Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tarot, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

What I love about this book is that it discusses ways to connect with the cards intuitively and gives detailed descriptions of the traditional meanings. The intuitive treatment of the major arcana is especially good. It includes excerises in studying the imagery as well as excerises in studying the archetypes presented using familiar Greek and Roman myths and more modern movie epics like Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz.

The traditional meaning part of the book is among the best I have seen. Each card is pictured (using the Rider-Waite Deck) and a paragraph or two is written on the imagery and it's meaning. Next the card's interpretation is presented. The interpretations presented in the book are open-ended enough to apply to various questions, decks, layout positions, etc. but not so open-ended you feel like their just trying to write something that pleases everyone. The upright intpretation is followed by an interpretation of the reversed meaning, again, paired with imagery, only now they discuss the reversed imagery - a great way to look at the reversed meanings. Above each card there is a title that sums up the cards meaning. This helps me not lose the forest for the trees.

You may be asking why I have only given the book four stars when I have so much praise. The reason is that the information on the minors (ouside the traditional meanings) is lacking, and a "complete" guide should have everything. The explaination of the suits is not bad, but doesn't go beyond what students of tarot learn in the first few weeks. The description of the numbers is absolutely pitiful. Begining students are advised to pair studying this book with another book on minors.

Overall a great addition to any tarot readers collection!

After many years of memory development, working with imagination, creativity I checked this book in order to learn few things and trry my memory abilities on that...
What was amazing for me, that this book is so easy and well written that there was no need to use memory systems tu understand Tarot, learn card's meanings, spreads.
I have read it with great pleasure. Tarot is not difficult to learn when you get this book and start reading.
Highly professional advice in easy language!
With that book you will explore more than only card's meanings. You will explore yourself, you will find pleasure in Tarot readings because exaplanations make Tarot really 'user friendly" tool.

If I knew this book few years ago...

Shilo Clancey
Memory Development Specialist

also great fan of "The Rainbow Butterfly" book available at amazon.com

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tarot has proven a wonderful resource for me. I would caution those learning the Tarot from racing through this book. A thoughtful study of the Tarot takes time. In addition to this book seek out communities such as Aeclectic Tarot and ask for advice at these sources, or find a Tarot Master to assist you in your studies.

Take your time with the exercises which are presented in the early chapters of the book. These exercises encourage you to read the story that the card's picture tells, and eventually to start putting stories together into a larger story. We call this reading the cards intuitively. Once you get into the proscribed definitions of each card, you're no longer a virgin to the cards, and you're understanding of the card will forever be held back by your reading.

I also find that the book takes too long to present some understanding of the imagery in the Tarot. Color/Fauna/Flora associations could, and in my opinion, should, be dealt with earlier in the book.

Ultimately, this book is excellent for the beginner, provided that she can take her time and use the exercises provided in the early chapters until she has associated personal meanings to each card in the deck.

If you're purchasing this book, you may also wish to consider a journal which inspires you to keep notes of your progress in the Tarot. Card meanings, drawings/spreads which you have done, random thoughts, et cetera. It is a valuable resource to have a written copy of your thoughts and the particulars of a drawing so that you might recreate the particulars or simply give further consideration in the future. It's also a wonderful way to document your reactions to each card as you're introduced, and I would suggest that you try to fill a page for each card before you move on to reading the "established meanings" of each card (78 cards in the typical Tarot deck).

I hope that you find your journey into the Tarot to be a pleasant one. May the cards enlighten you.

I have always been interested in tarot, and had some readings, but never understood how it all worked together. Then I found this wonderful text at the recommendation of a friend, and I was hooked. I used it as a textbook, learned from the easy examples, and the wonderful modern arch-types. Now the CIG group has updated it with current findings, clarifications, and readings for our current times.
Don't believe me, go out and pick it up or read the chapter Amazon provides. The quality and intuitive nature of the book stands out. I've already bought my copy of this new edition, and I've made gifts to good friends who have been interested in Tarot for a long time.
I couldn't have asked for a better guide or a better set of exercises, and neither could you! I finally am starting to trust my intuition due to my start with learning Tarot with this volume.
Blessed Be!

I started to learn Tarot from zero, and spent a lot of time in the internet,looking for the beginners Tarot books. Well, I choosed that one and I wasn't disappointed at all. Easy to read, easy to understand, many lessons, step-by-step guidance. I would strongly recommend this book to any Tarot newbie. I don't think that it will be useful for more advanced levels though. I hope you will enjoy the whole universe of Tarot!

The "Complete Idiot's Guide to..." line of books is really great. Its guide to tarot is no exception. Easy to read language that a "lay" person can understand, with no hokey passages. Gives useful examples of the various spreads and how to replicate them. Also provides areas to write in your own sample readings.

If you're looking for a good resource book, this is it!

For anyone venturing into the complex and deeply meaningful world of Tarot, The Complete Idiot's Guide To Tarot (Second Edition) by Arlene Tognetti and Lisa Lenard is an invaluable resource to use as a starting point. Both the Idiot's and For Dummies books are vastly underrated resources, as they are usually incredibly well organized and written by experts in their fields. This book on the Tarot is no exception.

Beginning with an excellent introduction to the Tarot and its meaning, Tognetti and Lenard answer such questions as does Tarot really work, how does Tarot work, can you read your own cards, and does Tarot seal your fate. These and other common questions of perhaps hesitant newcomers to Tarot are answered in a gentle and comforting manner, encouraging personal exploration and meaning within the Tarot cards. Also included is a history of the Tarot's beginnings from cave paintings to gypsy fortune telling. Ending the first second of the book, the authors explain how Tarot cards can help you through difficult times in your life and find meaning and purpose.

In its second part, Tognetti and Lenard explain how to become more familiar with the cards themselves, encouraging analysis of the images and finding personal meaning within the cards. Several times throughout the book, the authors acknowledge that while documented meaning for both the upright and reversed images do exist, ultimately it is the Reader of the cards who interprets the cards and finds meaning in their imagery. What a specific card means to a Reader during a reading may or may not coincide with the documented meaning. A Tarot reading is as much a matter of intuition as it is of history and tradition.

Each of the cards within both the Major and Minor Arcana of the traditional Universal Waite Tarot Deck is examined closely for imagery, symbolism, meaning, and interpretation in both its upright and reversed positions. Explanations are clear, and keywords are provided to help the student remember the meanings. Again, the authors stress that while certain meanings are prevalent within the cards, the reader's own interpretation and intuitive response to the cards is equally as important.

One of the most intriguing sections of this book explains the elements of a good Tarot reading, including setting the right atmosphere when reading others' cards and making the Querent (the seeker) comfortable during the reading. Various common Tarot spreads, or card layouts, are explained in detail, the space is provided for the reader to complete each spread and to document the meaning behind the cards. This part of the book is exceptionally important.

What keeps this book from achieving a five-star rating is its ridiculous section on a theoretical reading of Oprah Winfrey. This unnecessary addition detracts from the profound importance of the other aspects of the book. Without this silly indulgence by the authors, this book would be exceptional, deserving of the highest rating.

This guide to the tarot is the top reference for interpretation!! It is easy to follow for both the major and minor arcana. The text is a jumpstart for anyone interested in beginning study in this ancient art form and discipline. The book provides in depth study and anaylsis in a quick and easy format. I like the positive,contemporary approach with examples and illustrations that are EASY for any level of student! It is a bible for reference in this intuitive art.

Ms. Arlene does great at helping the reader understand the meanings of the Tarot, how they relate to each other and yourself. She explains everything in a very simple way for anyone to read. Great, A+!

i've read alot of books on learning the tarot, this one is the best. teach yourself using this book. it's great, i've bought it for others i know who wish to learn. i highly recommend it