Llewellyn’s 2008 Tarot Reader

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Llewellyn 2008 Tarot Reader I’ve always enjoyed the variety of calendars and datebooks which Llewellyn produces each year. Whatever your interest, they have a calendar, datebook, or other time-tracking item just for you. I particularly like the annual Tarot Reader, as it always features interesting and useful articles which can be appreciated regardless of one’s level of Tarot experience.

The 2008 Reader is the best one yet. Not only does the roster of authors read like a dream Tarot conference, it also features several newer voices adding to the incredible wisdom enclosed between the covers.

Unlike some of the earlier editions, which were heavy on article for those newer to Tarot, this year’s Tarot Reader provides a serious workout for any one who picks it up. If you’re an intermediate or advanced reader who’s been looking for something more complex, this is the book for you.

The book is divided into sections with major arcana cards as the section title. The first section is The Fool: Tools for the Journey. A piece by Thalassa on dealing with a new Tarot deck opens the volume, and nicely showcases Thalassa’s wise and entertaining form. From there, introductory articles include ideas for working with Tarot from Elizabeth Barrette, establishing discipline in Tarot work by Elizabeth Genco, another great essay from Thalassa on the Fool card, a piece on court cards from James Ricklef, and more.

The second section, The Magician: Practical Applications offers ideas and techniques to refresh even the most jaded reader. Janina Renee‘s piece on “Fooling Fortune” and “Tarot Solitaire 2” by Valerie Sim stand out in this section; all of the articles are quite good, but these two are the ones which really jumped out at me. If you don’t have a copy of Llewellyn’s 2007 Tarot Reader, in which Valerie’s first article on Tarot Solitaire appears, you definitely want to pick it up – reading Part 1 makes working with Part 2 much easier. Working through this article will keep you busy for a very long time.

The third section is The Hermit: For Further Study, and comprises the most thorough and intense part of the book. While beginners can read and gain information from these articles, these are definitely aimed at experienced readers. James Wells provides an excellent piece on working with the card as the answer to the question (sounds simple, but how many of us actually read that way?). Other highlights of this section (again, all of the articles are amazing, these are just a few of them) include a piece from Mary K. Greer on Tarot and the Tree of Life, Elizabeth Hazel writing on the Tower, and wonderful guided meditation on the High Priestess card by James Ricklef.

This section also features two pieces by Nina Lee Braden on Death and Tarot which contain some of the most useful ideas and insights about the Death card I’ve seen in print. Braden provides a number of ways to approach working with the Death card, and doesn’t back away from confronting the fact that for most people, Death is big, scary, and simply not what we want to think about. She offers reading techniques and a guided visualization with the High Priestess card.

The section concludes with an article from Rachel Pollack on Seeking the Gods that stands out in a section of standout articles. Rachel suggests a new way of looking at the minor arcana to see which deities might be associated with each card. Rachel also talks about using divine inspiration to interpret the cards – and isn ‘t that what divination should be about?

The last section Is Judgment: Deck Reviews, which contains reviews of the Tarot of the Mermaids, the Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights, the Sacred Circle Tarot, and the Witches Tarot. I haven’t worked with any of the decks, so I don’t have an opinion on them. In prior years, the reviews were used as dividers between the sections of the book, which I think works much better. Ending with the reviews in the 2008 Tarot Reader is a let down at the end of an otherwise amazingly useful and interesting Tarot Reader, and I’m sorry that this will be the last one from Llewellyn. It’s a strong book overall, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is looking for an intensive mental and practical boost to their reading skills.

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