Customer Reviews

The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination

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This is, without a doubt, one of the best books on Tarot that I've read in a long time. It's also a much-needed work in light of prevalent Tarot thought.

Straight up: I find it more than a little amazing that, after an abundance of time, discussion, and scholarship, some very common myths about Tarot still prevail. Haven't we gotten over the idea that Tarot came from the gypsies, or that it originated in Egypt as a pictoral representation of Thoth's teachings? These Tarot myths remain common today (and are often perpetuated by ill-informed authors). Hopefully, this book will help put them to rest. Place convincingly disproves these theories, but (and this is important) carefully notes what is valid and worthwhile about the occultists' perspective.

The real cream of this book comes not from the debunking (after all, Place is not the first author to set the record straight), but in his analysis of what Tarot truly is. This book is the only book available today that explores Tarot as it was intended by its creators, based on the influences and symbolism prevalent at the time of its creation. As someone long steeped in (and quite fond of) occult/Golden Dawn style Tarot practices, these insights are new and exciting approaches to Tarot. I get to be a beginner all over again! For devoted Tarot nerds like me, this is very good news.

Some folks might be put off by Place's style -- he doesn't allow much room for disagreements. Indeed, ordinarily such confidence would get up my nose, too. But his arguments are so convincing, and presented with none of the customary arrogance of many with strong opinions on magical topics, that I'm inclined to overlook that. His sincerity and love of his subject shine through every step of the way.

Place rounds out the book with solid sections on meanings and divination. He examines the Waite-Smith deck for his meanings section, drawing strong interpretations from the artwork (you might learn an interesting fact or two about the symbolism employed by Waite & Pixie here). His approach to divination is his alone, and is quite liberating in its use of symbols, intuition and card placement rather than strict interpretations of memorized meanings. He provides plenty of examples to make sure that you get the gist of his techniques.

All in all, this is a sane, thoughtful, and (most importantly) useful approach to Tarot. It is now firmly on my short list of most recommended Tarot books, for beginners and advanced alike. Not to be missed.

I suppose I sound like I'm gushing, here, but the book really is that good!

Too many books on Tarot begin with old wives' tales ("The Tarot was created by the ancient Egyptians and carried throughout the world by Gypsies") or dubious advice ("All decks should be wrapped in silk cloth and smudged with sage once a month").

Not this one! Bob Place's _The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination_ is a frank, meticulously researched, and enormously satisfying look at the origins and applications of Tarot. While the book embraces mysticism (Place, for example, reveals his own work with the Tarot was initiated by a symbolic dream), its primary focus is on the card illustrations, the symbolism of the Tarot, and the rich heritage of myth and magic that lie at the heart of both.

Place's clear, concise writing style makes his practical and mystical histories of the Tarot - the first two major sections of the book - a pleasure to read. Few books on the subject of the Tarot offer so much information in such an approachable format; these chapters should be required reading for anyone with a serious interest in the cards.

Why do the images on Tarot cards intrigue some and frighten others? As Joseph Campbell often pointed out, we live in a mythically illiterate society; signs and symbols immediately recognizable to viewers a few hundred years ago now, in our ignorance, strike us as mysterious and spooky. Beginning in Chapter 4, "Interpreting the Major and Minor Arcana," Place does his part to dispel mystery rooted in ignorance and reconnect the reader with the genuine myths and mysteries referenced in the details of each card.

Chapter Five, at first glance, appears to be little more than Place's notes on the popular and familiar images from the Rider-Waite Tarot. This would be disappointing, as dozens of other books have covered this territory in great detail already. In this chapter, however, Place does much more than recycle tired traditional meanings; instead, he often reveals the sources that likely inspired many of the Waite-Smith illustrations.

As an artist, Place has a unique perspective on the art of the Tarot; his vision, though, also embraces the deck's remarkable ability to serve as a divinatory tool. Near the end of the book, Place suggests a number of ways the reader can use the cards as a mirror of the soul - a means of connecting with information beyond that offered by linear awareness. This adds an important dimension to the book, revealing how the historical and mythological information found in earlier chapters can be applied to "make Tarot work."

