Product Description

Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis is the book you've been waiting for! As the title indicates, this book presents the Tarot in clear language that anyone can understand. If you've had trouble learning the Tarot, this book gives the meaning of each and every one of the 78 Tarot cards -- both in simple terms and in-depth ones, both upright interpretations and those for when a card is drawn reversed. Illustrations are from the elegant and mystic Robin Wood Tarot.
This book leaves nothing out! It includes an overview of the history of the Tarot and suggests why this divinatory method works from a scientific point of view. It even includes several spreads and example readings. That way you can see exactly how the Tarot works, how the cards play off of each other and how to give a reading.
Turn to any page and see how you can learn meanings and interpretations. The Five of Cups shows a cloaked person with head down and three of five cups knocked over, spilling their contents. Upright the card means "mourning." But the key words and phrases give you so much more. It can also mean regret, sadness, loss of trust, an emotional letdown, betrayal in love, and much more. How can you tell which expression best fits the card? It depends upon where it falls in the spread and the cards that surround or lead up to it. This is explained in the clear but comprehensive section on Tarot card spreads, and is illustrated in the sample readings.
If you have been waiting for an ideal book to help you learn the Tarot, this is it. The longer you wait, the longer it will be before you can give effective Tarot readings. Get out that Tarot deck and get this book today!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #139136 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From the Publisher
There are hundreds of Tarot decks being published today. Llewellyn is very proud to be one of the world's leading publishers of Tarot decks. Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis helps you understand the meaning of the cards so you can give an excellent reading with any Tarot deck. Illustrated with the beautiful art of Robin Wood, you'll have no trouble relating the descriptions of the card meanings to any deck (although of course I hope you'll use one of ours!)
One of my favorite parts of this book is the sample readings. You can learn all the spreads and card meanings you like, but until you see how they are put together, you aren't giving a complete reading. This section will show you exactly how to do this. Traditionally, this is known as "synthesis." But remember, the title of this book is Tarot Plain and Simple. No need for fancy words here. Louis simply calls this section "Putting It All Together." Nothing could be more appropriate or easy to understand.
Don't mistake the notion of simplicity for being simplistic. This book avoids using confusing concepts or difficult language. It makes the unclear clear, the complex simple. It doesn't simplify, it clarifies. The result is that you will have a deeper and more intuitive understanding of the Tarot cards.
This book can really enhance your Tarot skills. Whether you are a beginning or advanced reader, you will find that studying this book will make your reading stronger and more accurate. That will help your readings become more intuitive. Try this book and add the zip your Tarot readings need. And if you're new to Tarot you'll be reading like a pro in no time!

About the Author
Anthony Louis (Conn.) is a physician and psychiatrist. Astrology has been his avocation for more than 30 years. He has lectured internationally on horary astrology and has published numerous articles in magazines such as American Astrology, The Mountain Astrologer and The Horary Practitioner.

Customer Reviews

An excellent touchstone
Why bother with Tarot? In the words of Anthony Louis, "The Tarot awakens our intuitive abilities." You will find nothing could be truer. Mr. Louis then explains that after a certain amount of experience with the cards, using intuition, the cards and their positions in a spread will suggest meanings outside the textbooks. This is what any good Tarot teacher wants his students to work toward. This book is a good place to begin that journey.

Mr. Louis uses the Robin Wood Tarot for illustrations, which is absolutely my favorite deck and number one reading deck. The Robin Wood is intuitively drawn, colorful, lively, and encourages unique interpretation for each individual. Mr. Louis has a fresh, new approach to presenting the cards, which I like very much. Rather than grouping all of a suit together, which most books do, he gathers all Aces, all twos, all threes, etc. It's a different way of looking at the cards, and is very insightful. He includes a short introduction to each group of numbers. If you get a disproportionate group of one number in your spread, this will give you a feel for what that particular number is telling you. Also, I like that he includes the "Fool's Journey," which will help you get acquainted with each of the Major Arcana.

Mr. Louis includes advice on how to spread the cards. I absolutely love his "theme and variations" spread, which I use to tell a story that will play out over time. This spread is a great place to start. It is simple enough for a beginner, but still detailed enough to receive helpful insight. Also, his suggestion to master the Celtic Cross, which I have found to be my most helpful spread, is good advice. This, I feel, is a natural progression from the "theme and variations." If you practice it, it will become second nature.

I would highly recommend you take his advice to keep a Tarot journal. I have devised a system of color-coded shorthand for each card so I can easily record the spreads. Looking back over past spreads, you may come to see how spreads played out over time, enabling you to gain an even deeper understanding of what each card means to you.

After you have been working with your deck for some time, go back and reread the beginning chapters and the Fool's Journey. You will find they have both deeper meaning and different advice for you. You will notice things that slipped by the first time. With this book, you will be well on your way into the world of Tarot!

THE VERY BEST BOOK ON THE TAROT OUT THERE TODAY!
This book is very easy to follow and informative for the beginner to advanced reader. This is my personal favorite book on the tarot cards. This book is divided in suits, as all 3's are placed together, etc. This makes it so easy to find the card info that you are looking for quick! When I do a reading and refer to it in this book, something in the reading of a particular card that I am searching the meaning to just jumps out and BINGO, this is what I need to hear at the time. Overall, this is a SUPERB BOOK that will get you started in this. I sometimes refer to the cards when I have a question. The cards just give me more advice and insight than anything else. The readings and answers given show me what MAY happen if I do nothing to change the situation. I do not look at this as a fortune telling but more of advice and getting my questions answered. This is why the cards help. Only I can work on my future!

A Must Have
When I was gifted my first deck of cards 6 (almost 7) years ago, I purchased this book, as it was highly recommended. I haven't purchased another book about tarot in all this time. And even though I've been reading cards for awhile, I still check this book out on occasion. I think it's an excellent book if you're just starting out. Although I've never purchased any other books on tarot to compare it to, I've never had the need to. Personally, I think that says a lot for this book's perspective and content.

The only additional information I've really ever looked up was spreads. Although this book has a few, it doesn't have very many. (But google can take care of that matter with ease.)

As much as reading cards may be intuitive, I'd still recommend any beginner to have this book on hand. The books that come with tarot decks generally don't have information comparable to this one. And considering how inexpensive it is to buy this book used, you'll more than get your money's worth!