Customer Reviews

What's In the Cards for You?: Test the Tarot

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having started learning Tarot in late 2001, I'm not quite a newbie, if not exactly a seasoned professional. Prior to buying this, I already owned the author's previous two books, "Putting the Tarot to Work" and "Taking the Tarot to Heart", as well as his "Bright Idea Deck", and I was already favorably disposed towards McElroy's writings. All the same, I thought it was for pure beginners, and furthermore, I had just started Teresa Michelson's "Complete Tarot Reader". I wasn't sure if wanted to plunge into another study course. A couple of enthusiastic comments on the author's website convinced me otherwise, and I'm glad I took the plunge. This is a great book even if you've been reading cards since your grade school days, as the author has.

Some of the reviews below go into detail about what the book contains, so I won't duplicate their material. Why do I recommend it? First, the exercises give you applications for Tarot that can help change your life here and now. The book's subtitle could easily be "Change Your Life For The Better While Thinking That You're Just Fooling Around With a Pack of Cards". Second, it is hilarious to read while being (as far as I can tell) absolutely sound in its Tarot scholarship. McElroy has both a deep sense of humor as well as a deep sense of respect for his readers. Third, the exercises can truly be completed in 15 minutes or less. This is something that I think is genuinely important for many of us: if we're going to commit to a 30 day program, we need to be able to fit it into our lives readily.

While not a professional reader, I do own a number of recommended Tarot classics (all of which I cherish, or almost all). McElroy's approach is definitely different, very empowering, and has helped me use Tarot cards to not only gain insight into issues into my life, but to help resolve those issues. Get this book, grab a deck if you don't own one already, and go for it. You'll be glad you did.

"What's in the Cards for You? is like a Whitman's Sampler of Tarot applications...with a twist. Instead of it telling you what Tarot can do, you'll determine for yourself what you can do with Tarot. By completing a series of thirty fast, fun, hands-on experiments, you'll conduct a personal investigation into whether Tarot works for you." -Mark McElroy

The Tarot has long been shrouded in mystery. Some people lump this "wicked pack of cards" with crystal balls, purple turbans, and carnival fortune-tellers. Others fear the Tarot, thinking it's a tool of the "devil" that has the ability to foretell the future (which, of course, includes impending disaster.)

In his book What's in the Cards for You? Mark McElroy demystifies the Tarot once again, inviting the skeptical and the curious to venture on a first-person voyage of personal discovery. Rather than telling YOU what to think about the Tarot, McElroy has created 30 fun exercises so the Tarot can be tested on your OWN terms.

This book contains 30 different self-guided experiments to be conducted over the course of 30 days. Engage the cards, record your experience, and then evaluate the effectiveness of each exercise. McElroy acknowledges that not all of the experiments will appeal to everyone. Yet, personal preference for certain exercises contain clues as to what you enjoy MOST about Tarot-but more about that later.

Chapter 2 is the foundation of What's in the Cards for You?, because McElroy shows you how to tap into your innate power of association which will allow you to generate meaning for any Tarot card-even if you've never touched a deck before! He has also created a "secret weapon" template (which you can use in the book or download from his website) so you can decipher card meanings for yourself. The "secret weapon" is a clever tool for generating insights and creating applications for each and every Tarot card. As one familiar with the Tarot, I was surprised and delighted at how many new meanings rose to the surface after using the "Answering Mining" template.

One of my favorite exercises in the book is Day Three: Suit Yourself. McElroy invites you to rate your satisfaction with life-on a scale from 1 to 10-in four different areas, and then write your score in the blank (ignoring, at first, the words that came after the blank):

Material and Physical Satisfaction: ________ of Coins
Emotional and Spiritual Satisfaction:________ of Cups
Mental and Intellectual Satisfaction:_______ of Swords
Creative and Occupational Satisfaction: _______ of Wands

Then, you find the corresponding card in the Tarot deck. Going by the personal meaning you attribute to the card image, you then convert the illustration on the card into a "tip". For example, my score for Mental and Intellectual Satisfaction was 10. I laughed out loud when I saw the 10 of Swords, which shows a man with 10 swords, plunged into his body. I immediately saw the message as "You're too much in your head! Calm down that mind of yours because your over-active mental energy is affecting your physically!"

Although this knowledge came as no surprise, it was interesting to me that the corresponding Tarot card accurately reflected one of my banes.

Another exercise I enjoyed is from Day Twenty-Three: Creating Compassion. Likening the Tarot to a mandala, McElroy demonstrates how you can take any individual that you don't get along with, understand, or are irritated by and see them through the "lens" of 3 Tarot cards. By doing so-with the help of his pointed questions-you can literally shift your perspective to one that is more compassionate and centering.

A few of my other favorites include Deal Me a Story, Answering the Big Questions, Breakfast with da Vinci, and Exploring Past Lives.

In the last chapter which asks What's Next?, you're invited to look back through the 30 experiments and identify the 5 you enjoyed most, and which day the experiments occurred. (Believe me...it's hard narrowing it down to just 5!) McElroy has created a chart so you can highlight your favorite days, and then see which of six application/s you most prefer: Psychological, Creative, Educational, Predictive, Magickal, and Planning.

For me, my least favorite experiments had to do with Predictive Applications. My favorites were the Psychological and Creative exercises. McElroy then breaks down each of the six applications should you want to study the Tarot further-and aren't sure where to start.

If you wondering if this book has any value to those familiar with the Tarot (including Tarot readers) the answer is YES. I admit to having misgivings when I saw the title of this book, wondering if it would be a re-hash of the guidebook that accompanies the Bright Idea Deck (also created by McElroy). I am pleased to say that What's in the Cards for You? is NOT a re-hash of McElroy's previous works (I own them all), and presents fresh applications for the Tarot-including practical tips on how to put your own unique spin on the cards and using the Tarot for meditation, creativity, visualization, dream interpretation, and much more.

Those new to the Tarot will be introduced to this enchanting symbolic world by one of the most adept, down-to-earth, and rascally of teachers.

I received this book today and, contrary to the way a normal consumer should do it; I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Mark's humor and down-to-earth suggestions are nothing short of brilliant. In this short book, Mark provides thirty days of experiments designed to either change the skeptical mind about Tarot or provide the inquisitive mind new and fertile ground to explore. I look forward to spending the next thirty days experiencing these exercises.

If you have never touched a Tarot card before, but are just interested in "What is all this about?", (Exactly how I got into the business ten years ago) this is the most comfortable and guided introduction you will ever receive. This is not a beginning Tarot book whose pages are filled with the meanings of each card. In his second chapter, Mark guides the reader through ten different ways to look at a card and determine the meaning. This is much easier than being burdened with memorizing 78 different cards.

After the reader feels comfortable with "making meanings" in the cards, they have all the tools they need to explore the cards through some of the most original exercises I have ever seen. Some of the exercises are wrapped up in one day (some with specific instructions for the beginning of the day and others for the end of the day) and some can span several days (or years, in one case). Each exercise also offers "For Extra Credit" exercises which give variations or expansions on the original exercise. So if a student finds an exercise that really works for them, they can choose to expand their knowledge in that area.

Another nice feature of Mark's book is that he charts at the end which exercises relate specifically to six various fields of study. This chart allows a new student to identify an area of expertise based on the exercises which held the most appeal. For advanced students working in one of these six areas, the chart provides a reference of exercises which may be useful to the student in their daily activities.

"What's in the Cards for You?" by Mark McElroy (ISBN 0-7387-0702-3) has just taken its place next to Mary K. Greer's "Tarot for Your Self" as my all time favorite hands-on Tarot book. Sorry, Mark, you are still number two. Buy this book and have a blast.

You can get the gist of the contents of the book from other reviewers. It's a fun book and helps build the habit of grabbing your deck every day. It positions itself as a beginner book, presuming NO knowledge of Tarot, which is wonderful for a starter book. But don't think that it's ONLY another Tarot 101!

I bought this book because I was looking for new ways to play with my cards. I can do readings (boy howdy) for people, and I knew about Tarot meditation, but I wanted a new repertoire. And this book delivered. Sure, some of the 30 activities didn't really send that special happy breeze up my knickers (there's an image for ya!) but I found enough new stuff to keep me happy as heck with this book.

