Book by Theodore Roszak

I was doing a search on the forum about Theodore Roszak's book: "Fool's Cycle-Full Cycle: Reflections on the Great Tumps of the Tarot" but nothing came up except for a quick reference on the list of owned books. I'm quite interested in this book because of a little review i read somewhere else but i would like to know your opinion for further information about it.
I really appreciate anything you'd like to share about this book. Thank you.
Sophos

Broadside Editions

copyright 1988 by Theodore Roszak

Illustrations from the Tarot Classic, US Games 1974.

Published by Robert Briggs Associates
Box 9
Mill Valley, CA 94942

Table of Contents

Introduction pg 1
The Circle and the Cycle pg 9
Equilibrium and Original Nature: The Zero, Cards 1 and 2 pg 11
The Phase of Preparation: Cards 3-7 pg 16
The Phase of Crisis: Cards 8-16 pg 21
The Phase of Renewal: Cards 17-21 pg 31

layout diagram insert between pgs 18 and 19

It starts at the Magician and Hi-Priestess,
rises up to the Lovers,
dips down to the Devil (passing through the Wheel at equilibrium),
and rises up to Judgment and World, ending on the same axis as cards 1 and 2

Since it's the Fool's journey, there is no assigned location for the Fool.

He describes the cycle as blending the circular and the linear which "appears uniquely in Western mathematics". For Western culture, "time matters... Feel it as a circle that moves, a circle that gets somewhere."

There's about a page of description for each card.

the Fool - Equilibrium
the Magician - the Card of Unity
the High Priestess - the Card of Initiation

the Empress - Mother
the Emperor - Father
the Hierophant - Duty
the Lovers - Relationship
the Chariot - Career

Fortitude - Decision (tames the Chariot's ambition)
the Hermit - Renunciation
Wheel of Fortune - Hazard
Justice - Balance
the Hanged Man - Expiation
Death - Surrender
Temperance - Proportion
the Devil - Power
Tower and Lightning - Liberation

the Star - Intellect
the Moon - Gnosis
the Sun - Transcendence
Judgment - Rebirth
the World - Reunion

"Beginning with the 'perfect' Fool, the card of innocence and mischief, trickster and victim, FOOL'S CYCLE traces the cards through childhood - with its Freudian lusts and terrors - youthful single-mindedness, the doubts and reassessments that exemplify middle-age, toward a final rebirth of experience and understanding."

"Theodore Roszak graduated from UCLA and received his Ph.D. in history from Princeton University. With the publication of "The Making of a Counter Culture" in 1969 he was recognized as one of the foremost social critics in America, a reputation since ensured by two nominations for the National Book Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His most recent book is "The Cult of Information"."

Thank you very much Northsea for such generous and informative input. I couldn't ask for more... Still, I don't want to abuse of your good will and time but leaves me the curiosity to ask what is your personal opinion about it? How helpful was this book for you?
Thank you once again

De nada, Sophos. I like how it goes beyond the standard card descriptions and provides some insight into deeper symbolism, albeit within the constraint of one page per card. For instance, he discusses the Fool as the Kabbalistic En Sof. I have some similar views about the trifold, or 3x7, nature of tarot so I like it for that, and the diagram insert, also. While not my favorite tarot book and probably not essential, I do think it's a keeper. It is a small book though, at just 36 pages, so I was lucky enough to find one for cheap.

northsea said:

De nada, Sophos.

Click to expand...

How do you know i speak portuguese as well?? Again, i thank you for replying to my request. It is a book hard to find and still expensive when adding the shipping costs; that's why i needed more information to help me decide if i should get it or not. I always think it's worth while to read but i need to be sellective since there are so many books that i'm interested in reading. I think, from what you've said, that perhaps i will hold on until i find a less expensive copy. It's a shame that Aeclectic doesn't have a sort of library thread where the members could lend books to each other... perhaps the postage would be always too high to compensate an exchange.
i wish you tudo de bom obrigada.