As a beginning tarot reader, this book provided some unique insights into how to read combinations of cards. I also found the author's advice very practical and enjoyed her straight forward approach to teaching the tarot. I would recommend this book for tarot readers who are looking for new ways to interpret their readings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for an advanced reader's copy of this book.

I will note this is not a book for beginners. The book seems more geared to professionals and those who may be getting ready to go pro. It does leave out material because it does assume readers bring that knowledge in already. I did learn a thing or two still.

(I have a full review on my blog, which I am linking below)

ARC kindly provided by publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed below are purely my own.

Rating: 4/5

I enjoyed the linkages and story-telling advice that the author had to share with the reader. Jeannie also provided a lot of tips regarding how to read certain cards when they are near one card or another. I will definitely be using her advice when practicing linking cards together. The "homework" portion of the book? That is essential! I know for a fact that it will improve the way anyone does their readings- especially for the beginner.

The only difficulty I had with this book was with the meanings the author derived from the cards. Some of the cards that she described were not what I had been used to and so this confused me a bit. For example, the 5 of Swords. This card represents frustrations, battles, etc., but the author described it as something different. Overall, I would suggest beginners use the system of linkages/storytelling the author provides, take note of the meanings she has derived of some cards, but definitely also do their research and find more information about card meanings. Just my tidbit of advice!

I've been reading tarot cards for nearly 50 years and I still enjoy learning new techniques! This is good read for anyone wanting to learn to read cards, or to expand on what they already know. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in how tarots work.

I would recommend this book for people who are wanting to introduce themselves to the powerful insights of the tarot. This book provides a great way of understanding and familiarizing yourself with the deck.

This is a Wonderful book on the aspects of tarot reading. I enjoyed the author's life stories of her journey as a tarot reader. Not only was it entertaining, but it gave the reader a first hand glimpse of what you can expect if you choose to learn more about tarot cards. This book is not just for beginners but also a refreshing new way to study the cards. My favorite part of " The Language of Tarot" by Jeannie Reed was the exercises she has the reader do to familiarize themselves with their cards. On page 81 there is an exercise to show how you draw your cards, the author instructs you to always draw your cards this way so you don't influence your readings. Throughout this book you will find numerous tips on how to improve your readings and how to look at the cards with your right-brain and enjoy your readings from a purely psychic level.
#Netgalley #Thelanguageoftarot

I love this kind of books because in general, I love reading about mythical things. This book explains exactly how tarot works in this world. Great read!

Got the basic card meanings? Got intuition? Good! Time to stretch your psychic muscle!
This book dives deep into developing the ability to see beyond the cards. It's written in accessible language, but don't expect anything easy peasy! If you're willing to practice with all your might, there's so much more in the cards. This is a whole new level of tarot. Going from knowing the keywords to making sentences, pulling more cards for clarity, exploring psychological problems, health issues, investigating crime, clarifying financial issues and so on. Helpful lists of card combinations and useful exercises are included.
I enjoy broadening my horizons and "The Language of Tarot" certainly quenched my curiosity.

Thank you Netgalley and Llewellyn for the ARC.

I've never heard of Tarot being done this way. Not once. Granted, I've only been into Tarot for around 5 years. Still, they approach to reading Tarot like a sentence was one that just seemed so freaking cool! It can be used for medical readings as well, which I love! There is so much more to the system than I thought there would be. Not to mention the author's voice is so easy to follow and understand. Very down to earth. I've got nothing but praise for this book and I plan to buy it when it comes out so I can keep it handy.

Live on blog: 6/26/2019

There is no individual page for each card, which can be a positive or negative depending on how you look at it. It is just more of a short hand/keywords/key phrases to that card for both upright and reversed. Uses her work as a reader for many parts of the information - so it is not full of information but experience based. In the appendices there is some information and not seeing a bibliography so there is some concern there for me. But overall it more of her interpretation of the cards in the book.

