good second book

[wideyes]

Hi all! First post here but I've been lurking for a while - this is a wonderful forum. I am new to tarot and started with "The New Complete Book of Tarot" by Juliet Sharman-Burke and its accompanying deck, both of which I've connected well with and found immensely helpful. My question is, what book(s) would you all recommend as a good next step for helping to develop the craft? I feel like it's easy enough to find a beginner-friendly book, but selecting something to come next seems harder from a first glance. I'm looking for something intermediate but still general enough to broaden my overall perspective. Thanks in advance, and again, glad to be here

 

[gregory]

Depending what you are looking for in a book - if you mean reading, try Mary Greer - 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card.

Another writer I am particularly fond of is James Ricklef: the newest one is probably the easiest to find: Tarot: Get the Whole Story.

There are many suggestions with reviews in the book section here - link top right

 

[bogiesan]

Searching for "tarot books" reveals about 350 titles on amazon, more or less. Filter for duplicates and reissues and you've still got 250-300 from which to choose.
Just to let you know, a second book only leads to a third. And so on.

 

[wideyes]

Searching for "tarot books" reveals about 350 titles on amazon, more or less. Filter for duplicates and reissues and you've still got 250-300 from which to choose.
Just to let you know, a second book only leads to a third. And so on.

Good to know. For me, the question of which book to start with was not so hard, because "intro" or "beginner" books are usually labeled as such, and I simply went with the one that looked most appealing. The rest, however, seem to go quickly all over the place. It's a difficult question to answer, I suppose, which is why I was hoping to get a few suggestions as to where to go from here. Thank you, Gregory, for your suggestions. I've seen both of those names before, and they seem well-respected.

 

[Zephyros]

It really depends on what you want to get out of the whole thing. You might want to try branching out into other decks, each with their own world of symbolism and associations, and deepening your "Tarot journey" that way. Or, my own personal choice, you might try reading Golden Dawn literature about Tarot. It is challenging, but there is a lot to sink your teeth into.

I will always recommend the Thoth and it's associated books to anyone but, again, it depends on what you want to get out of Tarot. I myself "discovered" the Thoth after 15+ years, so if you've passed the first initiation in Tarot, you might want to explore other avenues. Beginner, intermediate or expert, in effect, there is no "end" to the study.

 

[Emily]

Also avoid anything that says 'Tarot in ten minutes'. Rachel Pollock, Mary K Greer, Juliet Sharman-Burke and Joan Bunning are popular - these are older authors, there are newer authors and books out now but these authors have and will always be popular.

 

[WolfyJames]

There is also Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings by Rachel Pollack. Pollack is always fascinating and this book mentions other decks beside the RWS.

 

[wideyes]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions! It is becoming clear that, indeed, there are many paths I could take with my study from here. I find myself wanting to get deeper into the history and symbology of the tarot, but also wanting more practical advice on reading and developing the "craft" of tarot. I understand that this will probably mean a number of different books... so I appreciate the suggestions Lots of CRAP on the shelves at my local bookstore (though, I suppose, I should be thankful they have a decent selection to begin with).

 

[gregory]

History and symbolism - in MY view you can't do better than Paul Huson: the Mystical; Origins of Tarot.

Now I will sit back and wait for the usual people to come and say they prefer Robert Place. I like that too, OK, but I think Huson is better as a background.

For reading - it depends so much how you like to read. How do you ?

 

[Zephyros]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions! It is becoming clear that, indeed, there are many paths I could take with my study from here. I find myself wanting to get deeper into the history and symbology of the tarot, but also wanting more practical advice on reading and developing the "craft" of tarot. I understand that this will probably mean a number of different books... so I appreciate the suggestions Lots of CRAP on the shelves at my local bookstore (though, I suppose, I should be thankful they have a decent selection to begin with).

Those two really aren't that different. Personally I don`t like books with "meanings," I like to discover them for myself by study of the symbols and thinking about them. Even the best books can`t tell you things that aren't subjective, and learning Tarot by rote will only result in those kinds of readings. I agree with gregory, take up a good symbols dictionary, and take your time with the journey.

You may want to learn "the craft" but remember that the actual reading is the smallest part of tarot, it is merely the point in which the reader "gets on stage." The true benifit Tarot can give is behind the scenes.