Tarot Constellations

Kyrielle

I have heard about this book but never seen it. What is it about, and is it a good book to have? I like Tarot For Your Self, and the new edition mentions just enough of the constellation concept to get me intrigued. Is it worth seeking out? Is it in print?

-- Kyrielle
 

Lee

It's not in print, but Amazon shows used editions for sale (click here), but they look rather expensive.

This book expands upon the method described in Tarot for Your Self of deriving personal cards through numerological operations on your birthday, a concept which I don't find particularly helpful, so it wasn't my cup of tea.

-- Lee
 

Ravenswing

constellations

kyrielle--

'the tarot handbook' by angeles arrien goes into much more depth and detail about the personal and destiny cards than 'tarot for your self'.

there is also a section dealing with the constellations. there are nine constellations, one dealing with each of the first nine (starting with the magician, and justice as 8 ) majors. the constellations are a way of 'arranging' the entire deck.

'the tarot handbook' is also an excellent introduction to the thoth deck. if you can't get the constellation book, i'm certain that arrien's book contains what you are looking for.

ravenswing
 

truthsayer

i recently found "tarot constellations" at half.com. i think it cost around $15 which is about what it cost when not OOP. if you contact ed burwyn or mary k. greer, i've heard she has some extra copies that she is selling for around $16 or so plus postage. i think i really like it. i have "the tarot handbook" but i haven't looked at it much. i didn't realize that info in mary k. greer's books are in that one, too. i think it was angeles arrien's book that came out first. she concentrates more on the thoth deck. greer explores a variety of decks w/ the constellation method.

i've never really understood the constellation of the magician that i was born under. it has 3 cards-- 1-10-19. i like the way greer explains things and focus on more than one deck. it's interesting to see how readings from different decks are used. she has a way of making things seem simple. since i haven't delved into the tarot handbook enough, i'll reserve judgement on her book vs. greer's til later. i think both books are worth having but then that's me. LOL ;)

i've been playing around w/ finding someone's tarot constellation before i do a reading. i did a reading this weekend where one of the Q's constellations showed up in the spread. i realized this made the card even more significate and read it accordingly. i found this info helpful in giving a more accurate reading.
 

catlin

This was my first Greer book I got and read (and it was the only Greer book translated into German - there are some Major flaws in it so this spoils everything a bit).

I think the combination of tarot and numerology pretty interesting.
 

Jewel

I think that would really depend on your interests. I personally love workbooks and exploring new areas of the tarot so I love the book. Mary Greer has worked with Angeles Arien on the constellations stuff (and credits her). I also have Angeles Arien's book, which is mainly about the Thoth deck. Greer's workbooks are not deck specific and are hands on exercises, which I find very useful. Yes some of it is trivial, but to me interesting all the same. I recommend it.
 

rwcarter

I'm going through this book to help me with better understanding some of the cards in my Ancient Egyptian Tarot. I've looked at her description of the constellations, the fundamental principle of each constellation and what each constellation indicates a few times over the 15 or so years that I've had the book, but they never really grabbed me. This time around light bulbs are popping on all over the place.

My Personality and Soul cards are both the Hermit and what she says resonates deeply.

Much like the time I got dumped (on our anniversary no less!) and it took me 3 years to finally hear the words that had been said, sometimes information only processes and makes sense when we're ready to comprehend it. I think this book will be of invaluable help with this deck specifically and generally with any deck.

Of course I'm only on page 39 of the book, so my estimation could change. But knowing Mary Greer's work, I doubt it. I've said it before in other threads, but Mary, you are high in my pantheon of tarot gurus.

If anyone has utilized this book in the last six years since this thread has been idle, I'd love to hear what you think about it.

Rodney
 

MeeWah

Mary K. Greer's "Tarot Constellations" inspired by Angeles Arrien's work on personal cards.

Though not read through the entire book, that which I have read indicates it to be an excellent study guide towards assimilating the numerology associated with Tarot cards. & applicable for any deck.

Inspired by the book's material on the Tarot constellations, I routinely include the calculation of the client's personal cards as a preface to a reading. It provides insights towards the reading context. & also spotlights those cards that may be related to the individual on both the intrinsic & mundane levels.
 

rwcarter

MeeWah said:
Mary K. Greer's "Tarot Constellations" inspired by Angeles Arrien's work on personal cards.

Though not read through the entire book, that which I have read indicates it to be an excellent study guide towards assimilating the numerology associated with Tarot cards. & applicable for any deck.

Inspired by the book's material on the Tarot constellations, I routinely include the calculation of the client's personal cards as a preface to a reading. It provides insights towards the reading context. & also spotlights those cards that may be related to the individual on both the intrinsic & mundane levels.
Thanks as always MeeWah! I also have Arrien's Tarot Handbook, but, in my mind at least, I think of it as being for the Thoth and I'm not ready to go down that road yet.

Rodney
 

rwcarter

Progress report

I've read everything MKG wrote about the Constellation of the Magician. And then I got stuck. How to apply that to my (or any) deck? Take her detail on the 11 cards in that constellation and apply it to my deck, keeping what makes sense and discarding the rest? How much of the detail should I actually use?

I pondered the question overnight. I was also going along and finding my Personality, Soul and Teacher Cards and my Name Cards. It finally hit me a few hours ago that I was trying to do two different things at the same time - I was trying to apply the constellations to myself and my life (which is the purpose of the book) and I'm also trying to apply them to my deck as a way of seeing how the cards in the same constellation interact with one another.

So I broke my document into two parts - one specifically for determining what my cards are and what she says those cards say about me and one that I've named "The Constellations and Their Principles." In this latter document, I've noted the constellation, its associated principle and keywords, a descriptive phrase or sentence for each of the Majors in their different roles (Soul, Personality, Hidden Factor, etc.) and the general function/purpose of the Minor suits. I'll take those five pages of general information and figure out for myself its specific application to the cards in my deck.

Once I've done that, I'll go back and see what she says my specific cards say about me.

Rodney