Book Review: Experience the Mystery of Tarot

Katalin Koda, Experience the Mystery of Tarot: Ceremonies, Spreads, and Meditations to Deepen Your Connection to the Cards. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. ISBN: 9780738750897.

 

Genre: Tarot and cartomancy

Subgenre: magic, ceremonial magic

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley

 

If you are interested in using Tarot as part of a ceremonial magic practice, this may be a book for you. On the other hand, if you have little or no idea or interest in ceremonial magic, you may consider passing on this book and read any of the many other books on Tarot out there. This book has some strengths and weaknesses. 

The book is arranged as follows: 

• Preface.
• Introduction.
• How to use this book.
• Working with your cards.
• The Major Arcana Journey. This is where the Major Arcana cards are explained and explored. 
• The Minor Arcana. 
• Layouts. There are some spreads here to try out. 
• Conclusion.
• Resources. A list of materials for further reading. 

 

The author tells us the book is the result of two decades of experience in Tarot and ceremonial magic. It shows as the book has depth but also has a certain "old school" seriousness and prescriptiveness.  In addition, at times a reader may feel that unless they actively practice ceremonial magic that they are not in the know. Reading through this I often felt that some inside knowledge is presumed. I am not that far into my Tarot and cartomancy journey. 

A strength of the book lies in the card explanations and interpretations. The text presents stories of the cards with a lot of substance and information. This is way more than most Tarot books with basic meanings and keywords. In addition, the author does a great job comparing Rider Waite Smith (RWS) and Thoth systems for every card, so if that interests you, that is a plus in the book. Note also that card entries offer a meditation, a ritual, a visualization, or some other ceremonial element/exercise to go along with studying the card.

Personally, I did not find the ceremonial elements and ritual instructions as valuable. Part of that may be that feeling I got that I needed some additional inside knowledge beforehand. Here these can vary from simple to complex rituals. For readers seeking more structure and prescriptive steps, this may be a good book. For others who may be a bit more "free wheeling" this may feel restrictive or even a bit antiquated. For me, this is not a part of my journey, at least not at this time, but I am glad to have explored it a bit. Still, if I leave the rituals out, it is a solid book to learn Tarot and about the cards. IN the end, it may depend on where other readers are in their path. 

This may not be a book for beginners, at least not the rituals part. The card stories and interpretations are good for beginners and intermediate users. Advanced folks may either appreciate a new view or two or they may see all this as too basic. 

Overall, as I said, the book has strengths and weaknesses. I found the card stories and interpretations interesting and insightful. Doing rituals as prescribed, well, not my path at this moment. I did feel at times reading them that I was not on the inside, like I needed to read and study more on rituals and ceremonial magic before being able to use the book. That element is not for beginners. In the end though, I did like the book as it has some very useful material. By the way, the list of resources at the end is worth a look. 

For libraries, I'd say for public libraries with small Tarot collections this may be optional. Those with larger collections and maybe a good pagan community in the area may wish to consider acquiring it. At the moment, unless requested, I would not consider this for our library. Yet I am still glad to have read it. 

3 out of 5 stars. 

 

* * * * * 

Additional reading notes: 

 

The author's hope for readers: 

 

"My own spiritual growth has been served immeasurably by the use of cards, the living system of tarot; I hope that whomever reads this book may also receive some benefit, insight, and growth on this wonderful, enchanting, and mysterious path" (xii). 

Anyone can learn and use Tarot, something that over time I've come to believe too: 

"Although many people associate being psychic or gifted with tarot reading, I have found that with careful study of the cards, anyone can learn to use the oracle to effectively guide oneself and others" (1). 

Benefits of using the cards: 

"Using cards is a wonderful way to learn the art of active listening, to gain endless valuable truths and insights about the human journey; at the very least, it is always a conversation starter. Tarot is a way to dissolve boundaries between people and build a relational bridge between hearts and into unseen mysteries" (252).

 

 

* * * * * 

Book qualifies for the following 2021 Reading Challenges: