The authors, Mary K. Greer and Tom Little, have an intimate relationship with the cards, and show us how to have that same relationship. They show us that the court cards especially, have personalities that can be discovered and learned. This is not your average, basic "how-to read tarot" book. They take the basics of tarot and expound on them, broadening the reader's horizon. What I love about this book is that it covers many different decks, those decks nuances, and gives us a good, intuitive feel for how they should be interpreted. Allowing for, and encouraging the reader to work with their own intuitive interpretation builds confidence in the new tarot enthusiast, while the nuances deepen the "professional" reader's understanding.
Tarot, in and of itself, is a very visual art. "Understanding the Tarot Court" is full of wonderful illustrations of various court cards, charts and sample readings and spreads. This is more than just a nice aid added as an afterthought to the book, it's an imperative and integral aspect of the various lessons given. And make no mistake, this book is full of lessons, exercises and various techniques on how to dissect the cards for a reading. There is no need to ever be intimidated or overwhelmed by trying to interpret the tarot (specifically, the court cards) again. While this isn't a quick read, it's one that will help take the fear out of interpretation.
The tone of the book as a whole is straight-forward, yet engaging. It's not just a book about how to interpret the court cards, but an inner journey to revealing our own hidden qualities, both positive and negative. The authors have a deep understanding of people and personalities traits, and show us how our own personalities, those of the people we are doing the reading for, and the court card personalities all intertwine and come together. Philosophy, history and mysticism are all brought together in a way that makes sense and helps clarify not just the court cards, but as a happy consequence, the entire tarot deck.
And in case you are just not quite ready to use your own intuition in interpretation, there is a comprehensive section in the back of the book, just for that purpose. "Understanding the Tarot Court" is an invaluable tool and definitely a "must read" for every student of the cards.
I give the book a strong five out of five stars.
Authors: Mary K. Greer & Tom Little
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide (www.llewellyn.com)
ISBN: 978-0-7387-0286-5
