Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through netgalley in exchange for this review. This book will be released this July 2015 by Llewellyn Books.
Deborah Lipp’s Tarot Interactions takes tarot enthusiasts, new and advanced, through the various ways they can read and build relationships with the tarot. When I first saw this book for review on Netgalley I expected to see a tome on relating the cards to one another–a dictionary reference on building meaning for two, three, or four cards in a reading. If that’s the type of book you want, this is not for you. Instead, Lipp brings readers an new way of learning tarot in examining various interactions.
Tarot Interactions posits that every bit of using a tarot, from honing your psychic skills using the cards to reading for clients is an interaction. Each chapter discusses a unique view of an interaction using tarot cards. My favorite chapters were the Psyche, Patterns, and Language chapters because they take tarot on a personal level; reminding us that readings begin with learning patterns and seeing how the cards interplay with one another and the client; and the language and stories the cards tell us.
What I liked: This was a great workbook for readers. Lipp’s writing is smooth and easy going and it’s written almost like the reader is in the room with her. There are many exercises that make reading this book in a group setting very easy to do. She even includes answers to her own questions to use as good jumping off points. I also liked how each chapter builds and guides you into the art of tarot reading on one another. There are also some good appendices on her tarot meanings and other good info.
What I didn’t like: I had some issues with some of the example stories. Sometimes there seemed to be inconsistencies between the spread graphics and what was written. I also thought the book was too short. (Not REALLY an issue but I really liked her instructional style and wanted to have more from her.)
Bottom Line: If you want to develop long-lasting relationships with your decks and learn how interactions play in your tarot readings then Tarot Interactions is for you.
Disclaimer: I received a eARC from netgalley. Also, the author is a friend of mine from the Tarot circles. Just wanted to get that out of the way.
Relationship questions are the bread and butter for tarot readers. I know, because I get asked about them a lot in my practice. So, when Tarot Coupling came out, I was very interested in seeing what Gina Thies could add to the discussion. I was not disappointed. This book has a LOT to offer new and advanced tarot readers. She spends a lot of time discussing the science behind relationships and how tarot readers can support relationships at different stations. She also gives unique and impressive meanings for each card that help support people in relationships at any level. The last chapter in Tarot Coupling includes a tarot spread that you can use in your own practice.
What I Liked: Tarot Coupling goes DEEP into the study of relationships, romance, and the science of attraction. This is important to know because questions on love and romance are psychologically based. We need to know the science on how partners are picked in order to really help our clients. I also loved that Thies took the time to create her own meanings for relationships throughout the four stages of their lifecycle. This is the bang for the buck. No longer will you need to pigeon hole a meaning when the client is in a new relationship stage. Now you can see how the meanings deepen or change throughout the relationship changes. I also liked the lists of romantic suggestions/dates, etc. to help inspire people.
What I Disliked: This is a heavy book. There’s so much science and psychology in the book that it takes awhile to read. I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing, but you will want to take notes and digest what Thies says. I would have also liked it if Thies included a few other spreads (she has just the one), and some sample readings with them.
Bottom Line: I’ve read and reviewed many tarot and relationship books and most of them leave me feeling empty. They are light on the use of tarot in relationships and heavy on the card meanings. Tarot Coupling is my new favorite relationship book. Not only does it provide original and creative meanings for the cards, but it gives a lot of practical advice on how attachments are made and this information can be used to inspire and counsel any client.
Disclaimer: Dixie Vogel gave me a free ePub of her book in 2012 in exchange for an honest review. Despite the fact that it took me forever to read and review this book, here’s my review. (Added after contacting the author: Dixie and I have been chatting via email and she told me that since this version came out, she’s gone back and revised the book a bit. She even added all the minor arcana cards. Her goal for this volume was to see if she could publish a book and obviously, she succeeded in that goal. I applaud her for having gotten something out and for continuing to write and share it with the world.)
I have a hard time with books that have been converted from blog posts. While I love reading short articles focused around my favorite interests (tarot, decluttering, games, productivity, etc.) they’re usually a hit or miss deal. The same thing holds true for this volume. Dixie Vogel collected some of her articles from her blog “A Fool’s Journey” and converted them to this book. She goes through each card and then gives her personal opinion and story to go along with each of the major arcana cards.
What I liked: I love reading personal stories that connect the cards to the reality of one’s life. This book covers that in spades. Vogel writes poignant articles connecting each card, Astrology, and her family and life. I like that she also includes reversed cards and how they relate to her world as well. In some cases Vogel selected two articles to reflect a single card. At the end of each essay, she poses a wonderful question that helps the reader delve into their own connection to the card. Seeing these questions alone excited me because it actually gave the book a push away from being “yet another blog to book” conversion.
