Mastering the Tarot: Basic Lessons in an Ancient Mystic Art (Signet) (Paperback)

by Eden Gray (Author) "There is something about the Tarot that is truly fascinating..." (more)
Key Phrases: court cards, Major Arcana, High Priestess, Minor Arcana (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Signet (June 7, 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451167813
• ISBN-13: 978-0451167811
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #389,367 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #83 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Divination > Crystals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to study the Rider-Waite deck., September 6, 2000

By	Uri Raz (Israel) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've read half a dozen tarot beginner's book or so in the past two years or so, and this is definitely the best I've seen.

The material is broken into 18 lessons, of which 7 cover the card meanings themselves (three for the minor arcana, one for the court cards, and three for the major arcana), and 6 cover spreading & reading the cards with examples.

The text is concise, and for each card there's a section explaining it's symbolism and meanings when straight and reversed. The explanations are solid - Eden Gray knows the material well, and draws on Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot and the Golden Dawn's Book T (an improvement over many authors who just babble whatever comes to their minds).

The book covers basic numerology and astrology, which gives a larger view and explains the explanations.

I highly recommend this book as a first study guide to anyone who learns to read with the Rider-Waite deck.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book for self-teaching Tarot, February 11, 2000

By A Customer

This book was recommended to me years ago. It is absolutely the best book for self-teaching Tarot and I have used it in all the classes I've taught. Gray does not just present card meanings, but the basis for the Tarot's symbolism. The book is set up in small, logical lessons. Starter reading patterns and sample readings are also included. Finally, it's also a great reference. For use with any standard Rider-Waite deck.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay Book, December 16, 2001

By A Customer

I'm new to tarot and have the Universal Waite deck and bought this book to help me learn about using them. I found it not as helpful as I had hoped. I have since purchased "Learning the Tarot" by Joan Bunning and this is a whole lot better, for me. It gives much more indepth explainations for each card. In this book, Mastering the tarot, it's not a bad book by any means but it's a small paperback and therefore doesn't leave much room for explainations. It's a good book for beginner's but I prefer one that has more to offer.