Fortune Telling by Tarot Cards: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Tarot

by Sasha Fenton

Unlock the secrets concealed within the Tarot cards. With the guidance and experience of a professional astrologer, beginners will learn to read Tarot for themselves and others in a safe, sensible manner. Using a clear, accessible style, this illustrated handbook offers interpretations of each card, suggestions for spreads, and help in linking apparently conflicting cards together to make a lucid, synthesized reading. Find out the positive and negative implications of the various cards, and what they mean when they are dealt out in reverse. Tips and guidelines for purchasing and handling Tarot cards are included along with information on their origins. A discussion of failed readings will help you understand why things sometimes go wrong and what to do about it. Before long, you will be ready to explore your inner self and your future--and that of others--with the help of the Tarot.

Genres: Tarot, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1985

About the author

I’m an author, speaker and publisher. My husband, Jan Budkowski, and I run two publishing companies:
Stellium Ltd (www.stelliumpub.com) for fiction, digital and self-publishing services, and
Zambezi Publishing Ltd (www.zampub.com) for Mind, Body & Spirit titles.

I became a professional astrologer, palmist and Tarot card reader in 1974, but I tailed off my consultancy business when my writing took off. I’ve written 136 books, mainly on mind, body & spirit subjects, with total sales of around 7 million copies, and translations of some titles into twelve languages. Like an addict, I still write, most recently a trio of time travel, action romance novels – the Tudorland series (Sophie’s Inheritance, Lucy’s Dilemma and Emily’s Mistake), a gentle spell book (Spells in Focus) for our publishing company, and In Focus: Astrology for Quarto.com

I’ve taught, broadcast and lectured all over the world, and written for many magazines and newspapers. One of my favourite features was a detailed Chinese Astrology column in Prediction magazine, starting with the January 2012 issue, until the magazine sadly closed a year later. I’ve been interested in Chinese Astrology for some time, and I concentrate on making it more accessible to our western minds.

As a past President of the British Astrological and Psychic Society (BAPS), past Chair for the Advisory Panel on Astrological Education and past member of the Executive Council of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, I like to think I have contributed to the writing and mind, body & spirit communities in the UK.

More recently, Jan and I created MBS Professionals Ltd, a unique, international accreditation/certification home for Mind, Body & Spirit professionals. (www.mbsprofessionals.com)

Although I still love to write, Jan and I now spend more time in running our MB&S publishing business (Zambezi Publishing Ltd), and in our brief spare time, a spot of fly fishing in the beautiful South West of England is a great way to relax...

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was incredibly irritated by the author's use of male pronouns and heterosexual stereotypes. It would have been better if the book was framed with gender neutral terms. Also this book was framed as if a person has picked up their first tarot deck with the wish to start running a business doing readings. So when male pronouns weren't being used, she referred to "the client". It was odd and clunky. I could hardly find worthy information because it was an entirely clunky and disjointed reading experience. I did however appreciate the few word summaries of each card and the explanation of various spreads.

[Min · Rating 3 out of 5]

The card interpretations are the same as any standard Rider-Waite deck.
Where this book excels is the supplemental portions, particularly regarding reading professionally that offers solid, and sensible guidelines for handling clients, and difficulties reading-- and why that is so.
Summaries of the associated meanings, such as, number, suit, and links to other cards are depth to what one might read in the cards. The selection of spreads is broad, then sharing sample readings of them.

[Pam Sloss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for beginners to understand Tarot. The book contains illustrations and detailed descriptions of each card. This guide is easy to follow and delivered in terms that even a novice can understand. Great book!!

[Chloe Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, basic exploration into the history and art of tarot. I think the text is really true to it's name of helping lay the foundation for beginner's who know little to nothing about this specific style of divination. I really enjoyed the historical information!

[Erica Pamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good general overview of the cards and their meanings, various spreads, and ways to interpret them.

[Electric · Rating 3 out of 5]

1985! Filed next to Eden Gray. :)

[connie]

a lot of the description and interpretations in this are rigid in terms of gender and social expectations, but it was interesting reading about the different meanings behind the cards and i've learnt some basic spreads that i'll attempt to use, but mostly i'm going to focus on what feels right for me as i don't plan to do this professionally, just for my own benefit :)