The New Complete Book of Tarot: A Step-By-Step Guide to Reading the Cards [Paperback]

I read the first edition of this book back in the 90s and enjoyed it. The author writes well and offers clear understandable explanations of the cards. The book is nicely illustrated. The focus is on the Major Arcana with less space devoted to the Minors. If you haven't read anything by Juliet Sharman-Burke, I do recommend this book -- with some reservations. Why only 4 stars? For several reasons:

Since I liked the first edition, I have read other books by the same author. The problem is that she simply repeats what she said back in the 90s or in her book on the mythic tarot with Liz Greene and adds very little new. If you've read one book by her, you've essentially read them all. The last book of hers I read was MASTERING THE TAROT: An Advanced Personal Teaching Guide back in 2000. The current 2007 book discussed in this review is basically a repeat of that 2000 text.

With all the historical research on tarot that has gone on in the past two decades, I was expecting some up-to-date information. Instead, the author begins with the historical inaccuracy that the tarot Fool lived on as the Joker in the modern playing card deck. This is simply not true. Although the two cards are similar, they have different origins and the Fool did not "live on" as the Joker. When an author begins her discussion of the cards with one falsehood, it's hard to know what part of her text to trust. A tarot expert should know her subject and keep up-to-date.

There is a significant typo in one of the readings. On page 149, the image of the Five of Wands is labeled as the Four of Wands, so it's hard to know which card actually appeared in the reading. Before reading the author's interpretation, I did my own using the image of the Five of Wands presented in the text and reached a different conclusion. Then I realized she was reading the Five as the Four of Wands. This was very confusing and I'm not sure which card the querent actually drew. I hope she can correct this in a second edition.

Another point was that the author rearranges the traditional ordering of the Major Arcana to make them fit her scheme of mythological significance. I prefer the ordering of the Majors that goes back several centuries and was preserved in the Marseille deck, and I can live with switching cards 8 and 11; but this book makes some major re-arrangements. For example, she orders the Majors following Justice in order:

Justice - Temperance - Strength - Hermit - Wheel - Hanged Man

My final objection is that the author presents her opinions without labeling them as such. She leads the reader to believe that she has the correct way of viewing the cards instead of stating clearly that she is simply presenting her method of reading, which is just one of many opinions -- all of which may be valid. For example, she states definitively that the King of Swords is associated with Libra, as if this were fact. Her attribution certainly has merit but other authors assign different astrological signs to the cards. There is no single definitive set of astrological attributions, which is what the reader of this book is lead to believe.

If a newbie to tarot keeps these points in mind and remains aware that this is just one of many approaches to reading the cards which may clash with other books on the tarot, then this is a good read.

Addendum: I ordered the deck that accompanies this book because I liked the images on the cards. It's quite a nice deck and this book is a valuable, in not indispensable, resource if you decide to use that deck.

I have had a copy of "The Complete Book of Tarot" for years and years and years (maybe 10, maybe 15). It's worn, spine split and very much loved. I was looking for another copy for a friend when I found the "New" version. I bought us both a copy and I am so glad I did. This book is hands down the best tarot book I've ever owned. The revision loses nothing from the original and adds beautiful illustrations, a heartier spine and page marking flaps. Both this edition and the original are objective, concise, vivid and thorough. If you could only have one tarot resource this should be it.

This is a very helpful step-by-step guide to reading the Tarot for beginners. This book is illustrated with cards from The Sharman-Caselli Tarot Deck, and is an ideal companion to that deck. This book was also sold as part of a kit, The Complete Tarot Pack.

The book starts with an introduction, a brief history of Tarot, and how it works. It is further divided into four Parts. Part 1 to 3 consists of a study and description of the tarot cards. Each part include a subset of Major and Minor Arcana. Major arcana are given 2 or three pages, including a full image of the card, while minor arcanas are given half a page each. Each symbol on the cards are explored, and the meaning of the card is explained. I found that this way of studying the cards makes it easier for me to decipher their meaning in the future on my own.

Part 4 includes a brief explanation on how to read the cards and four layouts: The Five-cards Horshoe, The Celtic Cross, The Star Spread and the Three of Life. These are explained with an example spread. The example are helpful, but I would have loved a more detailed explanation of these layouts.

Also by Juliet Sharman-Burke:
The Complete Tarot Pack
The Sharman-Caselli Tarot Deck
My Tarot: Colour Your Own Deck
The Mythic Tarot