Best Tarot Books

[Manda]

Originally Posted by gregory

OT - but for Kabbalah - Chicken Qabala (Duquette) is THE way to go. Enjoyable does not begin....

That is what I am reading next! Kabbalah relates so naturally to tarot that I think it is worth having at least passing knowledge.

[irisa]

Corrine Kenner is also worth a look:

"Simple Fortune Telling with Tarot Cards" is about as complete a starter guide as I've seen. Starting with commonly asked questions, she then compares 3 different styles of card (classic Waite, themed Llewellyn and Thoth style), gives keywords, astrological, mythical and numeric associations. The book includes several spreads including the Celtic Cross and advice on how to read them rather than just example spreads.

I also found her other two books "Tarot Journalling" "Tarot for Writers" both useful and fun.

irisa

[Scion]

Originally Posted by tarot heart

Ok, maybe I should have been a little more specific but I like the responses so far. Everyone has a different perspective on what they look for in a tarot book.... But please, I'd rather just know what you think the best book is, even if it's out of print.

Well now, Tarot heart... there are books and books... What do you mean by best and "best" for what purpose? How can a book be measured like flour? To quote the song, How Deep is the Ocean? How High is the Sky?

Aside from the fact that people read Tarot completely differently, they read BOOKS completely differently. One person's earthshattering discovery is another's snoozefest. Products can be ranked, but WHO is ranking them? One of the saddest facts of the modern world is the proliferation of these bizarre lists that people allow to do their thinking for them. "Top ten," "Bestsellers," Double Platinum." Which is why so MANY people read J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown and so FEW read Phillip Pullman and Umberto Eco. Does anyone actually believe TITANIC is a better movie than L.A. CONFIDENTIAL? Grrrr. Sorry. I know better, but there are 100 million 12-year-old girls and James Cameron standing on the other shore wagging their fingers at me. "My Heart will Go... down the toilet."

I know my own mind and while I solicit opinions constantly, I want those opinions to actually be specific to my intent and sourced carefully. I'm a snob that way. Recommending books is less like instructions for a fireman's axe (Smash glass in case of emergency) and more like prescribing a subtle SRI cocktail in a psych ward. I have friends to whom I know I'll eventually recommend a book but have held off because I felt it wasn't time yet. I also have friends I wouldn't trust to recommend jelly, let alone a book.

More to the point, people have different abilities and interests and educational levels. We are not mindless insects, as much as James Cameron and Viacom might wish it so. I own hundreds of books on Divination, but I can pretty much guarantee that what I think the "Best" are will not coincide with everyone else's because I'm (proudly) a freak with specific interests. My main criteria is a certain level of verbal facility and an actual GRASP of their topic, else why am I bothering. Those should be a tall order for (uhh) a BOOK, but esoteric texts are famous for crappy editing and shameful pandering.

Like gregory, I can't stand the Bunning school of cookie-cutter Tarot. But I have other low tolerance flavors: the fluffy new age "do whatever feels good" school is one of my unending peeves. I also don't have a lot of patience with pseudo-academic "any horseshit will do" version of occult history where people can't manage basic research or factchecking or logic. Or most annoyingly, invented-from-scratch, gnosis-in-a-can, "because I said so" titles where an author either cobbles together something from equally febrile strip-mall gurus or cribs half their material (without attributions) from smarter people. Or the laziest of all, the people who treat a divinatory system like it fell from the sky because they can't be bothered to actually learn what they're attempting to teach. BS always puts a vicious edge on honesty for me. Books in any of these camps give me hives and meanspirited thoughts and inspire extended bilious rants, obviously.

So... the trouble is that the above rant eliminates about 90% of what is available on Tarot and/or divination. Depending on what you are wanting by way of a title I can think of some great books I'd recommend to just about anyone as jumping of places. But without some sense of direction I'm just typing a list of titles. I have a couple questions...

Have you been reading long? Do you read with a particular deck? Do you gravitate towards Golden Dawn or other system? How confident are you and in what areas? Do you read professionally? What is the main focus of your use of Tarot and are you looking to deepen that or look farther afield? Do you use Tarot for stuff other than divination? Do you like trivia? Do you prefer footnotes and academic substantiation in your reading material or are you okay with looser protocol? Do you have interest in history or do dates and citations make your head cave in? Do you prefer rigorous discipline or generic rah-rah encouragement?

Tarot heart, I ask all this not to be persnickety but because I literally don't know how to answer your question. So, aside from just thumping a couple of titles I personally like up here, I don't know how to respond.
although recommending books is something I literally love to do.

