Comments on some books please :)

The Happy Squirrel

Hi There

I am looking at a set of books to start off my journey into the world of tarot, and these are a few books that I came across, which I would love your thoughts or comments on:

(1) The Way of the Taroty by A. Jodorowsky
(2) The Fool's Journey by R. Place
(3) Jung and Tarot by Sallie Nichols
(4) Tarot Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
(5) Tarot and the Journey of the Hero by Hajo Banzhaf and Christine M Grimm

They are a few others but they are either out of stock or sold at RIDICULOUS prices because they are out of print so I wont even ask about them for now.

Thanks in advance!!
 

MarkMcElroy

I know "Way of the Taroty" is just a typo, but it really tickled me. I'm feeling kind of taroty myself, lately.

I've enjoyed all these books, and I like your list, because it identifies a body of work that I'd think of as being appropriate for "advanced" study.

I enjoy Jodorowsky's work in general, and his gleeful, "anything goes" methods have more scholarship behind them than is evident at first. There's a joyfulness in his work. I'd rather have dinner with him than Waite or Crowley.

Did you consider "Meditations on the Tarot" for this list? It's certainly a masterwork, and while not everyone will *like* its Cathlocentrism, there are insights there that are well worth gleaning.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Hehe yes it was a typo :p
You are the second person who said that these are 'advanced' as such. I suppose if one were to think of a 'how to' sort of books as something that someone ought to start off with :) I started off wanting to know how to, and very quickly burning to know what, why, why not, when, and the rest of it :)

I am adding "Meditations on the Tarot" to my list :) Looking at Amazon now, there seems to be two editions. Thanks for that! Looks like it will be a fascinating read!!
 

The Happy Squirrel

(6) Meditations on the Tarot
(7) The Esoteric Tarot (Ronald Decker)
(8) Symbols of Transformation (Collected works of CG Jung Vol 5)
(9) Tarot and Individuation: A Jungian Study of Correspondences with Cabala, Alchemy, and the Chakras (Irene Gad)
(10) Reading the Marseilles Tarot (Jean-Michel David) -- not available, high price in secondary market
(11) The Philosophy of Symbolic Forms, Vol 1-4
(12) The Game of Tarot (Dummett and Mann) -- this is sold at very high price so doubt will ever get one
(13) Tarot Symbolism (RV O'Neill) -- again, way high price, might never get one
(14) The Encyclopedia of Tarot (Kaplan)
 

The Happy Squirrel

Oh, I left one out:

(15) "The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination" by Robert Place

Would this be more of a 'how to' book, or a philosophical - historical - sociological kinda book?

Thanks!!
 

Barleywine

I enjoy Jodorowsky's work in general, and his gleeful, "anything goes" methods have more scholarship behind them than is evident at first. There's a joyfulness in his work. I'd rather have dinner with him than Waite or Crowley.

I would have enjoyed having dinner with him back in the early '70s, right after he did El Topo, one of the most bizarrely surreal movies ever made. I think that may have been well before his tarot days, though.
 

The Happy Squirrel

Checked :) That book is in then :p
I am going to be SO BROKE this month....... :(
 

gregory

The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore - Cynthia Giles

Covers all angles in what I think is a rather spectacular way. Love it.

Place is - as you put it - more of a philosophical - historical - sociological kinda book.

There is also Paul Huson: Mystical Origins of Tarot - not at all a how to !
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The Happy Squirrel

Hi Gregory :D

Checked.

Checked.

(16) The Tarot: Mystery, History, and Lore (C Giles)

(17) Mystical Origins of the Tarot (P Huson)

Ordered :) Thanks Gregory!
 

The Happy Squirrel

The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore - Cynthia Giles

Covers all angles in what I think is a rather spectacular way. Love it.

Place is - as you put it - more of a philosophical - historical - sociological kinda book.

There is also Paul Huson: Mystical Origins of Tarot - not at all a how to !
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Someone said of Place's book that half of it is on divination....?
I can see he wrote a lot of books, can't decide which to start with.....