Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tarot [Paperback]

"Absolute beginners want to know more about Tarot, but they also want an answer to a very important question: `What exactly will Tarot do for me?" Ask this question of people already enjoying the benefits of working with the deck, and they'll say that Tarot helps them in a variety of surprising ways." - From the book

He's shown us how to take the Tarot to heart, put it to work, and discover exciting bright ideas. Now, author and teacher Mark McElroy introduces this wicked pack of cards to a new a generation of readers with the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tarot.

Witty and practical, this 376-page book offers an engaging tour through the Tarot, including a brief history of the cards, choosing and caring for a deck, and details of performing a reading. He also discusses how to define a good question when consulting the Tarot, as well as selecting an appropriate spread. McElroy covers the gamut of Tarot structure-Majors, Minors, elements, suits, numbers and court card rankings-while presenting both analytical and intuitive methods for interpreting the cards.

Dogma-free, the author's refreshing approach encourages individuals to engage the cards on their own terms, while outlining the benefits of considering traditional methods. Would you prefer storing your cards on a shelf, bound by a rubber band, or would you rather store your deck in an ornate wooden box? What about reading reversals or performing rituals before a reading? Do what works for YOU, recommends McElroy. He presents a myriad of options for consideration, but forces none upon the reader.

Arguably, the most interesting sections of the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tarot are the ones dedicated to the cards. Arranged on one page for handy reference, four images from four different decks provide visual cues: The Universal Tarot, Gilded Tarot, the author's Bright Idea Deck, and the Tarot of Marseilles. McElroy offers a wealth of information about each card with easy-to-read sections:

* Keywords
* Range of Meaning (Light and Shadow)
* Correspondences
* Advice - What the card may be saying about Relationships, Work, Spirituality, Personal Growth, and Fortunetelling
* Symbols and Insights - Discussion on the various symbols and images on the card
* Questions to Ask - Three questions encouraging you to look within for answers

For the Major Arcana (cards 0-22, also known as Trumps), he presents an Archetype, Hebrew Alphabet/meaning/number, Planetary/Astrological/Elemental correspondence, Mythical/Spiritual associations, and Story line.

For example, the Mythical/spiritual associations for Trump 8 Justice are "Themis or Justitia. Ma'at. Solomon dividing a baby. The Sword of Damocles. The giving of the Ten Commandments". If you'd like to create a story, the theme for this card could be, "During the main character's initial challenge, his or her ability, knowledge, or personal suitability is found to be lacking."

McElroy gives the Minor Arcana equal treatment in the Absolute Beginner's Guide to the Tarot, except that the Correspondences section covers Numerology, Astrology, an Affirmation, and Story. Therefore, the Three of Cups is associated with Mercury in Cancer, and the related affirmation is "I allow my actions to reflect my true emotion". For the Court Cards, the author discusses the Personality of each in the Correspondences section, as well as the elemental association, an Affirmation, and Story line.

The book devotes an entire chapter to giving and receiving readings, including how to distinguish ethical Tarot readers from con artists, reading styles, tips from the pros, and accessories to have on hand for readings (e.g. tissues). The last chapter outlines thirteen fun things anyone can do with Tarot, such as comparative readings and visual brainstorming.

The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tarot is unlike any book on the market, providing multiple perspectives (and card images!) for readers to ponder. Excellent for those beginning their Tarot journey, seasoned readers will also discover useful, stimulating information about the cards. As a professional Tarot reader, reviewer, and writer, I often receive queries about the "best" book/s for beginners for learning the cards. From now on, I'll make sure I steer querents to THIS book first!

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

Too many books on the Tarot now being published have so much stuff in them that is silly or wrong, that it is an absolute joy to find one about which I feel compelled to read, review, own, and enjoy.

For beginners the headings, subheads, illustrations and "The Absolute Minimum" sidebars (information in standout dark rectangles) are easy to follow and guide you step-by-step. If you are somewhere beyond being a beginner, you likely will want to own this book as a reference or a reminder. It may even contain ideas you have not considered for McElroy is one of the most creative and versatile of contemporary writers on the Tarot.

Illustrations from four decks (The Universal Tarot, The Gilded Tarot, Mark's own Bright Idea Deck, and the Tarot of Marseilles) accompany the discussions of each card. If you have never seen a copy of The Bright Idea Deck, or don't own it, you may want to after using this book for awhile. You may also want to dig out your old Tarot of Marseilles and look at it in a new way.

Major subcategories for each card include an "Overview" (keywords, light and shadow meanings, correspondences and "Advice," divided into ways of considering the card with respect to relationships, work, spirituality, personal growth and fortune-telling. "Symbols and Insights" briefly discusses one symbol on each of the four cards, and the section for each card ends with three "Questions to Ask" when you draw the card.

Whether or not you agree with McElroy's understanding of the cards, you cannot fail to consider some new aspect of your relationship with yourself, or another, as you ponder his writing about each card.

One of the most interesting things for me is the way McElroy discusses the pip images on the Tarot of Marseilles cards. Many people avoid this deck because, well, what is there to say about pips except "there they are." Not McElroy. He says, for instance, about the Three of Cups, "The blossom seen on the Two of Cups has matured into a third cup: the offspring of the original pair. What fruit is being produced by your own spiritual work or emotional involvement?" If you didn't know that already, you need to own this book.

The book also contains two- , three- , and five-card spreads, as well as the tried-and-true Celtic Cross (not good for beginners, but included, I presume, to make the book complete). Most intriguing is the five-card Story Spread, designed to transform your situation into a story regarding the flow of events, and particularly good for exploring relationships.

The book closes with a chapter on 13 fun things you can do with the cards, plus a chapter on where to go to learn more (books, decks, online resources and software). The extensive index allows you to find absolutely (sorry, just can't help myself) anything you want to know.

Although I wasn't an "absolute beginner" with the Tarot, I bought this book anyway because I had enjoyed Mark McElroy's Bright Idea Deck so much and had found it very useful in a number of ways. Others have already covered what you'll find in the Absolute Beginner's Guide, so here I'll just say that McElroy's treatment of the Tarot is down-to-earth and practical, thoroughgoing yet easy to understand and absorb. His writing is very friendly and sprinkled with wit, yet he never wastes the reader's time: every page is full of useful information and stimulating questions that prod us to discover for ourselves what we already know deep down inside and what the cards themselves can show us. This book has done far more to help me improve my Tarot-reading skills than the rides through the stratosphere of Caballistic esoterica that some other books I own have taken me on. At the same time, McElroy's Absolute Beginner's Guide is faithful to tradition and does not avoid presenting philosophical and metaphysical issues when they will help us get more out of the Tarot. I highly recommend this book, not just to those beginning to study the Tarot but also to people who would like to have another outstanding reference book to add to their Tarot bookshelves.