BotM Dec 10/Jan 11 - Learning the Tarot

[Ancestral]

The lessons, well practically the whole of " Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners " by Joan Bunning is also available to work through at her website, Learn Tarot, for those that can't afford the book.

[Mawgojzeta]

Overdue for commenting on this, but I had a hectic December and frankly forgot that I was going to comment! Terrible, terrible.

I do not have the book, but I have accessed her website over the years out of general curiosity. I find it interesting and pretty straight forward. Not intimidating at all for a beginner. What I would have given for access to something like this when I first started reading!

She does an excellent job of explaining reversals, as well. Simple and not intimidating at all. When I first started to learn to read cards my LWB gave me the impression that reversed was "bad". I had a hard time with that. When my mother realized I was not connecting with my deck she bought me a totally different kind, a round deck. A deck that spoke in degrees of passive and aggressive and balance. It is the deck I have primarily used ever since. Anyway, maybe I would have connected with my first deck if I had understood what Joan Bunning (and others I have read through the years) explains for reversals.

I also like that she shows sample readings. I think that can be very helpful and also it is simply interesting to read.

[Ancestral]

This was the book from which I learned the tarot, as recommended in the course I undertook with TABI. Thanks to this book, Joan's website and the course I was finally able to read the tarot after 20 years of struggling. I wish I had stumbled across this book way back when.

It's a simple format, each lesson builds upon the last until you gain confidence. When reading in conjunction with a course and/or support group, the books gets you to the reading stage very quickly.

The book also allows you to choose a learning deck from a wide range of RWS decks, and related decks. I learned with the Robin Wood deck using this book, as the author does allow for a certain amount of flexibility. Okay, I am biased, but I do like this book and am interested to know how others feel about it.

[Ruby]

My favorite book for learning the Tarot is by far Alfred Douglas' Tarot: The Origins, Meaning and Uses of the Cards. Best book I've ever found. I also found it helpful, although not at all easy, when I was new, to study Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Fun books I've used to expand my knowledge in the 20 years since... I think the two funnest were The Essence of Magic: Tarot, Ritual and Aromatherapy and Tarot for Every Day: Ideas and Activities for Bringing Tarot Wisdom into Your Daily Life. Anything Mary K. Greer is going to be awesome, you know it. If you are starting out, (you may have heard this before and discounted it but it's true) you need a traditional tarot deck. It doesn't have to be the same one as everyone else. It does have to be traditional. You'll never understand it if all you have are modern, heavily altered decks. One of my first traditional decks that worked fine was the Hanson-Roberts. I found it less ugly than Rider-Waite. But my most favoritest and most beautiful deck now and forever, traditional and non (it is very traditional), is the New Palladini.

[Ancestral]

Ruby: This forum thread is for the discussion of the Book of the Month which, in thise case, is " Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners " by Joan Bunning. I would be grateful if you post your recommendations (cut and paste) " Suggestions for Beginners " section. You may need to start a new thread on Tarot.

Many thanks.