Customer Reviews

Heart of Tarot: An Intuitive Approach

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

 

 

Though I can tell that a lot of time was put into the writing of this book, the method really does fall flat. Having clients interpret the cards themselves is not the right idea. If you are going to use this method, you might as well just tell a client to go buy their own deck and a book, and then charge them for that advice! Part of my role as a Tarot reader is to interpret the cards because the client cannot or doesn't want to take time to learn. I've been reading Tarot for over 40 years, and this is about the most ridiculous method I've ever seen.

That said, while I disagree with the method, there ARE two excellent things about this book: the section about the different clients IS (as mentioned in another critique) hilarious; and, the outlines and lesson plans for teaching Tarot classes are creative and effective, as well as effective self-learning exercises.

This book is a gem, and I highly recommend it for Tarot readers of all levels. It presents a method of reading the cards for self or others which truly can expand the intuitive powers within. If you want to go beyond references, memorizations, and the limits of any deck's authors/illustrators' conscious intellects to tap into amazing creative potential, this book is for you. Aside from readings, the book has a wealth of other Tarot activities which are empowering of your own intuition, healing abilities and creativity.

This book highlights a different approach from most Tarot books, because it is the client, not the reader, who does the actual reading. While I love to use this book in personal readings, I've tried it with clients and it fell flat. They are paying me to read for them, not to sit at my table and do the work while I watch. It's a great way to gain new insights into the symbolism of one's deck, especially if client readings are starting to feel "stale", but I don't bother using these techniques with clients anymore. The section on the different types of clients is hilarious, and the suggestions for developing spreads are good. This is an excellent text for personal work, especially if you aren't terribly familiar with the textbook meanings of the cards.

The authors clearly state that they present an approach to reading the Tarot that is based on neither rote memorization of card meanings nor psychic abilities. These two approaches are reader-centered rather than client-centered. The authors do not disparage the rote-memorization and psychic approaches. They simply offer an alternative, one that fits me perfectly. In my opinion, the reviewer who said that you might as well have clients buy their own decks and read the cards themselves does not get it. Anyone who is trained in client-centered counseling techniques will get what Gestalt Tarot is about. Gestalt Tarot draws on the strengths and insights of the client. Rather than nurturing dependence on an expert, the Tarot Reader, Gestalt Tarot empowers clients and guides them into their own personal understandings of what the cards mean for them. In addition to the method presented in this book I valued the chapters on different spreads, difficult clients and doing magick with the Tarot. In my opinion, this is the best book on the Tarot that I have read in my eight years of study and practice.