Here, at last, is a book that presents the facts and the fantasies that feed our growing fascination with these bright little cards. Place's book is the perfect companion for anyone interested in the art and application of Tarot.

Other reviews here do a fine job of summarizing this groundbreaking work. I will just add why I am excited about Robert Place's work - all of it - and in particular this book. Personally, after 30 years of being drawn to Tarot but having a gnawing sense of doubt and questions, this book has made it all crystal clear and the study of Tarot fresh and fulfilling. On a larger scale, I believe this book will finally put divination back in its rightful place as a respected and fundamental tool for living life well - and that is whether it is used as a tool of study, a tool of meditation and reflection, or a method of divination. While the self help market has grown beyond huge, and has made remarkable advances in helping us poor seekers actually make tangible positive change - it still has a glaring omission in the area of the fundamental value of divination - when one looks at divination arts as a way to communicate with the unconscious mind. This is not the overtly obvious emphasis of Place in Tarot: History, Symbolism and Divination but for me it is the underlying significance of this beautiful book.

I am an avid student of the Tarot as well as an art historian and college professor. Robert Place's book is scholarly without being pedantic. His understanding of the way images influence their times and are, in turn, influenced by their times is admirable. His clear writing and jargon-free analysis (currently rare in academia)will delight all who love art and Tarot. I have enjoyed every page.

For those who have followed author/artist Robert Place's work, The Tarot - History, Symbolism, and Divination will be seen as a natural progression of thought and wisdom. In his previous work (including The Alchemical Tarot and The Angels Tarot (with Rosemary Ellen Guilley), The Tarot of the Saints, and The Buddha Tarot and its companion book) Place has delved into Kabbalistic, alchemical and Christian mysticism, the correlation between Christian saints and the archetypes of the Tarot, and the connection between the life of Buddha and the journey that is the Tarot. He is a recognized expert on the Tarot, as well as the Western mystical tradition.

What struck me about this book was that not only does it endeavor to set down a solid foundation for the history and symbolism of the Tarot, it is itself a part of the living history of Tarot. Several years ago, when I first became involved with the Internet, I was led to one of the predominate Tarot e-groups of that time. I consider myself honored and blessed to have been able to interact with knowledgeable historians of our time, including Robert Place, Robert O'Neill, Tom Tadfor Little and the late Brian WIlliams. These gentlemen showed themselves to be very wise, yet very real people. Their thoughts, as well as the thoughts of historians Ronald Decker and Michael Dummett, and the inimitable A.E. Waite himself, are interwoven throughout this book. What an awe inspiring feeling to know that we have been gifted with front row seats to view the ongoing play that is Tarot
history!

Place has divided this book into six major sections: The History of Tarot; The Mythical History of Tarot; The Search For Meaning; Interpreting the Major and Minor Arcana; The Waite-Smith Tarot; and Hieroglyphs From the Soul. Each section leads seamlessly into the next, creating a wonderful, colorful tapestry, where the Seeker can look both forward and backward at the journey that is Tarot, sift truth from fiction, and develop their own conscious picture of what the Tarot is and can be.

Place's personal Tarot journey has its own place in this story. From his introduction to Tarot in college, through his abortive beginning efforts to birth his own Tarot deck, to the dream that would change his journey - it is clear that the path of Tarot and his personal path were meant to be joined. He has to date created four decks on the Tarot, and written four Tarot books. He has connected Tarot to the paths of Buddha, Saints, Angels and alchemy.

In his introduction, he notes that occultists from the eighteenth century on have recognized in the Tarot a mystical philosophy. Here is where the fun begins, as Place shows us how some of the more fanciful theories for the origin of the Tarot came about - such as having it originate in ancient Egypt, or even Morocco or China. He also refers to a "forced" connection with systems such as the Kabalah, the Hebrew alphabet and astrology. He goes on to point out that historian can correct factual errors, but they have not addressed the symbolism of Tarot.

Place has chosen to address this issue through its historic origins in the Italian Renaissance, referencing the iconography and symbolism of that era, and exploring the relationship of this art to the ancient mystical philosophy revered by Renaissance artists and writers. In this manner, he hopes to bring about an understanding of the actual development of the Tarot, while showing the mystical philosophy and symbolism that stand behind its various uses.

This book works with, in the main, the Waite-Smith Tarot. At the beginning of each chapter is placed a quote from one of A.E. Waite's writings. What better way to get to know the larger than life person who had such an influence on the Tarot, yet whose character is so enigmatic as to be misunderstood, at best.

In the section entitled "The History of the Tarot", we get a birds eye view of the Tarot from the fifteenth century on. I find this fascinating, as we review some of the more fanciful theories, such as the one that has it originating in ancient Egypt and being spread through Europe by Gypsies. Then there is the deal with the secret code in the trump cards! Place points out that these theories have placed a large gap between the fifteenth-century Italian artists who illustrated the first Tarot decks and modern day users of the Tarot.

Here in one place we have all of the information that we see in snippets on Tarot e-lists. How the Tarot originated as a game - the precursor to the modern game of bridge. How the early decks show a consistency in the use of five suits (the trumps are considered to be a fifth suit in this book). What I found interesting about the fifth suit (the trumps) is that in early decks they were unnumbered and untitled, and varied in number. Place also talks about the Fool as a "wild card", which can be played as a trump, but which cannot win a game. The trumps, together with the Fool, illustrate a mystical allegory (which is the backbone of this book).

It is fascinating to read about the decks, where they come from, and who the artists were. There is a great deal of information here about the Marseilles style decks that I appreciated. Also interesting was the history of paper, beginning in China. There are illustrations of Chinese money cards that show the equivalent of four different suits - with the thought that in China, in the beginning, paper cards for games and paper money may have been the same thing.

From Asia, paper making spread towards the Middle East. New card games were developed, the size of the cards changed, and images of gods, kings, and heros began to be painted on them. One of the most interesting charts in the book has to do with the various European countries, and their hieroglyphics for the four suits. (It was interesting to see the curved sword versus the straight sword here.)

What makes this book move are the snippets of information tossed into the mix - such as the Marseilles decks being a group, or family, of decks, rather than one particular deck. There is an excellent discussion of the seven virtues (the four cardinal virtues of temperance, strength, justice and prudence, from classical philosophy, and the three added "Christian" virtues of faith, hope and charity), and why this allegory differed from deck to deck.

Building on the factual history of the Tarot, we move on to "The Mythical History of the Tarot". Place refers to this as the second stage of Tarot history, the occult or modern stage. Here we start to hear some very familiar names: Court de Géblin (to whom all occult theories can be traced), Etteilla, Eliphas Levi, Papas, and A.E. Waite. It was through Paul Christian, the charlatan who forged evidence connecting the Tarot and ancient Egyptian mystery cults that we owe the term "arcana", or "secrets".

It is interesting to see how these individuals lived their lives, why they believed what they did, and how they were able to get their various beliefs accepted. Here we begin to understand how the Tarot is a product of its time, and why it has gone through the changes that it has. Part of what makes this section so very powerful is the wonderful illustrations from the older decks, several of which are illustrations from de Géblins deck. Also included in this section are discussions of Hermes Trismegistus, the book of Thoth, alchemy, and Renaissance and modern Hermeticism. Place refers to what he terms the six qualities of hermeticism: (1) the world is a living being; (2) the value of imagination; (3) the idea of correspondence; (4) the belief in transmutation; (5) the perennial philosophy; and (6) spiritual truth is gained through transmission or initiation.

Kabalah and the Sepher Yetzirah are presented, along with a chart of correspondences between the thirty-two paths and: their Hebrew letter, meaning, macrocosm, calendar (season), and microcosm. In this same section we find Levi's correspondences for the four suits, relating them to evangelist angel, Zodiac fixed sign, elements, alchemical essence, tetragrammaton, and kabbalistic world.

In the section entitled "The Search For Meaning", Place addresses Neoplatonism, and its place in the Tarot world. Neoplatonism is defined as a group of Western philosophies that synthesize the philosophy of Plato with other philosophical and mystical systems. Here we are introduced to the Pythagorean tetractys, the seven runged ladder, and the three parts of the soul. It is in this section that we begin to see how the Tarot makes use of the "triumphant parade" to organize the trumps, as well as the mythical
storylines.

In "Interpreting the Major and Minor Arcana", Place makes use of the Marseilles deck, which he sees as the blueprint for later eighteenth- and nineteenth-century occult decks, as well as for the Waite-Smith deck. Each of the major arcana are discussed for their symbology and for their mystical content. Included in this section is a list of suit correspondences, developed by Place, that associate each suit with an evangelist, a symbolic creature, Zodiac sign, element, elemental creature, social class, divinatory theme, virtue, and psychological function.

In "The Waite-Smith Deck", Place gives a short biography for both A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, as well as a very good background on the deck itself. This is followed by a discussion of each of the seventy-eight cards, their background influences and symbology.

In "Hieroglyphs From The Soul", Place does some of his best work. This is a section about reading the cards, and is something that shines in each of his books. He sees the Tarot as a spiritual tool that works, through its archetypal images, to assist our Higher Self to guide us to enlightened choices and spiritual wisdom. He recommends three card readings as a Tarot staple, and sets out a guideline for interpreting them called "The Six Patterns". These patterns are: linear, choice, central origin, central destination, the central problem and the central teacher. Place gives easy to follow examples for each of the six patterns.

Several spreads are presented, including a nine card relationship spread (cards 1-3 represent the querant; then there is a space, with cards 4-6, representing the other person or the issue; with cards 7-9, defined as the bridge, centered above. There is a Seven Soul Centers, which is a representation of the seven chakras, with three cards placed in each chakra position. This is followed by a Twelve House spread, which is a basic astrological reading with three cards in each house position. Place ends the book with a short instruction on meditating with the cards.

I am impressed with the depth and scope of this book. In one place, we see a factual history of the Tarot, mini-stories of the individuals that played such a large part in developing it, the "story behind the story" of the development of the early European decks, the how and why of the symbology of the cards, what the allegory of the trumps is, and ... a very good method for reading the cards! A top resource book, well reasoned and well presented. Thumbs up for Tarot - History, Symbolism and Divination!

© February 2005

I bought this book based on the glowing reviews here and I must say that I'm quite disappointed.

First off, it's true that the author does a fantastic job of describing the actual history of the Tarot. He is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable writers on that subject. That is why I give the book three stars instead of one. If your only interest is history, then this book is exactly what you need. The title of the book, however, is "The Tarot: History, Symbolism and DIVINATION" (emphasis mine). If your primary interest in the Tarot is its wealth of symbolic spiritual and psychological insight, then you are likely going to be quite disappointed by this. If you think that the cards should ONLY be interpreted in the way that was originally intended by the first Tarot Deck creators, then there is much here that is worth consideration. Personally, I believe that the cards, at least those of the Waite-Smith Deck, contain a LOT of valuable symbolism, much of which is simply dismissed by this author as inauthentic. SO WHAT if these other meanings were not exactly what was originally intended? That does not detract from their value!

The divination part, which comprises about half of the book, is where it falls apart terribly. His insight into the cards is incredibly shallow for someone who has studied their history so thoroughly. For most of the Minor Arcana cards he offers only five or six sentences. Also, the divination system that he presents, always using three cards in various combinations, all of which depend upon which direction the figure on the card is facing, is odd to say the least. It is original in that it is unlike any other system I have ever come across, but again it lacks substance and depth.

If you are interested in divination or even just in the RICH symbolism offered by a standard Tarot deck, you would be much better off with Rachel Pollack's "Seventy-eight Degrees of Wisdom" or with "Spiritual Tarot" by Echols, Mueller and Thomson. If history is your thing or if you just want to impress your friends with how pedantic you can be, then by all means, get this. Personally, I don't feel that knowing the history of the cards is important to understanding their symbolic or divinatory significance, and I didn't find a single fact in this book to be USEFUL to me in giving readings.