Where I had problems: Like I stated in my introduction, blog to book articles aren’t the same thing. There are many inside things in Vogel’s articles that I had issues following. I’m a huge tarot buff but when it comes to connecting the Astrology in general and to tarot, I need a lot of hand-holding and explanation. When I read an article that talks about the planet or sign’s effect on a person, I expect them to tell me more about that planet, how this relates to the card and to the story they’re telling. This book fell flat in that department. Due to this nature, and some of the awkwardness of the prose, it was very hard for me to read and want to keep reading, despite the amazing insights into the cards Vogel has. (This is also why the book received the GoodReads two-star review for “it’s okay”). The inconsistency of the formatting and the loose editing was apparent throughout the eBook.
Bottom Line: If you are bored and want to read a quick personal read on how people relate to each tarot card, then this is your book. The questions at the end of each section are great to use for exploring your own connections to the cards as well.
Marcia Masino’s book, Best Tarot Practices, blends the author’s personal life-long journey with tarot, practical exercises, and meditations to round out a self-study course on reading tarot and uncovering the skills you’ll need to become a proficient reader. Masino guides you by breaking this process down into bite-sized chapters that interlace solid reading advice (that many books skip or skim over) with practical exercises that anyone, at any level, can immediately integrate into their reading practice. The first section centers on reading methods and reading styles; while the next section provides three tarot spreads and real-life examples of the readings in play. Masino wanted readers to really use this book, as there are many on-the-fly worksheets scattered throughout its pages. The last two sections give a card-by-card guide to interpreting and using the cards as a personal companion. A small selection of quotes from her colleagues and students wraps the book up.
There is a lot to like about this book. Masino begins the first chapter “Mastering Tarot Meanings” by going over the ever dreaded Court Cards, which I thought was a good approach as they’re always the cards that most people get tripped up on. Negative interpretations are regarded more as challenges. The book also defines the various types of querents you’ll encounter while doing public readings and gives you tips on how to handle each type— useful for anyone doing public readings. I found that the “Questions to Consider” sections in the Major Arcana card chapters to be useful to those wanting to make a deck of their own or in using the cards to journal. The questions really get you thinking about the meanings of the cards and give you a way to personally connect to the cards on a deeper level. I also enjoyed seeing meditations provided for all of the major arcana cards, as well as many of the minor cards. Using tarot in conjunction with meditation is an often overlooked idea and this book gracefully shows you how it can be done.
On the other hand, it was hard to categorize the audience of this book, for much of the information contained is better served if you already have a familiarity with the cards. I also found the two appendixes in the back to be a waste of paper. They repeat Masino’s key words for all the major arcana and summarize the minor arcana virtues, while providing nice large images of all the cards. I think that this could have been done without taking up fourteen pages. The second appendix provides a four page reference layout for each of the spreads described in Section Two.
Overall, I would say that Best Tarot Practices makes a sturdy intermediate companion to anyone aspiring to study and go deeper into the meanings of the tarot. If you want to grow, deepen and gain more insights into your life using tarot then let Best Tarot Practices become your companion on the journey.
Self published and available through theincidentaltarot.com
ISBN 978-0-615-56475-3 Rating: 4 Decks The Cards and Artwork
9-The Blue Buddha (DeFount’s version of The Hermit). Taken from her website.
The Incidental Tarot took me by surprise. I’m not big of “marseilles style” tarots (decks where the images on the minor numbered cards depict little more than just the suit’s symbol and number and no reference picture) and my first thought was to pass picking this deck up. But as I sat there leafing through a friend’s copy, the images called out to me and I knew that I had to invest in this personal and unique deck. The deck itself is not 100% Rider Waite, but it’s also not quite marseilles either. Its voice is as vibrant and unique as the creatrix who designed it.
Holly DeFount says regarding the deck’s style, “My style is heavily influenced by Medieval and Renaissance art, as well as the late Victorian painters, the Pre- Raphaelites. The simple yet rich symbolism of these styles has always resonated with me, and I find it translates beautifully to the intrinsically esoteric art of the Tarot. … My philosophy was primarily one of “less is more,” and I think this makes the deck resonate with a pure, archetypal impact.” The cards are printed on a good, strong card stock that lends itself well for shuffling. Unlike many decks that choose to include two “throwaway” cards, The Incidental Tarot includes two additional cards (deck talismans) that represent the journey into and out of this deck.
18-La Lune (DeFount’s version of The Moon). Photo copyright Holly DeFount, used with permission.
