Customer Reviews

Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

As the Tarot Host @ BellaOnline.com, I am constantly on the look-out for books to enlighten myself and my readers.

This is a beautiful book, wonderfully illustrated and concisely written. Rachel Pollack covers every aspect of the Tarot, from traditional ideologies to more modern interpretations, all in a beautiful package.

A definite "must have" for anyone wishing to learn about the Tarot or the visual imagery associated with the cards themselves. I would not be without it!

Lori Vallis

Rachel Pollack's TAROT is the most beautiful book I have seen on the tarot. I discovered it brousing through a bookstore and as a new practicioner of the science and art of tarot reading, a process which amazes me every time with its ability to bring clarity to ones life - find the core of ones individuality and that of your friends and family... I highly and earnestly recommend this book to EVERYONE. Rachel Pollacks book is brilliant and meaty, It will leave you something to devour every day, this book is a tool and a guide for interpreting the meaning of your spreads.

I enjoyed the pictures, and found the various chapters useful and entertaining. This is a nice book to look at. I did cringe, however, at an illustration of one card from the Haindl tarot that is supposed to portray "traditional" Native American culture. It shows Chief Seattle, whose supposed famous speech about being one with nature was actually written by a white screenwriter a few decades ago. This is not "traditional." It's a bit embarrassing.

One of Rachel Pollack's other books, 78 Degrees of Wisdom, provides some of the best information available on the individual cards of the Rider-Waite deck. If you are looking for something more specific to helping you read the cards, that would be the one to get. This Illustrated Guide was most useful, to me, for the color pictures of cards from so many various decks. It provides a nice overview of the sorts of decks that have been or are being published, and of the sorts of things people use the tarot for in this day and age. The author even spends a couple of pages telling you how you can create your own deck.

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.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading as it implies that

this is a "complete" book of tarot. It is, however, more of a

brief introduction. That said, it is not without merits. It is full ofpictures of various decks making it possible to compare and make decisions about which deck you want to buy. I noticed that the Rider deck in the book was extremely different from my own. It is the Universal Rider which is very colorful with softer lines. At first I thought I might want to have it, but upon closer inspection I decided the newer, fluffier Universal Rider just looked silly and was more than likely an attempt to make more money off of the most popular deck ever. The variety of decks shown and the history of the tarot are the two redeeming qualities of this book. At times I got the impression that the author was censoring herself. The most damning quality of this book (for me) were continuity errors throughout. A wrong card here, a wrong caption there, it really occurred too often. Once or twice is fine, but towards the end it got worse. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. Easy read, informative, wonderful to look at... Now I'm off to read her other book (78 degrees) which, I understand, is loads better.

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".

Look no farther. This book is a great introduction to the art and history of tarot. Each section is approximately two pages long - open the book and read. It might be designed for the patience-challenged reader, or the "quick fix" audience. Even though you could stash this book in the cabinet for bathroom reading, you'll love it. Each page has wonderful full color photographs that beautifully illustrate the text and expertly enhance the learning experience. If you only have time to read one section, you'll definitely want to come back for more. Rachel Pollack has put together a great resource for the teacher, the beginner, or the advanced tarot enthusiast.

Very colourful pages. The content is not deep, like a brief overview of everything. It was like reading an encyclopedia. For early beginners.

As a teacher of Tarot, I find this book to be both informative and beautiful to behold. The author's comments are illustrated by full-color reproductions of cards from several Tarot decks. The result is an authoritative introduction to the Tarot with the most stunning illustrations I have ever seen in a book on Tarot. If you are new to Tarot, you may wish to buy this book to help you decide which deck to purchase. In my classes on Tarot, I am now using this new book by Rachel Pollack together with the basic text by Anthony Louis as the core readings for the class.