The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot: How to Unlock the Secrets of the Tarot
Tarot is all about connections–connections to the future; connections to the past; connections to Kabbalah, music, numbers, and life. Rachel Pollack has taken a coffee table book and transformed it into a labyrinth of history and magic. Stop thinking of the tarot as a deck of cards and learn to see it as a representation of your family, or an epic tale with you as the protagonist. Sure, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot includes some of the most popular spreads for divination, such as the “Celtic cross,” but the full-color photographs also offer a rare opportunity to see some of the earliest cards, such as the Visconti-Sforza Tarot of the 15th century. In the midst of these illuminating images, Pollack leads you beyond placing cards
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(out of 13 reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 27.99
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Tarot: An Introductory Guide to Unlocking the Secrets of the Tarot
List Price: CDN$ 12.95
Price: CDN$ 15.95
Review by for The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot: How to Unlock the Secrets of the Tarot
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This is the book to read before you read Rachael Pollack’s “Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisodom”. This is her “The Hobbit” to her “The Lord of the Rings” (so to speak). An excellent introduction to the Tarot and its history… richly illustrated in full color/glossy pages… beautiful to look at. The pictures alone make this a great coffee table book and conversation starter. Buy this and “78 Degrees” together and lock in your tarot book reading for a long time to come.
Review by Barbara A. Bolek for The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot: How to Unlock the Secrets of the Tarot
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This is a lovely book, one you’ll want to leave out on display, or on a coffee table for guests to browse. Written in the style of many books today — sharp, eye-catching graphics, short summarized sections, it has the added benefit of being put together by an authority in the field. Pollack has written extensively on the subject, most notably, her two-volume interpretation of the Haindl Tarot and her own deck, the Shining Woman Tarot. Pollack begins by giving a brief, instructive overview of the origins, legends and history of Tarot cards and its occult connections. The structure and symbolism of the cards, the major arcana sequence, the significance of court cards, paths on the tree of life, card numerology, the suits and their correspondences, garden/botanical elements and animal symbolism are all touched on, along with much more. Part three covers the cards a bit more in-depth, including the metaphorical journey through the major arcana. Part four deals with reading the cards, including some simple spreads. The last section suggests other uses or activities for the Tarot, such as, using them for game playing, storytelling, or, how to go about creating your own deck. This is a pretty sophisticated little reference with wonderful illustrations including images from a variety of Tarot decks, both old and new. It would make a wonderful gift for novice or advanced practitioner alike. One might not consider this a “must” have book, but it is a book you may “want” to have in your collection, because of the book’s visual appeal, and Pollack’s concise overview of the Tarot.
Review by for The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot: How to Unlock the Secrets of the Tarot
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This is a good informative book on Tarot, except when it comes to the 78 card meanings. In my opinion, the author should stick with one deck, like the Raider Waite, for more consistency. She tries to cover many decks left and right, and the result is poor. On the other side the illustrations are fantastic. I recommend it for more informative purposes, not for a serious study.
Review by Patrick Heyrman for The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot: How to Unlock the Secrets of the Tarot
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This books tells you a lot about the Tarot, tells you how to use them, and tells you the history of them. It helped me learn Tarot a lot.
Review by E. Palladino for The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot: How to Unlock the Secrets of the Tarot
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The title of my review says it all. This is an attractive and well-written book and would make an excellent addition to any one’s collection on Tarot. However, if you have never read her book “78 Degrees of Wisdom” you are missing out on one of the best Tarot books ever written. However, this book does take up some topics, such as Tarot and astrology, not as much discussed in “78 Degrees of Wisdom”.