin Wood Tarot Deck and is probably best used with this deck, a Rider-Waite-Smith deck, or one of many similar decks (see Other Decks).
The Crowley Tarot: The Handbook to the Cards by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf (U.S. Games Systems, ISBN 0880797150). This book provides a good introduction to interpreting cards, especially those of the The Thoth Tarot Deck, with which it is illustrated and probably best used. Each card receives methodical treatment which includes description, introductory discussion, analysis, commentary, interpretations, and much more. To a lesser extent, Akron and Banzhaf explore reversed cards, spreads, and how to learn to read cards. Their writing is clear and they have a knack for shedding valuable light on a deck, which some beginners might otherwise find confusing. On the other hand, some readers may find their approach weak with regard to traditional Occultism or Western Esotericism and, frankly, they are not completely faithful to Crowley’s intent as described in his advanced study The Book of Thoth.
Many other popular introductory books are available, including but not limited to: Dictionary of the Tarot by Bill Butler (Schocken, ISBN 0805205594), Easy Tarot Guide by Marcia Masino (ACS, ISBN 0917086597), Spiritual Tarot: Seventy-Eight Paths to Personal Development by Signe E. Echols, Robert Mueller, and Sandra Thomson (Avon, ISBN 0380782065), and Tarot as a Way of Life: A Jungian Approach to Tarot by Karen Hamaker-Zondag (Samuel Weiser, ISBN 087728878X).
WANT MORE OF A CHALLENGE? If you want something more challenging, have worked your way through some of the above titles, or already enjoy a basic knowledge of Occultism or Western Esotericism, you may wish to explore the following titles.
The Book of Thoth by The Master Therion (better known as Aleister Crowley) (Samuel Weiser, ISBN 0877282684). This work, first published in a limited edition in 1944, comprises a challenging, advanced discussion of Tarot, which relates the cards to numerology, astrology, Cabala (a school of mysticism which has impacted Tarot significantly), the I Ching (the classic Chinese oracle), mythology, and much more. Crowley presents each card in significant detail, and frequently focuses on complex esoteric issues in addition to divination. If you use The Thoth Tarot Deck you will eventually want to explore this extraordinary book; it includes numerous illustrations from this deck and is widely considered the definitive guide to it.
Illustration (above): Cover from The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley (copyright © 1944 Ordo Templi Orientis).
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite. (Samuel Weiser, ISBN 0877282188; U.S. Games Systems, ISBN 0913866083). Some Tarotists consider this well-known title the definitive guide to Rider-Waite-Smith decks; if you use one of them, you will eventually want to explore this challenging work, which relates Tarot to Occultism or Western Esotericism and provides divinatory meanings for the cards. However, be forewarned: newcomers often find it confusing and ambiguous. Sometimes Waite only hints at important ideas and doctrines, which underlie his and Smith’s deck specifically and Tarot generally; understanding his oblique references often requires patience and previous knowledge of Occultism or Western Esotericism. First published in 1911, it is illustrated with with the Rider-Waite-Smith designs. Significant excerpts from the book may be found in Tarot Divination: Three Parallel Traditions edited by James W. Revak.
The Qabalistic Tarot by Robert Wang (Samuel Weiser, ISBN 0877286728). This excellent title comprises a solid presentation of Tarot, especially as it relates to astrology, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (an influential group of occultists active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries), and the work of Crowley. The author frequently focuses on complex esoteric issues in addition to divination. He also presents a good introduction to Cabala and how it may be related to Tarot. First published in 1983, it is illustrated with cards from the Tarot of Marseilles, The Thoth Tarot Deck, a Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the author’s own Golden Dawn Tarot, and other sources.
A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult Tarot by Ronald Decker, Thierry Depaulis & Michael Dummett (St. Martin’s, ISBN 0312162944). This meticulously researched and well documented history details the rise of the occult or esoteric Tarot in France from the late 18th- through early 20th-centuries. Such leading Tarotists as Gébelin, Etteilla, Lévi, and Papus are discussed in detail. However, the authors are not committed to the esoteric Tarot, and are often highly critical of those who are. This work, published in 1996, is illustrated with cards from historic decks and other sources. The title is out of print, but is often available as a used book (see next section).
HOW TO OBTAIN OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS If you begin to build a well-rounded Tarot library, you will soon discover that a significant number of important titles are out of print. However, many of them may be obtained with relative ease and at modest cost. You may seek them at local and on-line used bookstores, Internet auction sites, and libraries. You may also search massive databases of used books offered for sale, such as the Advanced Book Exchange (ABE).
NEXT PREVIOUS CONTENTS E-MAIL AUTHOR HOME
Copyright © 2000 James W. Revak. All rights reserved. Version 2.1 (8/12/00).