Angeles Arrien (1940–2014)

This is literally my favorite tarot book I've discovered since the RCG Path on Tarot Archetypes started. I was told to find it a long time ago and never did until this year. I was so amazed with the first day of looking at it, that then I purchased a copy for two of my dear friends.

This book has so much in it that I'd been wanting to play around with. There are detailed write-ups of each card. How to handle all the mathematical equations that cover Soul and Personality and Yearly Growth show more Cards. And there is a section on each of the card write-ups for how to interpret it if you received them for the three things you got from your equations.

I'm literally head over heels for this book in all ways. show less

"A handbook for a modern type of tarot: Practical applications of not-so-ancient visual symbols".
This book is based on the personal views and theories of yet another member of the celebrated Golden Dawn turn-of-the century sect crystallized on yet another fancy deck (Rider-Waite-Smith anyone?) this time unfortunately named "Thoth", such as the controversial deck invented by the fortune-teller Etteilla in the 18th century claiming to follow an imaginary (but fanciful) ancient Egyptian show more mystical tradition.
These heavily altered decks follow biased interpretations roughly based on the traditional tarots but have little more in common with them. They may be valuable to followers and historians of those pseudo-ancient multicultural holistic metaphysical intellectual constructs typical of the non-scientific elites of the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th but that's all.
It's a pity people keep following these misguided recent "traditions" thinking they are all about the real tarot. However they are unknowingly just "playing in the secondary league" with no further evolution in sight.
When these deceiving "Thoth" and "Rider-Waite-Smith" decks were first invented allegedly "to correct and perfect" the tradition (as unashamedly claimed by their proud proponents) tarot had already more than 5 centuries of history and even now we are only beginning to fully understand its mysteries.
The book is well written and organized. For that, the two stars. show less

This Tarot handbook goes beyond the traditional ones into areas of psychology, myth and cultural influences. The Aleister Crowley deck is used as an example, which sadly is only in black and white. This however does not keep the book from giving much information. There are many charts, and symbols aligned with astrology and birth dates, giving additional meanings to the cards. Some spreads are detailed which further enhances the information given in an actual reading. Far from just doing show more readings, the book suggests affirmations and positive steps that can be taken by the reader to better themselves using the symbols on the cards. While traditional Tarot books are full of negative interpretations, this book gives a list of gifts and challenges presented by each card. A very good book for the beginner or the advanced Tarot reader. show less

A treasure of practical wisdom for anyone on a path to wholeness. The author gives us the essence of the sacred teachings of tribal peoples and makes them directly relevant to how we understand and act our lives.