Customer Reviews

Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've made frequent attempts to study the tarot, and found it extremely difficult. However, after I visited the author's website, I began to have a new understanding of the tarot. Her meanings are presented in a format that's easy to use and are extremely accurate. The exercises in the book enable the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the tarot. The exercises are optional, not mandatory, which allows the reader to pick and choose without missing out on anything. Visit www.learntarot.com to check out the book, which is virtually a copy of the webpages. I bought the book because it's easier to use than connecting to the internet everyday and also because Bunning is such an amazing teacher, that I want to support her work. There is also an option to contact the author with any questions. I own numerous tarot books and this is the only one that I use. If you're serious about learning the tarot, buy this book. You won't regret it.

I purchased this book with the "Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot Deck" & the two are very compatible.
This book is so easy to read & learn from & it brings positive energy to the readings in a very comforting & real way. I had never looked at tarot cards before so I am a very new beginner & I am loving this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to delve into this type of energy work.

In her book "Learning the Tarot," author Joan Bunning successfully manages to pull off a difficult task: condensing the intricate world of the Tarot into a clear, organized and easy-to-follow format that addresses nearly every angle of Tarot reading for beginners. Tarot reading is not difficult per se, but it is a deeply intuitive process that is rich in layers of nuance, and this alone often makes writing a good "Tarot 101" book a daunting challenge.

In her book, Joan Bunning uses illustrations of the well-known Rider-Waite (RW) deck to guide the reader. The book is divided into five sections that cover the major topics of Tarot reading: composition of a Tarot deck, principles of interpretation, exercises, card descriptions and the Celtic Cross spread. Every section is explained thoroughly and succintly with the help of situational examples, without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. Worthy of note in my books is the fact that Bunning touches on topics such as position pairs, opposing and reinforcing cards, and suit elemental attributes (again with examples) - subjects that I have rarely seen in introductory-level books.

Although the entire book is solid, what stands out in my mind as being its most helpful aspect for the beginner is the author's use of a few keywords associated with each card in the deck. In fact, the first page of the Major Arcana section is a simple grid chart listing the 22 Majors and their four keywords. The rest of the chapter then takes each card in sequence and elaborates on the meaning of the keywords. The section on the Minor Arcana also starts off with a similar grid chart. This keyword association learning method is bound to be a tremendous boon for any beginner, as memorising the various meanings of 78 cards can often seem an overwhelming task. And the keywords actually reinforce themselves logically, as they refer to the same cards - again, another memorisation bonus.

The only thing I would've added that the author didn't touch upon is the importance of selecting the right deck. Most Tarot readers will likely agree that it is very important to choose a deck that speaks to the reader, that resonates with her/him. I believe that this is one of the very first things that all beginners need to be aware of, as Tarot artwork often makes or breaks one's connection to the deck. After all, not everyone resonates with the RW deck. This is by no means a criticism aimed at Ms. Bunning, but only a personal commentary about a subject I would've addressed, if only in one or two pages.

Overall, this is the best introductory book on the Tarot that I have read. If there were such a thing as a Bachelor's Degree in Tarot reading, I would make "Learning the Tarot" the core textbook of "Tarot 101."

I would suggest that the beginer tarot reader start from page 1 and take your time in this book. I look at it as more of a Tarot Course and this course is the best one I have ever seen for a beginner tarot reader. At first you will feel that there is too much to remember, but you should not try to memorize everything too fast. Take each chapter like you are in a class and follow the easy instructions. You will see how this book really guides you to knowing and understanding the tarot. It includes pictures of all the Tarot Cards of the Rider-Waite Tarot DeckThe Rider-Waite Tarot Deck along with some important card layouts and even some examples of card readings.

This books should be the First Tarot book you should learn from or at least when you want to start getting serious about learning the Tarot Cards. It is so packed with everything you would need to learn without going into anything extra - you will truly learn the cards step-by-step. Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners

I would also recommend this book even to a more advanced tarot reader as it has a treasure of information you can easily refer to and add to your bag of knowledge. It could also be of help if you are teaching other people to understand the tarot.

Although it does not contain reversals, it is still a great entrance into the world of tarot reading as the beginner can concentrate on just learning and understanding the tarot cards.

You will find that this is a book you will read over and over again - it is such a great investment.

Bright Blessings,
Lady Desiree of the Blue Moon Lake
Certified Tarot Master

I first read this material when it was an online course, and I'm very pleased it is now in book form. The author's approach is clear and easy to follow. She provides an excellent introduction to the cards. There are only a handful of good Tarot books for beginners, and this is one of them. I would rank it with Mary Greer's "Tarot for Your Self" and with Anthony Louis' "Tarot Plain and Simple." I think that any beginner with these three books would gain a very solid grounding in the art of Tarot.

This tarot book had nice pictures of the 78 cards, and great key meaning charts, but overall, it was too confusing for a beginner like me. The meanings for the 22 major arcana cards were too lengthy, and there weren't any reversed card meanings. I wouldn't buy this book if I were you, but if it was cheaper, maybe. QL

I have just finished going through the "lesson" portion of this book, and found it to be one of the more direct and accessible of the tarot books I have used. In general, the author skips new-age jargon and would-be-psychobabble to get to the point. I particularly like her emphasis on the process of card interpretation; she suggests a way (without claiming it is "the only way") that makes for logical and easily-remembered connections between the cards. My only caveat was that the book's pages and/or binding began to come apart with very little use. Still, the content and her thoughtful interpretive methods were above-par.

This book is also very easy to understand and read, The descriptions are divided into categories based on each card so it is easier to remember. enjoy this book and it works well with the oracle cards that I have received.

This is one of the easiest books to use to learn to read the tarot. It breaks the understandins up so you can actually reference this book during a reading if necessary. I used it extensively to learn to read the cards. Good value for the price.

Tarot was always difficult to learn. But this book is an excellent source for beginners!
This book makes Tarot easy to understand. Readings are easy with that book cause author teaches you really professionally.
Easy to understand rules- and ready to apply them immediately. That's it.
Memorizing meanings of the cards does not really have to be difficult.
This is an unique book. Exercises and explanations well written and explained.
10 stars!!!

Shiloh- also fan of "The Rainbow Butterfly" book available at amazon.