Think I&#39ve decided but still have a couple questions

[Summerdream]

Ok, here's what I think I'm going to do. I'm going to purchase the Universal Waite Tarot. Should I purchase it with the companion book or just the deck? Also, out of these books which should I get?
Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis
Tarot of your self by Mary Greer
78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachael Pollack
They are having a special on purchasing "Tarot of your self" and "78 Degrees of Wisdom" sold together as a set on another site.
I'm still going to keep my eyes out for other interesting tarot decks for the future too!!!

 

[Scorpion]

I guess it's personal preference whether to get the companion book to the deck, but I have to admit I always make a point of it. I've found them invaluable, particularly with the less "mainstream" decks. However, I don't know if you've seen my earlier post plugging Thirteen's "Tarot Basic" section on this site (which gets rave reviews every so often - and I've been studying it today), but you may find it'll keep you going for a while! I don't have any of the books you mention, but you may have noticed that there is a study group on this site for the 78 Degrees of Wisdom and there's been recent posts encouraging people to join in, so I would imagine that would be extremely helpful as you would be able to exchange ideas as you went along.

 

[faunabay]

I would Definitely go for the Tarot for Yourself and 78 degrees books!!! They're wonderful! Tarot for Yourself if is a great workbook which helps you figure out how you see the cards. It helped me with the difficult task of knowing what the court cards mean!

 

[truthsayer]

universal tarot, tarot for yourself and 78 degrees of wisdom are all terrific books. both books are personal favorites. i think tarot plain and simple is more like a dictionary and basic tarot terminology/definitions. several ppl here have said it is the most boring tarot book they've ever encountered but if you just want the facts--then that's it. as to whether to just get the deck or the set, waite's book is rather dry but it's a good basic tarot book and every tarot library needs just a no frills book. it might also help you to get into waite's "head". tarot plain and simple is prob like the book by waite.

joan bunning's book,"learning the tarot" is another very good beginner's book. http://www.learntarot.com the best thing about it is that you can download it free from this site! she also does a free class for barnes and noble university. if money is tight, what you learn here and the learntarot site should keep you going for months. hope this helps.

 

[divinerguy]

Dear Mom,

78 Degrees is a fine scholarly work. However, at times, its kinda like reading stereo instructions. Also, at 22 dollars (US) its not cheap.

If you want a book or two to get you reading quickly, here are my choices:

Pocket Guide To The Tarot by Alan Oken ($6.95 US)
Mastering The Tarot by Eden Gray ($5.99 US)

They are practical, and avoid a lot of the mumbo-jumbo that tends to confuse a lot of people. If you want to study Tarot, learn to read first, then get into the esoteric stuff later.

Otherwise, you might become discouraged.

Gary

 

[truthsayer]

mom,
gary makes a great point that you should consider. i forget how frustrating works like 78 degrees would have made me when i was just learning. i still stand by tarot for yourself tho. i think that book is about the most wonderful tarot book out there. it's relatively simple and teaches you how to quickly use the cards to understand yourself better. when i was learning, it made tarot fun. since i've done this a while and symbolism/scholarship is my thing then i do look at tarot differently.

i believe you will enjoy the universal tarot. thank-you gary for bringing up such a valid point.

 

[Summerdream]

ordered the Universal Waite tarot/book set, Osho-Zen tarot, Tarot for Your Self and 78 Degrees of Wisdom all for me!!! I think the Universal Waite and Tarot for Your Self should be me started and the Osho-Zen and 78 Degrees will come in handy when I feel comfortable with the basics! I've always had an interest in tarot cards but have not bought the right decks. My first set was the Tarot 1JJ (swiss) (which I didn't care for) and then got the Golden Dawn Ritual Tarot by Sandra Cicero (which is a little more complicated) and I was given the Dream Cards with book (weren't my thing either)...lol...and The Power Deck (which is good for daily meditation). The only ones I have left are the Golden Dawn Ritual (which I'm thinking of trading) and The Power Deck by Lynn. Andrews which is nice. I have been having tarot card readings since I was 18 but have always had the interest to do it myself. Alot of times when I would go for card readings I would choose the Deva Deck and this last time I choose Osho-Zen. The lady I go to has been telling me for years that I have a gift for doing it!!! I hope by studying for the traditional Universal Waite cards that I can finally master the art. I really, really appreciate this website and all the support everyone gives one another.

 

[Scorpion]

WOW! Your hubby sounds fantastic - do you think he could have a word with my partner?!

Well, you'll have to get on with it now: you owe it to him!

I'm sure the woman who normally reads for you is right. You'll have lots of fun learning and plenty of help and support here, so go for it!