Hi Manfeex,
I have several books and they more or less fall into one of two categories :
- the books that describe the meanings traditionaly attributed to each card - You might not want to read them from page one to the last in one go, IMO this kind of book is better as a "reference book" that you can consult from time to time to deepen your understanding of a certain card. I rarely use these books, actually.
- the workbooks that gives you journaling prompts, exercises etc, and that you can use along with a pen and paper, from chapter one to the end of the book. These are my favourite kind of books (I love to be suggested activities to do with my cards)
Of course, some books also are a cross of the two categories.
The three work books I have are :
Tarot 101 by Kim Huggens (great for beginners but also I think many intermediate or even advanced readers will enjoy some of the exercises). It can bee used with any sort of tarot deck. to an extand, it also gives information on the traditional meanings of the cards, so it is a "complete" beginner's book.
Tarot for Yourself Mary K Greer. I have only started on this one so I cant say much, but I like it a lot so far.
The Motherpeace tarot Playbook. I have not started on this one. It is made to work with the Motherpeace deck, but obviously can also be used with other decks as well. I like the fact that is looks like a true exercice book and you can write directly inside it.
The "reference books" I have are :
78 degrees of wisdom by rachel Pollack : a classic. I regret that some cards are not given a very deep reflexion nor a very long paragraph. Some cards are explored in depth, but not all (the majors are given much more thoughts and space than some of the minors)
La Bible du Tarot de Rachel Pollack (In english : Rachel Pollack's Tarot Wisdom) Same kind of book than the 78 degrees, and actually I am glad to have them both, because they seem complementary. This one gives images of each card from several different decks taken from different traditions.
The Ultimate guide to the RWS by J Fiebig and E Burger. It points to many symbols found on each card, which is good. But, I wish these symbols were explored in more depth. I dont use this book a lot.
One book that I have and love, and that does not fall into any category is the Tarot Playbook by Lynda Cowles. This one is not meant to learn the tarot, more to have fun with the deck ! It is sometimes a little silly, and I love it. I have not done many activities from it, but just reading it is fun. It does not take itself seriously.
My wish list :
- 21 ways to read a tarot card (MK Greer)
- Your Tarot your way by Barbara Moore
I think I will have to work through the ones I have first, before I give in and get some from my wishlist !
I hope that helps you.
I think you will not be able to learn from only one book - you need to gather knowledge from different sources, and not everything is in the books (internet is a great source too, as is this forum !)
But, if I should recommand only one book to start with, I would recommand Tarot 101. It is a great start.
Have a good sunday !