Graal & Tarot by Yves Desmares

Diana said:

French tarotists have all read "Tarot l'Enchanteur" by Georges Colleuil. In it, he explains his famous "Référentiel du Tarot" which is a way of doing a birth-chart, a little like an astrological birth-chart, but by using Tarot cards. To understand the Référentiel completely, one would need to do seminars with Colleuil, but this book is a wonderful start, and his interpretations of the Major Arcana are wonderful.

Click to expand...

I don't own and I don't think I've ever seen the Colleuil book. However, I'm curious as to what linkages there may be between Colleuil's approach and the approaches/methods of Horary Astrology.

Diana said:

And if you have some spare money, buy yourself an Oswald Wirth deck, and buy his book "Le Tarot: des imagiers du Moyen Age". A lovely read, although some of it goes over my head (in my next life I will be an intellectual, I promise ).

Click to expand...

The Wirth book is certainly a great book which I haven't had a chance to spend time reading yet. Speaking of Wirth's deck (a copy of which I don't own), yesterday in Montreal I saw for the first time in a store, a book by a third party that analyzes all 78 cards of that deck, and not just the major arcana. I only had a chance to look at the book briefly (and sorry, I don't recall the title). Its approach to Wirth pip cards includes analysis based on the design/'pictorial' elements in the pip cards.

I also for the first time saw a book that analyses all 78 cards from the recent _Le Nouveau Tarot de Marseille_ (a modern pattern different from the Conver and Marteau patterns) where the approach to the pip cards includes analysis based on the design/'pictorial' elements in the pip cards. To clarify which deck I'm speaking about, refer to the link below:
http://www.dixdecoeur.com/pages/vente/tarot11.htm

Gareth Knight's book A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism discusses the layouts of the TdM, the Thoth, and the Wirth deck at some length.

The Sédillot book also considers the pictorial and decorative elements on the TdM at some length. She seems to be taking her lead from Marteau here, whom she references a lot, as well as a French philosopher named Gaston Bachelard who has apparently written several books about the four traditional elements.

Rusty Neon: You mention a book that explores the minors in the Wirth deck. But Wirth didn't design the minors. As Lee explained to me very patiently once, it was Stuart Kaplan who asked someone (who? I would like to know) to design them. Actually, I use the Wirth deck only with the Majors, because of this. I feel it is sufficient.

I will have to buy Gareth Knight's book. When I have some spare money, which will not be for some time now. (My birthday is on September 1st, by the way ).

I enjoyed Gareth Knight's formerly titled the Treasure House of Images, so I am glad to see his name mentioned here.

I have the Oswald Wirth deck for historical reference, but I think I would buy Irene Gad's Tarot and Indivination book, which uses the Wirth tarot for her 22 symbols and meaning discussion. Or the Wirth book instead.

If someone saw the slim Elizabeth Haich book that takes off from the Oswald Wirth deck and includes 22 little cards for meditation...well, I saw citations of similar books in that same publisher series. I got a strange feeling this was a new age topic that written about for its fashionable niche. You can correct me if I am wrong, but I thought it was like buying a De Laurence book to get the text of Waite's Pictorial Key to the tarot. The novelty value might be high or might be a collectible, but it left a funny taste in my mouth.