Little white book

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

neptune	30 Oct 2002
So sorry if somebody already posted about the "little white book." But here's my question anyway: I just bought a Tarot book that tells the meanings of the cards, but I don't know if I should use the other little white book from my tarot deck because even though they have briefer meanings, it also mentions other complex meanings e.g. 7 of Cups (upright) - indecision, difficult to achieve happiness. But if NEXT TO 3 of Swords - a woman thinks about a man from the countryside. If I use the Celtic Cross spread, considering there are different meanings in where the cards are positioned, how am I suppose to interpret the OTHER meaning 7 of Cups which is actually "next to 3 of swords" if the CC spread's position doesn't relate to 3 of swords?

Thirteen	30 Oct 2002
GENERALLY speaking...I'll repeat that GENERALLY speaking LWB's aren't very good. They're often generic (same one used for many decks) and/or old fashioned (have definitions that only worked from 1890-1910--like the Queen of Swords being a "divorced woman"--like there are so few of those around that you could use "being divorced" to tell which woman of your aquaintance is the Q/S). GENERALLY speaking, the best thing to do when you get a deck is get the BOOK that comes with it (if there is one)--written by or in coordination with the author of the deck. The book will focus on the symbols in that particular deck, nuiances, reasons for why the author decided to picture the card that way, etc. IF however, the deck you have is more "generic"--and there is no book to go with it, then just go for a good tarot book. Remember, this is GENERALLY speaking. I have found some LWBs to be of use--but only if they seem to be written for that deck in particular. Otherwise, they're really of no use.

anjocoxo	30 Oct 2002
What i'm starting to do now is to do my own book, with the various meanings i've been finding. I have several books and LWBs and i also read the meanings here in aeclectic and now i'm starting to do my book, also having in mind MY own personal feeling/thoughts toward the cards... maybe if you try to do the same things won't be so confusing... it's just an advise... take your time and never forget to realize what you really feel about the cards, how they inspire you. enjoy the cards (and some LWBs) ;)

Mojo	30 Oct 2002
Not so generally speaking, ANY book - be it a little white one, a big green one, or a gigantic multicolored one - reflect only the viewpoint of its particular author or authors. No book will provide you with a foolproof method of reading or interpreting the cards. This has to come from you. Read books for entertainment and enlightenment, but work with the cards and your own intuition to truly know what they mean.

Umbrae	30 Oct 2002
Welcome! http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3839

rota	30 Oct 2002
I'll admit that I throw most of the LWB's I get out Out OUT! That said, I keep one LWB on the shelf. You just never know when you might want to see what they have to say. I suspect that they're there in the same way that the directions to Scrabble are inside the box cover: for the people who have never seen either a Tarot deck or a Scrabble board. Anyone who's played Scrabble for awhile knows that those directions inside the box cover can barely hint at the complexities and strategies of the game. They're useless for a real Scrabble player, and the same thing is pretty much true of the LWB's packed with Tarot decks. Once you've swum around even in the shallow end of the Tarot pool (sorry to jump metaphors!) you realize that the LWB's can only give you the merest introduction, much less give you authoritative direction.

Zhritza	31 Oct 2002
I have tossed LWBs in the past and been very sorry. The main example is with Navigators Tarot of the Mystical SEA. I glanced at the LWB, which was rather thick, and thought, "Ack, this is some of that Golden Dawn business, it'll just confuse me and hinder my subconscious when I read," and I threw it out. But I found the deck to have quite a bit of unorthodox symbolism in it, and someone here told me that it's explained very thoroughly in that LWB, so now I'm bereft. My Medieval Scapini also has a lot of detailed, specific imagery, and the LWB (which I have lost) explained it all. So from an artistic perspective it can be a mistake to get rid of it. Of course, there are some that are just flat-out stupid, yeah... Just make sure it's really garbage before you toss it, is what I'm saying. :)

Phoenix	31 Oct 2002
I tend to keep LWB's, as some decks don't come with accompanying books, and sometimes the LWB can explain why the creator chose to paint the cards the way they did.

MystiqueMoonlight	31 Oct 2002
}) BURN THAT LWB......BURN IT I SAY.... In case you don't have a match here's my little friend to help you :smoker:

fairyhedgehog	01 Nov 2002
I don't use LWBs much, except if they explain the particular imagery chosen. EG LWB for Ancestral Tarot explains who the Kings and Queens are. But I NEVER throw them away, as I may need them if I decide to trade :) And trading is fun :)

SlyR	01 Nov 2002
I've been a Rider-Waite guy for many years. That LWB is of little use. Stu Kaplan's "Tarot Classic" is a better catch-all source for traditional meanings of cards. I've relied quite heavily on it when stumped. However, I have recently been converting to the Crowley Thoth deck, and the LWB for that deck is quite helpful. There are idiosyncracies in the Thoth deck that require a different viewpoint, and the LWB is my best source of understanding for this deck until I can replenish my PayPal account and order Crowley's guides. Just to make sure I can still rely a bit on my trained intuition, I went through the deck card-by-card and check the LWB against www.learntarot.com and Tarot Classic. Very few real differences. Just slight changes in interpretation. For example, the Lust (Strength) card is almost the same as in Rider-Waite, except with more of a focus on energy and vitality and less of an emphasis on quiet control. That's not difficult to remember when I look at the card. The LWB for the Thoth deck also contains nice summaries of the cards by the artist and a historical blurb or two. Quite informative for a little scrap of glossed paper. Overall, I say keep the LWB for any deck other than RW and its various knock-offs. You just never know.

