Rachel Pollack

Second revised edition of this guide to the origins, meaning and psychological applications of the Tarot which aims to demystify and to make Tarot symbolism an effective and accessible means of self-enlightenment.

A Book of Tarot

Seventy-eight Degrees of Wisdom

I always had trouble understanding the wheel of fortune. Only could see it as a "fuck around and find out 🤷‍♀️" card. This quote was really helpful

Honey

The most common choice is the Wheel of Fortune. As the number ten, it symbolizes a completion of one cycle and a beginning of another. Also, if you place the Fool at the beginning this divides the cards neatly into two groups of eleven. Most important, the idea of a turning wheel symbolizes a change of outlook, from a concern with external things, such as success and romance, to the more inward approach depicted in such cards as Death and the Star.

Maggie Gordon

Damn, this is a fantastic tarot book! Be warned, there's some woo if that's not your thing. But there's so much crammed into these pages that I was able just to ignore the woo bits and add so much to my understanding of the symbolism of these cards. Pollack does into such depth analysis of each card, often comparing different artistic renditions. It's been the most careful and considered tarot book I've read so far (though I would still recommend starting with the Joan Bunning, Learning the Tarot volume).

Van Vu

Cheyenne Burt

Angelina Blyth

A top tarotist's secrets to personal growth, one card at a time. The two volumes of Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom have inspired a whole generation of tarot students. It has often been described by readers, booksellers, and teachers as the "Bible of tarot readers." It is also often cited as one of the landmark books in modern tarot, and it helped to launch the "Tarot Renaissance" of the 1980s. The two texts-one for The Major Arcana and one for The Minor Arcana--appear together in this volume, which is a reissue of the 1998 edition first published by Thorsons. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom draws on mythology and esoteric traditions and delves deeply into the symbolism and ideas of each card. It also gives the cards a modern psychological slant based on the pictures rather than a system of occult symbolism. This endlessly useful reference tool provides a concise history of tarot, introduces common spreads, and is a clear and readable book for both the beginning and advanced tarot student.

Seventy-eight Degrees of Wisdom A Book of Tarot

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