Isabel Radow Kliegman

Fabulous! Kliegman is a wise and witty writer, not to mention a tarot genius. The subject of Kabbalah has become rather trendy these days, but I figured a book covered with praise and recommendations from different rabbis would be a safe place to start learning. Kliegman first reviews the Kabbalistic tree of life with its ten sefirot, or emanations, and the characteristics of each. She then devotes a chapter to each of the four suits of the tarot deck, covering all of the so-called minor show more arcana, and also the sixteen court cards. In the Western esoteric tradition there are believed to be parallels between the ten sefirot and the tarot cards with corresponding numbers. The links are clearer in some places than others, but throughout the whole book Kliegman's careful and creative examination of each card is a model of intuitive reading, and she brings her whole life experience to tarot interpretation: work and family, emotion and intellect. Anyone who doesn't read tarot could still get a hell of a lot out of this book; for anyone who does, I think it's pretty much essential. show less

As a newbie to the Tarot, I found this book immensely helpful. She uses the Rider-Waite cards in her analysis, but even if you use a different set (as I do) the information is valuable in learning how to see and interpret the cards in front of you. Some people have found her writing style too opinionated and off-putting, but the whole point is to get you to have your own opinion of the cards. She wants you to argue with her and have a reaction because then you can claim an interpretation for show more yourself. It's very true to the Jewish heritage that she is coming from. After studying each card as I read through the book, I finally felt like I actually had a relationship with the images. I also love the Tree of LIfe spread - it is multi-layered and interconnected and gives you quite a bit to meditate on. show less