My favorite new thing is the pro/con reading. He gives several options how to use the Tarot for pros and cons, but what's worked for me is to draw five cards and deal them into piles by what meaning each cards suggests. In the end, one pile will be bigger than the other, pro or con. It's something I'd never thought to do with Tarot. And the several options he gives kept me interested enough to try it several times to see what worked best for me.

At root, that's what this book does best--focusses on the reader. Unlike a lot of Tarot books that will tell you this card ALWAYS means X or Y, he invites you to 'Make Meaning' on your own. This approach can apply to ANY deck you use.

So, why not five stars? Weee-ell, he keeps hinting/pushing readers in his book that there is a treasure trove of resources available on his website, such as the "What Would the Trumps Do?" worksheet. It ain't there. The link is broken. The site itself hasn't been updated in over a year, as well, as if he's just stopped caring about supporting the book. That's fine; I'm sure he's got other great projects in mind, but he made a commitment and promise to the reader when he said the addtional info would be on the site.

This book is a wonderful addition to your standard favorite tarot guide. It gives you simple everyday practice that makes learning the tarot more enjoyable. All of the enties are easy to comprehend and apply. The best part of this book is that it can be used many times over. You will always learn something new about the cards because they are not predetermined, you pick one or more to study. Excellent read.

This is a fantastic book! I'm eternally grateful I found it.

I've been studying tarot off and on for a lot of years, but most of the books I've read just haven't entirely 'clicked' for me.

This one was truly different. I've done more work with my tarot deck since getting this book than I have in months and months previously.

The exercises are, indeed, very quick and easy - so hectic schedules and 'not enough time!' syndrome aren't an issue. Yet the exercises are not shallow. I'm constantly amazed at the potential in these exercises. Even though it's set up on a 30 day schedule, the skills, techniques, and ideas learned from this book will serve me for years to come, and I'm sure I'll return to them again and again. The exercises are set up in such a way that, while they are fun and enlightening by themselves, they are also teaching you a new tarot technique, a new way to use the cards, every day for a month.

I really enjoy the fact that you are encouraged to develop your own intuitive meanings for the cards, rather than being stuck with memorizing someone else's traditional meanings, then trying to fit those into your readings in ways that often feels like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. The author even offers a formula - or maybe checklist is a better word - early on for tips to begin intuiting your own meanings for the cards, which while brief and easy to use, is - again - by no means shallow. That list alone was worth the price of the book, though everything in it is well worthwhile.

While I would think this book would be invaluable for beginner and intermediate tarot students, even if you've been studying tarot for a long time, unless you feel you've pretty much learned all there is to know, then I would be shocked if you didn't pick up something new and exciting from this book.

Not only is the book a great way to learn about yourself and tarot, but it's also a great way to experiment with any new, unfamiliar tarot deck. I have several decks I bought because I liked the theme or imagery of, but had difficulty 'getting into.' When I finish this book with my favorite, standard deck, I think I'll work through all the exercises again with each of my "loved but shelved" decks I rarely use, just to help me begin to get more of a feeling for them.

I'm wholly certain this book has changed my tarot use and practice for life. I'm really not exaggerating - if you love tarot, you need this book. Best tarot book in my library, hands down.

A great book you will use every day for the following month. Performing an experiment every morning for 15 minutes is a great way to find out how tarot can help you in your life. Some experiments will work for you, some won't. The only downside is that you are supposed to write into the book:)

This is the first book of learning to read Tarot cards that I've been able to get through start to finish. Its fantastic and very different then the other 5 beginning Tarot books I own. Its real fun- the quick, hands on lesson you complete each day is enjoyable and eye-opening. The author has a sense of humor throughout the book, but the lessons are serious yet fun. One thing that makes it different then most, is that there is no card by card written definition to memorize. You actually learn how to interpret the cards intuitively, and with his help, you'll see that its not too difficult to do. I didn't think I could do it, but I can now. I can't praise this book enough! I found it so good that I'm purchasing all his other books now- just to reinforce what I've learned to do from him.