Holistic Tarot - Benebell Wen

I don't think I need to start a separate thread regarding this so I'm putting it here. Anyway, to those who have a copy of the Holistic Tarot, Ms. Wen has recently launched a series of companion videos in her Youtube channel. As of now she has uploaded the first four videos, with more to come in the following days. Check it out here: Benebell Wen's YT Channel

I mean, this is sorta like the gift that keeps on giving. You had all these eminently useful study guides and supplementary materials, and now you have these videos. Really, this showstopping doorstop is absolutely one of the best Tarot books in the market today in terms of material, content, usefulness, and bang for your buck.

EmpyreanKnight said:

I don't think I need to start a separate thread regarding this so I'm putting it here. Anyway, to those who have a copy of the Holistic Tarot, Ms. Wen has recently launched a series of companion videos in her Youtube channel. As of now she has uploaded the first four videos, with more to come in the following days. Check it out here: Benebell Wen's YT Channel

I mean, this is sorta like the gift that keeps on giving. You had all these eminently useful study guides and supplementary materials, and now you have these videos. Really, this showstopping doorstop is absolutely one of the best Tarot books in the market today in terms of material, content, usefulness, and bang for your buck.

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I agree!! I've downloaded the beginner study guides and began to work through the introductory section of the Holistic Tarot, and I'm amazed at the effort and quality of the material she produces. And so much is for free! her approach to Tarot speaks to my inner academic and my lawyer side like no other resource out there. I'm definitely sending a donation as soon as I get paid again.

Lain_82 said:

I agree!! I've downloaded the beginner study guides and began to work through the introductory section of the Holistic Tarot, and I'm amazed at the effort and quality of the material she produces. And so much is for free! her approach to Tarot speaks to my inner academic and my lawyer side like no other resource out there. I'm definitely sending a donation as soon as I get paid again.

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I think Ms. Wen is a lawyer herself? I work in a highly technical field and her approach really appeals to me and fits my learning style to a T. That reminds me of a previous thread here that asks if left-brain readers tend to be more responsive to her book.

EmpyreanKnight said:

I think Ms. Wen is a lawyer herself? I work in a highly technical field and her approach really appeals to me and fits my learning style to a T. That reminds me of a previous thread here that asks if left-brain readers tend to be more responsive to her book.

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She is indeed a lawyer, and if I'm not mistaken she still practices law as her day job. And I don't necessarily see myself as a pure left-brain type of person, but I loved my time in academia and I believe that my intuition is best served by having a foundation... much like some artists learn the rules first and then break them in deliberate ways to create a new style.

Has anyone tried the spreads in this book yet?

silvereye said:

Has anyone tried the spreads in this book yet?

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I have. There are 30+ spreads in the book spanning more than a hundred pages. Which one are you curious about?

EmpyreanKnight said:

I have. There are 30+ spreads in the book spanning more than a hundred pages. Which one are you curious about?

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I have now bought the book and will get to the spreads eventually. Thanks. Which deck are you using with the book?

May i ask what deck you guys are using with this book. I do think i need a closer RWS clone to learn the symbolism referred to in the book but i really dont like the standard RWS. The one i can accept is Golden Universal but i am concerned we will then get to studying the colours used in the original rWs which the Golden Universal would deviate from and so eventually I d still need to get the standard RWS?

silvereye said:

I have now bought the book and will get to the spreads eventually. Thanks. Which deck are you using with the book?

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Good choice. I see that the price dropped to just about $18+ on Amazon from the $30 cover price, so now is a good time to buy it. I used the Waite-Smith Centennial with the book.

silvereye said:

May i ask what deck you guys are using with this book. I do think i need a closer RWS clone to learn the symbolism referred to in the book but i really dont like the standard RWS. The one i can accept is Golden Universal but i am concerned we will then get to studying the colours used in the original rWs which the Golden Universal would deviate from and so eventually I d still need to get the standard RWS?

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I also have the Golden Universal, and yup there are definitely some differences between that and the strict RWS clones and not just in the colors. The dress styles, the human characters themselves, the background, etc. - there are distinct changes made altho overall, the impression one gets is that it does approximate the standard RWS. However, if you're not really up to getting a copy of the RWS, the book does have black and white images of each and every card.

In any case, you may have some aversion to the images of the RWS you see online but have you seen an actual physical deck? I think some occult shops have open copies of these decks that you may peruse or browse. There are more than 5 RWS clones that I know of, each with a different coloring style, line thickness, brightness, feel, etc. You just might change your mind when you do find one that suits you. Or if you're willing to shell out $10, there's a pocket version of the Waite-Smith Centennial Tarot available in Amazon. Check it out:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1572818123/

That's an almost 50% discount, so now is the perfect time to grab a copy if you think it would be nice to at least have a copy of the classic RWS. Remember that it's the small version tho, with the cards measuring just about 2.25 inches by 3.75 inches. But it does come in a tin, so yeah.