The Mythic Tarot (Paperback)

by Liz Greene (Author), Juliet Sharman-Burke (Author) "The origins of the Tarot cards - who first designed them, where, when, and for what purpose - remain vague and elusive despite a considerable..." (more)
Key Phrases: divinatory level, throne whose arms, golden pentacles, Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, High Priestess (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Worldwide Bestselling Tarot Deck

Drawing on characters and stories from Greek mythology, The Mythic Tarot offers an imaginative and accessible approach to classic Tarot. Each suit depicts archetypal characters -- such as the heroic Odysseus, the Earth Mother Demeter, and Athena, the goddess of justice -- and every card tells a well-known mythical story. Rich with psychological insight, these mythical legends provide the wisdom and the insight we seek for personal growth.

In this beautifully designed kit you'll find:

An elegant, colorfully illustrated deck of cards

A reading guide, complete with information on how Tarot works, the meaning of each card, and how to conduct readings

A black silk cloth for use in readings, outlined with the classic Celtic cross spread

Appealing for both beginning and experienced Tarot readers, The Mythic Tarot will stimulate your curiosity and offer you an endless source of fresh insight and intuitive guidance.

About the Author
Juliet Sharman-Burke is a noted Tarot authority and analytic psychotherapist. She is the author of seven books, including The Mythic Tarot Workbook, Understanding the Tarot, Mastering the Tarot and Beginner's Guide to Tarot.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; Book and Access edition (October 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743219198
• ISBN-13: 978-0743219198
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #232,721 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for the Accomplished Tarot Reader or the Newbie., September 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mythic Tarot Workbook (Paperback)

This book has been an incredible tool for myself in learning the Tarot. It's packed with spreads, worksheets, and study pages for EVERY card in the deck. It starts off with a page on each one of the cards in the Major Arcana in the Mythic Tarot and lets you color them in. This exercise in itself was a great visualization tool and has helped me connect with each one of the cards. If you're new to Tarot or if you are wanting to learn more, I strongly reccomend this workbook.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're serious about tarot, it's a must have!, July 28, 2004

By	Jasmine (Grand Prairie, TX) - See all my reviews

I'd like to address some of the primary complaints I've heard about this deck before I get to why I use this deck all of the time.

Personally, the only issues I've had with anything breaking for falling apart was with the front cover of the book - that was my fault; in a fit of rage I'd cut the cover of the book off. I found that it was a very sturdy material myself.

Possibly, it's because I handle the cards more gently than the other people do. I've had them for years, and they're still in great shape.

As for anyone feeling limited by the spread printed on the cloth, if it's that big of an issue, don't use it. Or, even better, do what I do - flip the cloth over. It's one sided print.

The interpretations are sometimes very vague in this book, which would not make it the ideal deck for a beginner. However, I felt the reason the book was lacking in interpretation detail as opposed to the backstory, symbolism, and descriptions was because these things, along with your inutition, is what should be used to find the meaning of the card, rather then relying on the book as a crutch.

That's possibly one of my favourite things about this deck. It pushes you from being a beginner to something more advanced, by using your own inuition to truly read these cards.

The beautiful images open up a story, revealing what the card means, if you pay attention to the symbolism found in the book. The book itself is not one of those paper booklets inserted into a normal deck, it is a full fledged book in its own right. Definitely not something that one may easily lose, as opposed to other products.

I wouldn't call this deck "dark". Some cards (ie: Three of Swords) just don't mean "happy" things, and that's simply the way it is. Ultimately though, even what one may perceive as dark can begin a period of something better.

If you're serious about tarot, I'd suggest this deck for you. If you're more into parlor games, perhaps you'd be more interested in another product.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good beginners tarot with a psychological twist, March 22, 2001

By	"buffy0001" (Adelaide, South Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mythic Tarot (Paperback)

The Mythic Tarot was the first deck I gained, and I have been working with it for the past 7 years. The deck is beautifully illustrated in the tradition of Greek Mythology, with each of the suits telling a classic mythical tale (eg Jason and the Argonauts as the suit of wands).

The Mythic Tarot book describes interpretations that differ substantially from those of classic decks such as the Rider-Waite, as the focus is not on good-bad/upright-reveresed cards, but rather on the fact that every event or situation has both positive and negative aspects (a very psychological concept). I have found this to be a very good thing, particularly in situations where you are reading for people that are a little scared of what the future may hold for them ("and you can take that death card of of the deck before you do my reading!" is a common comment!). While Death is still seen as a monumental change and a difficult ending, it is also stressed that there will be a new beginning and rebirth. This is one big reason why I like this interpretation for beginners in particular.

This deck was excellent to learn with, as the mythical stories portrayed by the suits are easy to remember and well explained in the book, therefore making divination something anybody can learn (even me)!