Tarot Classic

by Stuart R. Kaplan

A complete guide to the Tarot Classic deck, including a history of tarot and photographs of rare decks.

Genres: Tarot, Occult, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

In 1968 while traveling for business in Europe, Stuart Kaplan attended the Nuremberg Toy Fair in search of game ideas and gifts for his children. He discovered an intriguing deck of cards unlike anything he had ever seen before. He brought the pack of Swiss 1JJ tarot back to New York and started selling it to bookstores. The deck began to sell well but there was no instruction book available, so Stuart wrote Tarot Cards for Fun and Fortune Telling. With these products Stuart launched U.S. Games Systems, Inc. the first company to publish tarot decks in the U.S. He chose the Fool card from the Rider-Waite deck as the company logo because it represents the willingness to take a leap of faith and follow an unchartered path (And his birthday is April 1, April Fool’s Day). The Rider-Waite deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, would become the most iconic and beloved tarot deck in the world. Stuart made it his personal mission to bring Pamela Colman Smith the recognition she richly deserved. He spent years researching Smith and collecting her original art and publications, which would be showcased in his book Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story.

Stuart’s dedication to education also led him to write one of the most extensive bodies of work on the tarot, the four-volume Encyclopedia of the Tarot, which describes and illustrates more than 1,000 different tarot decks from the 15th century to the present. The Encyclopedia of the Tarot has become the most influential collection of books for tarot history and research.

Stuart believes that tarot cards are an unbound book, by shuffling the cards a new story is revealed. The person reading the cards brings their own, unique interpretation to each reading of an individual card and the cards in combination. There is an aura of mysticism coupled with fascination that surrounds the images on the cards, and the fact that they have been in existence for over five centuries adds to the allure. In his experience tarot is a catalyst. In some ways, it is also a creativity tool to allow people to think differently and experience thoughts and ideas they might not otherwise have considered. For some people, tarot allows for serious meditation, others find it fun. It is all in the eyes of the beholder.

Stuart was also an avid collector of antiquarian books, ephemera, historical items, and vintage playing cards and games, particularly Authors Card Games. His impressive collections have been displayed in major museums around the world. His last major research and writing project was The Game of Authors Compendium. Stuart’s passion for work never waned, and it inspired everyone around him.

Stuart Kaplan passed away at the age of 88 on February 9, 2021. He is remembered for his kindness, humor, and generosity.

Reviews

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy is hard back 1974 copy with wonderful cover on it not like this modern copy.
I first started reading Tarot when I watched Live & Let Die .Tarot dates back ancient Egypt & India it is the Major Arcana cards that are used the most from The Fool to The world ,I am the Moon a dreamer.
I have often read readings that have 100% true such as the death of my mother.
Lot of people think that how can cardboard cards predict the future well it is also down to the person not just the cards they must be keeped in a wooden box & if possible raped in silk.
You use your left hand to hold & place your self into the cards or if some one is having a reading they must think of their life before you read & you must tell them what you see but the ten of swords is in fact the death card & not the 'Death card '
We have cups for love, swords for battle & war, coins for money & wands for magic

[Fishface · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive, with a lot of different spreads.

[Абрахам Хосебр · Rating 4 out of 5]

Існує цікавий спосіб для визначення компетентності та освіченості людини в сфері таро.
Це просте запитання : "Що таке класика таро?".
Профан, звісно, відразу згадає "таро Райдера", або ж просто скаже "Рейдер" (хоча насправді автори колоди Артур Вейт і Памелла Коллман-Сміт).
Трохи дивною прозвучить така відповідь для історика таро, адже задовго до цієї колоди існувала, наприклад традиція Етейли, копнім глибше і знайдемо різноманітні варіації Марсельського- Безансонського таро, ще далі і натрапляємо на таро Сола Буска або Вісконті.

В своїй праці "Класика таро", один з найбільших у світі колекціонерів та дослідників карт Стюарт Каплан прослідковує зародження колоди таро. Згадуються і гральні колоди (з котрих таро й розвинулось) і найдавніші карточні ігри (індійського, китайського та турецького походження).

Книга Каплана максимально проста, напевно найкраща і найдоступніша для знайомства з картомансією з усіх, які я читав, хоча й містить дві схеми кабалістичного дерева і кілька таблиць.

Є багато чорно-білих ілюстрацій, а також тлумачення всіх 78 карт.
І так, класичною колодою, Стюарт вважає Марсельське Таро із колоди Бурделя 1751 року. Трактування лаконічні, даются значення і для обернутих карт, а в кінці є кілька розкладів з трактуванням результатів.

[Aaron Francione · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good "start here" tarot guide. A concise overview of historic decks, and they're occult evolution. It seems to me like this was the foundational material Kaplan would base his Encyclopedia of Tarot Vol. 1 and continue from. A good general guide to card meanings, layouts and sample readings, focused on the Marseille tradition. This book is noteworthy for its extensive bibliography (mostly in the authors collection) and will remain a good reference for historical sources (among other material) from a modern authority.

[William Olichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy is from my granddad, who got Stuart Kaplan to sign it. Thanks to this book and it’s connection to my family, I often use tarot to better counsel my life. This book is a great reference for those in the process of doing a reading.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated but still quite informative. I may be able to start giving* readings soon!

*Offering for a price. I'm a capitalist witch.

[LadybugPJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read better tarot guides but I've read worse. Fair for the cost

[angelita · Rating 2 out of 5]

over complicated for beginners

[Felix Pütsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's interesting to learn how the cards evolved and see illustrations of the different decks. I can't really say I "believe" in Tarot, but I enjoy the artwork, and the surrounding mystery. (And the movie The Ninth Gate.)

[Marcello Tarot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Datato, ma sempre valido, e con un apparato bibliografico di tutto rispetto.