[volcanopunk]

This is such a good resource! Thanks everybody!

[Kalisti]

Originally Posted by Falcor

Wen, Benebell, Holistic Tarot...I have been wanting it for a while, the real book. I am old fashioned and prefer a book to any other method.

I'm reading this now, it won't disappoint! It's heavily detailed and taught me new ways to see and use the tarot and includes tons of spreads and goes pretty in depth about how to read them.

[Vixxia]

General tarot books:

Absolute Beginner's Guide To Tarot, Mark McElroy

Although it says 'beginner's guide' in the title I've never felt the need for any other tarot book (outside of deck companion ones) since I started reading the cards in 2007, and I always recommend it to people when I find out that they read. Solandia's done a very good review of it here.

Deck companion books:

A Gnostic Book of Saints, Robert M. Place - Tarot of the Saints

Not a light book, but very well written and researched, and I find it a must for using this deck. As a mediaeval historian my hagiography and iconography is good enough not to need help with the Majors, but some of the Minor pictures and meanings are different enough from the traditional that I find I can't use my Beginner's Guide. It's a deep deck, and I've only been able to read well with it by using the companion book.

Wisdom in the Cards, A. L. Samul - Hudes Tarot

I have to admit I've not read this one yet despite having owned it for years, but it's on my to-do list. But then I haven't picked up my Hudes deck for years either, much as I love it.

The Llewellyn Tarot Companion, Anna-Marie Ferguson - Llewellyn Tarot

Athough I don't use the meanings section of this book I love it for the retelling of the Welsh myths shown on the Majors, demonstrating why that particular part of the story was used for each card. Even though I spent four years at university in rural Wales there were still some stories in the Majors I either couldn't remember or hadn't heard.

The DruidCraft Tarot, Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm - DruidCraft Tarot

I'm partway through reading this one (new deck!), and as I'm reading it out of order I've only got the pages on the numbered pips left to go. Another well written book, and it does a wonderful job of looking at and explaining an unusual way of ordering the deck - Courts, pips in number rather than suit groups, then Majors.