Customer Reviews

The Tarot Companion; An Essential Reference Guide

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

 

 

How interesting that all sorts of readers come away with such different insights. I loved this little book, in fact it was an overdue library book that I thought I would thumb through before I returned it..and I loved it so much I plan to buy my own copy.
I am not a beginner at esoteric subjects, but I never quite got the hang of doing readings with cards.Perhaps I never will, but I feel more insightful after wolfing down this book in one sitting.
I loved the vast appendix on symbolism, there were some very poignant ideas that made me think in new ways. I remember the author explains that the hand symbolism is closely connected to the heart, that each hand chakra is connected to the heart chakra, and young lovers are often seen holding hands. I thought of the Beatles "I want to hold your hand",and later that night dreamed of riding a bus and holding someone's hand. I will never again see the symbol of the hand in the same way.This book is chock-ful of these pearls
The author also weaves in information and connections to the Cabala- and numerology which is very closely aligned with this hebrew system.Lastly, the color/ chakra associations delighted me as well. As far as the card interpretations, I always feel frustrated when too big an explanation is given for each card/ scenario, I like a general energetic symbolic basis that I can expand upon, and this is what was given here.
I would definetly recommend this delightful,concise manual that seems to me, to have something for everyone to enjoy...

So many tarot books you pick up these days give you the author's insight into what each of the different cards mean. You can get lost in the different references or bored to tears. Tarot Companion takes a unique approach.

Besides giving a general overview of each of the cards (Ms. Porter uses the Rider-Waite deck) she then takes a look at the symbology of the deck as well. By understanding the symbols used in the cards and the meanings behind them, we begin to see trends within a reading that we might not have seen before. The most obvious example would be a reading with four kings, or five pentacles. Ms. Porter covers these repeated trends, as well as explaining symbols that may repeat within the cards themselves. An example of this would be if roses repeated themselves in some of the cards (examples Fool and Magician in the Major Arcana). By understanding what roses might mean, you can draw a connection you may not have otherwise seen.

Her insight into the meanings of the symbology used on the Rider-Waite deck are refreshingly interesting, not a repeat of dozens of other books. Ms. Porter also points that many other decks based on the Rider-Waite deck use similar symbology and much of this material can be used with other decks.

There sections included on different tarot layouts, Chakra's and the tarot, Astrology and the tarot, Cabala and the tarot and many other correspondences.

A nicely put together book, well developed and with an interesting new look at how the tarot deck works.

Finally, someone has taken the correspondences from all the esoteric fields and combined them in one concise volume. From I Ching to Astrology to Chakras, this book give a great cross reference for each card. I read it cover to cover and enjoyed the hidden gems of information. It can also be bought as a reference book to be used occasionally to clarify confusion. The section on the Cabala pathways and their correspondences to the Major Arcanaa, is one of the most lucid interpretation I have ever seen. The meanings evolve naturally from Tarcy Porter's pages, not forced at all. For anyone drowning in Cabala, this is a lovely life raft. Timing is another area very well presented. I have seen the same ideas presented in other books, but Ms. Tracy has the gift of focusing on the essential. Finally, the appendix has a nice assortment of very functional spreads and a very nice bibliography for anyone needing more detailed information on any of the areas covered in this book.

I read the other reviews of this book and thought that it sounded good for a tarot beginner like myself. However, none of the reviews mentioned the extremely shallow interpretations of the cards or the book's Christian bias. I only made it about halfway through the book before I gave up in despair. The interpretations of the individual cards are incredibly simplistic and do little more than describe what is pictured on them. There is no deeper spiritual interpretation; instead, one gets a "fortune-teller's" prediction of what the card portends for the querent's future. The book reeks of the new-age crystal-waving flavor of occultism, which is little more than Christianity without the fire and brimstone. The author's philosophy is obviously that "base", materialistic urges (like the sex drive) are bad, and "pure", watered-down "love" and asceticism are the only path to spiritual development. The author's interpretations of the devil and the fish as symbols make her view blatantly clear. I am an absolute beginner at Qabalah; nevertheless, the few Qabalistic references in the first half of the book make it obvious that the author knows even less than I do. I shudder to think that this book has an entire chapter on it, as well as on runes, chakras and other topics that the author undoubtedly is just as ignorant about. The moral of the story? If you enjoy the many flaky, saccharine, under-researched occult books on the market today, you will certainly like this book. However, if you are seriously trying to use the tarot as a tool to develop your spirituality, stay away!

I was thrilled when I bought The Tarot Companion. Along with "Tarot Plain and Simple" by Anthony Louis and "Power Tarot" by Trish MacGregor and Phyllis Vega, "The Tarot Companion" is one of the three essential references I like to use when doing a reading.

I don't believe any ONE tarot book is the answer to anyone's tarot reference needs, but this one is definitely a must have in my opinion. It really complements my vast tarot book collection. I like the fact that it provides an overview of the symbolism of the various images in the cards, numerology, astrology, cabalah, chakras, and more.

The card meanings that it gives are brief and not in-depth, so I would not rely on it as my sole resource for card meaning descriptions when doing a reading. But overall, this is an excellent resource to have as part of any tarot book collection. For quick lookups, it's great. An excellent primer and quick reference.

I thought this was the greatest book ever! I think it is perfect for the beginner (me), and someone with more experience will love it too.

Ms. Porter is a great author and I hope to see more work by her!

ok, ok.. I was expecting something more along the lines of traditional tarot help books. This was a bit of a surprise, and a pleasant one at that. While I feel that someone a little farther along in their Tarot journey might find this a bit "water-downed", from where I sit, this was a good step away from typical interpretation. I appreciate the reference to other esoteric teachings as well as the symbology discussed in this book. This book would be great for a beginner in combination with a book that discusses the meanings of the cards in the various positions. Although Ms. Porter does begin the book with a brief touch on the traditional meanings of the cards, she does not go in depth enough to make this an all-inclusive book.