( 6 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 30 2008
This is a good book for beginers because it gives you the meanings of the cards and in it's reversed form. Also it tells you what it means when you have certain cards next to each other. It has helped in learnign th cards better and quicker. Another recomended book is Simply Tarot by by Leanna Greenaway. It shows you a more indepth meaning to each of the cards.
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Posted: Jun 30 2007
I have read over a hundred different books on Tarot, and own several dozen at the least. Some of them are better than others. I've never seen a single Tarot book, no matter how laughable, that didn't contain at least a little something of interest that I took away with me and tucked into my ever-expanding cache of Tarot knowledge. Eileen Connolly's work is no different. There is quite a bit of useful information in this book. I hesitate to say "correct" because in all my study, about the only thing I can say with certainty about the Tarot is that there is very little that can be defined as Right or Wrong when it comes to reading and interpreting the cards. So instead I'll say that there is knowledge in this book that resonated with me, and that I personally agree with. There is also a rather large percentage (in comparison to the 'average' Tarot book I've encountered) of information I do not agree with. Unfortunately, Connolly presents ALL the information she's written as if it were The Only Way, and that is why I'd definitely steer beginners the heck away from it. If you've been reading the cards for a while, you probably have a feel for what resonates with you. If you're a stone cold beginner and you're looking for where to start, what to do, how to interpret, and you pick up Connolly's book telling you "this is how to do things" -- you're likely to come away thinking there IS only one method of reading the pictures on the shiny new cards you've just acquired. If Connolly's interpretation happens to fit with you, that's great, but chances are it might not. Now you're sitting there thinking this whole thing was a waste of time because the Tarot makes no sense to you, it's stupid, you're looking at the cards and the gut reaction you have to any particular image is light-years away from what Connolly insists is THE ONE TRUE INTERPRETATION. Into the trash go your pretty cards. And that's a shame, because Tarot has so much to offer everyone from all walks of life. So: I won't recommend against this book, not entirely, but I will caution that it should be taken with a huge hunkin' grain of salt. It's not a totally bad idea to read through the book and every time Connolly says the words "is" or "should" -- you mentally substitute "could be" and "might consider".
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( 4 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 25 2007
Eileen Connolly is a great teacher of the Tarot. This is her cornerstone, and it extends into several books and her own vision of The Tarot. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and her subsequent books you must know some things before you start on her path: First - you either ARE Connolly's student (and she your master) or you are not, and therefore should not read this book. She knows her stuff, but her views are an interpretation of knowledge, like a Big Mac[tm] is more than a hamburger. She will take you through the process of faith, practice, and study (the three legs of successful apprenticeship), and she will go as slowly as you need, but not coddle you. But what she teaches you is HER OPINION and that is steeped in HER beliefs. This is not at all to say that she is wrong in any way. She is knowledgeable and skilled, but her information is presented in such a way that you cannot "sample" tidbits of her knowledge here and there. Her books are illustrated with her deck, which in turn is illustrated with her personal views on the tarot. This is unlike other "books on The Tarot." Now, here are the advantages of such. 1: No competing paradigms, no confusing viewpoints. You learn "her" ways and you come out of the trilogy (Apprentice, Journeyman, Master) well versed and well heeled. But it is an apprenticeship to her you serve, even though it is done through the written word, and you are held responsible for disciplining yourself to complete the assigned tasks (on schedule). true apprenticeships are rare these days, and you would be wise to research your "master" as well as yourself before undergoing any indoctrination into any path of study. That said this is among the best (in terms of quality and care for the student) you will find on the market, and highly affordable.
