Rider-Waite and the Beginner

I'm just starting to learn the tarot. Are there any particular books the are good for the beginner? I have the Rider-Waite deck. I've heard mixed things about "Pictorial Key to the Tarot" and that it's not the best book for a newbie. Are there any good ones that revolve mainly around the meaning of the cards and how they relate to one another? Thank you in advance for your help.

This site has an excellent section on learning the meanings of the cards. (Up in the top right corner... Click learn)

The first website I found was Joan Bunnings Learn Tarot. www.learntarot.com The book is identical to the website, but it's easier to carry around

I've come across several other books, that were ok, but for, me they weren't as good.

'The Complete Tarot Reader' by Teresa Michelsen - excellent book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...8115/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7934166-2473736?ie=UTF8

This book will teach you how to read (by that I mean how to find your own meanings for the cards). With this book you'll be able to read with any deck.. It doesn't just give you a load of meanings to recite parrot fashion.

Hi There,
I would highly recommend "THE TAROT REVEALED" BY PAUL FENTON SMITH
I always recommend this book to my students. It is based on the Rider Waite Tarot.
Best of Luck,
Doreen.

Sulis said:

'The Complete Tarot Reader' by Teresa Michelsen - excellent book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...8115/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7934166-2473736?ie=UTF8

This book will teach you how to read (by that I mean how to find your own meanings for the cards). With this book you'll be able to read with any deck.. It doesn't just give you a load of meanings to recite parrot fashion.

Click to expand...

I will give a second recommendation to this one. If I remember rightly, it also has an interesting section on numbers (is that correct, Sulis?), so you have a grounding for a far wider selection of decks in the long run, should you want to start looking into the Marseille, Visconti or Ancient Italians. Numbers can assist your readings in a different way than just viewing the pictures. The combination of both ways of reading can be very effective and also help you to gain a greater understanding of the illustrations.

LB

LittleBuddha said:

I will give a second recommendation to this one. If I remember rightly, it also has an interesting section on numbers (is that correct, Sulis?), so you have a grounding for a far wider selection of decks in the long run, should you want to start looking into the Marseille, Visconti or Ancient Italians. Numbers can assist your readings in a different way than just viewing the pictures. The combination of both ways of reading can be very effective and also help you to gain a greater understanding of the illustrations.

LB

Click to expand...

Yes LB, Teresa Michelsen has a wonderful section in this book about the numbers and how each number relates to the elements.

This book really emphasises the fact that there are many different ways of reading and that each reader should take what they want from the book and leave what they don't want... I really think that this is the best approach to take...

I very much dislike the 'Learn Tarot' book because it seems to simply give a load of keywords to learn with no explanation (apart from looking at the pictures on the cards) of how the keywords were arrived at.
Another reason I don't like this book is because it uses the Celtic Cross right from the start with no smaller spreads to learn.
When I was starting out with tarot I found the Celtic Cross spread to be overwhelming and confusing and I'm sure many other beginners feel that way too.
I always advise folk to start small with spreads - don't overcomplicate things.

Doreen said:

Hi There,
I would highly recommend "THE TAROT REVEALED" BY PAUL FENTON SMITH
I always recommend this book to my students. It is based on the Rider Waite Tarot.
Best of Luck,
Doreen.

Click to expand...

This was going to be my second recommendation.
I love his descriptions of the Court cards (he uses the same elemental attributes as I do for them).
Paul Fenton-Smith has a very down to Earth way of reading and of explaining stuff.

I agree Sulis. Stay small with spreads. Even experienced readers don't need to overload with a large amount of cards. If the tarot has the answer, it can give it to you clearly in just three cards, I feel.

Bunning's site does have a lot of keywords in it, I agree. Maybe 'Tarot Transformation/Tarot for Yourself by Mary K Greer is the way to go. That has a workbook format and helps you find the meanings that are important to you.

As an aside, her book on court cards (with Tom Little) is also worth a mention.

And one other book that I felt dealt with the Minor Arcana of the Rider Waite brillantly was 'Tarot and the Tree of Life' by Kliegman. It focuses on Kabbalah but she works through the suits beautifully and uncomplicatedly. It really is a worthy companion to Waite's minor arcana.

LB

Thank you all for your help and guidance.

Here's one for Tarot tells the Tale by James Ricklef. It does have the usual descriptive meanings for the Majors and Minors, but mostly it teaches you how to use 3 card spreads to become a *reader*. Really love this book. I've gotten more from it than the other 3 books I've read.

I also would urge you to look for a thread from Umbrae on the 'Process' on this site.

Jen

I agree with the recommendation for Michelsen's The Complete Tarot Reader. That's the book I wish I'd had when I was starting.