Whisper Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 I'm sure this has been broached, here, before, but can't find anything about it in the search option, so, what, in your opinion, is the best accompanying book, booklet or LWB you've ever come across for any Tarot deck? And... any separately published Tarot deck specific book that blew you away? I'll start by saying that, for me, the Druidcraft is one of the very best, if not the best combo I've come across so far. Looking forward to discovering others from you. :D
Jewel Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 I love the Wizards Tarot Handbook that comes with the Wizards Tarot. The Introduction to the book sets up the premise is that the "seeker" (you) enroll in Mandrake Academy and the Tarot Major Arcana are your teachers. You are represented by the first card, The Apprentice (The Fool) and start your journey to learn Tarot. Each Major comes with a description, a detailed section on Key Symbols shown in the cards, a section on Practical Magic if you want to give it a try, and then a Tarot Spread that brings out the energy of that Major Aracana card. Through these spreads you start working intuitively with the entire deck. The next section of the book are the Minor Arcana which includes an introduction to the Minors and then a breakdown of each suit (School). That is followed on a section on Number Magic, where you learn the basic energies of the numbers 1-10. Following that whole introduction you go into the Minors themselves, with each card having a section on: magic power, magic charm, Key Symbols. Under each professor (Major) you learn new things both about magic and tarot. The final section of the book is The Royal Families (Court Cards). This section describes the personality and characteristics of each court card. The court cards in this deck, though named King, Queen, Knight, and Page are each elemental families for each suit. This book is not one to give you interpretations, it explains the key elements in the cards, personalities and qualities and you, the seeker, get the meaning from what you learn and understand. It gives you knowledge and understanding so you can put it together yourself. The deck is based on the Rider-Waite-Smith, though there are some changes, and has an elemental theme running through it.
Page of Ghosts Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 EmpyreanKnight has a thread somewhere but I don't think LWB's are mentioned. ETA - here it is for reference: https://www.thetarotforum.com/talking-tarot/favorite-companion-books/ Despite not getting along with either decks I really like the books for The Robin Wood Tarot and Llewellyn Classic Tarot as they both go through the symbols/details in the cards and what they mean. The Robin Wood book is more thorough with this than the other one but they both stand out in a good way. The Robin Wood even has a sort of dictionary for symbols that I really like. For a LWB I'm so happy about the one for Joie de Vivre. Every little main character in the cards has a cute name and it's very well written for such a tiny booklet. Even if some of the desciptions are a bit watered down or softened I think it works since it's a joy-themed deck and the artwork still leaves room for some gloomy interpretations should you want to ;D
Jewel Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 For a LWB I'm so happy about the one for Joie de Vivre. Every little main character in the cards has a cute name and it's very well written for such a tiny booklet. Even if some of the desciptions are a bit watered down or softened I think it works since it's a joy-themed deck and the artwork still leaves room for some gloomy interpretations should you want to ;D I second this.
DanielJUK Posted February 4, 2018 Posted February 4, 2018 I recently bought the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Enchanted Tarot and it has an amazing book which is like a small size book but huge in thickness! For every card it has a picture of the card and a quick read of it with a basic message and outcome (for quick readings) and then there is a page with "the dream" (a gentle fable of the card) "the awakening" (lesson of the story for our conscious) and "the enchantment" (a ritual to bring the lesson to our lives). It has so much about the deck and spreads etc and in the back has a full colour index with mini pictures of the card and page number, so beginners can find the card and turn to the page! It's very well done and over 200 pages!
Whisper Posted February 5, 2018 Author Posted February 5, 2018 I recently bought the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Enchanted Tarot and it has an amazing book which is like a small size book but huge in thickness! For every card it has a picture of the card and a quick read of it with a basic message and outcome (for quick readings) and then there is a page with "the dream" (a gentle fable of the card) "the awakening" (lesson of the story for our conscious) and "the enchantment" (a ritual to bring the lesson to our lives). It has so much about the deck and spreads etc and in the back has a full colour index with mini pictures of the card and page number, so beginners can find the card and turn to the page! It's very well done and over 200 pages! Sounds absolutely lovely.