Jeannie Reed has written one of my favorite books on tarot..... ever! She has found a way to talk about the cards with a raw and authentic approach. I love the simplicity she uses in the card meanings provided describing them upright and reversed. Simplicity, as in one liners that make perfect sense although sometimes presented in a new light from traditional definitions. What I particularly love is her card combination meanings, again simple and straight forward, leaving me often times asking myself "why didn't I see that before?" This mental health/addictions nurse truly appreciated the heavy emphasis on these areas as she explains her thoughts on card combinations. Some of what she writes may raise eyebrows but there is truth behind these statements as I have witnessed in my professional nursing career. The exercises (homework) provided in this book are brilliant and I will revisit them again. I'll be sure to look up this author as I'm a big fan after reading this book. (If you are reading this review, Jeannie Reed, thank you for putting the effort and energy into producing this fresh approach to tarot, I truly appreciate you!) One thing for certain is that I need a hardcopy of "The Language of Tarot" in my hands on publication date. Although I received an advanced copy of this book from Llewellyn and NetGalley (many thanks!), I can assure you this review is all mine and provided happily after reading this gem!

Great book

I have always been drawn to Tarot. I am by no means an expert but understand them in basic terms or meaning but am always looking for more insight. This is a great book and one that I will be studying in depth. I appreciate the author and her expertise in how to dig deeper into the meanings of the cards and how to apply them to one's life. I also appreciated that how she wrote the book wasn't too technical nor too basic.

I will be definitely getting a physical copy of this book to add to my ever-growing "magic" (for lack of a better term) bookshelf.

This is a really interesting resource for people learning to read tarot cards! I liked the author's chatty, friendly style, and found her descriptions of the meanings of the cards to be clear and easy to understand. There's a fairly large focus on medical and psychiatric readings, which didn't appeal to me as I worry that people will (despite the author's warnings) be tempted to use the cards as a diagnosis or to recommend treatment, and that could be dangerous. But it was certainly interesting to see how different combinations of cards, taken as a whole, could influence the information given by each individual card, and the lists of correspondences are really informative. I would recommend this to people new to the cards, with the caveat that they are a mindfulness tool, and not a medical one.

I have been looking to deepen my practice with tarot reading, and The Language of Tarot has supported me in that effort. Reed's book is thoughtful and thorough. New and advanced readers alike will walk away from this book with a greater understanding of the art.

This book is an absolutely brilliant resource for both beginner Tarot readers and those who are looking to deepen their practice. I find that with books on Tarot, the texts either get very technical very quickly (and lose me, a beginner, on the way) or else they don't go into enough detail, and explain only the individual meanings of each card, not how to read them together in sequences or spreads. This book strikes a perfect balance - it's simple and straightforward, but it goes into extensive details about not only each card and each 'suit', but also how the cards should be interpreted together- how it changes a reading when many cards of the same suit appear, or how one card alters or enhances the meaning of another, etc.

For me, when I've tried to learn Tarot before, I've got a bit exasperated because I can only remember the singular cards and couldn't grasp how to to read an actual spread - I genuinely feel like I made leaps and bounds during the week I spent with this book, and made a real connection with the cards. I also liked that the tone of the book is friendly and conversational rather than dry and academic like a lot of the other Tarot books I've read.

I will definitely return to this book again and again, and would recommend to anyone wanting to get a better understanding of Tarot.

My wife is a big fan of the tarot and has been studying to become a professional tarot consultant. She was instantly enthralled by The Language of Tarot due to its scientific approach to reading the cards. For those who look at tarot as a more esoteric, woo-woo concept, it's worth noting that many modern users do not believe you can predict the future with a tarot card reading. Instead, the cards are used more as a way to induce self-reflection, which can then help lead people down the path to achieving their personal and professional goals.

The symbolism of tarot imagery can take years to fully grasp, especially because there are so many variations between decks. This book provides a shortcut that appears to be beneficial for most readings. For this reason alone, The Language of Tarot would receive 5 stars - but it also does a great job of introducing many tarot concepts that will benefit newcomers and those who are already on their way toward fully grasping the intent behind each card's imagery.

If you're interested in the world of tarot - either as a means to read the cards or simply out of curiosity about this long-lasting practice, this book is a good place to start.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

The Language of Tarot by Jeannie Reed is such a great way to start understanding Tarot reading! It has been super informative and helpful in helping to take the first steps to Tarot reading. Wonderful book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.