78 Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot

[danny18]

Hello everyone I own the 1998 edition of the book from Rachel pollack you know the one divided in 2 books major and minor arcana. My copy being old I would like to buy another one. My question is Does anybody here owns the old version and the version from 2009 with both books put together? is there any other difference other that a new preface from Mrs Pollack? I saw the number of pages in the new version it seems to have 30 or something more somebody could tell me the difference?
The reason behind it is because I can find the old version for a couple bucks on amazon so if there is no real difference I would like to stick with the original version.
Thanks a lot everybody

[Eeviee]

I just ordered this book about a month ago off Amazon (brand new), and the publication page reads "This edition was first published in 2007."
In the 'Preface to the 1997 Edition,' Pollack writes "While the book remains substancially the same [regarding the two volumes combined into one] - I would not radically alter something so many people have found helpful - I have gone through both parts carefully, revising whatever stood out in the light of new knowledge." (P. xiii-xiv) This is also the first Preface to the book, signaling to me that there have been no other text alterations since the 1997 edition.

[danny18]

did she had something else I am still wondering because of the number of pages

[Emily]

I had a quick search because I remembered the new book being discussed on here - I found one of the threads and a couple of links.

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread...Degrees+wisdom


http://www.rachelpollack.com/writing/blogindex.html

On this second blog link, click Tarot and it takes you into the blog proper. She does mention that the second version has been revised but doesn't say what had been changed. Also there is a contact email for her but I'm not sure how relevant it is, the blog link is a few years old.

[LRichard]

From the blurb on the back cover of my edition:

"......Rachel Pollack has revised and updated the book in the light of her thirty years' teaching, reading, and writing about Tarot cards. She has also written a new preface describing her own journey through the Tarot's world of symbols."

It doesn't sound as if there are any earth-shattering changes in new edition.

[Emily]

Originally Posted by LRichard

From the blurb on the back cover of my edition:

"......Rachel Pollack has revised and updated the book in the light of her thirty years' teaching, reading, and writing about Tarot cards. She has also written a new preface describing her own journey through the Tarot's world of symbols."

It doesn't sound as if there are any earth-shattering changes in new edition.

Maybe not earth shattering changes but that quote does raise a bit of a red flag for me. Does it mean that in the years since she wrote the first version that maybe her views on some of the cards has changed so she revised and updated? I have the new edition and Book 1 of the original printing, I'll have a quick look through and see if there are any obvious changes.

I am going to spend the Summer with the new edition because it's a book I've never really paid that much attention to but I have just recently found a new appreciation for the RWS and this is a book that is highly regarded.

[LRichard]

From the preface: "While the book remains substantially the same - I would not radically alter something so many people have found helpful - I have gone through both volumes carefully, revising whatever stood out in the light of new knowledge." Moreover, she seems to imply that the changes mostly involved new information regarding Tarot history.

[danny18]

thanks I think I am going to get the new one on amazon and see she probably just updated some information but I don t think she changed a lot from the first edition

[Emily]

Originally Posted by danny18

thanks I think I am going to get the new one on amazon and see she probably just updated some information but I don t think she changed a lot from the first edition

I compared the write-ups for a few of the Majors, there are changes but very subtle, she must have gone through each book with a fine tooth comb. The extra pages are probably from added information because nothing has been taken away from the original book.

I started reading last night and couldn't put it down.

[Winterchild]

If you have the 78 Degrees in two volumes, maybe Tarot Wisdom would be a better buy for you? She says she wrote that 30 years after 78 degrees having learned a lot more....