Whisper Posted February 10, 2018 Author Posted February 10, 2018 I recently bought the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Enchanted Tarot and it has an amazing book which is like a small size book but huge in thickness! For every card it has a picture of the card and a quick read of it with a basic message and outcome (for quick readings) and then there is a page with "the dream" (a gentle fable of the card) "the awakening" (lesson of the story for our conscious) and "the enchantment" (a ritual to bring the lesson to our lives). It has so much about the deck and spreads etc and in the back has a full colour index with mini pictures of the card and page number, so beginners can find the card and turn to the page! It's very well done and over 200 pages! I looked at it and the deck does look lovely, Daniel. I've added it to my wish list. :)
Page of Ghosts Posted February 12, 2018 Posted February 12, 2018 Moon Garden, dingdingding! The Moon Garden deck looks so nice. I can never decide to go for it or not but if it has a good LWB that speaks in its favour I might move it furether up my list after all. How do you find it?
Alta Posted February 12, 2018 Posted February 12, 2018 Magick and the Tarot by Tony Willis to go with the Magickal Tarot. I have now read this book several times. It is unique in that expresses the tarot as a worldview and very specifically discusses using its imagery to manipulate your environment.
Raggydoll Posted February 12, 2018 Posted February 12, 2018 I think the Mesquite tarot guide book is really lovely!
Whisper Posted February 12, 2018 Author Posted February 12, 2018 Magick and the Tarot by Tony Willis to go with the Magickal Tarot. I have now read this book several times. It is unique in that expresses the tarot as a worldview and very specifically discusses using its imagery to manipulate your environment. I can see how that Tarot would have a really good accompanying book. :)
Canid Posted February 13, 2018 Posted February 13, 2018 Moon Garden, dingdingding! The Moon Garden deck looks so nice. I can never decide to go for it or not but if it has a good LWB that speaks in its favour I might move it furether up my list after all. How do you find it? I wasn’t referring to the LWB but the companion book. It gives a ritual suggestion for each card, plus some recipes. I’ve been trying to post a pic but it’s not allowing me. I’ve tried jpeg & png formats...oh well.
Page of Ghosts Posted February 14, 2018 Posted February 14, 2018 Moon Garden, dingdingding! The Moon Garden deck looks so nice. I can never decide to go for it or not but if it has a good LWB that speaks in its favour I might move it furether up my list after all. How do you find it? I wasn’t referring to the LWB but the companion book. It gives a ritual suggestion for each card, plus some recipes. I’ve been trying to post a pic but it’s not allowing me. I’ve tried jpeg & png formats...oh well. Oh, I was totally immersed in LWB-thoughts. Good to know it has a decent actual book :))
Whisper Posted February 14, 2018 Author Posted February 14, 2018 I wasn’t referring to the LWB but the companion book. It gives a ritual suggestion for each card, plus some recipes. I’ve been trying to post a pic but it’s not allowing me. I’ve tried jpeg & png formats...oh well. Thank you, Canid. Glad to know that the accompanying book is really good. I find, it makes all the difference when decks have very good books. (Like the Druidcraft).
Walrus Posted February 14, 2018 Posted February 14, 2018 Hands down, Book M: Liber Mundi by M.M Meleen, author of the Tabula Mundi tarot is an absolute wealth of knowledge and a fantastic book even if one does not own the Tabula Mundi deck. Correlations, correspondences and comparisons to RWS and Thoth, alongside well written divinatory meanings and explanations of symbology. I purchased the Tabula Mundi tarot app for my phone, and the entire digital version of Book M came with it. Quite good for the $4 price tag imo.
