Tholian's Full Review: Mary K. Greer - Tarot for Your Self: A Workbook fo...
As a reader and teacher of the Tarot, Mary Greer's Tarot For Your Self is invariably the first book I recommend to people interested in learning this art. As far as I'm concerned, in the more than ten years since it was published, absolutely nothing has surpassed this volume as the first step into the world of Tarot.
There is no mystery here. Greer is obviously an accomplished teacher, and this workbook is chock-full of practical, hands-on exercises which teach the meanings of the cards experientially. I learn very well this way, and found her approach a delightful alternative to rote memorization.
The Tarot deck is presented a little at a time, encouraging familiarity without overwhelming the beginner. The first cards the budding reader learns how to use are her "personality" and "soul" cards, which are arrived at by means of some simple and clearly explained numerology; after studying the layers of meaning of these two cards and seeing how their energies operate in one's own life, an elementary three-card spread is introduced. Greer strongly suggests that a Tarot journal be kept, recording the results of each Three-Card Spread for a number of weeks or months, seeing how the energies and specific cards move through your life. I found this an invaluable practice because it reinforced the meaning of the individual cards, and enabled me to start seeing their nuances--also, going back over my logs showed me that certain cards were turning up with a frequency far greater than "chance" odds.
An entire chapter is devoted to the Celtic Cross--arguably the most commonly used Tarot spread--detailing the significance of its ten card positions from at least five different perspectives; similarly, the "people" or "court" cards of the Tarot receive their own chapter, complete with an imaginative and effective exercise to get the feel of these archetypes--often the most perplexing for the beginning reader.
Greer believes that Tarot is a powerful tool for self-healing, self-analysis and personal creativity, in addition to its reputation for good old fashioned fortune telling, and several chapters address the use of the cards in various types of self-therapy. Also highlighted are the connections between Tarot and Quabalistic mysticism. As is typical of any New Age book written in the 80s, this one includes a chapter on "crystals," but even there the tone is one of practical advice rather than dreamy mysticism.
Throughout the book, there are lists of effective questions to ask yourself while considering a card's meaning or position in the layout. I found this the most helpful feature because it encouraged me to make a personal study of the Tarot rather than simply parroting what I had read in some list of card definitions. The appendix contains, among other things, questions covering all 78 cards.
I never give a Tarot deck as a present without also giving this wonderful book. Even after 15 years of reading the cards for myself and others, I continue to find it extremely useful.
This classic is the first book to explore and promote the concept of reading the cards for personal insight -- for your self -- with detailed instruct...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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