Book Review: Card of the Day Tarot

Kerry Louise Ward, Card of the day Tarot: quick and easy one-card Tarot readings for love, work, and everyday life. Beverly, MA: Fair Winds Press, 2024.  ISBN: 9780760385647.

Genre: Tarot and cartomancy

Subgenre: guides

Format: e-book galley

Source: Netgalley

This book takes a closer look at single card readings. The author argues that sometimes multiple card spreads can get too complicated or frustrating for some folks. Nothing wrong with a spread, but sometimes one card can do the job, and this book can show you how. In addition, as the author writes in her dedication, this book can help you put some of your dusty neglected decks to use. That is some added value. 

The book is arranged into two major parts: 

• 12 card-of-the-day Tarot rituals. Here you find a variety of readings and rituals to try out with your cards. 
• Card interpretations for one-card-draws. Here are entries with interpretations for each card. 

The rituals can vary in complexity. Some may ask you to include additional materials, such as crystals. The rituals may also include activities such as meditations. Some rituals may include lists of questions you could ask the cards; I found that to be a useful feature. The card interpretation entries offer meanings based on categories such as affirmation, life lesson, do this, and yes or no. The idea is you can do one of the rituals, and a ritual may suggest you use one category or another. Naturally, you can use the meanings on their own, perhaps as another tool to help you learn and study Tarot further. 

The card entries for the Major and Minor Arcana are the same in terms of content; I appreciate the author did not skimp on the Minor Arcana. The overall structure between rituals and meanings is simple, and it works. How much or how little you do of the rituals is up to you. Feel free to make adjustments as needed for your practice. 

One feature I wished the book developed a bit more is how to ask and craft questions for reading the cards. This would be in addition to the lists of questions already provided in rituals. That aside, this is a very good book overall. I like the idea of using single cards to make learning and working with Tarot a bit easier. I can see myself getting some good from the book. 

I would recommend the book for beginners. I'd also recommend it for some intermediate folks seeking some new card reading ideas, or as the author suggests, to bring back out some deck you may not have used in a while. 

I recommend it for libraries that collect Tarot and other esoteric materials. 

On a final note, the art featured in the book is very nice and evocative. If the artist made a full Tarot deck with that art I would consider buying that deck. 

4 out of 5 stars.

 

Additional reading notes: 

Spreads as a reason some folks may not persevere in Tarot and/or cartomancy according to the author: 

"It's creating spreads-- using multiple questions and cards in one reading. Spreads get complicated, confusing, and challenging. You are trying to find a thread, a consistent theme, a singular answer, but with all these random cards with different suits, numbers, people and messages in the mix, it can be incredibly messy and frustrating. Not to mention time-consuming!" (7). 

I can see for some folks starting out one look at a Celtic Cross Spread, which is featured in every other Tarot book, and they may get a bit overwhelmed initially. However, I think with a little effort and perseverance anyone can learn to read as well as create their own spreads. On a disclosure note, I have not created a spread of my own so far, though I have an idea or two for possible creations. In my case though I am comfortable using spreads others have created and shared for use. While I like starting out and working with single cards, I say there is no need to abandon spreads. If anything, just work your way up as part of your learning journey. 

This book qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenges: 

 

Tarot and esoterica books I read in 2023

Welcome to the last of my post in my series of top books I read in 2023. This list is a bit different as I am listing all the books I read in Tarot and esoterica for the year. I am not including any companion books for cartomancy decks I also read. I am including the full list because last year a couple of readers mentioned finding this list useful, so I hope this one is useful as well to my four readers. The list is in no particular order, and if a review has been posted to the blog by now I will include a link. 

You Tarot Toolkit: Simple Activities For Your Daily Practice.

 

 

From my review: "Overall, this is a basic and concise Tarot book to work with the cards individually. I can recommend it mainly for beginners and for mid-range Tarot practitioners. It's easy to read and very accessible."

 

The Big Book Of Tarot Meanings: the Beginner's Guide to Reading the Cards. 

 

 

 From my review: "This is a very good Tarot reference book to keep handy. It is easy to use and easy to read. Doing a love reading, and you are puzzled by cards that may represent finances? This book can help with that."

 

Easy Tarot Combinations: How to Connect the Cards for Insightful Readings. 

 

 

 

From my review: "The core of the book is in each card's featured combinations, which provide jumping points to help us expand our reading abilities. If you need a bit of help with a card combination, this is a good book to have on hand." 

 

 

Doctoring the Devil: Notebooks of an Appalachian Conjure Man. 