Whisper Posted February 14, 2018 Author Posted February 14, 2018 Hands down, Book M: Liber Mundi by M.M Meleen, author of the Tabula Mundi tarot is an absolute wealth of knowledge and a fantastic book even if one does not own the Tabula Mundi deck. Correlations, correspondences and comparisons to RWS and Thoth, alongside well written divinatory meanings and explanations of symbology. I purchased the Tabula Mundi tarot app for my phone, and the entire digital version of Book M came with it. Quite good for the $4 price tag imo. Wow, $4!? That's really good. Just looked at it. It has some interesting perspectives. The Chariot with a rider on a surf board is really different. Thanks for the discovery, Walrus.
Canid Posted February 15, 2018 Posted February 15, 2018 I wasn’t referring to the LWB but the companion book. It gives a ritual suggestion for each card, plus some recipes. I’ve been trying to post a pic but it’s not allowing me. I’ve tried jpeg & png formats...oh well. Thank you, Canid. Glad to know that the accompanying book is really good. I find, it makes all the difference when decks have very good books. (Like the Druidcraft). Druidcraft is amazing!! That’s the one I usually carry with me in my purse, unless I just got a new deck & am perusing it. Sometimes both, heehee. I trimmed it years ago, for my arthritic hands.
Whisper Posted February 15, 2018 Author Posted February 15, 2018 Druidcraft is amazing!! That’s the one I usually carry with me in my purse, unless I just got a new deck & am perusing it. Sometimes both, heehee. I trimmed it years ago, for my arthritic hands. It must look incredible without the borders. If you can, could you show us what it looks like trimmed? I'm so glad you love the Druidcraft, too, Canid. It has been so accurate and easy to read. I have three copies of this tarot, LOL. It's the only one that sits in my office at work. I will read for others with many of my other decks, but not with the Druidcraft. I partly credit its incredible accompanying book with the development of this mutual understanding. Wish my newly acquired Journey into Egypt could bond that way with me. *sigh*
CharlotteK Posted February 15, 2018 Posted February 15, 2018 I trimmed Druidcraft too - went from an unmanageable deck I never used to a deck I work with regularly now. I missed out on the kit/set so only have the small book that came with the deck version. It's not bad at all, better than an LWB but not sure if the original companion book is signficantly better? The Steampunk deck has an excellent book by Barbara Moore. The deck itself is on terrible cardstock but it's very readable. It's the book that really makes it though. Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Jewel Posted February 15, 2018 Posted February 15, 2018 Druidcraft is amazing!! That’s the one I usually carry with me in my purse, unless I just got a new deck & am perusing it. Sometimes both, heehee. I trimmed it years ago, for my arthritic hands. A friend of mine trimmed mine for me years ago and it really is beautiful trimmed. It really made a difference.
Whisper Posted February 15, 2018 Author Posted February 15, 2018 I trimmed Druidcraft too - went from an unmanageable deck I never used to a deck I work with regularly now. I missed out on the kit/set so only have the small book that came with the deck version. It's not bad at all, better than an LWB but not sure if the original companion book is signficantly better? The Steampunk deck has an excellent book by Barbara Moore. The deck itself is on terrible cardstock but it's very readable. It's the book that really makes it though. Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk The cards are beautifully trimmed!! I wouldn't know where to begin to trim them as well. Thank you for suggesting the Steampunk. I've often looked at it, but can't quite make up my mind. If the book is really good, though, that makes a huge difference to me. The Druidcraft books is wonderful! It's probably the best one I have from my many decks.
Canid Posted February 16, 2018 Posted February 16, 2018 I trimmed Druidcraft too - went from an unmanageable deck I never used to a deck I work with regularly now. I missed out on the kit/set so only have the small book that came with the deck version. It's not bad at all, better than an LWB but not sure if the original companion book is signficantly better? The Steampunk deck has an excellent book by Barbara Moore. The deck itself is on terrible cardstock but it's very readable. It's the book that really makes it though. The book only gets into Celtic lore with the Majors, but it IS a good book. Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
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