Top 5 Tarot Books of 2023

A quick recap of the best tarot-related books I read this year. Find all the reviews here:
• Book Reviews

[@megadele65]

I’m so glad I found your channel. I’ve been so focused on memorizing traditional RWS card meanings over the past year that it has not occurred to me that there are other layers, other interpretations, other ways to view the 78 cards in a tarot deck. I have been a bit too drawn in by mass market decks/books and have missed the opportunity to dive in a bit deeper into a more historical and unique perspective. I just downloaded the power of the trumps and pips book. I look forward to reading it. Thank you so much for your video.

[@WaterChildTarot]

Thanks. One of my teachers is Tom Benjamin. I don’t always agree with him but he’s helped me see tarot as very open and flexible.

[@tangytarot]

So helpful! I'm intimidated by all the dozens of tarot books out there, especially since my reading pace is slow and inconsistent, so lists and prefaces like this really help. Untold Tarot is on my to-read list now.

[@WaterChildTarot]

Thanks, glad it was helpful!

[@leaalien]

Is that the Felix sweater?

[@WaterChildTarot]

It is! Good eye.

[@tangytarot]

@@WaterChildTarot You mean to say that you knitted that yourself!! Wow! It looks great!

[@gvg52]

Is "Untold Tarot" a good book for a RWS deck?

[@the-999-asmr-tarot-art-show]

I don't remember which video it was where you talked about Buddhism and Kabbalah where initiates enter into a relationship with a teacher/mentor. If you were a tarot teacher/mentor where would you suggest for a initiate to begin a journey into tarot?

[@WaterChildTarot]

Ah yes, that was inspired by writing in the Cosmic Tarot guidebook. This may sound like generic advice, but what helped me most was finding a writer or teacher that resonated. It was difficult to know what I was looking for - I knew that tarot wasn't making instant sense to me, based on the LWB that came with the Rider Waite Smith. For me that unlocking happened when I found Tom Benjamin's channel and read Tarot Wisdom by Rachel Pollack. Tom gave me the structure of the deck as a whole - the numbers, the suits, the elements, and the way these pieces fit together. Rachel gave me insight into how her personal experiences of readings, insights gained through teaching tarot, and thought experiments speak to our lived experience in a variety of settings and situations. I don't think there's a "best starting point" for everyone though. You have to find a teacher or author who is providing the information or perspective you need.