Customer Reviews

Tarot: The First Handbook for the Master

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This book is the third in a series of Tarot-teaching books by Connolly, and the afterword indicates she planned a fourth, "The Second Handbook for the Master," which isn't in Amazon's catalog as I write this in June 2009. She has her own nice (but noisy) website at http://www.eileenconnolly.net/ and the "Second Handbook for the Master" does not appear there, either.

But back to this one! Beginning on page 203, 1994's "The First Handbook for the Master" is illustrated with small black-and-white reproductions, part of the lovely Tarot drawn by her own son. And how cool is that! I like the idea of mother-son synergy in developing the deck, and I have no objections to the materials from page 203 on, which are interpretations of the Minor Arcana. So, one star for the deck, one star for the interpretations, but that's all I can give this.

Be warned: her interpretations for the Major Arcana and for the face cards are NOT in this book. This book illustrates only the Ace through Ten of each suit. I think the card-by-card interpretations after p. 203 are very good, more modern that Eden Gray's "Mastering the Tarot" or A.E. Waite's own book on the Rider-Waite Tarot, which is where most Tarot users get their start.

However, the 200 pages of material before the card guides are an interpretative system entirely of Connolly's own making, so much so that even before the Acknowledgments, she inserts a warning that four of the concepts she uses (codicils, Malkuthian keys, Symptomatic keys, and Lipikas) are unique to her (they certainly are!) and sternly warns that no one may use her book to teach a class without her written permission.*

But who would want to? Here's a quote from p. 46: "The FIRST FOUR Malkuthian keys are focused directly upon our karmic needs. As these are delineated and understood we arrive at a point where Malkuthian Keys FIVE through TEN provide us with a strong esoteric support....As we enter the Cabalistic Gateways of Malkuthian One through FOUR we become transformed as the Higher knowledge penetrates all levels of consciousness."

That's her spelling and punctuation, except for my ellipsis. She also calls readers "Tarotologists" which may be her own neologism; and she refers to querents as clients, which presupposes a commercial relationship most Tarot readers will never have. I appreciate that this is the third tutorial in a series, but I still think that her system of interpretation, as well as her writing about it, is just too clunky and contrived for me.

Others obviously disagree. Her system might particularly people who like very formal, rule-bound, and intricate systems of belief, such as the more baroque constructions of Roman Catholicism (e.g., people who care about the differences among seraphim, cherubim, thrones, and dominions) or of the fussier forms of ritual magic or Kabbalah.

She has her fans, and so I hope that one negative review won't trouble her too much. It's just one person's opinion, after all.

*Ms. Connolly, that's not how copyright law works. You can't enforce secrecy about your content once you've published a book. People can teach from it without your blessing, and you should be glad if they do, because that generally means their students will buy copies. And it's "Ms." until you state somewhere, anywhere, where your Ph.D. came from, as this book's back cover notes you were president of the Connolly University of Parapsychology.

I use the Connolly Master book as a main reference in deliniating my tarot spreads. The Malkuthian Key are opening the souls Karmic path. It is truly the most informative book I own on Tarot. Verification cards are no longer a mystery and using the Chronicles opens up all the allotted Verification cards. Wow it will blow you away. I have just recently started a tarot club dedicated Dr. Connollys work and we really enjoy using this book as reference in our trade. Elizabeth Summer.

I bought this book because I have the beautiful Connolly Tarot deck and I wanted a book with corresponding pictures and symbolism. It does indeed have pictures of the Connolly deck, and the descriptions provided for the minor arcana are great. There is indeed more information here on advanced readings than most people will need. HOWEVER, it does NOT include ANY details on the major arcana or any of the court cards. Apparently you are already supposed to know those, or it's assumed you already have the other Connolly books. This is probably an excellent book for the true Master, but it's not practical for day-to-day readings for the rest of us.