The Secret Language of Tarot (Paperback)

~ (Author), Ruth Ann Amberstone (Author)
Key Phrases: ceremonial magick, right mindfulness, surround yourself with darkness, Tree of Life, The High Priestess, The Chariot (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Reading tarot symbols is complicated—each appears many times and in a variety of contexts in a deck, with many possible layers of meaning. (For example, a rose can symbolize the feminine path of emergence when appearing with the Magician, and as a style of learning that bestows unconditional love when appearing with the Hierophant.) Using Ride-Waite-Smith imagery, the Amberstones (Tarot Tips) provide both a reference manual and a course on reading tarot symbols, even introducing discussions as if speaking directly to students. Becoming a skilled tarot reader requires an odd combination of natural talent and skill—familiarity with symbols through study is important, yet at the same time, tarot imagery was originally created to evoke an immediate, intuitively surefooted emotional response from [whoever] looked at it, whether they knew anything about tarot or not, say the Amberstones. To get in touch with both aspects, they provide exercises to help enter your inner universe and find whatever you are looking for when contemplating various symbols. Though the guide is organized thematically rather than alphabetically as most symbol dictionaries are arranged, it still works well as a reference manual. (Apr.)
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Review

This book is about exploring these symbols found in the RWS tarot deck. Paths and mountains; moon and stars - these all have meanings which can apply to everyday situations...The authors also include meditations to better explore each tarot card, as well as a number of unique spreads that are quite innovative...This book is a lovely resource which I will be working with for some time to come. ---Diane Saarinen, New Age Journal

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578634164
• ISBN-13: 978-1578634163
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #443,839 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite as...compendious as I'd hoped. , June 16, 2008

By	Seven Kitties "7kitties" (Blue Point, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I had pretty high hopes for this book--apparently too high. The Amberstones are the ones who want to separate you and roughly $800 of your cash to learn tarot, and I figured this book would be a taste of what I'd get should I decide to take their course. Apparently not too stupid a decision, since this book seems to be one of their courses merely in book format (chapters begin with some sort of 'welcome to our class on....' formula). While there is good stuff in here and I definitely like the across-the-deck approach of symbols, on the depth of information, I honestly wasn't blown away. Good stuff, yes, but not exactly mind blowing. And every chapter I ended up *filling* with marginal notes like "what about this?" "And this?" For example--they talk about the five-petaled rose as a symbol in class, erm, chapter one. While they're spot on in what they do have, they don't touch on some pretty obvious numerology--five in the Middle Ages represents *humankind*--the five senses, the four limbs & the head, five fingers, etc. It's also more closely tied to the Virgin Mary than they say--anyone saying the rosary knows of the *five* sorrows and joys of the Virgin. As for white versus red roses--any Englishman (such as Waite) would almost automatically have considered roses, red and white, with Lancaster and York. So while they're not *wrong*...they're just not as *right* as I wanted them to be. And for the columns, they completely skip over the notion of the Hebrew names possibly being further representation of gender polarity--Boaz "in him is strength" masculine, Jachin "God prepares"--hello? The Virgin Mary again? Medieval notions of the female as the fertile bed upon which the masculine seed is acted?

If I sound frustrated it's because I bought this book expecting *experts*, (on their website they boast of more than 80 years of tarot experience) not just a few neat titbits. The only way I can reconcile myself to this book is to say that I must in contrast be a Tarot Super Genius, which I most certainly am NOT!

I gave it a four because I do like the notion of analyzing SYMBOLS rather than cards, and because what they do have is good stuff--just not as much as I would have liked. It's a good book for an intermediate tarot reader, but advanced readers might not find enough (like me) to justify shelling out the money. It's definitely a 'look before you leap' book. I'd recommend either of Mary Greer's big Tarot books before, and possibly instead of, this one.

But god bless 'em for having one of the very *few* good titles to come out in Tarot in the last few years!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Marvelous New Look at the Tarot, May 27, 2008

By	Linda Gail Walters "Writer / Copyeditor" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book stands out sharply from all of the dozens of books in print that look at the symbolism of various Tarot decks. The other books all have one thing in common: they take the cards and dissect them into their various symbols. This remarkable work takes the symbols and integrates them with the cards.

Rather than simply go thought the Major Arcana and say "Oh, look there's a moon under the foot of the High Priestess", The Amberstones take the moon and look for its occurrences across the deck. The results can be surprising. Yes, the High Priestess does indeed have a crescent moon, but so does the Chariot, The Hierophant, The Moon and several Minor Arcana. As the author, so rightly points out, "Regardless of the card and regardless of its phase, every appearance of the moon in tarot brings with it the gift of all its meanings and references ready to the hand of the reader".

The same procedure is repeated for other common and important symbols: crowns, pillars, paths, mountains, horses, clouds and many more.

With forward by Mary K. Greer and afterward by Lon Milo DuQuette, two of Tarot's brightest lights join with the sterling reputation of the founders of The Tarot School to bring us a unique jewel in the crown of Tarot books.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, September 9, 2008

By	Janet Berres "Author of 'Tarot Kit For Beginners" (Morton Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a tarot professional and author myself, I have many book cases filled with tarot books and believe I own almost all of the books in print on the subject of tarot. I must admit I haven't read them all because some are either boring, hard to plow through or just plain uninteresting to me.
So it was to my great delight to delve into the Secret Language of Tarot and to enjoy every word of it!
After 30+ years of reading the cards, when I have access to new information, or a new way of looking at the cards, I am just thrilled. I have been recommending this book to everyone.
It is truly a wonderful read and contains many thought provoking ideas!