What are your Must Have Tarot Books

Reading the Marseilles Tarot - JM David
Tarot Symbolism - Robert O'Neill
Tarot Tells the Tale - James Ricklef
Enrique Enriquez pdf on the Marseilles but I can't remember where I bought it from as a download....
The Authentic Tarot by Thomas Saunders was very interesting

Phoenix said:

Some great replies here. I should mention I follow the RWS based decks, not the Thoth based, so I may pass on the Thoth books at the moment.

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In view of that information, I would recommend Mary K. Greer's Tarot Reversals as having perhaps the best treatment of divinatory meanings, consistent with conciseness, whether or not one even uses upside-down cards.

Rachel Pollack's Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom is very comprehensive but by no means merely a divinatory handbook. I have, however, noticed that many readers do not follow her distinction between majors (which she takes to represent archetypes, not people) and minors (which may represent actual human beings), which in my abject opinion is right on target.

Of the other books with which I am familiar, the only ones having specific reference to the Rider-Waite are Waite's own Pictorial Key and Wang's Qabalistic Tarot. These deal primarily with esoteric matters pertaining to the Trumps, the nuts and bolts of divinatory reading being at most a peripheral consideration.

3-card, e-book, Aeclectic spread

I am posting this in two spots. Hope that is Kosher. I bought this last night here. I like to work the Majors only. Tried The Hermit Spread. Going to keep working through. Nice ideas and a nice price.

I know many are repeats, but mine are :
-Pictoral Key to the Tarot by AE Waite
-78 Degrees of Wisom by Rachel Pollack
-The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals by Mary K Greer
-Understanding the Tarot Court by Mark K Greer
-Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis

I do not (yet) own, but find highly recommended:
-Tarot Wisom by Rachel Pollack
-21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary K Greer
-The Tarot: History, Symbolism and Divination by Robert Place

It should be notes that these are purely reference materials. I have not included 101 books, or books designed to be worked through, as I do not find those "essential". I have also withheld books pertaining more to Thoth and Golden Dawn based decks, as well as the Marseille Style.

Phoenix said:

. . . 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card - Mary K Greer

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Is this a Major Arcanum only book?

For Tarot De Marseille:

Mel's Methods
Personality, Divination & the Tarot by Sargent
Collins Gem Tarot by Rowenna Stuart

(Mel's methods are so complete, I may ditch the other two listed above.)


For RWS:

Tarot and the Tree of Life by Kliegman

For Thoth:

Book of Thoth by Crowley
Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot by DuQuette
The Chicken Qabalah by DuQuette

(I am considering ditching Book of Thoth, since I really only need the meanings found in DuQuette's book.)

White Rabbit said:

Is this a Major Arcanum only book?

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No. I don't think I've seen any book that deals strictly with the Major Arcana. That's not to say there aren't any out there, however. I just haven't come across them.

1. For the Tarot de Marseille:
-All Corinne Morel's books (only in French)
-Bruno De Nys-Le Tarot (Methode Complete), in French, too. And he utilizes only the major arcana.
Both writers teach the real french tradition about marseille. Other writers are clueless, especially what is writen in english.

2. For RWS tarot:

-The pictorial key to the tarot by Waite
-The Illustrated key to the tarot-the veil of divination by Lawrence (both have extremely historical value)
-The Sexual key to the tarot by Theodore Laurence (so unique, paradox, funny and informative)
-Simple fortune telling with tarot cards by Corrine Kenner (for astrological correspondences, timing etc and a good stepping book to move from RWS to Crowley)

3.The brotherhood of light Tarot:
-The sacred tarot by CC Zain
-How to read tarot cards by Doris Chase Doane and King Keyes

4. Thoth tarot(Crowley):
-Everything available

5. Etteilla's tarot:
-Everything available!!

inertia said:

-The Sexual key to the tarot by Theodore Laurence (so unique, paradox, funny and informative)

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HAHAHA! I've got this one too!

page 115, 7 of Disks - 'the card of the procurer or pimp.....orgasms are purchased....the prostitute's card

7 of Disks reversed - ...orgasms will not be mutual...'

With this book, ANY deck is an erotic deck.

EXACTLY! This book is a MUST read even for those who are not interested in tarot at all! Sooo entertaining!