Exploring the World of Tarot: A Book Stack for the Tarot Curious
Who doesn't love a beautiful book stack? I mean, if your TBR (To Be Read) list isn't long enough to circle the earth three times, what are we even doing here? For those who classify themselves as tarot curious, I've compiled a list of tarot books to get you started on your journey.
One of my favorite things about tarot as a subject of study/interest is that it’s a very deep well. You can treat it like a rabbit hole or you can dive deep. First, you have to stick your toe in the water and these books will encourage you to do that. So, if you’re standing at the edge of the tarot ocean wondering if its safe to take a swim, let me be the the siren in the far distance hollering, ‘Come on in, the water’s fine.’
Tarot for Yourself by Mary K. Greer
This book is my original guide, found on the bottom shelf of a bookstore with very narrow aisles in New Haven, CT. This was the first book I purchased when I was in my tarot curious stage. I had been circling tarot like a shark for years without giving myself permission to actually take a bite. It was also the first time I dared to purchase something a little ‘taboo’ for myself. I remember feeling self-conscious as I walked out of the store with my tarot book concealed in a brown paper bag.
If you're just starting, start here. This book is full of exercises that will get you using your deck right away. And it will guide you through the process of building a relationship with tarot that meets your needs. Really, I could just stop the list here and you’d be golden, but wait there’s more!
This book also challenges the myth that you shouldn't read tarot for yourself. Which is total BS! Another BS myth about tarot is that you must be gifted your first tarot deck. Nope! Find a deck with art that speaks to you and go for it. You know, the kitten distribution system continues to fail me and I’m sure the tarot distribution system would be the same. There are loads of BS myths about tarot that will just waste your time. If you want to know more about that, check out Kelly-Ann Maddox’s YouTube video, 10 Tarot Myths and Why They Don’t Make Sense.
Tarot For Writers by Corinne Kenner
This book is amazing. Even a flip through will give you loads of ideas about how to explore your writing process with tarot. I was contemplating creating this blog about writing with tarot but was hesitant cuz I can be a scaredy cat. I make way too much fuss about needing permission slips. Then, I found this book in a bookstore and grabbed it off the shelf so fast! Permission slip signed! I realized after bringing it home that I had another book by the same author called Tarot Journaling. There are so many creative applications for tarot waiting to be explored. Corinne is a prolific writer and has many more books available. Also, her enchanted antique store cozies are on my TBR as well. I linked to her website above.
The Neuroscience of Tarot by Siddharth Ramakrishnan
This book was recommended by Benebell Wen (more on Benebell below) and the forward was written by Mary K. Greer so it was an instant buy for me. I included it here because it addresses questions about belief, personal meaning making, and intuition. And how those things create the cosmic cocktail in which we swim.
When I tell someone that I read tarot, the questions I get the most are:
Q: Are you psychic?
A: I’m highly sensitive and intuitive. I also enjoy symbology, archetypes, patterns, and systems.
Q: Do you believe in that stuff?
A: There’s nothing to believe in. It isn’t a religion.
Without being as flip as I usually am when confronted with these kinds of reactions, Ramakrishnan explores them with neuroscience. If you’re tarot curious and also a skeptic, this one’s for you. I mean, come on! Neuroscience!
1001 Tarot Spreads by Cassandra Eason
An excellent resource, this book will help you if you're sitting there with your deck and can't think of a question to ask or how to frame the dialogue you want to have with tarot. I often make up my own spreads, but they’re based on familiar patterns. This book provides a wealth of options you can use straight out of the book or as inspiration for your own conversations with your deck. The subject index is phenomenal. Anything that you may want to use your tarot deck to explore, there’s probably a spread in here that will meet your needs.
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
This book is on the denser more scholarly side but is a staple in probably all tarot readers' libraries. This is the most thorough exploration of tarot symbolism, tarot history, and cultural context available. This book will take you through the tarot journey card by card examining images, colors, and meanings. There are also sections on how to read the cards and a detailed study of the Celtic Cross, one of the most well known tarot spreads.
(Yes, those are Lego flowers in the background. ;-) )
Not pictured because they live on my Kindle…
Tarot: No Questions Asked by Theresa Reed
Anything by The Tarot Lady, Theresa Reed, is worth reading. If you have an opportunity to learn from her, learn from her. I linked to her website above. She’s an icon. There are so many resources available there. Her philosophy about tarot, ‘The cards tell a story. But you write the ending.’ is incredibly empowering and it’s a much needed perspective in the divinatory realm. We never want to hand our power or agency over to any divination system, tarot reader, or psychic.
Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen
Benebell Wen is a tarot scholar along the lines of Rachel Pollack. Even though I own a physical copy I didn't include her book, Holistic Tarot, in the stack because it is dense and more suited for those beyond the tarot curious stage. However, I highly recommend checking out her blog. She has excellent learning resources available there and if you decide you want to go deeper, Holistic Tarot, will take you there. Her website is chock full of study resources for the book too.
Happy reading and exploring the world of tarot! And, if you're beyond the 'Tarot Curious' stage, and have a library of resources you would like to recommend, please share. The longer my TBR list is, the happier I am.