Learn the Tarot to Understand Why Theology Is Also a Fiction

Back in high school, I was temporarily interested in researching and performing Tarot readings. However, most on whom I performed readings seemed to be mostly frightened by them as some kind of a demonic practice. And once I tried to ask for a job as a Tarot reader in Los Angeles, and was met with a chuckle by a girl who assumed I had come into her shop to pay for a reading. These experiences generally convinced me that this was a silly pursuit and that I had learned all there was to understand about it. Such mystical interests were more mainstream back in Russia, where in one camp one of my roommates openly described being abducted and probed by aliens, while we looked at strange lights in the night sky that she said were the spaceship that had previously abducted her. I realize in retrospect that she was spinning a fiction, and that Tarot cards and other New Age items are just scams that profit from the ignorance of the young and hopeful. But these subjects remain more popular than hard sciences, so it is important to review new releases in this field on occasion.
Unlike myself, the authors of this work have apparently succeeded in finding employment in Tarot reading to have “amassed over seventy years of Tarot knowledge”. One new thing I learned in “1: A Brief History” is that Tarot card reading is called “cartomancy”. It is curious that they note that the “history of Tarot is sketchy, but we know it has Italian roots”. Whenever such histories are sketchy, it is likely its roots are in fact relatively modern and were artificially created by profit-minded marketers. They note that the claim is that the first Tarot deck was created in Italy in 1392, but no archival evidence of this survives. Then supposedly the full deck was drawn and grew in popularity, but no actual “history” is offered for the archival surviving decks and for how they are related to the design of modern decks. Instead, this chapter dives into “psychic” tactics, such as: “Sit quietly, holding” the cards “for at least five minutes.” What I wish this section included is the psychology for how the narratives Tarot readings inspire tend to be accepted as true because of how general they are and applicable to most people. It would also be helpful if there was an explanation of what tricks Tarot readers use to convince people to pay so much money for telling them a little fiction. And the instructions here are very theological, as I recall the books that I read in high school being less preachy. These instructions ask for users to chant: “Magical Tarot, I bless thee, unite with me, predict for me.” It is unclear why this chant does not end with an exclamation point. It is also curious how reliant these instructions are on superstitions and stereotypical meanings, such as the belief in specific magical powers of colors: “Green is more nature-based, so witches might like to wrap their cards in this color to channel their psychic flow and tune into the meridian levels of the planet.”
It is troubling to consider why I was so interested in studying this stuff in my youth. This background has helped me to become a rational atheist in adulthood due to the general philosophy of not being fooled more than once. If I had not researched this and other mystical subjects I might also have been more easily fooled by propaganda or by marketing sales-pitches. The tricks used to manipulate minds towards believing in the supernatural are psychologically similar to those used in other fields. Thus, it is a good idea for youths to explore books about magic in parallel with explorations of theological books as both are selling fictions, but the first time is just not qualified for tax exemptions.

I really liked this tarot book.
I found it to be straight forward and particularly useful for beginners. Sometimes you need simple guidance. I feel this book can provide that. If you need the guidance on a card upright or reverse it provides that. This book also provides one word keywords. My one suggestion is adding a "yes/no" if the card is upright or not.
I highly recommend thanks Leanna Greenaway, Belata Greenaway and NetGalley.

I really liked how informative and accessible it was for people with a new interest in tarot. I really liked how informative and accessible it was for people with a new interest in tarot.

You see and hear about tarot reading and pop culture, movies, and others. I didn't really know exactly about tarot reading so I decided to give this book a try. I'm glad that I did, it's a fascinating book. The author goes into wonderful and interesting detail about this subject. I recommend others give this a try if only to learn more about tarot reading.

My thanks to St.Martin's Press for a digital copy of this book for my review!

DO NOT READ- AUTHOR ARE SO CONDESCENDING YET…… READ BELOW.
NetGalley Review in App

DNF - I got 3 pages in….
The Preface came off very condescending, annoying right out the gate.
Their ‘History’ was ONE PARAGRAPH- this tells me that their condescending 70 years of Tarot knowledge is actually nothing. And within that paragraph they only mention history they want. But in the preface they mention how other tarot readers may not align with every book, giving them ‘ excuses ‘ for their lack of knowledge and their very bullish writing writ out the gate.

FEELS VERY PINTEREST CUT AND PASTE FOR CLOUT OTHER WISE YOU DIDNT HAVE TO TRY TO CONVINCE THE READERS ABOUT YOUR 70 YEARS OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE FROM WHAT I CAN SEE.
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. I CALL OUT BAD BOOK WHEN 8 SEE THEM.


HORRIBLE AUTHORS

Thank you to Netgalley the author and the publisher for the copy in exchange for a review!


I have just gotten into tarot card reading this year and I have been reading so many different books on it - this is one of the top three that I have read. Overall this book was really thorough about tarot card meetings and it had detailed definitions of cards that can bind to mean different things which is helpful for a beginner who can only read cards on their own instead of in a spread. I liked the chapters on grouping the cards and spreads - most tarot books only talk about the meaning of the cards and one or two spreads - the details in these chapters helped me understand more about better ways to read the cards when I have a question. I also loved the inclusion of Case Studies, Examples, and Activity Pages that helped the reader think more about how the cards applied to their life and how the cards have applied to other people's lives. This book also had a chapter on using tarot as a professional tarot reader and I thought it was a great resource for those who might want to take this to the next level. I will be buying this for myself and applying it to my tarot practice. I would recommend this book for those into tarot cards of all skill levels.

This simultaneously has a lot of information and not enough. Let me explain: if you're a tarot beginner, this is not the resource for you. There's simply not enough background information or depth to the getting started process and you'll feel quite lost. However, if you're already a reader and looking to branch out into linking cards together and weaving more complicated spreads, you will enjoy the bulk of this book. The real intended audience, though, is the tarot reader looking to become a professional. The most detailed portion of this book is dedicated to reading a spread for someone else, linking all those cards together, and properly presenting that information to the client. Which is lovely information to have, but I wouldn't bill this book as 'perfect for beginners' as the description says. I personally enjoyed it as it increased my base tarot knowledge, I had fun with the descriptions and illustrations, and found the reading-for-others information insightful (hence the 4 star rating). But the casual tarot user could probably skip this one.

This book showed up to me at the perfect time. I read a lot of fantasy and romance books and Tarot reading comes up fairly often in my reading. I have always wonder about the cards and the way they link together and how each card adds to the reading.
This was a very detailed and fascinating explanation of the background of Tarot readings and everything you might want to know.
What I enjoy was that there were both the original interpretation as well as more modern examples. This helped me relate more to the book and my understanding.
This book also goes into the environment around the reading and the cards. Such as crystals, candles and ways to help improve your openness to the cards.

Very well written and devided up into good sections and categories.
Thank you for undertaking this book. I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I will happily leave a review for this when the racist remarks by one of their employees is addressed. I want to support the author, but also want to know they don’t support this behavior.

This was very interesting! I did not know anything about tarot before reading this, and I found the book informative and thorough. Although it seems to be geared to those who wish to do tarot readings for others, I learned a great deal about the cards and their varied meanings. I'm not sure this is the best beginner's guide, but I nevertheless enjoyed what I learned from it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

While I appreciate the opportunity to read this, unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I couldn't really connect with this and some of the anecdotal stories added in.

The perfect handbook for anyone wanting to learn to read tarot cards or needs a refresher. Well detailed, it's the perfect companion "bible" for your library.

I've been reading tarot for years and am always up for looking at new books on the subject. However, while many are lacking this books is not! The author takes you through the cards, provides their meaning both traditional and modern. While I prefer the Rider Waite,another deck is used as well. After providing the basics, the author takes it to the next level and provides insight and tools to become a reader. While I like this last part, it takes time and commitment to become a reader. So with that in mind, get started and practice, practice, practice!

This book is a great starting point that can help you go beyond just learning what tarot is!

This book is great, but not for me. It is mostly guided towards someone that wants to practition as a tarot reader. It includes interpretation of the cards and words one should memorize with each card. It also mentions how a card from a major arcana is associated with other cards, etc. This book may be great for some, but not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me this ARC.

Five stars for this beautifully written and illustrated reference book on the Tarot. For those with no previous knowledge of Tarot reading there is a short history and discussion of the various Tarot decks. Each card has a detailed traditional (Rider-Waite) interpretation as well as a modern (One World) version applicable to present day situations. There is even a chapter on "The Tarot as a Profession". Whether you are a "dabbler", an expert or just interested in perusing the gentle art of Tarot guidance, this book has it all.

I got my first deck of tarot cards when I was 16 and this was back in the late 80's so the learning resources that are so readily available today and I was intimidated. So much so that I never learned,

I'm 50 now and finally ready to learn. There are many terrific educational books and this is one of them, particularly if you're interested in doing readings professionally.

There's a lot of information here - chapters include
*A Brief History
*Your Tarot Toolbox
*The Major Arcana
*The Minor Arcana
*Card Groupings & Techniques
*Spreads
*Situations You Might Face
*Tarot as a Profession
*Tarot Magic


While I'm not interested in pursuing tarot as a profession, this seems like it would be ideal for those who are.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Essentials and NetGalley for the DRC

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I recently bought my first tarot deck and have been wanting to learn more about how to actually use it, but it’s intimidating! This book provides a great, approachable intro.

As some one who pretty new to the world of Tarot, this book is super informative and helpful if you are looking to learn about, and begin reading Tarot. This book gives good insight into what you need in order to understand the cards. I can honestly say I have a better understanding of how and every WHY you should (or should not) read Tarot.

I’ve read several books on tarot and this one is in the top. Was a very good read with lots of useful information. The author had kind tone and was very knowledgeable about the subject.

Ooh I love Tarot! I love pulling the cards, the unique artistry of each deck, reading and of course, tarot books. ✨🔮❤️ This book is dedicated to all those that choose to discover the magical mysteries of tarot, and I’m here for it! I always learn something new and the depth of Leanna and Beleta’s experience and knowledge is wildly impressive. This book covers all the bases, and checks all the boxes you’d want on tarot, including the importance of establishing a connection with the cards at the onset — plus I love the Moon Blessing. I also love the herb and crystal correspondences. I’ll be reaching for this book again and again, because unlike oils and crystals the tarot card meanings don’t stick in my mind unaided. However, the memorize prompts, in time might change that! 🙏🖤 So grateful for these teachings, thank you, thank you, thank you.