The Incidental Tarot has taken the regular tarot structure and radically personalized it. Many of the Majors have new and updated names. For example, Strength is called Gryphon and the Magician is called the Red King. DeFount also renamed the court names to suit her own style as well. Each suit’s page and knight have a unique designation to the deck, and a Queen and a King. Even the suits wear different names as well. DeFount says, “With the Minor Arcana, I chose to use elemental symbols that have always spoken to me. Golden Arrows in place of wands for fire, symbolizing raw energy, activity and movement. Roses in place of cups for water, illustrating emotion, intuition, creativity and relationships. Quills became the suit of swords representing both air and the workings of the mind: thought, learning, communication. And in lieu of pentacles, the mighty oak came to represent the earth element: the body, home and hearth, and material abundance.”
The cards themselves are wider than the standard Llewellyn and US Games decks. However, they still shuffle well and have a good solidity to them despite having to shuffle them at the width. I’m not sure who printed the cards but they look well designed, carry a bit of a gloss on them, and have a perfectly sized tuckbox that will keep the cards safe for years. The backs are reversible and were inspired by a Rumi poem.
Eager to use the deck, I went ahead and asked it the following questions:
3 of Roses. Photo copyright by Holly DeFount.
1. What can you teach users? I drew the 3 of Roses. Of the Rose suit, DeFount says that it represents “emotions, creativity, adaptability, compassion, expression.” The keyword for this card is Fertility and I think it’s a poignant single word answer to this question. This deck desires to create new and personalized connections between what we think the tarot is and what this deck contains.
4 of Quills. Photo copyright by Holly DeFount.
2. What are your strengths? I drew the 4 of Quills for this question’s answer. Of this suit, DeFount says it represents “communication, investigation, learning, technology, commerce.” This card’s keyword is Articulation which I interpret to mean that this deck, once you tap into it’s meanings and resources, has the ability to open doors, uncover new meanings and harness new potentials. Much like how DeFount did when she went about creating The Incidental Tarot itself.
The Bard (knight of roses). Photo copyright by Holly DeFount.
3. What are your weaknesses? I drew The Bard (or the Knight of Roses) to answer this question. Before I consulted the companion book to read the keyword, the concept of bardic song and poetry popped into my mind. I think that this deck has the potential to overwhelm and wow users over, so much that they shy away from wanting to use this deck. Believe me, it does want to be used. The keyword for this card is Creativity and I think that it sums up the idea of how creativity and passion can be perceived as a emotional investment that can sometimes be a deterrent.
The Companion Book
The deck itself does not come with a book (you can download a sheet of meanings from her website). However, DeFount has published a companion book, The INCIDENTAL TAROT, A Spiritual and Creative Journey The Companion to the Cards, over at amazon for those who want to know more about how this deck was put together. It’s filled with her philosophy on spirituality, art, and a keen understanding of tarot meanings. Her personality shines throughout the book. The book begins with personal details on the deck’s unique name and format, how the deck came to be, and her artistic vision (all the quotes in this review were taken from the PDF eBook version.) The rest of the book contains three sections: Major, Minor, and How to Read the Cards.
The Bard (knight of roses). Photo copyright by Holly DeFount.
The Major Arcana section is by far the beefiest. In this section, each card is shown in full color with a date on when the card was birthed. DeFount also tells us a story about how they relate back to her life, in addition to discussing the card’s primary meaning. We’re also given a short keyword summary of each card’s energy, and what that card means when read reversed.
The section on the Minor Arcana doesn’t get the personal treatment like the Majors. However, DeFount does let us know what their upright and reversed meanings are; along with the meanings for some of the symbolisms that do appear in the images. At the end of both Major and Minor sections, DeFount includes a table filled with single keywords for each major and minors. At the end of the book there is a short essay on how to read with the cards. It also includes a unique spread inspired by her friends.
However, this book is a great way to really understand the unique and personal vision of the deck, in which DeFount says, “In my estimation, the Tarot is never a rigid system of divining the future, but rather a fluid, symbiotic oracle that is entirely defined by the personal relationship of the cards and the reader. If the Incidental Tarot is a language of divination; then each new oracle (cards and reader) will speak a slightly different dialect.”
Bottom Line
Deck collectors will love The Incidental Tarot. The art is unique and blends a bit of the old with modern day techniques. Outside of doing a few daily draws with this deck, I have not really read with it much. I connect far more to the images than I do to it as a Tarot deck. However, I love the way DeFount re-imagined tarot to fit her personal spiritual world. I highly recommend that you buy a copy (electronic or paper) of the companion guide for it will both expand your appreciation for the artistry in this deck as well as properly guide you into reading the deck as an oracle.
