What Are You Currently Reading?

3ill.yazi

I know people are often asking, what is you favorite tarot book, or what would you recommend, but I thought I'd ask, what tarot (or related) books are you reading currently? Or most recently?

I just finished reading The Authentic Tarot, by Thomas Saunders. I picked it up as I'm currently learning TdM, and it's one of the few in the forum index I haven't read yet.

It was … okay. I enjoyed his discussions of the history and symbolism, but I think he spends too large a chunk of the short book on a philosophy of the tarot. Not bad, just sort of in the middle for me.

I am now reading Lee Bursten's Marseilles Tarot Companion, for which I bought a deck that I didn't really want in order to get, as it only comes in a box set. A slim volume, but packed with good stuff so far it seems, and it passes my "doesn't claim mysterious Egyptian origins" litmus test.

What are you reading?



[mods: I haven't seen a thread asking this question, but feel free to spike this if there was.]
 

Citrin

Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen. I was kind of skeptic when seeing reviews of it, people were describing it as if she has this very academic approach to tarot which turned me off even though I've loved her blog for some time now. But when I read some excerpts on her website I had to order it immediately - and I'm sooo glad I did!

It is full of information, exercises, spreads, theories and just... It has everything! And she writes in a way that is very easy to take in, and often with a hint of humor. I'm really starting to think this might be THE tarot book for me.

For once I don't have a book on my "waiting list" since Holistic Tarot is like 850 pages thick lol so might take some time to finish... ;)
 

Amurite

Tarot for Today by Joanna Waters. I really liked it when I first started learning about Tarot and as I am now getting back into Tarot after a long absence I thought it would be good to read it again.

It isn't bad, there is just not a lot of meat to it. Rather brief but a fine enough review I think.
 

MysticMoonlight

I'm currently reading Pollack's '78 Degrees of Wisdom' and re-reading 'Power Tarot' by Phyllis Vega and Trish Macgregor...it's my favorite Tarot book along with 'A Magical Course in Tarot' by Michele Morgan :)
 

Thunderbird

I'm currently reading Rachel Pollack's 78 Degrees of Wisdom. I plan on reading Brigit Esselmont's Tarot Foundations next.
 

Barleywine

Just finished Caitlin Matthews' The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook, as relief from my stalled second wade through Joseph Maxwell's monumentally deep and difficult The Tarot, with its rather abstruse numerological complexities (believe it or not, it gives me more trouble than the Book of Thoth!). Also re-read andybc's Lenormand 36 Cards and will soon enjoy a second go at Rana George's The Essential Lenormand. I'm also thinking of bucking up on my French and German and going after some of the non-English Lenormand books andy has recommended. Not all "tarot-related," I know, but still in the cartomantic ball-park. I'm also getting up my resolve to do one of my periodic re-reads of the Book of Thoth, but I need a new copy; mine is all in pieces and difficult to hold.
 

3ill.yazi

Still reading Lee's TdM book, but have also started The Cultural History of Tarot: From Entertainment to Esotericism, by Helen Farley.
 

theangel

Tarot Deck and Book set for DUMMIES :)

I just picked this up at barnes and noble last night. I have yet to open it. It came with a set of The Rider Tarot Deck and a book by Amber Jayanti. It was 30 bucks. I didnt know if maybe someone would have a better suggestion of where to spend 30 buck on trying to learn how to use tarot cards for a beginner.

The Rider deck's illustrations kinda remind me of the Renaissance deck I already own and am not very fond of either, but the Renaissance deck was passed down to me so I really want to study it.

I see that the Rider uses pentacles instead of coins? would this confuse a beginner, if I really just want to study my renaissance deck.

Do you suppose the book came with it just teaches you about the Rider deck? the packaging really didnt say.
 

3ill.yazi

I just picked this up at barnes and noble last night. I have yet to open it. It came with a set of The Rider Tarot Deck and a book by Amber Jayanti. It was 30 bucks. I didnt know if maybe someone would have a better suggestion of where to spend 30 buck on trying to learn how to use tarot cards for a beginner.



The Rider deck's illustrations kinda remind me of the Renaissance deck I already own and am not very fond of either, but the Renaissance deck was passed down to me so I really want to study it.



I see that the Rider uses pentacles instead of coins? would this confuse a beginner, if I really just want to study my renaissance deck.



Do you suppose the book came with it just teaches you about the Rider deck? the packaging really didnt say.


Hi, you should check out the RWS sub forum here. The Rider Waite deck is one of the seminal decks, and I'm figuring the vast majority of decks published in the century since its appearance are based on the system behind it.
 

3ill.yazi

I just finished The Cultural History of Tarot: From Entertainment to Esotericism, by Helen Farley, and I found it very enjoyable. It's more recent, so it reference Huson and Dummett etc.

It's quite skeptical and not reverential at all about the GD and subsequent esoteric tradition, so be warned if you don't like Dummett's tone. Not quite as snarky as Wicked Pack of Cards, but a more concise read of the Material covered in Dummett's book on the occult tradition.

The newer material is regarding the early history of the Tarot: she pretty much puts everything down with the Viscontis. I think she dismisses some theories too handily, like O'Neill's contention that the Visconti deck may not have had a Devil or Tower card at all because the ideas of exploitation of people and the downfall of the mighty would not sit well with the wealthy users of the painted cards.

I'm not seeing this book discussed here that much, which I suspect may be because of it's insane cover price.

Up next I may read Rana George's book on Lenormand. I don't have anything immediately up to read for Tarot books. I may re-read Ben-Dov's Open Reading Book or Jodo's Way of the Tarot.