"Ultimate" RWS book by Fiebig and Burger

Richard

I'm waiting for Teheuti's book. She has mentioned in random posts here and there that she is working on it. Meanwhile, she is of the opinion that P. F. Case's The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages may be the best source for the symbolism of the RWS Majors. However, Case's book does not deal with the divinatory use of Tarot. The book is illustrated with the B.O.T.A. Tarot, but almost all the cards have essentially the same visual symbols as the RWS.
 

bogiesan

I just thought it was going to be something that it's not (as far as I can tell from the previews and reviews). I'd like to know where bogiesan got the idea that it explains Waite's symbols and references. I went over to Llewellyn's site and didn't see anything to suggest that at all.
I would just love to have a book that really does explain Waite. Because I've tried reading him. The Pictorial Key is not too bad but some of his other stuff is difficult to penetrate.

I did not get the idea from anyone anywhere. I was suggesting a new, perhaps more appropriate and less superlative title than "Ultimate" because anything with ultimate in the title can never achieve such status.

I could not have been inferring anything about the boo—it had not been released when I posted—and the only, very limited, two-page preview was available on Llewelyn's site. It was clear to me, regardless of the book's possible positive attributes, it would not qualify as ultimate. So I suggested it might be better referred to as an explanation of Waite. However, if the author had been delivering new and previously unknown research and art, certainly it would have hit the market with a bit more of splash and certainly someone around here would have dropped a hint about it.

Ms Greer's hinted-at Waite book will be an instant purchase decision.
 

Inconnu

I just thought it was going to be something that it's not (as far as I can tell from the previews and reviews). I'd like to know where bogiesan got the idea that it explains Waite's symbols and references. I went over to Llewellyn's site and didn't see anything to suggest that at all.

I would just love to have a book that really does explain Waite. Because I've tried reading him. The Pictorial Key is not too bad but some of his other stuff is difficult to penetrate.

I found him an interesting chap. There's a bio; "A.E. Waite: Magician of Many Parts"

http://www.amazon.com/E-Waite-Magic...UTF8&qid=1368069736&sr=1-8&keywords=a+e+waite

and an autobio; :Shadows of Life and Thought"
http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Thought-Arthur-Edward-Waite/dp/1162561505

I liked them both, but if you've read "Pictorial key" then you already know Waite's not easy going.
 

agent199

Ultimate RWS

I picked up this book and like it a lot.
It is great for someone like me who likes to READ the cards without adhering to canned meanings all the time.
In my opinion, canned meanings do not let the cards speak to you.

From p.2 in the book:
"The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no other signs."
(A.E. Waite)

So if that is the route you want to go, this book will do that for you.

And of course, if your like me that thinks there is no other Tarot deck except for RWS; then you need this book ;)

Cheers!
 

rwcarter

My Tarot Crack Dealer and Enabler (TCDE) gave this to me a couple of weeks ago. I haven't read it from cover to cover yet (and probably never will considering the 650 or so tarot books that I own), but did randomly skim through it. The "Top 10 list" format is unfortunate (I now think of the book as the "David Letterman tarot book on the Rider Waite" :laugh:), but it does appear to contain some info I hadn't noticed in the cards. It's just unfortunate that the info was presented in the manner it was.... I think the book has some valuable insights but lots of people are going to overlook the book based on the 10 Ten format....
 

HOLMES

i like the book

the reason why I like the book is the ten symbols of the minor arcana..
I never really looked at the symbolism of the minor just went by the basics.
I just brought it on a whim,,and looked through it.

lots of time the publishers name books that figure they would sell, like one poker book which was just on the basics was called the complete guide which the author said he wished it wasnt' named that.

so i see why some dont' like the title especially in the context of what is provided.

of course looking at the back of the book you see
primary meanings, spiritual meanings, love, success. and tendancy.

nowhere is history, astrology, numerology, psychology, or even inuitative mentioned, which is a good thing for the astrology four pages at the back might as well not even be there.
I like the majority of you think it is misnamed, at best i would called it the top things about the tarot image perhaps.

one thing that I loved starting out as a beginner and i look forward to in a good book is when the author provides sample readings.
and here i think that would of been very useful if they provided like 5 sample readings providing how to use the symbolism in a reading. I think that would of help beginners immensely.

so going back to why i like it, i like it for the ten symbols on minor arcana,, i opened up the nine of swords and see they used the imagery for points twice the quilt, and the face . so that is two repeats but they are different takes on the same situation.

and looking at number ten of the tarot fact. that practically everywhere the cards are seen as mirror..I don't see them really that way,,only using that when i am struggling to get a card to relate to the client.

anyhow there are a lot better beginners book and advanced books out there. a beginner will usually i think for that is what i did buy 5 or 6 tarot books as their passion takes off.. so this book will most likely sit there in a person library , pretty to look at,, and perhaps to look at the card in a new way they might pick it up and look at the "ten most important symbols " now and then over years.
so in retrospect , 4 for prettiness. 2 for usefulness out of 5 stars (due to ten things about a card ) 1 for knowledge. (no deep thought no astrology, etc)

edited to add
i am the type of person to like a bad movie for a particular scene so that is why i liked the book.