What are you reading now?

kislany

Which tarot book are you reading at present? And I don't mean which book are you flipping through when you want to brush up on the meaning of a particular card for a reading, but instead a book which you picked up to read cover to cover? Also how do you find it so far?

Right now I'm reading through Tarot Tips by Ruth & Wald Amberstone and I think it's great. Every newbie (and not only) should read it, the tips are very down to earth and also help one in avoiding some 'newbie mistakes' :)

Can we try to keep this thread going? :angel:
 

Knight of Wands

I'm reading 78 Degrees of Wisdom, I only got it about month ago and have *sort of* read it right through, but I usually get distracted and start again in a completely different place, but I think I've read nearly all of it now by doing this :D

KoW
 

mythos

I am actually reading a number of books presently which, on the surface, may not appear to be 'tarot' books, but I am reading them because they link in with tarot. I'll explain:

* The Occult Philosophy of Agrippa Book 1 (with intentions of reading all the volumes), born in Cologne Germany in 1486 - thus his philosophy is reflective of the time in which tarot developed. He speaks of the elements, correspondences and so on.

* Psychological Types - C G Jung. A number of tarot authors have tried, with varying levels of success, to use Jungian Typology to define the Court cards. But none really fir. As I am creating a deck currently, I thought, why not create a court set which is reflective of these types, and define the cards purely within the context of this theory (and it's later additions, developments, variations etc). Whether this is actuallywhat I will end up doing, I can't say at this stage - it is merely a theory that I am exploring in relations to the tarot courts.

* The Zelator - by Mark Hedsel. It is of one man's initiatory journey into esoterica and thus includes tarot. It ranges widely throughout the areas which have fed tarot mythology, history and symbolism.

* Meditations on the Tarot - A Journey into Christian Hermeticism - only just started, so I cannot comment as yet.

mythos:)
 

Andy Kim

I'm reading A History of the Occult Tarot by Michael Dummett and Ronald Decker. After finishing this book, I'll buy A Wicked Pack of Cards, too.
 

thinbuddha

I'm reading "Tarot and the Magus" by Paul Hughes-Barlow. It is an absolutly fascinating alternative to reading using spreads with set meanings for card locations. He describes how to read strings of cards- applying meaning to cards based on elemental dignities, among other things. Very enlightening read so far.
 

roppo

I'm reading now "The Place of Enchantment" by Alex Owen and "The Four Cardinal Virtues" by Joseph Pieper. I bought them because they were highly recommended by the members of AT Forum. The latter is especially illuminating.
 

WolfSpirit

The Qabalistic Tarot by Robert Wang.

I can not read this in one go cover to cover, but in small doses otherwise my mind just goes blank ~ it is good but not an easy read, and also a subject matter I don't know too much about.
 

Malygris

"Initiation into the Tarot" - Naomi Ozaniec
Trying to make a start on the Kabbalistic stuff.

"The Magick of Aleister Crowley" - Lon Milo DuQuette
Just dipping in.
 

ShekinahMoon

Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley and also The Crowley Tarot by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf

Book of Thoth so far has been an amazing read. I understand now how this deck is two fold. A pictorial representation of the Tree of Life from the Kabala as well as a tool for divination. Crowley's book is full of information. I will admit for the first time the Tree of Life diagram made sense. I do know that since I've been reading the Book of Thoth esoteric concepts that were perplexing to me for years have begun to make sense. His book is opening up my "esoteric eye" so I'm excited about reading the whole book.

The challenge I have with the book is that Crowley so far explains a lot about the history behind the myths that influenced the card but very little in how to use these images to interpret the card in a reading. So I bought The Crowley Tarot which helps me to understand how to use the images in the cards and the information about them in a reading.

I had planned on getting the Ceremonial Magick Tarot deck to help me understand Crowley's deck better but I'm glad I got this book instead.
 

ShekinahMoon

mythos said:
I am actually reading a number of books presently which, on the surface, may not appear to be 'tarot' books, but I am reading them because they link in with tarot. I'll explain:

* The Occult Philosophy of Agrippa Book 1 (with intentions of reading all the volumes), born in Cologne Germany in 1486 - thus his philosophy is reflective of the time in which tarot developed. He speaks of the elements, correspondences and so on.

I have the big black book which has his books one through three. About two years ago I read the first few chapters, stared at the book like it was written in that angelic Enochian language I know nothing about, put the book back on my shelf and thus it still sits. :joke:

But after reading your post here I am reminded that some of what Crowley is talking about in his Book of Thoth goes straight back to what Agrippa was writing about in his Occult Philosophies books and realizing that Crowley was trying to bring back to Tarot the occult aspects which have strong foundations in Agrippa's writings I might need to pick that book back up.

I was planning to do a year long study of the Thoth tarot. Six days for each Major Arcana and four days for each Minor Arcana and was wondering outside of The Book of Thoth and the book The Crowley Tarot what other writings would I read to help fill in the days for each card. I think I will pick up Agrippa's book again.

Thanks for your post.