tarotbear
Yes, I really did. Aeclectic is a strange and mysterious place ...
... full of strange and mysterious folk ... 
Increasing My Tarot Library
Yes, I really did. Aeclectic is a strange and mysterious place ...
... full of strange and mysterious folk ... Darkmage
@RunningWild:
If you've got the money, I suggest picking up the Encyclopedia of the Tarot by Stuart R. Kaplan. It's pricey and worth. every. penny.
An obscure book I like is The Tarot by Sylvie Simon. It primarily discusses the Marseille Tarot and is a coffee-table format book. It's got good information in there and *lovely* illustrations. I'm not sure if this is still in print or not. I picked mine up secondhand years ago and there *is* a used copy over at Bookman's on Country Club and Southern for those who live in the Phoenix metro area. At least it was still there this morning when I was there.
Waite - Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Most people have modified his meanings and run with them. It's always good to go back to the source. Don't pay full price for this one--I found a Barnes and Noble hardback edition for $4. It's cheap if you look around.
Eden Gray's The Complete Guide to Tarot is what I originally learned from. Now it's not the sort of book I need, but when I was just starting out, her book was invaluable. She also wrote The Tarot Revealed and Mastering the Tarot, but Complete Guide was and still is my fave by her.
78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack. A classic on the subject. Also, check out her Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot. I have the B+N coffee table version. It's a very pretty, if basic, book.
Happy hunting and let us know what you find!
If you've got the money, I suggest picking up the Encyclopedia of the Tarot by Stuart R. Kaplan. It's pricey and worth. every. penny.
An obscure book I like is The Tarot by Sylvie Simon. It primarily discusses the Marseille Tarot and is a coffee-table format book. It's got good information in there and *lovely* illustrations. I'm not sure if this is still in print or not. I picked mine up secondhand years ago and there *is* a used copy over at Bookman's on Country Club and Southern for those who live in the Phoenix metro area. At least it was still there this morning when I was there.
Waite - Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Most people have modified his meanings and run with them. It's always good to go back to the source. Don't pay full price for this one--I found a Barnes and Noble hardback edition for $4. It's cheap if you look around.
Eden Gray's The Complete Guide to Tarot is what I originally learned from. Now it's not the sort of book I need, but when I was just starting out, her book was invaluable. She also wrote The Tarot Revealed and Mastering the Tarot, but Complete Guide was and still is my fave by her.
78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack. A classic on the subject. Also, check out her Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot. I have the B+N coffee table version. It's a very pretty, if basic, book.
Happy hunting and let us know what you find!
RunningWild
Thanks DarkMage!
I'm not actually hunting for books, I have several excellent books already. The books I mention in the OP are those that I've been pondering for some time, trying to decide if I should or shouldn't bother.
While Kaplan's encyclopedia would be a nice addition to my shelf, I'm really looking at books that are a bit smaller and easily held for reading. LOL
I already have 78 Degrees of Wisdom, my copy being well-read, dog eared pages, highlighted through and through with my own notes in the margins.
I also already have Gray's book. Nice, but I was looking at something meatier.
But thank you again for your suggestions.
Le Fanu
A Wicked Pack of Cards is an excellent book, one I personally would highly recommend...
Lokisen
I agree with the "Book of Thoth." A must for any collection; one of my personal favorites.
Richard
If I'm not mistaken, the OP was not asking for random book recommendations but for opinions about four specific books. I don't know about Tarot Decoded, but all of the other books are worthy of inclusion in anyone's Tarot library. Personally, I am not interested in "dignity" reading methods or Wirth's ideas about Tarot.
gregory
Indeed.
Tarot Decoded is - hard work. I have no idea if the OP is into that. Let's just say I have read the first 50 pages. Three times so far. Wicked Pack is MUCH more fun
RunningWild
For now Wicked Pack of Cards stays on the list, until I find out more about the book coming out at the end of the year anyway.
As for Tarot Decoded, I am sort of into it. Not that I would necessarily use dignitaries exclusively for reading because how boring that would be. LOL I'm used to reading material that isn't particularly exciting, so slogging through it won't be a problem.
But I think I'll remove Tarot of the Magicians. I've been ambivalent about it but left it on a wishlist *just in case* I had this sudden urge to explore more TdM style decks. Honestly, I don't see that happening in the near future though.
Thank you all for chiming in.
As for Tarot Decoded, I am sort of into it. Not that I would necessarily use dignitaries exclusively for reading because how boring that would be. LOL I'm used to reading material that isn't particularly exciting, so slogging through it won't be a problem.
But I think I'll remove Tarot of the Magicians. I've been ambivalent about it but left it on a wishlist *just in case* I had this sudden urge to explore more TdM style decks. Honestly, I don't see that happening in the near future though.
Thank you all for chiming in.
Richard
I do TdM, but Wirth is too far out of the mainstream for me. For TdM you really need Reading the Marseille Tarot by J-M. David. It's not exactly all butterflies and pretty flowers, but it'll open your eyes to reality.
shaveling
As LRichard points out, Wirth isn't particularly TdM. He devised his own version of the Tarot, like Waite and Crowley did, though his deck is majors only. He's a turn of the century occultist, like the Golden Dawn crowd. Only he's not GD, which is one of the things that make him interesting. There really is no authoritative TdM book, only books that you like or find useful or something like that.
If you change your mind, remember that Tarot of the Magicians was republished earlier this year with an introduction by Mary Greer. If you buy a copy from a used book dealer, you might end up with the earlier edition, without her introduction.
If you change your mind, remember that Tarot of the Magicians was republished earlier this year with an introduction by Mary Greer. If you buy a copy from a used book dealer, you might end up with the earlier edition, without her introduction.
