Booklife Review

Grant, an expert Tarot reader, shines in this indispensable guide for those learning the Tarot, a process that can seem intimidating at first—what are the Major Arcana? And the Minor Arcana? And all those symbols? With inviting clarity, Grant takes questions one by one, starting by explaining the cards’ origin as a card game from mid-15th century Italy. These decks weren’t intended for divination but for recreation, Grant explains. By the 18th century, Tarocchi (Tarot) decks were used by mystics to perceive past events or forecast the future, and Grant powerfully makes a case for Tarot as a means of self-reflection today rather than a source of set-in-stone predictions.

For Tarot readers old and new, this is a smart, demystifying guide worth refering to often. In Latin, “arcana” means secrets, Grant advises. In Tarot terminology, it refers to two categories: Major Arcana (22 cards representing life’s spiritual lessons) and Minor Arcana (56 cards symbolizing everyday life events). Grant dedicates a chapter to each of the 78 cards, explaining in depth the significance. The minor arcana each have a defined area, with cups representing emotions, love, relationships, and creativity; pentacles represent material possessions or career-oriented matters; while swords, which symbolize action or conflict, often relate to mental states or communication issues. Grant also provides actionable steps, advanced steps for some of the cards, and the meanings of upright and reversed cards.

While some readers may scoff and dismiss Tarot as a new-age weird practice, psychologists praise the Tarot cards as tools for metaphorical thinking during therapy sessions. Grant also notes that the American Psychological Association shows tarot readers are more intuitive and empathetic than nonreaders, a tendency exemplified by the author’s warm tour through the decks and their resonance in the lives of practitioners. The perfect guide for beginners learning Tarot, Grant’s empathetic teaching provides a comprehensive view of the craft.

Takeaway: Comprehensive guide for readers seeking to learn the nuances of Tarot today.

Comparable Titles: Liz Dean’s The Tarot Companion, Emmi Fredericks’s The Smart Girl's Guide to Tarot.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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