Customer Reviews

Tall Dark Stranger: Tarot for Love & Romance

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This book is a sheer insult both to a Tarot enthusiast and to the reading public in general. It is outrageously shallow and unintelligent, consisting of shameless copy-pasting and degraded second-hand knowledge.

There's nothing you can gain from this book. What you get is a constant repeating of more or less same words, phrasings and interpretative patterns. The interpretations of the cards are wordy, muddled, and completely lacking any consistent point of view - there's scarcely any »love and romance« there. Instead, you read things like this: »There is more to the Temperance card than meets the eye, however. In fact, the card is one of the most meaningful and romantic cards in the Tarot deck. [Follow two long paragraphs babbling about Archangel Michael, then arriving to this »most meaningful« aspect of the card:] If you are looking for romance, you might find it at the seashore or on the beach.« (pp. 126-127) Wow. And on page 175 we read for the Four of Cups: »Obviously, there is more to the Four of Cups than meets the eye - especially for the guy under the tree.« There's more to the cards than meets the eye, oh, really?

And one example of that shameless, empty-headed copy-pasting that abound in the book. Tarot has four suits of Minor Arcana and among them four Pages. In Ms. Kenner's book these are described on pages 161-162 (Wands), 189-190 (Cups), 217-218 (Swords), and 245-246 (Pentacles). On all of these pages about the Pages we read exactly the same descriptions. I repeat - exactly the same! If you'd like to experience this yourself, read the following passage four times:

»All of the Pages in the Tarot deck embody the elements they represent. Elementally speaking, the four Pages of the Tarot are all earthy, physical creatures. They simply combine the element of earth with the element of their suit. The Page of Wands personifies fire, the Page of Cups personifies water, the Page of Swords personifies air, and the Page of Pentacles personifies earth. [Follows one line - repeat, one line of description of the concerning Page.]
Like all Pages, the Page of [the concerning suit] is youthful, with childlike enthusiasm and an unbounded capacity to learn. [Follow a few unimaginative, derivative, and commonplace observations on each of them.]
When you see the Page of [name of the suit] in a romance reading, he usually reflects a facet of your own personality. If you don't like or acknowledge the Page of [name of the suit] side of yourself, however, you might find yourself projecting all of his qualities onto someone else in your life - and you'll either love him or hate him. In either case, your relationship with the Page of [name of the suit] will be [follow two, three words that should be different for each suit, but to our dispair we read »passionate, fiery, and hot« for both the Page of Wands and the Page of Pentacles, whereas there really is the one and only word for the Page of Cups: »emotional«!]
During the Renaissance, pages were the youngest members of the royal court. Pages would frequently serve as messengers; it was their job to take news from one person to another. Because they were young, pages were students learning their future roles through apprenticeships.
Because pages are students and messengers, his appearance in a romance reading might also be telling you that important lessons or messages are coming your way regarding the [follows one word that differs for each Page] side of your love life.
Pages are purely elemental; they are not associated with any astrological sign.«

End of copy-paste, and end of the section on the Pages!

Be warned.

I was very excited when I bought this one year ago.but was very sorry that I bought it later on.
It is not accurate.the outcome does not make sense in real life.Sounds like made up.
It feels like a game book.
I only done a couple of spreads and then left it in my book shelf ever since.I Havent touched it again.

If you've ever wondered what the cards hold in store for you - especially when it comes to relationships - you're just the person I had in mind when I wrote "Tall Dark Stranger: Tarot for Love and Romance."

For centuries, the love-struck, the lovesick, and the lovelorn have consulted the tarot with questions about love and romance. The cards are a time-honored tool for exploring romantic relationships - and my book can help you use that tool to its fullest.

With a copy of "Tall Dark Stranger" at your side (or on your lap), you'll learn how to use tarot cards to reconstruct past events and decisions that have led to the present moment. You'll learn how to use tarot cards to reflect on the current situation. And you'll learn how to use tarot cards to explore options for future growth and development.

The information you'll find in its pages is grounded in the work and studies of generations of tarot experts. But it goes beyond theory into the real world of practical application.

Whether you are a newcomer to the tarot or an old hand at the cards, "Tall Dark Stranger" will help you learn how to:

- conduct romance readings, with step-by-step directions, tips, hints, and suggestions.

- get answers to specific questions about love and relationships.

- interpret each of the tarot's seventy-eight cards in light of romance and relationship issues.

- spot symbols and images that directly relate to specific romantic issues.

- find good advice in "bad" cards.

- and learn how to use a tarot card reading to change your life for the better.

I have a couple of Corrine's other books, including the critically acclaimed Tarot for Writers. I purchased this one because I'm usually very uncomfortable doing love & romance readings. The stereotypical vision of the gypsy with the kerchief and hoop earrings proclaiming eerily, "You vill meet a tall dark stranger..." has always irked me, as do most stereotypes. So I get the irony of the title compared to the well-composed and deeply meaningful prose within the book. Corrine guides the reader away from the superficial remarks and easy catering to what love-smitten people want to hear, and gives the reader tools to bring forth many considerations of what the power of love can do to a person's life, good and bad.
She takes each card in the deck and translates its romantic aspects, which are not always easy to grasp. She demonstrates how to put together a sensitive and satisfying read for the querent that is neither sugar-coated nor blunt, yet flowers with hope, patience and beauty. Superb job, nicely written, and although I still try to avoid romance readings for the emotional hand grenades they can be, I feel this book has helped equip me to do an acceptable reading without "pulling the pin."