Originally Posted by tarot heart

But, to narrow it down a little, I'm looking for books that not so much thorough as it is INSPIRING, meaning you want to get out the cards immediately and start working the cards.

Again, without some guidelines I don't know WHAT inspires you so it's pretty much a spin of the Wheel as to whether suggestions will be meaningful. Right nwo I'm reading a book of 12th century astrology I find really inspiring, but I can pretty much guarantee I'm one of about 7 people on AT for which that would be true.

So tell us what books have YOU found inspiring and maybe those will point us in a a more coherent direction...

[irisa]

Originally Posted by Scion

So tell us what books have YOU found inspiring and maybe those will point us in a a more coherent direction...

I'm can't speak for tarot heart - but when I was first new to Tarot I had no idea what would be inspiring or not. I had to read various flavours of books and look at various flavours of decks to find that out! I was interested in what other people had read what they liked or disliked. I searched AT looking for just opinions, for me it was comforting hearing what people had to say about a book.... it can be that simple, it's complicated enough just starting feeling you know nothing.

Eventually over time I found my own way I think we all do.... but it did take time and there's no doubt I was helped by the books I bought on the recomendation of others even if I hated them.

irisa

[Tansey Ella]

I doubt anyone will agree with me but I find " Tall dark Stranger" by Corrine Kenner a great book for relationships /romantic readings. I notice those are very popular , . It is not that she has any new profound history of tarot, just ways to read the cards with romance in mind. I think it is a good book for this. deep and cerebral- well, no, but think about the most common question readers get asked.

[tarot heart]

Originally Posted by Scion

Well now, Tarot heart... there are books and books... What do you mean by best and "best" for what purpose? How can a book be measured like flour? To quote the song, How Deep is the Ocean? How High is the Sky?

Aside from the fact that people read Tarot completely differently, they read BOOKS completely differently. One person's earthshattering discovery is another's snoozefest. Products can be ranked, but WHO is ranking them? One of the saddest facts of the modern world is the proliferation of these bizarre lists that people allow to do their thinking for them. "Top ten," "Bestsellers," Double Platinum." Which is why so MANY people read J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown and so FEW read Phillip Pullman and Umberto Eco. Does anyone actually believe TITANIC is a better movie than L.A. CONFIDENTIAL? Grrrr. Sorry. I know better, but there are 100 million 12-year-old girls and James Cameron standing on the other shore wagging their fingers at me. "My Heart will Go... down the toilet."

I know my own mind and while I solicit opinions constantly, I want those opinions to actually be specific to my intent and sourced carefully. I'm a snob that way. Recommending books is less like instructions for a fireman's axe (Smash glass in case of emergency) and more like prescribing a subtle SRI cocktail in a psych ward. I have friends to whom I know I'll eventually recommend a book but have held off because I felt it wasn't time yet. I also have friends I wouldn't trust to recommend jelly, let alone a book.

More to the point, people have different abilities and interests and educational levels. We are not mindless insects, as much as James Cameron and Viacom might wish it so. I own hundreds of books on Divination, but I can pretty much guarantee that what I think the "Best" are will not coincide with everyone else's because I'm (proudly) a freak with specific interests. My main criteria is a certain level of verbal facility and an actual GRASP of their topic, else why am I bothering. Those should be a tall order for (uhh) a BOOK, but esoteric texts are famous for crappy editing and shameful pandering.

Like gregory, I can't stand the Bunning school of cookie-cutter Tarot. But I have other low tolerance flavors: the fluffy new age "do whatever feels good" school is one of my unending peeves. I also don't have a lot of patience with pseudo-academic "any horseshit will do" version of occult history where people can't manage basic research or factchecking or logic. Or most annoyingly, invented-from-scratch, gnosis-in-a-can, "because I said so" titles where an author either cobbles together something from equally febrile strip-mall gurus or cribs half their material (without attributions) from smarter people. Or the laziest of all, the people who treat a divinatory system like it fell from the sky because they can't be bothered to actually learn what they're attempting to teach. BS always puts a vicious edge on honesty for me. Books in any of these camps give me hives and meanspirited thoughts and inspire extended bilious rants, obviously.

So... the trouble is that the above rant eliminates about 90% of what is available on Tarot and/or divination. Depending on what you are wanting by way of a title I can think of some great books I'd recommend to just about anyone as jumping of places. But without some sense of direction I'm just typing a list of titles. I have a couple questions...

