Tarot Deck Guide Books

[Tom]

I have recently started reading guide books on  decks I buy.  I read them because I'm hoping for a insight on artists non-stand RWS card  images.  I just purchased the Kvirly deck at Esty's. The images remind me of the Deviant Moon Tarot.  The LWB is useless, however, since it only gives standard card definitions and some odd interpretations.   I've never heard of before. It's of no use to me as it doesn't address the symbolism of cards in the deck.  I've had this problem with other Indy decks.  It annoys me.

 

I don't read every guidebook if they're RWS clones.  What do you guys do?  

 

 

[gregory]

I very rarely read them at all. Except the really fat ones by the creators - or Barbara More's companion books - they are ALWAYS worth the effort.

[Teemu]

I think it always pays off if you read the guidebook, or at least skim it. I admit, if it is just few small pages, it is improbable that you will learn something new. Maybe it will be total rubbish. But the longer the text is, the bigger the chance to gain a new look on something. Or part with book and deck altogether if it does not fit your frame of mind.

[Misterei]

5 hours ago, Tom said:

I don't read every guidebook if they're RWS clones.  What do you guys do? 

I always skim a bit just to see what is there.

A couple are truly helpful and i use them [lightseers, sufi tarot, rose tarot]

Some are amusing or quirky (steampunk, legacy of the divine]

 

Most are standard bla bla bla.

 

Some are actively terrible and full of nonsense [keymaster]

Pavlov has a great deck but crap guidebook which was a bit surprising.

[Natural Mystic Guide]

If the deck is an RWS clone, I may read through a few representative entries for individual cards.  If there is nothing new or interesting, then I know not to bother with the LWB.

 

Some decks may not be strictly RWS clones or may just have extensive books.  These I do read cover to cover studying the deck images individually as I go.  I love to learn. 

 

A recent disappointment was the much hyped Moondust Tarot by Florence Saul.  I spent an entire month doing daily 3-Card readings to familiarize myself with the deck.  I referred to the LWB for some of that time.  I had already been familiar with Saul's online card meanings.  This deck had been online for years and I was very exciting when it was finally published.  I found the LWB entries to be sadly lacking in depth and content.  Now I know to just go straight to the website where there is a wealth of information for each card.  So this goes to show that sometimes an LWB may be disappointing, but there may be a better online resource.

[elegy]

I'll usually glance through the guidebooks before I do my first reading with a deck, but I don't read them in depth unless something really catches my eye on the skim. Sometimes the intention set for the deck matters, but most of the time if it's a RWS clone? I'll jump right in without further reading.

[DanielJUK]

One of the big tarot publishers used to put the same LWB in multiple languages in each of their mass-published decks. Not sure if they still do.

I do like a deck book, especially when the deck creator has taken time to create it. I like to hear the intention of the cards and especially the reason for including the symbols they did. Also if the decks change from the normal structure (especially with different suits and v important with oracle decks), it's nice to understand that deck's system, So I like a well-written perspective, to understand the artist's intention. It's a useful reference.

 

I'm not so keen on books which have instructions on how to use their deck. Like specific guidelines, I feel this goes over a line. Okay maybe it's a suggestion but they put their art out into the world and we can do with it what we want. I've seen two examples recently. One deck book says you should not use my deck with reversals, it's designed for upright reading only. Another said my deck is for self-help and a personal journey but not recommended for fortune-telling. It's a little too much, we can use them in whatever way we find useful 🙂 

[Tom]

@DanielJUK I agree.  I world have been clueless about the artists interpretations of cards in the Cirque Du Tarot without the extensive guidebook.  After I read that I'm not sure if this is a good reading deal for me, but it is certainly worth it for the artwork to add to my collection.  I liked the  guidebook that tells the story of off the Circus show  and how the different characters and acts in the show is with together.  Reading the story was very pleasurable for me. 

 

If they are going to deviate significantly from traditional tarot meanings I think they should do an Oracle instead.  Then they can tell the story and make the cards anyway they want to.

[Misterei]

10 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

One of the big tarot publishers used to put the same LWB in multiple languages in each of their mass-published decks.

Gotta love Lo Scarabeo. A blah blah blah guidebook in 4 languages. I actually really like reading the bla bla bla in other languages, tho. Far more entertaining than English 😠. The Mucha deck guidebook actually has a pretty cool spread included ... so this was better than most Lo Scarabeo LWBs

10 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

... my deck is for self-help and a personal journey but not recommended for fortune-telling. It's a little too much, we can use them in whatever way we find useful 🙂 

Ummm, yeah. Arrogant and controlling, much? You're calmer than i. I would likely burn the deck and send a video or some obnoxious protest that would later embarrass me. Disparage fortune telling like 600 years of history dont matter since THEY drew their precious deck? Please. Respect your roots lest you find that you're shallow and irrelevant.

Edited May 8, 2024 by Misterei

[Natural Mystic Guide]

11 hours ago, Tom said:

I world have been clueless about the artists interpretations of cards in the Cirque Du Tarot without the extensive guidebook.  After I read that I'm not sure if this is a good reading deal for me, but it is certainly worth it for the artwork to add to my collection.

I've been doing an intense immersion in this deck for a while, now.  I agree that the circus narrative is unique and interesting.  I like seeing things from the perspective of performance within the time line of a set event.  The artwork does not do it for me -- especially the colors are just pukey for me.  This deck was a gift from a friend/student/client.  She loves circuses and actually copied and re-colored the entire deck.  Look for my First Deck Interview with the Cirque Du Tarot that should appear here soon.

[Guest]

If I wish to do a deep dive into a specific deck, I'd read its guidebook regardless of anything. Would love to get into the creator's head, gain some insight into what makes his cards tick. 

 

Otherwise I simply consult the book for its keywords and meanings, only reading the more extensive text if there's a disconnect between the former and the card image, or if the latter is so striking that I'd love to know more about it.