Tarot basics: Choosing a good Tarot book
/In my first post on the Tarot, I made much of the fact that it is as good as the Bible or other ancient and revered religious texts.
Does this make Tarot books scripture? There are thousands after all. You might be thinking that they can’t possibly all be scripture (or even very good). And you would be right.
It is eminently possible to write a bad Tarot book and many of them are less than stellar. Even among the good ones, few people will agree on which are the best. When I said that the Tarot can be used the way people use the Bible to read a random bit of spiritual guidance, I was referring more specifically to the cards themselves.
There are 78 cards in the traditional Tarot deck developed over centuries of study. Each card is a symbol, an abstract concept—love, work, study, beginning, enthusiasm, conflict, death, rebirth, wholeness… But these words in any ordinary language are woefully insufficient to capture the full meaning of each concept.
However, the Tarot is a language that does possess the nuance and depth to capture the fullness of these concepts and to do so in the context of ever-changing life. And more importantly the Tarot provides a language for communication between you and your Self (or the Gods or your ancestors, depending on your goal).
That is the text of tremendous meaning I was talking about: the concepts of the 78 cards in an infinite variety of combinations. In many decks, symbols are used within the picture or a key word is printed on the card to help jog your intuition or memory of the key aspects that the card represents.
That is why it is fine to have many different decks of cards that appeal to many different individuals and communities. The original Tarot had a limited audience of western, European, esoteric intellectuals in a Judeo-Christian paradigm. The symbols in those cards necessarily speak to and are most useful to that demographic.
That’s why, in the previous post, I encouraged you to choose a deck that reflects your personal tastes and culture. Chances are the symbols in such a deck will be more comprehensible and useful to you.
Many people take just that—a deck with symbols they understand or key words—and read with it. They use the cards as a dictionary and start a kind of Pigeon conversation with their inner self, their gods or whatever entities they contact.
And there is nothing inherently wrong with doing it like that without a book. If it works for you, it can be valuable and a good way to leave space for your intuition.
However, for many of us, that way is too limited. The vocabulary is necessarily just about 78 words, or theoretically 156 if you count each reversal as an opposite. It’s still a more limited language than I would like to have for an in-depth conversation of complex practical and spiritual matters.
That is why I recommend using interpretation books. These are like translators to help you decode the more nuanced meanings in your Tarot conversation. Many of them are quite good and hopefully I can help you choose one (or a few) to start with.
The book that comes with your deck
Many Tarot decks have a specific book devoted to them. If you have chosen a very specific type of deck and it has a book that goes with it, it is a good idea to obtain and use this book at least for a while until you get used to that deck and its symbols.
However, there are conceivable reasons you may want a different book. Sometimes you’ll get a deck and there either is no book to go along with it or you can’t obtain the book for whatever reason.
Then, there are quite a few specialized decks that only come with a small booklet including a vague sentence or two about each card. Such decks may be designed by someone with greater talent in visual art and symbols than with words, or it may have been a decision by a publisher that the artist couldn’t necessarily control. Either way, that little booklet is unlikely to give you the kind of depth you need.
Finally, you may have already used the book that came with the deck for some time and found it lacking, though you may love the cards.
Any of these are legitimate reasons to be on the look-out for a new book. Sometimes I am also looking for a new book with its own cards and my decision on which deck to get will be based both on how the cards look and the contents of the book.
What to look for in a Tarot book
There are people who own a hundred or more Tarot books. While I’m an experienced reader, I’m not among the worst offenders, though this is partly due to lack of finances rather than self control. I own more than a dozen Tarot books. I variously inherited some of them, but others I sought out through a painstaking process of research and careful consideration of the options.
The most important consideration for a book is that it should address the same number of and structure of cards (Major and Minor arcana, suits, etc.) as the deck you are using, though it doesn’t necessarily have to call the cards the same thing. If your cards refer to the “Prince of Wands” and the book refers to the “Knight of fire” instead, this is not a big problem. Here are a few examples of the different kinds of terminology you may find:
Minor Arcana = Lesser mysteries
Wands = fire = will = spirit
Swords = air = mind = thought
Disks = pentacles = coins = earth = body
Cups = chalices = goblets = water = heart
Page = princess = child
Knight = prince = explorer
Queen = priestess = guardian
King = priest = elder
Major arcana = Greater mysteries
The Fool = the Seeker
The Magician = the Witch
The Empress = the Lady = the Mother
The Emperor = the Lord = the Father
The Hierophant = the High Priest = the Teacher
The Chariot = the Canoe = other vehicles
The Hermit = the Shaman = the Holly King
Temperance = The Fferyllt = The Healer
The Hanged Man = the Sacrifice
Death = Rebirth
Judgement = Rebirth (different decks)
The World = the World Tree = Wholeness = Enlightenment
Though these terms may vary and those I have listed are only examples, there should be a rough correspondence if the book refers to 78 cards including 22 major cards and the rest being divided in to four suits. You can certainly choose to work with other systems that have fewer (or possibly more) cards but you will need to have the book and the deck from the same system and if you find that one or the other isn’t ideal for you, you’ll be stuck. This is one reason I recommend starting out with a somewhat standard deck.
Be aware that while most systems place Strength as number eight among the Major Arcana and Justice as number eleven, some books (and some decks) switch their number correspondence for complex historical and numerological reasons. Just be sure to check these particular cards and their numbering in your book.
A discrepancy in the numbering between your book and your deck is not a terrible thing, but you’ll have to remember to read the correct card meaning, rather than the number.
Just as with Tarot decks, there are lot of other personal considerations in your choice of a book. Here is a general list of what to look out for:
The text should be legible and clearly written with a minimum of grammatical errors. This shows attention to detail, which will hopefully translate into accuracy in the card interpretations as well.