Have you been reading long? Do you read with a particular deck? Do you gravitate towards Golden Dawn or other system? How confident are you and in what areas? Do you read professionally? What is the main focus of your use of Tarot and are you looking to deepen that or look farther afield? Do you use Tarot for stuff other than divination? Do you like trivia? Do you prefer footnotes and academic substantiation in your reading material or are you okay with looser protocol? Do you have interest in history or do dates and citations make your head cave in? Do you prefer rigorous discipline or generic rah-rah encouragement?

Tarot heart, I ask all this not to be persnickety but because I literally don't know how to answer your question. So, aside from just thumping a couple of titles I personally like up here, I don't know how to respond.
although recommending books is something I literally love to do.
Again, without some guidelines I don't know WHAT inspires you so it's pretty much a spin of the Wheel as to whether suggestions will be meaningful. Right nwo I'm reading a book of 12th century astrology I find really inspiring, but I can pretty much guarantee I'm one of about 7 people on AT for which that would be true.

So tell us what books have YOU found inspiring and maybe those will point us in a a more coherent direction...

Well Scion,

Here's where I'm coming from - I have only read Michelle Morgan's "A Magical Course in Tarot." I found that book very inspiring but too short. In other words, I craved more, much more. However, her writing style made it easy to follow and that takes talent in my opinion.

I ask for everyone's opinion because I intend to check into those books as they are recommended. I don't intend to go out and buy the book merely from a suggestion. It's just that there are so many books out there that I would prefer recommendations from people here at the forum with the hopes that they will tell me why it is their "best" book recommendation. From there I intend to check it out and decide for myself if it's a keeper.

I do read the cards. I have a few RWS, one Thoth and a few Marseilles. But that doesn't mean I truly prefer one over the other. I have an eclectic preference you might say.

Yes, I want a book with history and guidance. A good teaching book with an author who knows his/her stuff.

I, too, prefer Eco and Pullman over Rowling and Brown. Of the four, I'll take Eco anyday.

So, I hope I have answered your question. Do you have any answers?

Thanks,

tarot heart

[daphne]

Originally Posted by tarot heart

I ask for everyone's opinion because I intend to check into those books as they are recommended. I don't intend to go out and buy the book merely from a suggestion. It's just that there are so many books out there that I would prefer recommendations from people here at the forum with the hopes that they will tell me why it is their "best" book recommendation. From there I intend to check it out and decide for myself if it's a keeper.


tarot heart

Same here.

Therefore, Scion, I am really curious to know your favorites books and especially why are those your prefered ones.

[Scion]

LOL Well two separate questions here then.

Tarot Heart, thanks for taking the time to explain a bit. The thing I associate with Morgan's book is her "anyone can do it" vibe and her expanded LWB meanings. The logical next place for you to tread is Mary Greer's Tarot for your Self and John Mangiapane's It's All in the Cards. Greer doesn't offer a list of meanings and Mangiapane is a little more of a cookbook, but like the Morgan, they're both essentially open-ended invitations to new readers, written in encouraging chatty prose, that seem to take the Golden Dawn as the de facto right way. I was also going to suggest Spiritual Tarot (Mueller, Thomson, Echols) because Morgan's book does have a light ritual element that you might be responding to, and which this latter book shares and takes farther. But I think the best next choice for you is Greer's Tarot for Your Self.

Down the line Teresa Michelsen's Complete Tarot Reader and Mary Greer's 21 Ways to Read A Card will probably prove to be healthy bridges into more "applied" study because they encourage development of a personal reading style and point you towards other modes of study. As a wildcard, I'd also suggest James Ricklef's Tarot Tells the Tale because again it's written in infectious first person and he's so good at conveying what makes a reading hang together.

Now Daphne, the above books aren't my "favorite" books, but they are the books that I think Tarot Heart is asking for. As I said in my longwinded post above, readers are different and readings likewise. There are things I like about Morgan, but I get irritated with "meaning" books and her spirituality-in-20-minutes tone wears thin quickly for me. Morgan wasn't the first book on Tarot I read either, and so as TH expands that library the point of focus wil shift. That said, I'm hoping that the things I found useful in Morgan are echoed by the things I found useful in the above recommendations and resonate for Tarot Heart.

Hope some of this is helpful, y'all.

S

[daphne]

Scion,

My question is still unanswered: which are your favorites tarot books and why?

Thank you!

[gregory]

I don't think he could answer that. He has so many !

I certainly don't think I could. As he says - it depends on what you are looking for in a tarot book; that was why he asked before posting. I have over a hundred, but I couldn't say any were my favourites; it would depend on what I needed at the time. Some are good to help with reading; some on history, a set of four is perfect for deck lust....-