Originally Posted by Nevada
But the best books don't give you meanings to memorize so much as a way to come to know the cards and to see them in a reading. For that it's better to have some good books about tarot in general than just books written for particular decks.
I just want to put in a good word here for books written for particular decks. I realize that many readers believe that the card images should speak for themselves and that it isn't necessary to become acquainted with the divinatory and symbolic significances intended by the particular deck's creator. For myself, I prefer to read any given deck more or less the way the deck's creator intended it to be read. If I do decide to deviate, I want to know exactly what I'm deviating from.
The best resource for determining exactly how a deck's creator intends his/her deck to be interpreted is to read a book written specifically for that deck by either the deck's creator or by an author working closely with the deck's creator. For example, the Robin Wood Tarot is a RWS-based deck that is very popular with both seasoned readers and beginners. The illustrations used in this deck are close enough to the RWS illustrations that it's easy to take conventional RWS significances and just apply them as is to the deck.
However, the Robin Wood deck is crammed with symbolism that would be virtually impossible to fully appreciate and understand without Robin Wood's book. This symbolism reflects subtle nuances of interpretation that gives the deck its own personality distinct from the Rider Waite deck. This is what I love about reading with different decks. Every deck I own reads differently, to one degree or another. It would be a shame to try to shoehorn the same RWS interpretations onto every deck, even decks that are closely based on the RWS standard.
There are many decks available that have excellent books written specifically for that particular deck. In some cases, the books are bundled with the deck in a kit. Some kits I've found especially useful are the Gilded Tarot, the Druidcraft Tarot, the Mystic Faerie Tarot, and the Bohemian Gothic Tarot.
Alan