New book by Rachel Pollack

Umbrae Draco, the mouthpiece of Baaphymotept the Seditious One Who Knows Nothing Speaks:

It is not a book about “What do the cards mean?” or “What spread do I use?”.

It’s quite a philosophical book that explores more of the “What is Tarot and why does it work” avenue.

There are passages that share my philosophical bent not only towards the Tarot, but life itself. Some passages could damn near have been written by my own hand. There were a few sentences that made me open my eyes real wide…”I Said That Myself!” was uttered in a few places…like when she says that “God lives in the spaces between the cards…”

It’s a rambling read that often defies a logical thought out pattern…not dissimilar from a good spread.

I’m now convinced that if there were three people from any time period I could invite to dinner – it would be Ludwig von Mises, George Soros, and Rachel Pollack.

And no boinking Firemai…Oh Bonk…never mind.

I have still not finished this book and I am towards the few last chapters. It is a different book on the Tarot and I have enjoyed it alot. If anyone wants to read something different try and pick this one up.

i had placed "The Forest of the Souls" on my "tarot wish list" and my best friend just ordered it for me a day or so ago! i'm very excited, and can't wait for it to get here...it's been ages since i picked up a book in regard to tarot...heh

many blessings!

~azure

azuremariposa said:

i had placed "The Forest of the Souls" on my "tarot wish list" and my best friend just ordered it for me a day or so ago! i'm very excited, and can't wait for it to get here...it's been ages since i picked up a book in regard to tarot...

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I am sure you will be delighted with the book, in that I feel you are not looking for another book on what individual cards mean, but rather the implications of the tarot. I echo many of Umbrae's sentiments. There is a rambling quality, and within those ramblings are some deep insights! She also goes out on a limb sometimes, recreates a tarot reading by God in creation of the universe! But she does these in the true spirit of myth, grounded but realizing there is a value in non-logical speculation, a spirit which is sadly lost in our modern scientific age. I have gained a few ideas from this book, especially doing a three card reading with "teacher" and "lesson" cards which give it unbelievable depth. Also, it has started me on a path of the Moon's Journey, an alternate Fool's Journey, that I hope I will be posting on aeclectic soon.

I have two small criticisms, though. One is her heavy use of the Cosmic Tribe tarot, which is understandable, though, given that she is the creator of it and it would therefore work best for her. However, it almost gets to be self-promotion in her use of it. Also, since certain cards come up again and again, and the book shows pictures of them, you get some images of the same card several times throughout the book, but these are minor criticisms. Be ready for a wonderful walk through Pollack's Forest!... PS> Note my signature line..

Khatruman said:

II have two small criticisms, though. One is her heavy use of the Cosmic Tribe tarot, which is understandable, though, given that she is the creator of it and it would therefore work best for her. However, it almost gets to be self-promotion in her use of it. Also, since certain cards come up again and again, and the book shows pictures of them, you get some images of the same card several times throughout the book, but these are minor criticisms. Be ready for a wonderful walk through Pollack's Forest!... PS> Note my signature line..

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Dear Khatruman - Shining Tribe. It is a most interesting deck, resonating with new symbolic meanings. The art is naive but grows on you. It actually freshens the mind. There are many illustrations from other decks. I have the Shining Tribe and my one regret is that the illustrations are in black and white.

Moongold

The text is so good...

What...it has pictures? I just read it for the articles...

Moongold said:

Dear Khatruman - Shining Tribe. It is a most interesting deck, resonating with new symbolic meanings. The art is naive but grows on you.

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You are probably right, in that the naive artistry weighs heavy on my aesthetics. How curious that I am so critical of a deck's artwork. I traded away the Golden Dawn tarot because of the same artistic naivete when I can't draw to save my life (should I ever design a tarot deck, I would collaborate with an artist or do something involving collage and/or computer manipulation ala Photoshop). I understand her imagery in the deck to a greater degree from what she has written in Forest of Souls, yet still the artistry of the deck doesn't jump out at me, or resonate. Besides, I have tons of new decks I need to explore so don't start getting me to buy another new deck... you evil, insidious tarotholics you!!!

Ohhh, and to Umbrae: Playboy has pictures as well as articles too... *L*

That is the whole fun to be a Tarotholic and bookaholic lol!

Ok, I just traveled over the river and through the woods (quite literally too!) to get this book at another B&N since my local one did not have it in stock. I also picked up Sylvia Browne's book on dreams. I love Sylvia.

I had to bribe my daughter as she was not happy about being dragged away to Barnes and Noble on a Saturday afternoon. She did get a new Brat Doll out of it (the latest fad for 9 year old little girls).

I will read it as soon as I am finished with the book I am currently reading called Tarot and the Tree of Life by Isabel Radow Kliegman.

Thanks for the recomendation folks!

Mimi

Umbrae said:

The text is so good...

What...it has pictures? I just read it for the articles...

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hahaha, I haven't heard that line in a while... lol

I loved this book. I often don't read tarot books all the way through, just skip around, but I read this one cover to cover. Then I bought Shining Tribe and now I love that deck too. Spent two solid hours on the phone with amyel doing readings with her using this deck and mostly what I read in Forest of Souls Amazing, totally amazing.
So umbrae, you could have written parts of FofS eh? I can well believe that!