View Full Version : Tarot 101: Mastering the Art of Reading the Cards by kiama
http://www.amazon.com/Tarot-101-Mastering-Reading-Cards/dp/0738719048/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258257967&sr=1-2
june 1 2010,
can you tell us about it kiama?
northsea
17-11-2009, 01:30
Well, at least Llewellyn is publishing Kiama's tarot book. Congratulations! They should've published her tarot deck since they specialize in the more mythical decks. I'll guess that the book has some Robin Wood illustrations, one of her favorite reading decks.
Goodness me, I had no idea it was listed on Amazon already! Thanks for the heads-up HOLMES!
The book is designed as a homestudy Tarot course, based on a series of lessons I gave in 2008-2009 to the local university Pagan society. The focus is on exercises and methods of teaching that encourage the reader to discover answers for themselves, rather than trying to remember information written in a book.
As such, each one of the 22 lessons is accompanied by several exercises that highlight the salient points, key issues, and features of that chapter. Some lessons deal with the cards themselves, whilst others explore methods of reading, interpretation, developing intuition, symbolic systems, and more. Further, the Major Arcana are not presented in the usual chronological order, but rather present them in groups of 3 (an in one instance, a group of 4!) that best highlights a theme. This is accompanied by smaller lessons in that chapter that also fit that theme.
Just for a taster, here's some examples of the contents of a few of the chapters:
3. The Major Arcana: Introduction and Progress Cards
a. The Order of the Majors – Norms and Variants
b. Ideas of Importance
c. Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth
d. The Hero’s Journey
e. 0 The Fool
f. I The Magician
g. VII The Chariot
7. Major Arcana: Virtues and Vices
a. Medieval Virtues in the Tarot
b. Aristotle and the Golden Mean
c. Thelemic Retellings
d. XI Justice/VIII Adjustment
e. VIII Strength/XI Lust
f. XIV Temperance/Art
g. Alchemical Roses
h. The Great Rite Alchemy Spread
11. Major Arcana: What’s Out There? (In Here?)
a. As Above, So Below
b. Astrology and Tarot
c. The Sun and Moon in Neoplatonism
d. XVIII The Moon
e. XIX The Sun
f. XX Judgement
g. VI The Lovers
h. The Astrological Spread
13. Court Cards: Introduction and Approaches
a. A note on Court Card titles
b. Old-Fashioned views of the Court Cards
c. Useful Approaches to the Court Cards
d. The Elemental System for Court Cards
e. The Nature of Each Court
f. The Myers-Briggs Personality Test and the Court Cards
g. The Keirsay Temperaments and the Court Cards
17. Minor Arcana: Relationships and Cups/Water
a. Rider Waite vs. Thoth Minor Arcana meanings
b. Interpreting the Minors – Methods of Approach
c. Major Arcana, Courts, and Minors – One Big Happy Family
d. The Suit of Cups
e. Spreads for Love and Relationships
21. Tips and Tricks When Reading for Others
a. Chatting isn’t Cheating: Interactive Readings
b. A Matter of Seating
c. Atmosphere and Appearance
d. The Mind Blank
Every lesson also ends with "Optional Homework" which is designed to supplement the reader's knowledge with more advanced knowledge and a deeper relationship with the cards, but which is not completely essential. It enables the reader to do as little or as much work as they like, but always being aware that they get out what they put in.
I had immense fun creating the course, delivering it to my students, and then transferring it into book form. I hope it gives others as much joy!
Blessings,
Kiama
the part here
"The focus is on exercises and methods of teaching that encourage the reader to discover answers for themselves, rather than trying to remember information written in a book"
was that influenced by tarot for yourself by mary k greer, and tarot for self discovery by nina lee braeden,
i like this
"b. Old-Fashioned views of the Court Cards"
will there be an old fashioned views of the minor cards as well ?
i would like to see a comparison between the old fashioned view and new fashioned view.
i like the chapters you mentioned and will eagerly wait to see it :)
No, it wasn't influenced (at least consciously) by those two books - it's influenced by the training I've undertaken as a small group workshop leader.
The "Old Fashioned Views of the Court Cards" is partly highlighting the fact that too many people view these cards as only people, and define them based on entirely pointless things like hair colour, age, and gender. I demonstrate why such views of the Court Cards are oversimplistic and not useful in today's day and age where in general such things are far more transient and liminal, and offer suggestions for better ways of approaching these 16 cards. I do consider the Court Cards to be the hardest cards to understand and interpret, so I spend a fair bit of time in the book offering approaches and perspectives on them.
With the Minors I also offer several different approaches, mostly using intuitive approaches or symbolic systems such as the four elements, the Tree of Life and the Four Worlds, the Schemhamephoresch, and numerology.
iceclone
13-12-2009, 12:53
Looks good to me. =D
metal_romantic
13-12-2009, 17:19
Congratulations on getting your book published! It sounds amazingly comprehensive! It looks like it will be perfect for serious beginners, but also a great wealth of information, insights and ideas for more seasoned readers. I am eagerly anticipating the release of this one <3