Trogon	05 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by neptune (snip) ... it also mentions other complex meanings e.g. 7 of Cups (upright) - indecision, difficult to achieve happiness. But if NEXT TO 3 of Swords - a woman thinks about a man from the countryside. If I use the Celtic Cross spread, considering there are different meanings in where the cards are positioned, how am I suppose to interpret the OTHER meaning 7 of Cups which is actually "next to 3 of swords" if the CC spread's position doesn't relate to 3 of swords? In my personal opinion this is one of the major problems with the LWB's (and a few other books as well) and one I've struggled with some little bit over the years. Trying to assign this sort of highly specific meaning to a particular card seems counter productive to me. First off, it seems to me to attempt to remove intuition from the equation. Secondly, these specific meanings frequently don't seem to fit the reading, the positioning of the card, or the situation in general. The example you've quoted from your LWB seems to me to be an extreme of this sort of thing. I can't help wondering if there isn't something like "if the 6 of Pentalces appears next to the 3 of Swords you will choke on a sunflower seed during the next full moon if you've left your shoelaces untied." Horse... ah... feathers. The first Tarot book I purchased (which otherwise is a very good book) has assigned certain person types to the court cards for readings. Things such as a blond, blue-eyed young woman with such and such characteristics for the Page of Wands. This led me to believe for quite a long while that almost every time a court card appeared in a reading, it was referring to a specific person, regardless of the position of the card and the general atmosphere of the reading. I have since tempered that belief. There are times when these cards might describe a specific person, but it depends on the positioning and other factors. Anyway... getting back to the LWB's in general. My feeling is... go with your own instinct. If the entire LWB seems to be garbage... and you don't want to keep it, but like the deck. So be it. In any case, anjocoxo had an excellent suggestion for starting your own book of sorts with your own interpretations of the cards. I would add that what I've done is put down my own impressions and blended them with information from several sources including information from a few books, Thirteen's Tarot Basics, and (in the case of my Röhrig Tarot) the LWB. Follow the example of Temperance and blend things a bit. ;) I guess I'm trying to say; try not to let yourself get locked in to the snug, little, one-dimensional meanings given in some of the LWB's. Hope this has been of some small help...

dangerdork	06 Nov 2002
I noticed as I was looking through some of my favorite Lo Scarabeo decks that their LWBs are usually up to par with the quality and originality of the decks themselves. I have seven LS decks (Secret, Art Nouveau, Celtic, Enchanted, Avalon, Visconti, Universal), and almost all of them have original information that seems to be from the decks' creators - Celtic LWB tells what characters from Celtic mythology cards are based on, Avalon does the same with Arthurian mythos, Secrets is based on a charming original fantasy-type story etc. And they all have different and original spreads too! Yet another reason I'm a huge fan of Lo Scarabeo decks... if you're just at a point where you have very few decks and want to buy more, I highly recommend Lo Scarabeo decks. If the art on the outside of the box appeals to your tastes, you're sure to be very pleased with this publisher's decks. I agree that in general LWBs are also good for those who are just learning to read - if you're at a friend's and have only the deck with you, not your books and everything, they're a nice reference.

Diana	06 Nov 2002
edited

MystiqueMoonlight	06 Nov 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Diana You and Umbrae should get together and make a nice autumn bonfire. At least it'll keep us all warm. ;) What do you think Umbrae? You bring the marshmallows and I'll bring the matches hehehe })

Emily	07 Nov 2002
I read through the LWB's when I first get the decks and I keep them with the decks but I don't usually look at them again. The decks that I own are mostly R/W clones anyway and I also like to try and get book/deck sets. The only LWB that I do refer to is the one with my Thoth deck but thats only because I have yet to get a good Thoth book :)

catboxer	10 Nov 2002
"3 of Swords - a woman thinks about a man from the countryside." And here I thought the three of swords meant that a German farmer will meet a mysterious female stranger in a chocolate shop near the zoo the next time he goes to the big city. I also liked "if the 6 of Pentalces appears next to the 3 of Swords you will choke on a sunflower seed during the next full moon if you've left your shoelaces untied."

Laurel	11 Nov 2002
Since LWBs are little, I find it convenient to package them all together in a baggy and stick them in a drawer rather than burn them or toss them. That way they are there if ~some day~ I want to use them, or compare them. Laurel

The Little white book thread was originally posted on 30 Oct 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.