Book Review: Tarot Deciphered

T. Susan Chang and M.M. Meleen, Tarot Deciphered: Decoding Esoteric Symbolism in Modern Tarot. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2021. ISBN: 9780738764474.

 

Genre: Tarot

Subgenre: reference, Hermeticism, esoterica 

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley

 

This is a big book that looks at the esoteric symbolism in Tarot. If you are ready to go deep into some
more esoteric symbols in Tarot, this may be a book for you. The book is mainly keyed to the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) and the Thoth Tarot decks, but the authors state that "these esoteric schemas are keys that can unlock any modern deck that descends from them." So if your Tarot deck is not too unconventional or "out there," this book can work for you. 

The book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction
• Major Arcana
• Minor Arcana
• Court Cards
• Conclusion
• Tables and Diagrams
• Suggested Reading
• Bibliography

The introduction lays out what the book will present and what elements will be presented and studied. It provides a bit of a road map for the rest of the book. The content includes examples from the two decks mentioned, astrological correspondences (from the Hermetic Golden Dawn), mythology, Qabalah, and some other things. You are getting a lot of content and material for study and reference. 

Once you finish the introduction and start with the Major Arcana, you jump right in to every card. Each entry provides a lot of information. As an intermediate learner, I'd say some previous knowledge of some of the material could be helpful or could make things easier. I'd suggest keeping a good reference book or two handy to help along, especially for beginners. It's something I would do. On a positive note, the authors do provide a list of suggested readings and a bibliography you can use to find any supplementary texts you could find useful. 

The authors note they could not get permission to use Thoth Tarot images in the book; one of Llewellyn's competitors has the copyright on that deck, so I am guessing the competitor objected. Thus I would recommend either getting yourself a copy of a Thoth Tarot deck if you do not have one already (it is still in print and fairly easy to find) or look up the images online as needed. In my case, I do have a Thoth Tarot deck. 

Each card entry includes the following elements: 

• Card number
• Element
• Hebrew letter
• Hebrew letter meaning
• Path (in the Tree of Life)
• Color scales in the Four Worlds
• Themes and keywords
• Astrology/element
• Mythology/alchemy
• Qabalah
• Rider-Waite-Smith symbolism
• Thoth symbolism
• Related cards
• Advanced concepts for further exploration

 Minor Arcana entries are similar to the Major Arcana entries but lack the advanced concepts part. Each card entry offers plenty of material to study. For the early learner, heck for me at a bit of an intermediate learning level, studying a single card and going over the material presented as well as consulting any supplementary texts as needed can keep one very busy. 

Overall, I do like the book a lot, but as librarian and reader's advisor I am not quite sure how to place it. It is not for brand new beginners in Tarot. It is more for either folks who already know much of these topics and have some fluency, or for those wishing to advance their studies by adding these Hermetic elements to their repertoire. Also, the book feels more like a reference book than a learning guide (nothing wrong with that). In addition, the book offers an abundance of information but often feels like getting the Cliff's Notes since of the topics may need a book of their own. I feel like very advanced Tarot practitioners and occultists likely know much of this already and likely have their own books. Yet for some folks this book can serve as a starting point; start here then delve deeper. 

The bottom line is that despite some mixed feelings I do like this book. For someone like me, this can be a good reference book and a possible way to start delving into the Hermetic concepts the book presents. Your mileage may vary for very advanced practitioners, so ask yourselves if you need another reference work on Tarot and esoteric topics. 

For libraries, I wold say this is a good selection if they already have a good and fairly comprehensive collection of Tarot and esoterica. If your library's collection on Tarot and esoterica is minimal or more pop culture oriented or starting out,  you may want to wait before you get this book. 

In the end, I really like it. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

* * * * * 

Additional reading notes: 

Why use/add astrology to your Tarot repertoire?

"While it is by no means necessary to memorize these correspondences and relationships, knowing how elements, signs, and planets interact can add additional depth to your readings by seeing how the related cards may influence and relate to each other when they appear in the same spread" (11). 

Tarot as personal practice: 

"For those of us called to tarot, it is an intensely personal practice, a living language, even a way of looking at the world. Tarot opens doors to further adventures in innumerable disciplines: history, philosophy, geometry, religion, art, literature. And yet there is no post-doctorate degree in tarot, no tarot bad exam, no accredited certifying board. What we learn, we learn on our own or with the help of fellow travelers" (552). 

That Tarot opens so many doors is certainly true, at least for me. That for me is part of the appeal. It can be very interdisciplinary, in a way like librarianship, well, for me at least.

* * * * * 

Book qualifies for this 2021 Reading Challenge: