Le Fanu
Even a casual look browsing tarot books in online stores brings up masses and masses of tarot titles that I for one have never heard mention of here.
I am rather compulsive when it comes to deck-buying, but for some reason I steer clear of filling my bookshelves with excessive tarot titles. I find myself thinking that it must be so easy to accumulate books that are really not much use and I need all the space I can get. I find it very easy to go into a bookshop, see lots of tarot books and walk out empty-handed. There's so much guff out there!
I find myself thinking more and more that only a handful of serious tarot tomes are helpful, plus companion books of decks you know you're going to make headway with (I have decided to be brutal henceforth with companion books/ kits, when - in so many cases - deck alone will do). Oh and notebooks for my thoughts.
I'm determined not to clutter up my shelves with OK books
What I wanted to ask is what people here think are the essential, general tarot books. Not specific to a system (i.e not The Book of Thoth or DuQuette). Im sure this has been asked before, but I tried a number of combinations for searching and couldn't find anything.
I would probably include Decker, Dummet &c's Wicked Pack of Cards and the History of the Occult Tarot. Surely these two give a good grounding in the history?
Then I would say The Tarot Bible. easy to read, nice to look at, compact to carry around and flick through.
I also like Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis; exhaustive meanings and always great to consult at any time.
What would you say are the others?
What are the essential ten books; useful to read and nice to consult?
I am rather compulsive when it comes to deck-buying, but for some reason I steer clear of filling my bookshelves with excessive tarot titles. I find myself thinking that it must be so easy to accumulate books that are really not much use and I need all the space I can get. I find it very easy to go into a bookshop, see lots of tarot books and walk out empty-handed. There's so much guff out there!
I find myself thinking more and more that only a handful of serious tarot tomes are helpful, plus companion books of decks you know you're going to make headway with (I have decided to be brutal henceforth with companion books/ kits, when - in so many cases - deck alone will do). Oh and notebooks for my thoughts.
I'm determined not to clutter up my shelves with OK books
What I wanted to ask is what people here think are the essential, general tarot books. Not specific to a system (i.e not The Book of Thoth or DuQuette). Im sure this has been asked before, but I tried a number of combinations for searching and couldn't find anything.
I would probably include Decker, Dummet &c's Wicked Pack of Cards and the History of the Occult Tarot. Surely these two give a good grounding in the history?
Then I would say The Tarot Bible. easy to read, nice to look at, compact to carry around and flick through.
I also like Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis; exhaustive meanings and always great to consult at any time.
What would you say are the others?
What are the essential ten books; useful to read and nice to consult?