This is an excellent book for those interested in a seriously researched, non-bogus treatment of the Tarot's history and symbolism. The subject matter is on occult and mystical matters, but the tone and presentation is historically matter-of-fact, NOT another rehash of the same mishmash mystical hokum found in SO many other books. Reading it is like browsing through a well-designed museum exhibit : a very well organized and ordered arrangement of historical facts that puts the Tarot in realistic historical context. Do we know for absolute certain when and where the Tarot started? No. The same way we don't/can't known when precisly when or where anything else started, for that matter. But after reading this book, you'll have a multi-century vista of contextual peoples, places and events that ground the Tarot's symbolism and history to earthly, tactile phenomenon, without necessarily diluting any of its mystical, divinatory impact.

Remember a school or college professor that was smart and very serious about the subject, but still knew plenty about it? This is how I imagine Robert M. Place in class (take a look at his pictures on the back cover of his book). I have a strange feeling that he has fine humor, but not while writing about Tarot. Sometimes this book might tend to feel on the heavy side, and it is because it covers at great depth the history of Tarot. Of the three subjects that it deals with (history, symbolism, and divination) history is definitely its strength. If that is what you are looking for, this is a good book to read. The section in symbolism is good, but again because of its solemnity it is no fully engaging sometimes. The part of divination is the one that I liked the least. Mr. Place doesn't read reversal (up-side down cards), interestingly enough Arthur E. Waite the creator of the rider-waite Tarot deck, which is the one that Mr. Place uses for his examples does read reversals. In addition to this Mr. Place focuses mainly on three card readings, and there are about six ways that he describes for reading the spread. I find that this can be confusing and misleading. The two additional spreads that deal with the seven chakras and astrology seem very interesting; but again using three cards each chakra, or houses in the astrological chart, can be confusing. I am not saying that is useless, but I do think that it might need a lot of practice. It would have been beneficial to have more examples in the book. The section in divination is a very short section compared to the rest of the book.

This is ONE OF THE TWO BEST BOOKS on Tarot history. The other one is Paul Huson's "Mystical Origins of the Tarot". They complement each other, reinforce some historical and key points on its structure and attributions, and get rid of some very extended myths about its origins (Egypt, gypsies, kabalah, astrology, etc.).

The Tarot is one of the most distorted and misrepresented of all cultural artifacts. All too many writers pushing the divinatory uses of these cards, cling to outdated myths and pseudo-history. Place's mostly accurate and exceptional book on Tarot history is a breath of fresh air.

The earliest Tarot cards appeared in northern Italy during the 15th century and they were originally used to play a trick taking card game. What many now call the "Major Arcana" were intended to be a trump suit in this card game. One of the greatest strengths of this book is how it places the traditional images of Tarot in the context of the ideas prevalent during the Italian Renaissance. I would recommend this title not only to those interested in Tarot symbolism but also to enthusiasts of Medieval and Renaissance history.

I have only one criticism of this book and it concerns Place's biased notions of what constitutes "modern Tarot" Occult Tarot is not the only form of "modern Tarot" and contrary to what it says in the text, not all modern Tarot decks are derived from the Tarot de Marseilles.

The Tarot card game did not stop being played because of Antoine Court de Gébelin's "Monde Primitif" The 18th century was a pivotal one for Tarot history. Besides the beginnings of occult Tarot sparked by de Gébelin's work, German card makers of the 18th century also began making Tarot cards with the French suit symbols of hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs with trump images which differ considerably from the older Marseilles Tarot and these types of Tarot cards are used today for the Tarot and Tarock card games of France and central Europe. Also during the 18th century, bidding was introduced into the Tarot card games making this a more complex and sophisticated family of card games. It should be understood that the occult Tarot is only one branch of modern Tarot and I'm a little disappointed that Place neglects to mention French suited Tarot decks and modern Tarot game playing.