I need some books [in English on the Marseilles deck]

I need some books

Hello all!

I've just ordered my first Marseilles deck, and I wonder if any of you have suggestions for a good book about them that I can use as a help to my readings.

It would like title and author and ISBN-number if you have that.

The books must be in english.

Happy for all help! Thank you in advance!

Someone asked this question recently, and I believe the consensus was that the only English-language book out there about the Marseilles is "Jung and Tarot" by Sallie Nichols. I have this book and it's one of my favorites. It only covers the Major Arcana, though. I think it's definitely worth getting as it covers the symbology of the Marseilles in detail, although from a psychological, not an esoteric, point of view. It's in print and shouldn't be hard to find.

-- Lee

Another suggestion too

Have you seen Rachel Pollack's "Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot"? It's not about the Marseilles decks specifically (although it has pictures of all the majors) but it has a good set of principles for reading with any deck.

It is a great book - really comprehensive and well put together.

Published by Element 1999 and easily obtainable

Moongold

Gareth Knight's "The Magical World of the Tarot" is a book that is geared specifically to Marseille decks. I would highly recommend it: it uses a guided imagination / visualisation technique to acquaint you with the cards.

Anthony Louis's "Tarot Plain and Simple" may also be helpful. It is illustrated with pictures from the Robin Wood deck, which seems to be a Wiccanized Rider-Waite-Smith clone. But unlike, say, 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, it relies very little on the imagery from the pictures. More importantly, the section on the pip cards in the Louis book is arranged by number rather than by suit, which is what somebody learning to read with a Marseille style deck needs, I think.

IMO the key to learning to read with Marseille and other pip card decks is to be undaunted by the fact that there are 56 suit cards to memorize. In fact, you are dealing with "only" 18 symbols: the numbers 1 to 10, four court cards, and four suits/elements. Approach the suits this way, and you will not only get them down: you will have a more flexible approach that is not locked into specific scenes on illuminated suit cards.

There is also a book out by K. McCorkmak which deals with the Marseilles deck, it is a fully illustrated book and not too difficult for beginners (I brought it to my tarot circle and some of the students found it very easily to approach).

I have to look up the English title of the book.

Beginner's Tarot

I saw that there was a boxed set out there called "Beginner's Tarot." The deck that came with was done in pastel colours, and looked bright and new, but the cards were pips, and the trumps were definitely in the Marseille tradition. I think the instructions that came with were also from McCormick. I know she has written a book called "Tarot Decoder," IIRC.

"Choice Centered Tarot" by Gail Fairfield is also a good book to apply to pip-oriented decks. That's how i learned to read with my Visconti deck.

The Tarot Decoder by Kathleen McCormack is AWESOME! Try it and I guarantee you'll make great use of it!

Yep, that's the book I was talking about! Thanks guys.