There should be a section explaining the philosophy and approach of the author.
There may or may not be specific layouts and readings described with sample interpretations. If you are just beginning and don’t have a teacher, you will find it helpful to have some sample layouts and examples of readings and how they can be interpreted. If you are more experienced, you may not be as interested in this section, which often comes at the end of the book.
There should be separate sections for Major and Minor Arcana. The major arcana section generally devotes more space to each card—at least a full page, if not multiple pages. The Major Arcana are complex symbols. Some books explain the major arcana not only in isolation but in relation to one another. I did not truly understand these more complex concepts until I read several books that perceived the major arcana as a depiction of the Hero’s Journey and divided them into three levels of initiation. I recommend looking for books that do this, particularly if you struggle with the Major Arcana, which many new readers do.
It should have a separate heading for each of the Minor Arcana—ace through ten and four court cards in each suit. In some books, there may be only a few lines explaining the card. Depending on your take on the Tarot, Minor Arcana can be viewed as simple representations of terms or practical concepts and as such they may only need a few words of explanation. But I prefer to have a page of explanation along with key words.
Some books list a somewhat different meaning if a card is reversed (upside down) in a reading. Others advise you to read them as the opposite or a subtler or subconscious version of the upright meaning or to read them the same as upright and to ignore the reversal. Your choice of book may depend on your feelings about this. My mother has always resisted reading reversals and her focus in the Tarot is on personal growth. She seeks out the positive messages in the Tarot and works to integrate the wisdom of the cards into her life. My focus is on a detailed and honest conversation, including conversation with my shadow. I prefer to have reverse definitions and generally will steer clear of books that don’t list at least a “shadow side.” You can hear difficult messages from the Tarot even without reading reversals. A number of cards have troubling or negative meanings when upright. But the majority of the cards are relatively positive in meaning when upright, so if you want to focus on the positive rather than delving into and solving problems, you may prefer to read without considering reversals.
Some books have a picture of the card next to its description. Because I don’t always use the deck that goes with the book, I prefer books that have such a picture but again it is not entirely necessary.
What I do find indispensable is a short list of key words along with a descriptive text. There are types of readings where I will use only the key words, and once I have read the same book several times, the key words provide helpful reminders.
Some books have only one block of descriptive text about each card. Others have a bit describing and explaining the symbols and then a second bit interpreting what the card means for you or even in specific contexts, such as a person, a process or an event. I personally prefer books that clearly mark meanings and contexts in separate subheadings from description. My way of reading is somewhat analytical, so this may be personal taste. Other books have affirmations or questions for meditation or journaling attached to each card. It is worth taking the time to skim through the descriptions for Major- and Minor-Arcana cards before deciding on a book.
Some books will rely heavily on esoteric symbols or astrology to explain and interpret the cards. If you also pursue these areas of study, you may wish to choose books which relate to the cards in this way. However, if you don’t have a solid background in astrology or esoteric symbols, I find that an over-reliance on them in a book can be a barrier to understanding. It is best to choose a book which speaks in terms that are familiar and relatively easy for you to understand. Straightforward, lay-person’s language does not necessarily mean less wisdom, just a different approach to it.
Similarly, some books will rely heavily on other fields, such as psychology, psychotherapy, art, religion, magick, herbal medicine or science to explain the cards. It is wonderful to have a book that interprets the Tarot in the context of a field you are well versed in. But if a book focuses on a field which you don’t know well and have little interest in, this will only complicate matters.
Look for a book that speaks directly to you. You should be able to relate the description of a random card to an experience or concept in your own life. The text should be interesting and accessibly written. The themes and philosophy of the book should be something you enjoy and feel comfortable with.
There are several books I have found to be invaluable for increasing my understanding of the Tarot but my list of favorites will not necessarily agree with that of other experienced readers.
I will provide the names of some of my favorite books here, because some of my readers may share my proclivities (given that you are odd enough to read my blog). Be forewarned, that I lean toward Celtic-flavored Paganism and an emotional, social and practical outlook on divination. I don’t mind some astrology and esoteric symbols in my Tarot, but it isn’t my primary focus. I demand that books be written in a conversational and accessible tone.
Here is my short list:
The Complete Book of Tarot by Juliet Sharman-Burke was my introductory text some thirty years ago. It is a slim volume with very brief descriptions of the Minor Arcana cards. I had several other books and at the time few books were written in accessible language. This was the best of them for me. I don’t know if it is the best book for beginners today but it served me well.
Spiritual Tarot by Sign E. Echols MS., Robert Mueller, Ph.D., and Sandra A. Thomson is a clearly and pleasantly written book with solid psychological underpinnings. If you are interested in the Tarot for personal development or emotional and spiritual growth this is an excellent choice. It includes user-friendly descriptions of the Major Arcana based on the Hero’s Journey.
The DruidCraft Tarot by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm is my favorite book (and my favorite deck going along with it) at the moment. The writing is never dull and the descriptions are clear, practical and personally interesting. Whereas many books put the Major Arcana first, this one recognizes that these cards are more difficult to master and puts what is easiest first. It groups the Minors according to number rather than suit, which makes them easier to look up quickly. Most importantly it not only follows a Hero’s Journey model of describing the Major Arcana but relates each part of the journey to specific scenes in Celtic mythology, which is something that personally speaks to me.
Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert was clearly a labor of love. This is another book that has a deck to go along with it. The artist photographed her friends to make the various characters in the cards. The photographs are manipulated to fit the meanings of the cards but they are based on real photos. Even if you don’t have (or want) the matching cards, the book is exceptionally well written and includes specific subheadings for personal reflection on each card. This book is particularly helpful for those with a social justice and ecological outlook.
