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Tarot Unveiled: The Method to Its Magic
A comprehensive Tarot instruction book, featuring the Hanson-Roberts Tarot deck. Includes many innovations created by the author, a precision timing system, modernized meanings, how the Tarot "works", specific combinations, "Suggested Advice" section for each card, the Unknowable card and Advice card. This book has been a valued standard for both Tarot teachers and self-taught students since 1988.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 28, 2020
Tarot unveiled: The method to its magic
Laura A. Clarson
This book was first published in 1988. I read it then as a 19 year old who had three years experience as a tarot reader but was only beginning to study esoteric tarot and archetypal psychology. I can still remember how grateful I was to have this book in my hands. It made sense because many of the tarot texts available to young me were written in a very lofty and "over my head" (at the time) style.
A lot has changed in the world of tarot publishing in the last 32 years. Reading this book now? I can still recommend it to new tarot readers. It centers on divinatory/psychological tarot rather than esoteric/metaphysical tarot. It is quite short-144 pages with lots of pictures and diagrams and isn't overwhelming or intimidating.
The Hanson-Roberts tarot is one of my personal favorite RWS-style decks and it being what the author/publisher picked to illustrate the book still delights me.
What I like best about the text itself is the way it goes through the Minor Arcana first briefly by suits (Swords, Cups, Rods, Pentacles) then by numerical groupings (all the Aces, Twos, etc.) with expanded explanations. There is also a four page section called "The Ethics Of Reading For Others" that has information all new tarot readers should pick up in this book or somewhere else.
Tarot Unveiled does show its age, however. The card attributions and meanings given lack 2020 sensibilities about gender, gender roles and pronouns. This is especially true with the Major Arcana and Court Cards. I've become sensitive about that after the last couple of years so sometimes I winced as reading it now. However, I feel like books in general need to be appreciated in the context of when they were published. So consider that a warning, not a sharp criticism.
Is this the #1 tarot book that I'd recommend for new readers? No. But it would be on a list of Top #10-#12.
Laura A. Clarson
This book was first published in 1988. I read it then as a 19 year old who had three years experience as a tarot reader but was only beginning to study esoteric tarot and archetypal psychology. I can still remember how grateful I was to have this book in my hands. It made sense because many of the tarot texts available to young me were written in a very lofty and "over my head" (at the time) style.
A lot has changed in the world of tarot publishing in the last 32 years. Reading this book now? I can still recommend it to new tarot readers. It centers on divinatory/psychological tarot rather than esoteric/metaphysical tarot. It is quite short-144 pages with lots of pictures and diagrams and isn't overwhelming or intimidating.
The Hanson-Roberts tarot is one of my personal favorite RWS-style decks and it being what the author/publisher picked to illustrate the book still delights me.
What I like best about the text itself is the way it goes through the Minor Arcana first briefly by suits (Swords, Cups, Rods, Pentacles) then by numerical groupings (all the Aces, Twos, etc.) with expanded explanations. There is also a four page section called "The Ethics Of Reading For Others" that has information all new tarot readers should pick up in this book or somewhere else.
Tarot Unveiled does show its age, however. The card attributions and meanings given lack 2020 sensibilities about gender, gender roles and pronouns. This is especially true with the Major Arcana and Court Cards. I've become sensitive about that after the last couple of years so sometimes I winced as reading it now. However, I feel like books in general need to be appreciated in the context of when they were published. So consider that a warning, not a sharp criticism.
Is this the #1 tarot book that I'd recommend for new readers? No. But it would be on a list of Top #10-#12.
August 16, 2021
This is a very good book on the Tarot. There are two negative points which I will mention later, but I would definitely recommend this book to those who are new to the Tarot. It is well organized. Not only can the reader read from cover to cover, but information is easy to find when using this book as a reference.
The information is put forward in day to day language, and the card meanings have been updated to reflect the modern world (or as modern as a book published in 1990 can be). It discusses the use of the cards in very practical and realistic terms so that is it is accessible to an average person. The voice of the book is not overly mysterious as some texts on this subject are.
I also like her suggestions on how to learn the tarot. She advises learning each card separately by associating it with events in your own life and fictional characters. I believe this would be a very good way to learn and understand the cards rather than trying to memorize a list of meanings.
The 2 negative points are these:
1). I bought this book because it used the Hansen - Roberts tarot deck as illustrations and I wanted a better explanation of the elements pictured in those cards. Unfortunately The book simply shows the cards from this deck, it doesn’t comment on their specific illustrations.
2). The second point is that there is no mention of the story behind the major arcana. There is a sort of heroes journey that the character “the fool“ takes as they meet everyone in the major arcana. I feel like the meanings of those cards are so much easier to put into a context if you have the narrative. This book does not include that story.
The information is put forward in day to day language, and the card meanings have been updated to reflect the modern world (or as modern as a book published in 1990 can be). It discusses the use of the cards in very practical and realistic terms so that is it is accessible to an average person. The voice of the book is not overly mysterious as some texts on this subject are.
I also like her suggestions on how to learn the tarot. She advises learning each card separately by associating it with events in your own life and fictional characters. I believe this would be a very good way to learn and understand the cards rather than trying to memorize a list of meanings.
The 2 negative points are these:
1). I bought this book because it used the Hansen - Roberts tarot deck as illustrations and I wanted a better explanation of the elements pictured in those cards. Unfortunately The book simply shows the cards from this deck, it doesn’t comment on their specific illustrations.
2). The second point is that there is no mention of the story behind the major arcana. There is a sort of heroes journey that the character “the fool“ takes as they meet everyone in the major arcana. I feel like the meanings of those cards are so much easier to put into a context if you have the narrative. This book does not include that story.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews