Customer Reviews

The Instant Tarot Reader: Book And Card Set

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book and card set taught me the basics of the Tarot which encouraged me to learn more. I purchased this deck since my other tarot cards never really worked for me. When I did the readings with the book I was quickly able to memorize the keyword associated with the card as well as the meanings in the different positions the cards were in.

The cards are small which is great for shuffling considering I have very small hands, other "regular sized" tarot cards are awkward to shuffle.

I'd recommend this set for beginners as a good head start for reading the tarot. Once this is accomplished reading other books for more in depth knowledge of tarot is a must.

This set is worth 5 stars to anyone new or new-ish to Tarot or people who don't have a lot of time and still want to get the benefits out of the clear and moral messages that Monte Farber makes clear. I especially like the one-card answer sections. You can ask with this deck a question like "What is blocking my success in my project" and have an answer in less than 5 minutes.

The cards are small, about the size of regular playing cards, which makes them easier for the novice to shuffle. They have a nicely moody feeling to them (did Amy Zerner design them or Stevie Nicks?) Seriously, I enjoy Amy Zerner's work on this deck and wouldn't mind a larger showy set of these cards. There are a lot of rich colors in this deck and it's origionality makes it perfect for the Tarot collector.

I have been using this set for a couple years and find the cards to be beautifully detailed and the book easy to use with accurate, precise interpretations. Anyone can pick it up and get an incredibly good reading with no previous knowledge of Tarot.
The only reason I didn't give this set a "5" rating is that leafing through the book to find the proper interpretation can be distracting...I have solved this problem by applying tabs to the sections of the Major & Minor Arcana and the suits. For anyone beginning with Tarot or wanting an "unbiased" interpretation .....this set is terrific!

when you first began to learn Tarot? Or are you NEW to the whole concept? Yes, learning the stories of 78 cards, plus how they all relate differently to the cards around them and so on and so forth is just plain HARD! YIKES! Well, Amy and Monte have created the perfect solution for newcomers and frustrated Tarot readers alike! This set of cards has a book that will tell you what the cards each mean, in the position they are in in moments! Before you know it, you will be refering to the book less and less often and then BOOM-it all comes together! I do find this book helpful and once you get used to flipping through the pages, I just bet you will also!

I cannot believe how great this book is! I took it to a party and everyone there was able to get eleven card "Celtic Cross" tarot readings, everyone!! And the answers were very direct and clear. I don't know how it works, but it works. One of the people there had read tarot for over twenty years and was amazed, not only that everyone was able to "get" the tarot so quickly and do readings, but that there were a lot of meanings that she had never heard anywhere. She was taking notes but after ten of them decided to buy the book. If you want to learn the tarot but have been afraid to waste your money on another useless book and card set, this is the one for you. It is well worth the money and it takes zero of your time to learn, though after a while, you'll know the tarot! And the cards are incredibly gorgeous, gentle, and healing on the eyes. Enjoy!

As a book for beginning Tarot readers it is easy to use and accurate. I liked it especially that it gave me 'instant' recognition of a card with a one-word-meaning. It's a nice way to get you started but not further. Actually I reccomend people to leave it alone after a while, because you have to take yourself further in reading and look at the pictures of your chosen deck instead of thinking: 3 of cups->friendship. That's only memorising and very limiting when reading. Also the book does not help you to look at the interrelation between the cards, it only learns you to look at that single card and its position. The deck included I also admit I laid aside pretty fast. But the book is very usable with any classic Rider-Waite theme.

I never cease to be amazed by the readings I get from this set. Tarot was completely unknown to me before I bought The Instant Tarot Reader, but the messages I've received from readings have been consistently accurate and appropriate. This book makes it possible even for a novice to know the power of the Tarot. I would recommend it to everyone.

I bought this set not too long ago and it was really cool at first; the deck is very colorful and the size is good, about the size of standard playing cards if not taller. This helped me get a foothold into all the terminology and interpretations involved. I performed a few readings with the book and then began to do more research on tarot readings and how to perform them without a book. I'd have given it a 4.5 out of 5 had I not expanded my horizons with other books (Idiot's Guide is a nice start).

Looking back, I see the book as very formulaic, very mechanical. "Ace of Swords? Okay... Flip... flip... flip... <reads it out> King of Hearts? Okay... Flip... Flip... Flip..." Worse, in practice, than a computer program even as the important thing is your interpretations! Some of the meanings for the eleven positions of each card are duplicates, sometimes triplets, which disappointed me. For set-ups other than the book's standard eleven card one, the same meanings are sort of forced into past-present-future set-ups where it would have been better just to say "wing it". I'd rather have a one page explanation of each card and its implied meanings and backgrounds (even as a solid paragraph) than to have eleven small paragraphs across two pages. It would have saved a lot of trees and narrowed this 300+ page book into a less daunting task.

I've done a bit of comparison and some of the names and meanings the authors have associated defy standard and well thought-out meanings. This shouldn't be the only resource you consult; the authors do not mention methods such as working off the pictures or your own instant associations of what you, the tarot reader, thinks. A few of the cards are pretty out there (hard to interpret the pictures), but there are even more thoughtful pictures and little details to make up for it. Very vibrant deck which looks painted, features pips to denote card number as well as a label at the bottom, and no borders around the cards. I like the stream-lined layout of the card as well as its size. The pictures aren't too grim or intimidating, and not a lot of naked people like some of the old decks.

However, look at it this way: Amazon is selling them for $19.77. That's less than the price of a deck, plus you get a book to help you start out. I consider this a very good purchase and a recommended foothold from a buyer who's just starting up. But do not dwell on this book for too long, because you'll be missing out if you don't go on to mix in new ideas and outlooks from other sources or your own reflections (the latter is the most important).

As for memorizing the cards meanings, don't worry about it. As you use them, you'll learn. There are no rules. But I did manage to cram in the authors' meanings by going through the deck like a deck of flash cards. The vivid, colorful pictures really help. I also found researching different interpretations of each cards helped me to build up a kind of relationship with each card to help create a specific associations (rather than memorization) of the card.

After having taken some time off from using Tarot Cards, I got excited when I came across Amy Zener's art work, which is to be found on Farber-Zener Deck, as well as the larger edition titled, "The Enchanted Tarot". As enchanting as the art work is on the cards that come with the Instant Tarot Reader, the cards themselves are cheaply made. They actually kind of feel like inexpensive card stock, and lack the sturdiness and smooth feel of most decks put out by U.S. Games. As for the book that comes with the set I found this troubling for several reasons. My first reaction was that it was like "paint by numbers" for Tarot Readers. There is a trend these days in our culture, which the world of Tarot is not immune to, that demands everything be boiled down to it's simpliest terms so that it can easily and readily digested. Mr. Farber has done an excellent job of offering up his own version of what the cards mean in various postions of a card reading. Sadly he offers very few details on the symbolism of the cards. The cards by the way do not come in a box, so buyer beware. While Monte and Amy may not mention it, it is a common and sound practice to keep your Tarot cards in a special box or cloth bag, to sheild them from outside negative energies. All in all, I found this set lacking much, and eventhough the art work is great, it is not worth the money to buy it. I would really recommend that any beginners to Tarot start out with a Rider-Waite deck, and then find a good book that will give some decent information on the cards. "The Tarot Compaion" by Tracy Porter would be one suggestion. Good luck and happy readings!

I love my instant tarot reader set! Its so easy to understand, there is no need to have experience, just open the book, and read the simple instructions!PLAIN AND SIMPLE! The cards are very beautifully designed, they are small to fit almost anywhere!.. I greatly recommend you getting this set! you wont regret it!