Magickal Reviews: Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot by Anthony Louis

Title: Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot
Author: Anthony Louis
Date: August 8th, 2016
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Genre: Spirituality
Pages: 336
ISBN: 0738749087
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating:  

Synopsis (from Publisher):
Comprehensive and easy to use, Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Tarot contains everything you ever wanted to know about tarot. Join Anthony Louis as he explores tarot history, shares card meanings and spreads, and provides detailed guidance that educates and inspires, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced reader.

Discover basic reading techniques for a wide variety of systems, including Marseilles, Rider-Waite, and Thoth. Identify the meaning of associations, correspondences, reversals, and dignities, and experience the ways that tarot interacts with astrology and personal spirituality. Combine tarot reading with Kabbalah, numerology, Jungian psychology, journaling, and storytelling while exploring card selection, creativity, tarot ethics, and specialized spreads. Focusing on the use of tarot for insight, empowerment, self-understanding, and fortunetelling, Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Tarot provides centuries of accumulated wisdom that will enable you to make optimal use of one of the most powerful spiritual tools ever developed.

You know when Llewellyn publishes a "Complete Book of" it's bound to be good, and Lewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot does not disappoint. This comprehensive title is filled with endless amounts of fascinating and useful information that it will be your go-to reference for tarot.

In the beginning, Louis provides his disclaimer. When asked to write this book, he was not only honored, but also noted that he would have to approach it from a non-bias platform. This automatically intrigued me, as I tend to tread lightly with my spiritual reading for this very reason. Anyone can make a subject be what they want it to, based on their own opinions, uses, experiences, or version of history. Louis' respect for the reader playing the role of his student makes him a more credible teacher.

The next set of business is the history of the tarot card and many misconceptions that come with it. Honestly, this was probably one of my most favorite parts. I'm still fairly new to the practice, and I learned so much about where tarot came from (originating from the Italian Renaissance as playing cards). There is so much depth to this section that I didn't want to stop reading for fear of missing information. I was very impressed with Louis' knowledge and the execution was very easy to understand. This is also where he covered several myths and replaced them with facts...all very interesting to read!

The rest of the book covers the application of tarot. In my opinion, it was well organized and Louis did a very good job of encouraging his student to follow their intuition. He ties in astrological significance, so be prepared for a lot of planetary and zodiac references. I had to take all of this a little bit at a time, because once you get into all the lists and charts it can get a little overwhelming. But the information is rich! This is most definitely my new go-to book for tarot. Louis is a mindful teacher, and that is obvious in his writing. Llewelyn's Complete Book of Tarot is a great choice for the beginner and advanced readers alike.