 

 

 

From my review: "As with the author's previous book, you do not have to be a worker to read this. If you are seeking to learn how to do it, it is a good guide. This book does emphasize more how to do things. It may be more practical than the previous book. However, it also works as a good look at the region and a very significant part of its folklore."

 

 

 Roots, Branches, and Spirits: the Folkways and Witchery of Appalachia. 

 

From my review: "The author writes and teachers readers about the old ways. The publisher describes the book as 'part cultural journey and part magical guide' (from the back cover)." 

The Evil Eye: the History, Mystery, and Magic of the Quiet Curse. 

 

 

 

 

The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Tarot Magick.  

 

 

From my review: "Overall, I liked the book, especially the card entries. Entries are concise and informative. A good starting book for beginners, but it may be too basic for intermediate and advanced users. This is one I would give to a beginner along with a card deck. I would consider ordering it for our library. "

 

 

 

Thrifty Witchery: Magick for the Penny Pinching Practitioner. 

 

 

 

 

 

From my review: "The book's authors are here to show us that you can have a robust, healthy, and thriving witchcraft and magick practice without taking out a second mortgage nor selling a kidney."

 

 

Book Review: The Big Book of Tarot Meanings

Sam Magdaleno, The Big Book of Tarot Meanings: the Beginner's Guide to Reading the Cards. Beverly, MA: Fair Winds Press, 2022. ISBN: 9780760373057.

Genre: Tarot

Subgenre: reference

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley

 

This is a beginner's reference book for those interested in learning Tarot. The book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction.
• Tarot basics.
• How to use this book.
• Part 1: The Major Arcana.
• Part 2: The Minor Arcana. The suits here run 1-10 and include the court cards.
• Chapter 1: The Suit of Cups.
• Chapter 2: The Suit of Wands.
• Chapter 3: The Suit of Swords.
• Chapter 4: The Suit of Pentacles. 
•  Resources. It seems the book will include a list of resources. However, the list was not included in the galley, so at this time I cannot comment on sources and references the author may have used. 

The strength of the book is in its presentation of meanings. For beginners, and I will add for some of us at an intermediate level, drawing a card that may not appear to match a question can be a challenge. Say you are asking a love question, and you get cards from the suit of pentacles. The book seeks to provide more than a single one size fits all meaning for the cards. Instead, it provides a set of meanings for each card in eight categories. The categories are: beginnings, career, money, love, friends and family, health, higher guidance, and outcome. 

Each card entry includes a card illustration from the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck, a card description, and meanings for each of the eight categories upright and reversed. In addition, the category meanings also offers some small action item for readers to consider and/or implement. Each card entry is about 2 1/2 pages long. All card entries have the same structure and substance. In other words, unlike other Tarot reference books, you don't get less when it comes to the Minor Arcana. 

This is a very good Tarot reference book to keep handy. It is easy to use and easy to read. Doing a love reading, and you are puzzled by cards that may represent finances? This book can help with that. For beginners this can be a very good resource for learning. For those of us at an intermediate level, it may help us expand our knowledge of the cards; it can also help for those moments you get a blank and need a little help. For the high level advanced reader, this book may be too basic. It works well for the rest of us. 

The card illustrations are in full color. The book pages are printed in alternating light colors: pink, blue, and purple. It looks nice. 

Overall, this is a good book for beginners and intermediate Tarot learners. It is more a reference book rather than a learning guide. It is keyed to RWS, but the meanings can be applicable to most decks with an RWS base. I would recommend it for libraries that collect Tarot and esoterica books. This may also be a good book for young adult Tarot readers. It is a simple and practical book anyone can use. I'd buy it for my personal shelf.  

5 out of 5 stars.

Additional reading notes: 

Why the author wrote the book: 

"I wrote this book because I believe so strongly in tarot that I want to make it accessible and approachable for everyone, particularly for those with an interest in tarot who may feel overwhelmed by it. We're all busy witches, and don't have the time to be memorizing every single meaning for every single card. I get it! So, I put it all together for you here in a single guide to assist you in informed and accurate readings" (6). 

I'd say the author succeeds in writing and presenting a very accessible, plainly written, and easy to read book. The author also keeps the deep esoteric to a minimum. And no, you do not have to be a witch to read the book. As the author writes, this book is for everyone.  

On reading Tarot and this book: 

"Contrary to popular belief, tarot is much more than fortune-telling and you do not need any special powers to read tarot cards. Anyone can read tarot! The most important tool you need when reading tarot is your intuition. This book provides you with quick hits of information for each tarot card according to the subject of your reading, but use your intuition when interpreting your cards. Remember, the tarot is a tool to connect to the inner knowing that's already inside you. Think of tarot cards as little winks from the Universe to help you connect to your innate power and wisdom" (8).