Robert M. Place Tarot book/7-Fold Mystery

This book smoothly links Waite-Smith to the history of ancient tarot. I think that Waite really is a central character in this book: every chapter begins with a quote from The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. BTW, reading these quotes I now think I should read Waite

The history chapters are well written and reasonable. Almost all of the images have been neatly redrawn by Place (but I don't understand why not to publish the originals). Images are well chosen, some of them are really striking. For instance, comparing Figure 4 (Jacques Vieville World card) and Figure 42 (a XIII century French Christ in Majesty) I finally realized where the TDM world card comes from.
I also liked Figure 16 and 17, two wonderful engravings by Eliphas Levi. The Chariot of Hermes is the model on which the Waite-Smith Chariot has been based.

Place's in depth analysis of TDM majors seems to have the function of linking ancient tarot (on which TDM is based) to the Waite-Smith deck (whose majors are based on TDM). I also appreciated the attempt to reconstruct the interaction between Waite and Smith when they produced their deck.
Since TDM pips are not relevant to WS, they have no in depth analysis in this book.

The last chapter contains a few suggestions on how to read spreads. It has no connection to the rest of the book and could have been omitted....but I found it interesting and also somehow original

Marco

DoctorArcanus said:

Almost all of the images have been neatly redrawn by Place (but I don't understand why not to publish the originals).

Click to expand...

I think it is for the same reason Paul Huson redrew all of his sources - to avoid any copyright hassles. Waiting for copyright permissions and rejections, especially for hundreds of images, can delay publication of a book interminably. Often, a copyright owner will demand information that an author doesn't know yet when trying to obtain copyright. So it becomes a problematic circle - the publisher can't guarantee publication until all the copyrights are in, but all the copyrights can't be in until the publisher has all but sent the book to press.

(I had this problem with my "Babylonian Magick" book in the 90s - as a result, it's still unpublished).

So redrawn images, while scientifically much less valuable, are often the only way to get the book to press in a reasonable amount of time.

I just received Robert Place's book today and it seems a pretty easy read; quite decent in writing and editing. I only wish most "esoteric" books were this easy to follow. I won't have much else to say on it until I get through it but I hope he makes *some* money on this book too.

I was delighted to discover this book at my town library on Saturday. Starting it today!

Yay for public libraries that buy new tarot books!

I am currently reading the Gnostic Book of Saints that I got along with the Tarot of the Saints Deck. It is really helping me related not only to the Tarot of the Saints deck, but also to my other decks which use alot of the traditional imagery that is discussed ion the Book of Saints. Is anyone else reading or has read this book?
Samantha

Yes, I have the Saints' deck and have read the book. I have read about saints' lives for many years and I think Place has done a good job relating their stories to the tarot, but I find that I use this deck for a differnt meditation than I do a more traditional Rider type deck.

This book is on my must-read list....I have heard nothing but rave reviews, so I am excited to say the least!!!

And speaking of excitement....any updates on the Sevenfold Mystery deck being published??? Checked the website....no news yet, just enough cards to drive us INSANE. *sigh*

Luna

Prints from the Seven fold Mystery

Hi all,
Bob Place has been auctioning signed LE prints of pictures from the seven fold Mystery deck on eBay started at $13 each. I bought a total of five, likely all I shall buy but I love every one of them.
Marion