Three of my favorites:
1. What Tarot Can Do for You (Barbara Moore) This is a really nice, straightforward overview of information I wish I had had when I was starting out. She writes in an easy, conversational tone, does not overwhelm you with too much detail - enough good information in comfortable-sized bites, with a lot of good ideas regarding how to get to know the cards, a variety of ways to approach & use them, & a nice selection of illustrations for those seeking a deck. Some books I obtain & skim, then use as a reference...all three listed here are in my "read it cover-to-cover" category, & are well-worth re-reading, IMO!
2. Tarot Tips (Ruth Ann & Wald Amberstone) This book is largely question-answer format, drawn from questions brought to the writers by students & tarot enthusiasts over the years. The wealth of knowledge these two are willing to share is wonderful, & their responses to questions allow learners to feel comfortable in the asking & confident in the answers provided...I think even the most experienced of readers could gain a lot from opening this book to any given page, & for a beginner - many of the questions that will arise over the first months (or years) of reading are addressed at the get-go.
3. Tarot Outside the Box (Valerie Sim) Valerie Sim gives the reader permission to explore beyond the expected, & the results can be amazing! I've incorporated some of her ideas into my practice, & absolutely love them...her approach is very innovative, & she encourages readers to take that step right off the cliff alongside (or ahead of?) the Fool - & trying her ideas brings the joy into tarot adventuring that some of us lose when we get too wrapped up in dogmatic learning.
I started out learning years ago via a correspondence course (before this newfangled glowing box was sitting on the desk!), & like a good little scholarly witch read every book that promised to teach me what the cards meant & how to use them, wrote endless pages of meanings for self-created guides, journaled & studied diligently, until I finally realized I was reading my cards easily & what I was reading did NOT come from those books, but from an intuitive approach to simply "reading what was there" in the images offered. The books listed above advocate for the most part a self-directed reading style, which is what I grew into - a far more natural way of working (for me, at least) than memorizing meanings & worrying so much about whether I was getting it right according to "the experts" & their definitions. When I teach tarot, I take an "Intuitive Tarot" approach - & those in class who are just starting love finding out that it really can be "this easy" - & those who've read for years embrace the permission to base their practice on trust in their own instincts.
All three of these are available from Amazon, as is Llewellyn's anuual Tarot Reader, which is a great place to read short articles that might lead you to an author or a deck you'd like to explore further.
One other suggestion - if you like reading, investigate some of the fiction out there featuring tarot readers...that gives you a really good opportunity to follow along with a character who does this & see how it works (& sometimes doesn't) in their life! Some I've really enjoyed:
1. Better Read Than Dead (Victoria Laurie) - This is the second in her "Psychic Eye" murder mystery series (I'd recommend reading them in order, if you like the genre) - I loved this, because she uses my favorite deck...so the descriptions of cards & her consideration of them as they appeared really rang true for me!
2. Card Shark (Gigi Miner) - A little expensive (trade size) - but well worth it, as far as I was concerned. The main character inspired me back into drawing daily cards...& this writer really is very good at "getting inside a dog's head & speaking from his voice" if you are a fan of canine characters.
3. David Skibbins' Tarot Series - One of the few I've found that feature a male card reader, & a great motley crew of characters. Not sugar-coated, not with all nice happy "wrap it up neatly" endings...but mysteries that make me ask "when will the next one be out?" Three so far: Eight of Swords, High Priestess, & The Star...& a fourth on the way with The Hanged Man, due this fall.
The fiction mentioned (I've got a list of others, if anyone out there is looking...& would be glad to learn of any I've missed in my travels!) can be obtained through Amazon as well.
This may have been more answer than you wanted...I am not known for being "short-winded", I'm afraid! Hope it may have helped, & let us know how it goes for you...Happy Reading!
Brightest Blessings,
'v'xn~
1. What Tarot Can Do for You (Barbara Moore) This is a really nice, straightforward overview of information I wish I had had when I was starting out. She writes in an easy, conversational tone, does not overwhelm you with too much detail - enough good information in comfortable-sized bites, with a lot of good ideas regarding how to get to know the cards, a variety of ways to approach & use them, & a nice selection of illustrations for those seeking a deck. Some books I obtain & skim, then use as a reference...all three listed here are in my "read it cover-to-cover" category, & are well-worth re-reading, IMO!
2. Tarot Tips (Ruth Ann & Wald Amberstone) This book is largely question-answer format, drawn from questions brought to the writers by students & tarot enthusiasts over the years. The wealth of knowledge these two are willing to share is wonderful, & their responses to questions allow learners to feel comfortable in the asking & confident in the answers provided...I think even the most experienced of readers could gain a lot from opening this book to any given page, & for a beginner - many of the questions that will arise over the first months (or years) of reading are addressed at the get-go.3. Tarot Outside the Box (Valerie Sim) Valerie Sim gives the reader permission to explore beyond the expected, & the results can be amazing! I've incorporated some of her ideas into my practice, & absolutely love them...her approach is very innovative, & she encourages readers to take that step right off the cliff alongside (or ahead of?) the Fool - & trying her ideas brings the joy into tarot adventuring that some of us lose when we get too wrapped up in dogmatic learning.
I started out learning years ago via a correspondence course (before this newfangled glowing box was sitting on the desk!), & like a good little scholarly witch read every book that promised to teach me what the cards meant & how to use them, wrote endless pages of meanings for self-created guides, journaled & studied diligently, until I finally realized I was reading my cards easily & what I was reading did NOT come from those books, but from an intuitive approach to simply "reading what was there" in the images offered. The books listed above advocate for the most part a self-directed reading style, which is what I grew into - a far more natural way of working (for me, at least) than memorizing meanings & worrying so much about whether I was getting it right according to "the experts" & their definitions. When I teach tarot, I take an "Intuitive Tarot" approach - & those in class who are just starting love finding out that it really can be "this easy" - & those who've read for years embrace the permission to base their practice on trust in their own instincts.
All three of these are available from Amazon, as is Llewellyn's anuual Tarot Reader, which is a great place to read short articles that might lead you to an author or a deck you'd like to explore further.
One other suggestion - if you like reading, investigate some of the fiction out there featuring tarot readers...that gives you a really good opportunity to follow along with a character who does this & see how it works (& sometimes doesn't) in their life! Some I've really enjoyed:
1. Better Read Than Dead (Victoria Laurie) - This is the second in her "Psychic Eye" murder mystery series (I'd recommend reading them in order, if you like the genre) - I loved this, because she uses my favorite deck...so the descriptions of cards & her consideration of them as they appeared really rang true for me!
2. Card Shark (Gigi Miner) - A little expensive (trade size) - but well worth it, as far as I was concerned. The main character inspired me back into drawing daily cards...& this writer really is very good at "getting inside a dog's head & speaking from his voice" if you are a fan of canine characters.
3. David Skibbins' Tarot Series - One of the few I've found that feature a male card reader, & a great motley crew of characters. Not sugar-coated, not with all nice happy "wrap it up neatly" endings...but mysteries that make me ask "when will the next one be out?" Three so far: Eight of Swords, High Priestess, & The Star...& a fourth on the way with The Hanged Man, due this fall.
The fiction mentioned (I've got a list of others, if anyone out there is looking...& would be glad to learn of any I've missed in my travels!) can be obtained through Amazon as well.
This may have been more answer than you wanted...I am not known for being "short-winded", I'm afraid! Hope it may have helped, & let us know how it goes for you...Happy Reading!
Brightest Blessings,
'v'xn~
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment