Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth

First of all, absolutely none of the tables were entirely visible on my Kindle. So technically speaking this is not something I'd recommend. Also some paragraphs were rather unnaturally broken and separated. As far as the content goes, if Rachel Pollack's word salad 78 Degrees of Wisdom is the Finnegan's Wake of tarot books, this book is Infinite Jest - and neither of those are compliments. Wen is incredibly ambitious and basically shows of for one thousand pages hoping the historical references and name dropping would blind you to how vacuous and empty her erudition is. She invents controversies that don't exist such as the yin/yang controversy for the emperor card which perhaps is a thing on tarot instagram,but is certainly not a thing in serious literature. Then, her descriptions of cards will help no one and least of all tarot beginners. She makes connections that basically demonstrate why people laugh at esoteric studies, such as her connecting the high priestess with the Japanese word for lion or tiger or whatever. Once you make that connection, you might as well interpret the card as telling you to eat ramen noodles because she has long hair. She objects to fortune telling and divination, yet literally every example she gives is precisely of that. She flaunts her partial knowledge of European history, yet she fails to notice elementary Biblical and historical references on cards such as the death card or four of swords, etc. She writes about disproven fringe theories on the origins of tarot which do no one any good, especially with the amount of research done on how tarot cards were invented and why. I like that she has a very precise tone and that she structures things on charts and tables (which I wasn't able to see fully because the Kindle book didn't show them) but that's not what makes a serious researcher. You must select what's meaningful and not include every crazy fringe idea out there. Not everything works and not every approach is equally good and until that is part of tarot studies, don't be surprised that no one will look at it twice, no matter how useful a tool it might be. I sound a little angry in this review and I guess I am. I enjoyed reading it and debating her in my mind while I was reading it, but if this is meant for "rational" audiences and if it's meant to attract new people to tarot or to introduce tarot to beginners, then it's an abject failure. If she would rework the book and clean up the content, shorten it and for the love of whatever you believe in, find an editor for it, then it could be a decent overview of different approaches to interpretation of tarot cards. But in this form, it's a rough draft in need of more work. I don't have the problem with ambition or the scope, but with the sloppy approach, bad logic and "anything goes" masked as rigorous thinking.

Ugh. Verbose. I read it cover to cover because I try to read everything that's published on tarot. Some people love it. I learned nothing from it. An obsessive compulsive study of RWS. It reminded me of reading a student's detailed notes while they were learning to read RWS and they decided to publish it. Nothing for anyone interested in TdM, and really nothing new for the RWS camp either that can't be found elsewhere and more concisely. Obsessively analytical and anything but holistic.

I started getting into tarot about February of this past year. I have been using several websites, including the author's, to learn about the tarot and it was going fairly well. However, I am a fairly methodical person and like a very structured, more academic approach, to learning things. Once I saw Wen's companion course on her website, I ordered the book. It was exactly what I wanted. She is very methodical and structured in her approach to learning tarot. I love her appendix and endnotes. When she makes a statement, be assured that it was thoroughly researched. This is not a book you just read through. It is a book that you use a highlighter with, use page markers, take notes on, buy other books, and could probably launch an entire thesis off of for a PhD program, just saying... Please don't get the wrong idea though, all of that is optional and her book isn't stuffy in the least, it's just not a "sitting at your neighbor's table throwing down the cards" sort of style. While I enjoy all of the woo-woo stuff associated with tarot, I didn't want it to interfere with learning the tarot. Wen has removed all the mystical stuff and has provided a distilled version of tarot so that after you have a very solid understanding of the tarot, you are free to use it however you want and she encourages you to do so. Her analogy to learning the violin is exactly what she provides in Holistic Tarot. That being said, I don't think this book is perfect for everyone. I started with Biddy Tarot's website and it helped me feel like I couldn't mess things up. Once I got comfortable, it just wasn't enough and Wen's approach was exactly what I needed. If you are all about intuition, you didn't enjoy school, you hate journaling/recording things, etc., then I would probably recommend looking elsewhere. It's not that you wouldn't understand her work, it's just that you probably wouldn't enjoy the process and that kind of defeats the purpose of learning tarot, in my opinion. Things I particularly like: she touches briefly on the history of tarot and then recommends other authors to pursue to further develop your understanding of how tarot developed and why it is still relevant. I appreciated this because I have since paused in the companion course and am reading a few other books on the history of tarot that are definitely drawing on the art history and history classes I took in college, making this a thoroughly enjoyable research experience for me. I like that she includes planetary references, numerology, elements, and a whole bunch of other things to create a complete rabbit hole experience that will keep me occupied for months. I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed the research aspect of being at university and this has just made me completely happy. I have expanded on the journal template she provides in the companion course and downloaded Xotero to organize my notes and other books I'm using as references while I read hers. I like that the companion course really breaks the book down into buildable chunks so that it isn't overwhelming when you receive this massive tome at your front door because it certainly isn't fitting in your mailbox. She genuinely covers everything. For those of you who do want to incorporate tarot into Craft, I would recommend checking out her online courses. She does offer a course that deals with using tarot for Craft that is inexpensive and goes in a completely different direction than her book. Bottom line: if you genuinely are interested in getting a solid understanding of the tarot AND like structure, then do not hesitate to purchase this book.

My first tarot book. I bought because I read online a line from the book about how we use our imagination to read tarot, and imagination connects us to our intuition which connects us to our inner being. I feel like that's the only sentence in the book I really like. She has no exercises or suggestions on how to read the cards using one's imagination and thereby access our intuition. She just tells us to memorize the card meanings in the book. Im not going to do that. Carrie Mallon and The Daily Tarot girl online show me how to connect with the images on the cards without any memorization. Benebell's writing style is also very dry, dull.

I have yet to find a popular tarot blogger/reader on the internet who doesn't recommend this book, at least in passing. I am wondering if it is done simply out of fear of breaking some sort of online author social code? They couldn't possibly have actually read it because the first 7 chapters goes against most of the approaches they personally use in one way or another. Two of the most egregious: -Remote tarot readings only work if the reader has the "rare" gift of being able to access Qi. "the majority of practitioners cannot rely on remote tarot readings" Curious that most of her endorsers almost solely rely on this method for their tarot businesses. -If you don't practice reading on fake inanimate objects when beginning your are unethical and harming people. You don't have the intelligence to not tell someone they are going to die when the death card comes up unless you practice on a stuffed animal first. "The beginner must practice readings out loud to no one" Yet I have multiple books written by people who endorse THIS book saying read for as many people as possible when you are just starting out. Friends & family, just let them know you are a beginner. Mixed in with the examples above is some genuinely interesting, if extremely over complicated, information on tarot. But the dogmatic and condescending tone that pops up in the most unexpected ways over 800+ pages is a constant grating distraction that prevents me from being able to absorb alot of it. If I hadn't accidentally spilled tea on it the first day I got it, I would have returned it. I don't want to donate it, because unlike the many Tarot practitioners that I respect who have blithely endorsed this work. I think it does more harm than good. Especially to anyone who is remotely new to tarot and I don't want to be responsible for passing it along. Learning Tarot it can be extremely daunting and confusing and this book seems to deliberately attempt to only make it more so.

As someone who has read and taught tarot on a professional level, Benebell Wen has created what is nothing less than a Tarot Bible. Not only is it monumental in size, it's extremely dense in the information that Wen provides. Benebell Wen has the traditional lore and symbolism down for the RIder-Waite Smith and Marseilles decks, however, she goes well beyond the usual traditional meanings of the cards upright and reversed as well as keywords. Benebell gets into related elements and in depth readings and as a writer her style is very approachable and relatable. Another great plus to this book that is often not covered in tarot books that Benebell gives is that she even covers ways the best way for readers to answer inappropriate questions from clients. Whether you are just learning or a seasoned tarot reader, there is a great deal to be gotten from this book. Benebell also has a YouTube channel where she discusses various things in this and her other books that is well worth checking out.

I purchased "Holistic Tarot" because it was a highly praised, award winning book but it fell far short of my expectations. For five years, I mainly used "Holistic Tarot" as a reference for card meanings but I often found that other sources were more helpful. This year, I decided to carefully read the book from cover-to-cover because I wanted to substantially improve my ability to read the tarot. Unfortunately, several errors made me feel like the book was amateurish. And while the author makes a decent effort of citing her sources, the notes are not good enough to call this book "scholarly." After reading 400 pages I lost faith in the reliability of the the author's work and I did not read much more. While I will incorporate some of the author's teachings into my tarot practice, the majority of the large book is not worth the shelf space for me. I recommend considering other options.

This is an amazing book. I love the authoritative tone that Benebell has. I love the depth and reach of this incredibly researched work. As a forever student, I couldn’t ask for something more perfect. I’m A person who digs deep. When I get into something I research and study until I’ve exhausted the topic. With something such as mystical and symbol rich as tarot, how could you ever stop learning? I’ve wanted to learn the cards forever. I’m Intuitive, but just didn’t get it. Then I found Benebell’s work. On her webpage, she s risky has a syllabus to study this book and learn tarot. For free. I can’t tell you the care she’s taken with this. 3 levels of training. Supplental information (yes! More!). Clearly this work is a labor of love. It is for me reading and studying it. I hadn’t snapped before that as an English major what a fit tarot is. All of the symbolism! I’m Having a ball. I worked before as an intuitive and used oracle cards. A little with tarot. Planning on going back into the craft and I’m feeling extraordinary about it thanks to Ms. Wen and her beautiful, thoughtful, engaging work. A huge heartfelt thank you to her.

You guys I’m in love with this book. The way Benebell expresses her view on tarot and the history behind it, is other Worldly. I admire the way she tells this story and I was totally transfixed by her writing by the first page. I’m new to tarot & I've been searching for guidance & understanding of my rider-Waite deck as a whole. Holistic Tarot is a real treasure for me. I highly recommend you add this book to your collection.

I am working my way through this book with the assistance of the study guides available at the author's website. Using the study guides, I am finding that it is possible to use the Kindle version to work on the various tasks. I also like that it is much easier to just read through the e-book version. I have been using bookmarks when I need to go back and forth in the book. Of the two versions, I think I will prefer using the print copy. There is SO much wonderful information contained in here. With the Study Guide, even a beginner that has no idea about the Tarot can get up and running in a organized way without getting overwhelmed. The author also has some You Tube videos that go along with the book. This really is the total package. My only two complaints about the Kindle version are that the publisher chose not to have page numbers show up along with locations and you have to page through the book rather than scrolling through it. Minor issues, but not enough for me to return the ebook. Both versions are very useful, but I think the print version will be used more since this is a reference edition. Highly recommend if you want to learn the Tarot.

First of all, absolutely none of the tables were entirely visible on my Kindle. So technically speaking this is not something I'd recommend. Also some paragraphs were rather unnaturally broken and separated. As far as the content goes, if Rachel Pollack's word salad 78 Degrees of Wisdom is the Finnegan's Wake of tarot books, this book is Infinite Jest - and neither of those are compliments. Wen is incredibly ambitious and basically shows of for one thousand pages hoping the historical references and name dropping would blind you to how vacuous and empty her erudition is. She invents controversies that don't exist such as the yin/yang controversy for the emperor card which perhaps is a thing on tarot instagram,but is certainly not a thing in serious literature. Then, her descriptions of cards will help no one and least of all tarot beginners. She makes connections that basically demonstrate why people laugh at esoteric studies, such as her connecting the high priestess with the Japanese word for lion or tiger or whatever. Once you make that connection, you might as well interpret the card as telling you to eat ramen noodles because she has long hair. She objects to fortune telling and divination, yet literally every example she gives is precisely of that. She flaunts her partial knowledge of European history, yet she fails to notice elementary Biblical and historical references on cards such as the death card or four of swords, etc. She writes about disproven fringe theories on the origins of tarot which do no one any good, especially with the amount of research done on how tarot cards were invented and why. I like that she has a very precise tone and that she structures things on charts and tables (which I wasn't able to see fully because the Kindle book didn't show them) but that's not what makes a serious researcher. You must select what's meaningful and not include every crazy fringe idea out there. Not everything works and not every approach is equally good and until that is part of tarot studies, don't be surprised that no one will look at it twice, no matter how useful a tool it might be. I sound a little angry in this review and I guess I am. I enjoyed reading it and debating her in my mind while I was reading it, but if this is meant for "rational" audiences and if it's meant to attract new people to tarot or to introduce tarot to beginners, then it's an abject failure. If she would rework the book and clean up the content, shorten it and for the love of whatever you believe in, find an editor for it, then it could be a decent overview of different approaches to interpretation of tarot cards. But in this form, it's a rough draft in need of more work. I don't have the problem with ambition or the scope, but with the sloppy approach, bad logic and "anything goes" masked as rigorous thinking.

Ugh. Verbose. I read it cover to cover because I try to read everything that's published on tarot. Some people love it. I learned nothing from it. An obsessive compulsive study of RWS. It reminded me of reading a student's detailed notes while they were learning to read RWS and they decided to publish it. Nothing for anyone interested in TdM, and really nothing new for the RWS camp either that can't be found elsewhere and more concisely. Obsessively analytical and anything but holistic.

I started getting into tarot about February of this past year. I have been using several websites, including the author's, to learn about the tarot and it was going fairly well. However, I am a fairly methodical person and like a very structured, more academic approach, to learning things. Once I saw Wen's companion course on her website, I ordered the book. It was exactly what I wanted. She is very methodical and structured in her approach to learning tarot. I love her appendix and endnotes. When she makes a statement, be assured that it was thoroughly researched. This is not a book you just read through. It is a book that you use a highlighter with, use page markers, take notes on, buy other books, and could probably launch an entire thesis off of for a PhD program, just saying... Please don't get the wrong idea though, all of that is optional and her book isn't stuffy in the least, it's just not a "sitting at your neighbor's table throwing down the cards" sort of style. While I enjoy all of the woo-woo stuff associated with tarot, I didn't want it to interfere with learning the tarot. Wen has removed all the mystical stuff and has provided a distilled version of tarot so that after you have a very solid understanding of the tarot, you are free to use it however you want and she encourages you to do so. Her analogy to learning the violin is exactly what she provides in Holistic Tarot. That being said, I don't think this book is perfect for everyone. I started with Biddy Tarot's website and it helped me feel like I couldn't mess things up. Once I got comfortable, it just wasn't enough and Wen's approach was exactly what I needed. If you are all about intuition, you didn't enjoy school, you hate journaling/recording things, etc., then I would probably recommend looking elsewhere. It's not that you wouldn't understand her work, it's just that you probably wouldn't enjoy the process and that kind of defeats the purpose of learning tarot, in my opinion. Things I particularly like: she touches briefly on the history of tarot and then recommends other authors to pursue to further develop your understanding of how tarot developed and why it is still relevant. I appreciated this because I have since paused in the companion course and am reading a few other books on the history of tarot that are definitely drawing on the art history and history classes I took in college, making this a thoroughly enjoyable research experience for me. I like that she includes planetary references, numerology, elements, and a whole bunch of other things to create a complete rabbit hole experience that will keep me occupied for months. I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed the research aspect of being at university and this has just made me completely happy. I have expanded on the journal template she provides in the companion course and downloaded Xotero to organize my notes and other books I'm using as references while I read hers. I like that the companion course really breaks the book down into buildable chunks so that it isn't overwhelming when you receive this massive tome at your front door because it certainly isn't fitting in your mailbox. She genuinely covers everything. For those of you who do want to incorporate tarot into Craft, I would recommend checking out her online courses. She does offer a course that deals with using tarot for Craft that is inexpensive and goes in a completely different direction than her book. Bottom line: if you genuinely are interested in getting a solid understanding of the tarot AND like structure, then do not hesitate to purchase this book.

My first tarot book. I bought because I read online a line from the book about how we use our imagination to read tarot, and imagination connects us to our intuition which connects us to our inner being. I feel like that's the only sentence in the book I really like. She has no exercises or suggestions on how to read the cards using one's imagination and thereby access our intuition. She just tells us to memorize the card meanings in the book. Im not going to do that. Carrie Mallon and The Daily Tarot girl online show me how to connect with the images on the cards without any memorization. Benebell's writing style is also very dry, dull.

I have yet to find a popular tarot blogger/reader on the internet who doesn't recommend this book, at least in passing. I am wondering if it is done simply out of fear of breaking some sort of online author social code? They couldn't possibly have actually read it because the first 7 chapters goes against most of the approaches they personally use in one way or another. Two of the most egregious: -Remote tarot readings only work if the reader has the "rare" gift of being able to access Qi. "the majority of practitioners cannot rely on remote tarot readings" Curious that most of her endorsers almost solely rely on this method for their tarot businesses. -If you don't practice reading on fake inanimate objects when beginning your are unethical and harming people. You don't have the intelligence to not tell someone they are going to die when the death card comes up unless you practice on a stuffed animal first. "The beginner must practice readings out loud to no one" Yet I have multiple books written by people who endorse THIS book saying read for as many people as possible when you are just starting out. Friends & family, just let them know you are a beginner. Mixed in with the examples above is some genuinely interesting, if extremely over complicated, information on tarot. But the dogmatic and condescending tone that pops up in the most unexpected ways over 800+ pages is a constant grating distraction that prevents me from being able to absorb alot of it. If I hadn't accidentally spilled tea on it the first day I got it, I would have returned it. I don't want to donate it, because unlike the many Tarot practitioners that I respect who have blithely endorsed this work. I think it does more harm than good. Especially to anyone who is remotely new to tarot and I don't want to be responsible for passing it along. Learning Tarot it can be extremely daunting and confusing and this book seems to deliberately attempt to only make it more so.

As someone who has read and taught tarot on a professional level, Benebell Wen has created what is nothing less than a Tarot Bible. Not only is it monumental in size, it's extremely dense in the information that Wen provides. Benebell Wen has the traditional lore and symbolism down for the RIder-Waite Smith and Marseilles decks, however, she goes well beyond the usual traditional meanings of the cards upright and reversed as well as keywords. Benebell gets into related elements and in depth readings and as a writer her style is very approachable and relatable. Another great plus to this book that is often not covered in tarot books that Benebell gives is that she even covers ways the best way for readers to answer inappropriate questions from clients. Whether you are just learning or a seasoned tarot reader, there is a great deal to be gotten from this book. Benebell also has a YouTube channel where she discusses various things in this and her other books that is well worth checking out.

I purchased "Holistic Tarot" because it was a highly praised, award winning book but it fell far short of my expectations. For five years, I mainly used "Holistic Tarot" as a reference for card meanings but I often found that other sources were more helpful. This year, I decided to carefully read the book from cover-to-cover because I wanted to substantially improve my ability to read the tarot. Unfortunately, several errors made me feel like the book was amateurish. And while the author makes a decent effort of citing her sources, the notes are not good enough to call this book "scholarly." After reading 400 pages I lost faith in the reliability of the the author's work and I did not read much more. While I will incorporate some of the author's teachings into my tarot practice, the majority of the large book is not worth the shelf space for me. I recommend considering other options.

This is an amazing book. I love the authoritative tone that Benebell has. I love the depth and reach of this incredibly researched work. As a forever student, I couldn’t ask for something more perfect. I’m A person who digs deep. When I get into something I research and study until I’ve exhausted the topic. With something such as mystical and symbol rich as tarot, how could you ever stop learning? I’ve wanted to learn the cards forever. I’m Intuitive, but just didn’t get it. Then I found Benebell’s work. On her webpage, she s risky has a syllabus to study this book and learn tarot. For free. I can’t tell you the care she’s taken with this. 3 levels of training. Supplental information (yes! More!). Clearly this work is a labor of love. It is for me reading and studying it. I hadn’t snapped before that as an English major what a fit tarot is. All of the symbolism! I’m Having a ball. I worked before as an intuitive and used oracle cards. A little with tarot. Planning on going back into the craft and I’m feeling extraordinary about it thanks to Ms. Wen and her beautiful, thoughtful, engaging work. A huge heartfelt thank you to her.

You guys I’m in love with this book. The way Benebell expresses her view on tarot and the history behind it, is other Worldly. I admire the way she tells this story and I was totally transfixed by her writing by the first page. I’m new to tarot & I've been searching for guidance & understanding of my rider-Waite deck as a whole. Holistic Tarot is a real treasure for me. I highly recommend you add this book to your collection.

I am working my way through this book with the assistance of the study guides available at the author's website. Using the study guides, I am finding that it is possible to use the Kindle version to work on the various tasks. I also like that it is much easier to just read through the e-book version. I have been using bookmarks when I need to go back and forth in the book. Of the two versions, I think I will prefer using the print copy. There is SO much wonderful information contained in here. With the Study Guide, even a beginner that has no idea about the Tarot can get up and running in a organized way without getting overwhelmed. The author also has some You Tube videos that go along with the book. This really is the total package. My only two complaints about the Kindle version are that the publisher chose not to have page numbers show up along with locations and you have to page through the book rather than scrolling through it. Minor issues, but not enough for me to return the ebook. Both versions are very useful, but I think the print version will be used more since this is a reference edition. Highly recommend if you want to learn the Tarot.

I recently ordered and received holistic tarot. This is the first physical tarot book that I have purchased and probably the only one I will ever need. I chose Wen’s tome because I too read tarot for analytical purposes. Just like she states in the book, tarot opens my mind and imagination allowing for me to entertain possibilities that I could not otherwise with my frazzled brain (I do read for fun for my family and close friends as a way to play with my inner child). The volume of Wen’s writing’s may be overwhelming, but she has so many FREE quality resources available to her readers on her website and YouTube. Her leveled study guides (free) give a gentle rhythm to exploring the information in the book. Wen’s writing style is easy and comfortable, just what you need to absorb such meaty knowledge. I especially love that her passion for tarot spills out of the pages allowing you to partake in it with her. There is so much offered within the pages of this book, don’t let the page numbers convince you to miss out!

This is an excellent text. It is an intensive course in written form that is easy to understand and overstand. The author goes through historical facts , interrelationships of numerology,astrology and other sciences related to the tarot. A clear explanation of major and minor arcana , court cards ,spreads, shuffling , draws and professional ethics is explained clearly. The text is written in an relaxed manner with a clear author's voice. As a beginner and life long learner this book can be used as a reference and re-read many times as my skills levels continue to develop and grow. In addition, a discussion of tarot as a tool to enhance and nurture self development is invaluable. There is a extensive bibliography for future and learning. Wonderful book!!!

I've found it difficult to find historically-based information on tarot, especially Rider-Waite, that doesn't feel overly subjective (sometimes too woo-woo) and conflicting from one person to the next. Benebell Wen has done the practical research and gets to the source. Yes, she does occasionally take an authoritative tone but for the most part the book is information-based, provides a historical backdrop to the cards, and ultimately encourages readers to follow their own intuitions after gaining a deeper understanding of the cards and developing a relationship to them. I've been personally interested in understanding the cards in relationship to astrology, the four elements, the four seasons, ruling planets, archangels, and even the four temperaments (the latter not covered here so specifically) but I began to mistrust many sources based on inconsistent information and presumably bias/personal interpretation. This is a trusty handbook that returns to the source and its practical and academic approach provides a trustworthy platform for developing your own practice with the cards and following your own intuitions. Well done and thank you, Benebell!

I am blown away by the wealth of information and perspective that is contained within this tome... It was a wonderful surprise to see that the author approaches tarot cards in a manner similar manner to my own, so while much of the information resonates with my own practice, the information in this book will easily span and enhance all views on practicing the art of tarot. Accessible enough information for the beginner, with enough depth of knowledge for the seasoned tarot practitioner, and incredibly insightful for those who seek knowledge from the tarot but don't necessarily work with the cards themselves, this book should be in every tarot lover's library. The information is well-packaged and referenced in chapters, so that it is easy to pinpoint at a moment's notice. If you are just starting out, or looking to deepen your relationship with the cards, this is the book to assist you along the journey. If I could have only one reference on tarot, this would be it. Highly recommended!!!

This is my introduction into tarot. Since this is the only book i have read on tarot i dont have anything else to compare it to, but i think other beginners would really benefit from this huge book. It goes into alot of detail explaining the history, the different ways to use tarot, the individual card meanings, and the different spreads. I really like wen's style of writing and i can tell she is very passionate about her arts and sharing her knowledge.

My guides had me burn this book. Not donate or throw away - BURN. I had to cleanse everything else that sat on the shelf near it. Benebel worked with service-to-self beings to write it and if this book is in your home they can feel it and keep tabs on you. I have other tarot books and this is the only one giving off dark energy. If you consider yourself awakened, steer clear of Benebel Wen.

I totally agree with others that have written they would like to have had this book at the start of their Tarot interest. I've done readings for both myself and others for about 30 years now and found this book wonderful and important. I recently started studying a new deck so this came at a great time for me. The book itself is huge at almost 900 pages and while this may seem daunting initially, it is engrossing enough to read quickly and enjoyably. It is intelligently written but not so difficult that someone new to Tarot could not understand. I will be applying several new concepts into my relationship with Tarot. Some of the concepts she presents I had not even heard of before. I absolutely recommend this book for both beginners and experienced readers. It will enrich your knowledge and understanding of Tarot substantially. Thanks Benebell for taking the time in your busy life to do such an incredibly exhaustive study of Tarot.

I love this book. I've been watching Tarot readers on youtube and wanted to know more about the cards and how they work for myself. There is a lot of information out there, some seem legit, but most seem iffy. Tarot can be interpreted in so many different ways, a lot of important information gets lost or jumbled. Benebell Wen does an excellent job of staying impersonal about the Tarot and giving the reader the basic building blocks of each card and also each spread. There is a common meaning in each of her descriptions that can be understood and appreciated by a beginner but there are also examples drawn from multiple practices that enhance the readers understanding of the card. A highly recommended book.

I am only 3/4s through this book and I cannot believe the work that Ms Wen has put in. The scope of research and organization is amazing. It completely reshaped my experience with tarot. There are study guides and flash cards on her website and I get the sense that she cares deeply about this tradition and genuinely wants others to understand and benefit as much as she has. But at the same time she is not dogmatic in her efforts to educate others. Very insightful and easy to follow with illustrations for spreads. A good all in one guide.

Must have for anyone who is interested in improving their tarot reading skills (ranging from zero knowledge up to professional readings). You can work it in both ways: logically/intuitively. The author provides her insight but she strongly recommends taking what works for YOU. Great guide to deepen your knowledge, skills, practice and connection with tarot. The business part is also covered, taking you from learning the cards and your first reading up to taking the leap in becoming a responsible pro tarot reader who takes care of taxes and legal stuff. This manual is really thorough, big and filled with so much extra material that my advice is not to get the kindle version just because you might want to use it heavily just like any other reference book and not as a novel or reading material. This is a hands-on manual. Totally recommended!

Benebell starts by putting forward some interesting theories on how the Tarot works, which is great food for thought. Then she covers and interprets, extensively, every card in the Tarot deck and includes the elemental, planetary and zodiac association for the Major Arcana cards. But, this book is about so much more than the individual card meanings...it takes you through every step of the Tarot reading process, from purchasing the right deck for yourself and creating your personal space for reading to the different spreads and doing readings for yourself. It encompasses everything that you may need for the professional practice of Tarot. The Appendix could be a book all on it's own. It is very comprehensive (120 pages) with such titles as Tarot Spreads Quick Reference, Astrological Symbols and Elemental Associations, Pythagorean Numerology, and Sample Logs and Templates...to mention a few. Overall, a great read and a great reference book!

I can't say enough about Ms. Wen, she is a gift to the esoteric metaphysical plane of existence in this world. Her work on Crafting Fu Talismans (The Craft) will be a classic for generations. This book on Tarot under the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition will be another classic. Look if you want the book that has everything you'd want to know on Tarot and its applications today, look no further, this is the book of books. If you want to something quick and easy, there are plenty of other books you can enjoy but this book, is THE book on Tarot. The author even provides a free online course to learn Tarot with this book as its textbook. What more could anyone want. I am a fan of this author, her work and the authenticity of her spirit. All I can say is WOW!

Love this book. Only had it for less than a week and my readings are already stronger. Those who say that she is too analytical must not be able to understand that the tarot is like the brain; it has 2 sides; the intuitive, creative and the analytical and psychological. Many other tarot books focus only on the intuitive (because it’s easier this way actually) and people become afraid of the idea of study and deeper knowledge. If you’re not afraid to dive to improve your readings, this book is definitely for you

Have you ever wanted an encyclopedia of Tarot? This is pretty much it. Wen not only gives meanings, both upright and reversed, but also offers information about interpretations on spreads, astrological correspondences, cultural archetypes, and ritual tools you can use in your Tatot divination work.

Finally a sensible approach to understanding the Tarot and perhaps for helping you explain it to the people who think you want to be a fortune teller. You can tell them that it's not at all about that but is something deeper and more personal, more all encompassing. I never liked it when people asked me to "read their cards". I can lay them down and give you ideas but only you can read your own cards and decide what they mean. No one wanted to hear the story of the great myth and the epic steps all of our lives must take. Read it. It's the way I always looked at Tarot. Maybe you will see it differently.

This huge book is absolutely incredible. Benebell Wen did an amazing job with this and has outdone herself. This book is packed with good information. Don’t be intimidated by its size if you’re just starting your tarot journey. Holistic Tarot is perfect for both the beginner and seasoned tarot reader. If I could only have one book on tarot, this would be it.

I'm still reading this. However, it is really a well thought out and directed book. I am certain that I will be reveiwing and re-reading this one for years. Using the materials she has on the website as a supplement to my learning has been brilliant. The meat of the "course" is the book, but the fact that she has been so spectaular as to put material on the website is fantastic. She even has a syllabus. She has some videos too. I am very impressed and have recommended it to several people.

This is a huge book, and is chock full of everything Tarot. It covers just about everything, and is a good reference for anyone, from beginner to very advanced. She even covers the laws (in layman terms) if you want to open your own Tarot business. Great book!

This is the best and most complete book on the tarot that I have ever read. The book is very well written and organized. The book is written in a way that is very easy to understand and learn. I had been searching for a teacher to learn the tarot from and the author of this book is it. Benebell Wen clearly knows her stuff when it comes to the tarot but also has a deep knowledge and understanding of the esoteric occult. I can't reccomend this book enough.

This manual teaches one how to become proficient in tarot. As a professional tarot reader I am impressed and awed at the amount of work that's gone into this tome. I highly recommend this book for beginners and advanced readers alike.

Fantastic book! Wen presents a massive amount of information in this volume, synthesized from her own Tarot practice, late 19th-century occultists, and contemporary Tarot readers. Some people have come down hard on this book because of Wen's sharp distinction between "fortune-telling" and "divination" (she denounces the former and embraces the latter), but really that's just a semantic issue. Even if they don't love her terminology, most Tarot practitioners will agree with Wen's thesis: that Tarot can forecast the way things are likely to go, but that the future is never determined beyond an individual's power to change its course. The one thing I would warn neophyte readers about in acquiring this book is that Wen sometimes presents her own personal system side-by-side with more mainstream, established thought, without distinguishing between the two for the reader's understanding. If you read this book without prior knowledge of Tarot, you may come away thinking that some of Wen's more idiosyncratic opinions on Tarot are shared by the broader community. Those opinions are not bad or incorrect, but they're not necessarily shared by everyone, and I think that's worth noting from the outset. All in all, I highly recommend this book, especially to intermediate readers.

I'm relatively new to Tarot and found this book very helpful. It's extensive and very thorough, but sectioned in a way that lets a newer practitioner start with the basics and advance to more complex chapters later on when they feel ready to delve into more information. This book really is intended to encourage the reader to think holistically when doing a Tarot reading. Basic and advanced concepts of the Tarot are included, but also ethical considerations, use of essential oils, healing stones and crystals, etc. The appendices are very helpful and the endnotes are impressive. I'm very impressed by the research the author had to have done to create such a comprehensive book. By the way, the last chapter is a wonderful ending to the book. In it, the author recounts a funny and endearing personal story about one of her first experiences in reading for a stranger. I would highly recommend this book.

I need to dig deep in this book. I bough it because I follow Benebell Wen in different social platforms and videos. She is truly gifted and she is also a practicing lawyer. You won’t go wrong by purchasing this book. Amazon sent me a book with a big crease on the book’s cover. That’s all. No complains on the content. She delivers information in a beautiful way.

I didn't care for this book at all. From the introduction in the Preview it seemed like it would be a in-depth look at the tarot deck and how to interpret it in a thoughtful, meditative way. This book is anything but, and as another reviewer pointed out, there's nothing "holistic" or even intuitive about it. The author writes in a condescending tone, and is heavily reliant on astrology, numerology, and even skin color to interpret the cards (she says she doesn't ascribe to this skin color approach, and then proceeds to use it anyway throughout the book). Everything, everything, everything about this book is super-complicated - her explanations on signifier cards and something she calls "first operation" just gave me a headache, and I still had no clue what in the world she was talking about - and she doesn't give explanations, just tells you to do it. She takes multiple pages to explain how to shuffle the cards (is it really that hard?), and her spreads are just beyond comprehension. I returned it.

Best Tarot book I have ever read. The authors website has extensive resources and study guides to use with the book. I am impressed! This is an author who genuinely cares deeply for the tarot and is eager to share its wisdom.

This is an excellent resource for anything you ever want to know about tarot. It is a hefty book that has so much information. There is a lot of spreads, symbolism, astrology(tarot) and card by card descriptions. There is even ruins in this book! AMAZING! You have to get this if you love tarot.

I have a few tarot books for various reasons. Benebell included some of the same material & added so much more. It feels like an academic project that anyone should be able to read, use as reference material, & refer to over & over again. This one uses the RWS deck. It's great for beginners & experienced readers. If there's only one book to own, this would be it. Since buying the Kindle version of the book for myself, I bought the paper version as a gift for a friend. I can't recommend it enough.

This HUGE books is chuck full of charts, history, insights, and on and on. I love how open and outright the author is about her views on fortunetelling and divination. Very useful and good information.

I am a novice taroist and am so pleased to have this reference in my foundation. Ms Wen is to be applauded for her research alone. What makes this " little library " invaluable to me is her accessible explanations and clarity of thought structure. I feel her book to be highly intuitive, yet I doubt her to be a mystic as she, mistakenly, regards the human mind as omnipotent. This is the only thorn I have found in this beautiful garden of wisdom. I'm not even half done with this big book, but have already recommended it to 2 people. This book will never be put away.

A very thorough and deep analysis on the Tarot. As others have said, the author is against the Tarot being used for foretelling the future. If you agree or not, it doesn't really matter, as this book can help you understand the cards better despite on how you believe they should be used.

A wonderful book! It covers so many topics, this is a great go to book when learning the Tarot. I also very much like this authors approach to the Tarot. I am also not really into the whole predicting the future thing with it, I use it simply for myself to help understand situations or make decisions.

I'm so glad I bought this book! There were a lot of mixed reviews saying that the book either was or wasn't good for beginners and being a beginner tarot reader was blown away by this book! Wen has a great writing style that is very practical and realistic, no magical mumbo jumbo! You can also go to her website and print off the study guide she made for beginners, intermediate and advanced. She also has flash cards for the Rider-Waite Smith deck (which is the reference deck for this book) and lots of great spread practices and whatnot. She really put a lot of work into helping people understand tarot. Forget all the other silly tarot books because this is just great for everyone :)

This is not a book you read cover to cover. It is more of a reference book for Tarot. It was recommended by my Tarot teacher.

This is a fantastic book. It’s well thought out and articulate. I love how Benebell Wen takes an academic approach here. It is definitely one to keep. I connected immediately with this book. Also, bought her SKT tarot cards! Just stunning!

Don't be intimidated by the size of this book, the information flows so seamlessly. Wen does a great job at making sure not to drag on in this book. It is a great combination of textbook with just the right amount of personal input. Definitely wish I had gotten this book before spending money on too many others.

WARNING!!! MASSIVE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF INFO!!! I thought this was just a 100-200 page book you can take in a small backpack and read it in the park. ITS A DAMN BIBLE!!!!! Was not expecting that lol almost 1000 pages. Nah but seriously good stuff ALOT of info graphs and charts of different lay outs you can look at as you draw cards def worth it.

This book is great so far. The author took all kinds of historical information and compiled it here to give an overall explanation of cards, techniques, etc. Still reading it, but loving it. Very well written and easy to read.

Wen’s Holistic Tarot presents a comprehensive guide for using the tarot as a tool for self-knowing, exemplifying the modern tarot movement. It is a book for the 21-century. Wen threads together western esotericism and eastern philosophy beautifully. Holistic Tarot has almost everything you need in one book. Chapter one, Tarot Analytics, A Holistic Approach summarizes Wen’s direction which she has geared the book. There are many points of discussion to be found here. I found myself either agreeing with Wen or questioning/disagreeing with a few of her points. Wen’s perspective is clearly defined on page one, second sentence, where she says that tarot is a “science of the mind”. Wen elaborates, explains that tarot has absorbed the wisdom of many cultures through the ages. The tarot “represents the spectrum of human archetypal conditions and personalities, which can be used by the modern day practitioner for psychological projective evaluation”. Wen describes tarot as a holistic tool. Holistic by definition is inclusive in approach in regards to healing. It takes into consideration the body/mind/spirit (whole person) instead of focusing on one part or symptom. For Wen, tarot as a holistic tool allows us to “mine the unconscious” for answers. Tarot is also a tool to be consulted in decision making by charting a “road map for the solution”. Do not pick up this book if you want to learn fortunetelling, Wen takes an anti-fortunetelling position. “I do not support fortune-telling and I do not believe in future-telling. My approach to tarot is not predictive. It is analytic”. Wen un-deifies the tarot by assuring the reader that tarot is not “a tool of the gods” or “demons” (the later ok, but the former I have some things to say). In chapter three Wen says that “fortune telling serves no benefit”. It diverts the client’s attention from the present into the future. It also diverts the client’s focus from their spirituality and into future outcomes, to the “superficial and the material”. Wen says that you should use tarot to understand the why and how as to not lose sight of what is happening now. Wen is too pessimistic about fortune telling for my taste. I find that Wen is making concrete statements. Wen defines what her tarot analytics is in contrast to fortune telling to make it clear to the reader what her approach is. However, I feel there could have been more of an effort not to discredit or shrug off fortune telling/divination so early in the book. She does “acknowledge” the different perspectives such as a card game, fortune telling or the integration into alternative religious practices. But I feel that someone with little background with tarot who picks up this book may take the side of Wen and adopt a negative opinion of fortune telling. That can easily lead to a superiority view of Wen’s approach or approaches similar. Fortune-telling/divination will then be looked down as lesser. Is this slipper slope thinking? Maybe, but it is possible. Wen does tell the reader to come to their own conclusions and not to blindly trust her word on what tarot is and is not. To be fair, I am someone who does support this holistic application of tarot and I do promote this perspective. I do agree that tarot is an effective tool for self-knowing and I steer my clients towards that direction in my private session. Nevertheless, I also like the “magical” side of fortune telling and divination. The holistic view, while important, for me, reduces the craft to pure Materialism, in the philosophical sense. Wen’s tarot analytics epitomizes the modern tarot movement (tarot for self-knowing). Tarot and psychology have been blending more and more over the years (Tarot and Psychology: Spectrums of Possibility by Arthur Rosengarten Ph.D, Tarot Coupling: Resources & Resolutions for Relationship Readings by Gina Thies). While the psychological insights are indeed useful and have provided great new ways of looking at tarot, it is a double edge sword for reasons I mentioned above (elitist positions/materialist perspectives). What I do applaud Wen for doing is making tarot secular and promoting its nonreligious affiliation. This removes religious fear, fear for people wanting to learn tarot and fear of those wanting a reading. Wen’s comments on the Pope’s remarks about the tarot and salvation that “only Jesus saves”. Wen’s approach is non-supernatural and in my own words Christian safe. Wen says that tarot is like “mind mapping, a method for better visualizing viable solutions to a present problem”. There is no contradiction with the Pope’s statement that “Jesus saves” and the approach of tarot analytics, any predictive attributes from tarot analytics is akin to weather forecasting, it is subject to change. This sums up the common opinion of the majority of tarot readers within in the modern movement. Chapter three, Allaying Fears and Offering Theories attacks your fears head on. Wen makes you face the dark and spooky cards, Death, The Devil and The Tower. This serves a useful point, to remove the negative baggage and presumptions, some people may have or form when encountering the tarot. We are presented with different theories as to how tarot operates. Wen has an eloquence about explaining the different theories and presents the non-mystical as well as the mystical, to be balanced. Back on the subject of fortune telling (this seems to be the crux of my review, but Wen also brings it up again and again), Wen again reflects core modern tarot movement ideas. The concept that tarot shows possible outcomes, not fixed outcomes is central to Wen’s ideology. Tarot does “not predict the future”, it “shows the most likely destination of your current journey”. For me this is still fortunetelling, just nondeterministic. Chapter five Anatomy of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, Wen, like a surgeon, cuts into the deck and breaks down the cards. There are many charts and tables. The whole book is filled with wonderful illustration, charts and such. I love that so much, visual aids are important, especially when dealing with a tool like tarot that has many underlying ideas and concepts related to them. Charts help organize ideas and understand the relations between these concepts. Like element associations, elemental qualities, cardinal direction and others. Wen is clear to make the reader aware of different ways of viewing card meanings, how one card could have two different elemental associations (Magician Air or Earth for example). Wen allows the reader to try to decide which works for them. This is much appreciated as it presents tarot fairly balanced. Wen presents information openly and leaves it to the reader what to make of it. Chapter six The Personal Journal, Wen gives good ideas for what one can do with a tarot journal. Tarot journaling is important and sometimes people are not sure what to put in their journals, Wen covers this with solid recommendations. Chapters seven, eight and nine deal with the learning of keywords. When it comes to learning the cards and their meanings Wen suggests the memorization of keywords through repetition, which is the “most effective way”. Wen also suggests that you start to practice reading for a teddy bear as a way to get yourself acclimated to the reading process. Wan warns students who jump the gun and read for real people too soon can do more harm than good. Like a medical student operating on a person without practice on the cadaver, Wen’s analogies are gold. Wen does not reduce tarot to just keywords and nothing more, which some may jump to thinking. She makes clear the cards meaning’s are nuanced and layered. “Keywords are starting points”, tarot reading is not “the regurgitations of memorized card meanings or prepared statements”. True, I agree. To understand a card, we must put our finger on the center or core of the card’s “soul” or “essence”. Once we pin point that we can move outwards, peeling back the layers like an onion. Keywords can assist your intuition. There are 172 pages of card evaluations and meanings, including reversals. I will not go into each card and comment; we would be here for all eternity if I did. What I notice is that Wen compares cards to one another to highlight the interconnections between cards. This is important when doing a reading to recognize patterns and themes. Wen presents the esoteric undertones of the cards. She is able to bring insights to the cards via Asian philosophies which is a refreshing shift from the typical Western philosophical perspective (but does not ignore Western thought). For the Major Arcana, elemental and astrological glyphs accompany each card with key words. For the Minor Arcana keywords are provided based on the card and the numerological value. For example, five of wands, “competition, rivalry, contention” “Number 5, Uncertainty, adversity, changing tides”. Wen also includes the useful meanings of recurring cards of the same number. “Three Fives, competition” “Four Fives, Unexpected advantage”. With respect to court cards, Wen does an impeccable job of presenting this commonly difficult matter. Again, you will find charts galore that will guide you to understanding courts. Like with recurring minors, Wen gives us meanings for when we have many court cards in a reading. 3 Knights are “social cliques of young men”, 2 Queens “competing for the Seeker’s attention or affections”. Wen provides many case studies (sample readings) throughout the 141 pages in chapter 14 The Fundamentals of Readings Spreads to show tarot in action with real clients. As you go through the book Wen teaches different techniques, each paired with a case study to show its application. We see theory put into practice. In addition, there are so many illustrations! Some of these chapters could be a stand-alone book. To say it is impressive is to do Wen a disservice. Chapter 24 Inappropriate Questions deal with what a reader should avoid. This is a topic thoroughly needed in tarot literature. More people should be really thinking about what is an inappropriate question and does one deal with a situation, which deals with one. Wen gives practical advice in this area of ethics. Wen gives a guided process for possible scenarios regarding health, abuse, relationships and legal matters. We must recognize our limits as a tarot reader and know when to decline a reading and refer the client to a professional, like in the case of suicide or medical question. In addition, there is a whole other chapter, which deals with ethics more specifically. Other sections include, preforming an “opening of the key” a Golden Dawn method. I will have to try this, I have avoided this because I felt it a difficult thing to learn from a book. I trust Wen will not lead me astray. Wen also gives attention to the Tarot de Marseille and the Thoth decks. A chapter for professional readers is also included, which includes nice bar graphs on demographics and other statistical information. There are some sections, which I am omitting from my review for time constraint reasons. There are many valuable parts of the book in addition to the ones I have selected. Too many to discuss to be truthful. At the end, we have a treasure chest (120 pages) of an appendix. Truly, the appendix is a book of its own, highly valuable. I can’t stress how much I love charts! What is lacking from my observations is the application and influence of Hermetic Qabalah. If you were looking for a shortcoming, it would be this one thing. The Qabalah is essential to tarot like astrology. The relationship between the Tree of Life and Sephirot. Overall, I am deeply amazed and grateful for Wen’s contribution. Holistic Tarot has almost everything you need in one book. If your goal is to use tarot in the analytic approach of the modern tarot movement, Wen has given you your bible.

I'm brand new to tarot and this book has been a huge help. It covers way more information that I even knew was out there, and the approach is really attractive and easy to digest and start to use right away. Aside from the g-slur getting dusted off a bit (which, comes with the territory for anything occult or "hippie" related it seems), I've really enjoyed reading through and referencing back to the card descriptions.

I love all the handy information in this book! It’s filled in a lot of missing information for me. I found it very helpful

One of the best things about this book is the wealth of companion materials available for free on Benebell's Website. Between the book and the additional materials, this book was instrumental in giving me all of the detailed information I needed to launch a professional website for my tarot practice, and for that I am grateful.

I don't know how to begin to write a suitable review or praise for this book. This book is incredible. It's huge and absolutely stuffed with information with little to no filler and would be a perfect addition to any tarot reader at any level. I really love how it's not sugar coated or filled with fluffy woo-speak. It's very much appreciated and I think lacking in our wonderful world of tarot. Of course, this book will still be wonderful for more spiritual readers. On page 1 she says "... I do not believe in future telling. My approach to tarot is not predictive. It's analytic." Later she says "...tarot analytics applies tarot in the same vein as mind-mapping, a method for better visualizing viable solutions to a present problem." I could go on and on but suffice it to say my 15+ years of playing with tarot completely agrees with her. I 100% recommend newbies to get this book and download the study guide on her website. Yes, it's an undertaking. But I think it's the best, and probably one of the cheapest ways, to start learning if you're serious about it. I'd also like to toss in a shout to the awesome price point. This book is worth much more than the $20 I paid for it.

By far the best tarot guide I've ever used. The section on spreads and journaling the cards daily was especially valuable.

just get all of Benebells Books just do it. they are sooo thick and chock full of information. I have no idea how she managed to do this. but I'm sooo glad I got this now. this book is like an academic text book. get it. it might be the only tarot book you'll ever need.

This is a well researched book and surprisingly easy to read given it's massive size and academic bent. This book has a unique perspective and offers something for everyone - from Tarot novice to professional reader, and everyone in between.

I'm assuming that you're reading reviews because you're thinking of buying this book and want to know if it's worth the price... the answer is YES. If you're in any way serious about Tarot, buy it! That said, you should know this book contains 33 chapters and 9 appendixes, and covers just about every aspect of Tarot that's worth knowing. It's not a quick read; it's a text, how-to, cyclopedia, self-help, and ultimate reference book written in fluid and understandable language. The subtitle states the author's purpose: An integrated Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth. And the goal of personal growth is where it succeeds best. But a secondary purpose is to use Tarot for the benefit and good of others. (If you're thinking of reading Tarot professionally you should read chapter 32 first.) Digest this book bit by bit, in delicious courses, like a good meal. Enjoy.

With love, respect, and appreciation for the metaphysical and divining arts, I am attracted to Astrology, Tarot, gemstones, bio-energetic therapies and Jungian psychology. Each of these arts has passionate practitioners. Some practitioners not only are respected masters in their fields, but also possess the ability to share their knowledge and joy to help other learner-seekers become more adept. Holistic Tarot by Tarot Master Benebell Wen is the inspirational wisdom guide for Tarot. Within its generous chapters, a seeker at any level of expertise along the path can learn from this book. As a writer, I cherish the complexity that working with the Tarot builds into my characters and scenes and I honor Holistic Tarot for providing substantial tools and cognitive insight to enhance my Tarot understanding and improve my process. Can't wait for more books from this author!

I'm a beginner and this book is very comprehensive. I'm glad I bought it. I realize the art of tarot is going to take some time to learn

Everything in one book! This is such a thick book just full of really useful information for case studies, to in-depth look at the Tarot and their meaning. It’s like taking a Tarot course from home!

Author contradicts herself. Found it hard to like. There is nothing holistic or spiritual about it. Energetically empty and a hard pass from me.

I love this book. It has a wealth of information about different aspects of the tarot. I use it all of the time for reference. If you want to get just one book on the tarot; this is the book to get.

I love this book. It will probably take me forever to absorb it all but it is the best Tarot book I have so far. I'm really glad that I decided to purchase the actual book rather than the kindle version. You will not be disappointed

Insightful, easy to use yet in depth. Loads of information on each card, interactions, spreads, etc. highly recommended for both beginners and advanced tarot readers.

Benebell has been my go to person on tarot and I Ching ever since I ran into her website. All hail lady Wen.

I was enjoying it until I got to the 9 of Pentacles... how could she miss the falcon? AND the snail...? Makes me wonder what else she has missed. But at least this wasn't too expensive. Overall: in depth and a good reference to have. She is insightful and I liked her teaching approach once she got to the process of giving readings.. but what a major miss in the minors! HA! Happy Tarot!

This is a HUGE highly informative book and I recommend to ANONE interested in tarot. It is not the easiest of reads but writer is very educated and it shows! Will be in my collection of books for a very long time.

I love Benebell's organized, logical, yet intuitive approach to Tarot. I highly recommend this book for anyone who intends on being a serious Tarot reader. It is very helpful and enlightening even if you just plan on reading for yourself

This will not be the only book on tarot you will ever need, and the author herself even strongly refutes that claim, encouraging readers to explore other perspectives and takes. But it can absolutely be the only book you need for your first three years or so of studying the cards, and can probably save you a little bit of money on reference texts later down the line.

Mostly 3 starring because the edition I received (TWICE) was wrong and full of errors. Not just grammatical errors, full blown misinformation. The are corrections posted on the author's site but as this book is so massive, I had planned to highlight and make notes...and I did not want to keep referring to print-outs of the correct information. I tried to get an updated version, but was unsuccessful. I even contacted the publisher, but they were no help at all. Bought the kindle version -- STILL WRONG. Like honestly, how hard is it to update a e-version of the book??

This is the BEST and most comprehensive Tarot book ever written. Benebell Wen hit the nail on the head for sure!!! This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in Tarot, from the beginner to seasoned readers...not to mention the extra bonuses...(you should have to buy the book to find out)....Let's get this lady what she deserves..A New York Times Best Seller!!!

Review of Holistic Tarot This impressive book is a dissertation worthy of some advanced degree in the most rarified levels of Tarot Practice! When first holding it in my hands, I was overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of it! Even as a paperback, it is HUGE enough to be a doorstop. I have a hardcover copy of War and Peace that is smaller than this! I think the only paperback I have ever seen that could compare to this for sheer size is a technical reference book, which in a way, also describes "Holistic Tarot". Ms. Wen was not messing around when she wrote this...I don't know how she managed it, while also working in such a demanding, full-time profession such as the Law, but here it is, and it's not full of fluff or fillers, either- it's solid, densely packed information. There are tried and true layouts, original and inventive layouts, derivative layouts adapted for use with Tarot, comparisons and correspondences, keywords and cross-references all gathered together to form a comprehensive matrix you could use to form cement. This is foundation-making material, for sure. I opened it and waded in, and even with my 40 year background in Tarot, I found myself hip-deep in minutes, wishing I had brought camping gear and a machete with me...because this was going to be slower-going than I've been accustomed to since college...(and I read constantly- so that's really saying something!) I kept having to stop and ponder, since some of the strong opinions expressed run counter to all the...I guess you would say "current paradigms" in Tarot-land. That's ok. Ms. Wen is certainly entitled to her own point of view, and she explains her reasoning very clearly. I can understand why she thinks/believes as she does, and while I don't always agree, I will staunchly defend her right to do and believe as she sees fit. This is HER book, so she gets to call the shots between the title page and the index. We don't have to like it. However...I must say that I DO like it! I have never been a fan of simpering sycophants, and I appreciate a person with an independent point of view...(even when I'm wading through their rather turgid prose, LOL.) I should say here, that this is not a book for the fluffy, the wannabee, or the surface-skimming hobbyist. This is a seriously deep immersion experience, and it requires GUTS. It can be slow-going, and you'll find yourself back-tracking, just to make sure you've really grasped some of the finer points. If that is too much for some, I will happily direct them them to the Cliff-Notes style works, written by all too many other writers. Leave this to the serious Tarotists, who really want something they can sink their teeth into. Happily, "Holistic Tarot" can also be used as a sort of dictionary, where you can look up discrete packets of specific information, and then close it before it swallows you up, whole. If you need to avoid the full immersion experience, this can be done, with a certain amount of self-control. For those of you who fear to be engulfed by its quicksand maw, just be prepared to exercise a little restraint, and take the dictionary approach. Do not allow yourself to be tempted, or the hours and days will fly by, and you'll re-emerge like Rip Van Winkle, blinking in the bright light of day, wondering what happened. If you can't resist the lure of the depths, first caffeinate thoroughly, put down kibbles for the pets, turn off the phone, take a deep breath, and dive in! You will find yourself in a demanding realm of powerful currents, that will take your mind to far places, even if you thought you were experienced and knew what to expect. It's one of those phenomena where you feel that you're moving very slowly, if at all, and then find yourself shockingly far from where you began in time/space. I especially liked the chapter on "Using Tarot to Build Resilience" (Chapter 28). Seriously good advice lives in that locale! This is the stuff our clients come to us for- and this is the stuff WE started reading Tarot for- validation, empowerment, self-realization and affirmation. This is therapy, and vitamin I (I for Information). This is crisis management in a (virtual) jar. I love it! I should add here, that this is an excellent investment for the person who is serious about attaining a deeper grasp of Tarot-think. Where else can you get what is essentially the equivalent of a Mastery Level course in this very valuable subject for around $30? I rest my case. I should note here that this book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes.

This book is a beast, and chock full of wonderful information. A must read for any tarot practitioner!

i just got this book, i am about to read it. While I was scamming through the pages, I believe it will be so much help

This book is Excellent, the knowledge here is amazing. I love that the book is very thick. Looks like I will have to step up my reading time.

If you can only purchase one book on Tarot, it should be this one! Most complete and she writes in a down to earth understandable style. No long vague esoteric ramblings here...

Excellent book. I wish I had this book when I started reading Tarot, it would have decreased my library significantly. There is so much information in this book, it is a must have for any reader.

So easy to reference any information you need. I have gained so much new knowledge. I was taken back as to how big the book is. Worth buying and having in your collection of books. Thanks Rickie Sue Tampa Florida

absolutely amazing. a book that teaches you to take your own perspective on tarot, introduces you to an abundance of historical nuances and facts, and fosters the growth of practitioners of tarot within every page. i recommend this book to anybody who wants to find their own understanding of tarot, learn history, and learn the deeper meaning of analysis with tarot.

Informative, detailed and well researched. Everything you need to know about Tarot and more. This will stand the test of time.

I wish this was the first book I've read on tarot. Even as an experienced reader, there is very much useful information consolidated into one single book. A must read and must reference for any tarot readers book shelf.

Very well illustrated and written

Benebell Wen left no stone unturned in this 'Tarot Bible.' At times it almost felt like too much information, kind of like a 'text book,' but this is an invaluable wealth of information about all things Tarot, and I like how she incorporates other philosophies and her own Eastern studies into the book. Great in small doses!

By far, the most comprehensive tome on Tarot and my top choice to use as a reference. Well thought out, handy “course guide” on Bell’s website (if you want a syllabus of sorts), and thoroughly researched.

Great book, really like Wen's perspective. I am more into the academic side of Tarot for now, studying more about History and Symbology. This book really called me back to readings. Aside its great content, I like the way is written, she acted as a guiding friend more than an author, more in the advisor mode, that makes like this book some more. Greatly recommended.

I am unable to download this book on my phone. I can download it to iMac, but when I open it, Kindle immediately crashes. How can I correct this problem?

Best book on tarot I’ve found. Steps away from the psychic readings and focus on self growth and holistic approach to self care. Love this.

Book is wonderful Benebell is Amazing though it arrived a bit damaged

The only book on tarot that you will ever need.

Amazing book. The Bible. Just buy it!

This book is like the Bible for tarot cards. It's extremely informative. I also recommend getting post it notes and tabs just to label things and take notes. Book is by far worth it !!!!

An amazingly well researched and written book. It's super easy to read and breaks down each card in beautiful ways. I'd recommend this to any beginner to advanced practitioners.

If you were to have just ONE Tarot book...this would be it. Thank you!, Tamu Ngina, Priestess Heart

Awesome (huge) book! Highly recommended!

Very in depth. It is a lot thicker than I imagined. Over 800 pages including Appendix and Index. Just from what I have read so far, I doubt anyone would ever need another book on tarot.

I love the detail of meanings for each tarot card. You won’t be disappointed in the knowledge that is in this hefty book. As a novice learner of tarot, this is an amazing book to study.

This book is perfect for the beginner or advanced. So so informative.

...tarot reference books available. Well worth the cost.

This is an absolute must for the Tarot Enthusiast! Whether you are new and dabbling or looking to get serious this is the main book you need in your library. It is written in an easy to read and entertaining while very informative! Benebell Wen is the go to on this subject! Do not hesitate in buying this book!!!!

Good reading.

Big chunky book awesome info so far!!

An excellent tarot deck, definately a keeper.

Wonderful

Incredible book, super informative. It has become my go to when I need to brush up on tarot - I've learned a ton from it. Benebell Wen is really an amazing woman.

I wasn't expecting the book to be as big and beautiful as it actually is. I am very pleasantly surprised with how insightful it is. Definitely worth the purchase price.

This is a must-have reference for every tarot enthusiast. Ms. Wen's insights helped take my practice to another level! I especially valued her spreads section and the comprehensive index. You get a LOT for your money with this book, it is a beast!

Wonderful insightful classic on Tarot. You must read this and Benebell's website is also phenomenal.

Has alot of information including spreads. Also can help in areas of your weakness and strengths.

Author takes complicated topics and weaves them together in what can truly only be referred to a holistic view of tarot. This is a must have.

Great book. Very informative I'm enjoying going through this book and learning Tarot on my own. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn Tarot!!

It doesn't get any more profound or better than this book for deeper appreciation and understanding of Tarot. If you are a beginner or seasoned veteran Tarot practitioner, this book is for you.

A complete Tarot guide from a fresh, honest and smart new voice in the Tarot field! You'll be glad you picked this one up. I know it will serve as a reference guide for me for a long time to come, and I think it's a "must-have" on any Tarot lover's book shelf.

More information than I expected. This book has a bit of everything and then some.

This has got to be one of the most informative tarot books on the market. What it doesn't have is a bunch of new age mumbo-jumbo that leaves you hoping that you've understood the authors point correctly.

Higher level of Tarot.... Very interesting. It showed me deeper levels of the cards... I call it my Big Book of Tarot.

Superb..

It’s a great intro to Tarot & western esotericism that covers’s everything from beginner to advanced.

Great book, very detailed on Tarot and is extremely large. I love it. Good read!

Great book. Very big and lots of great information in this book!

The most systematic way to learn tarot. A scholarly treatment of the subject yet very interesting and easy to follow. I use this book for my tarot class Teaching. You learn something new every time you revisit the book.

This book is my new go-tarot book. While beig a bit advanced, it is still perfect for the novice because it has EVERYTHING in it. My favorite part is how she has an index of each card outlining the symbolism, and also has the cards you should compare it to. Love this book!

Beyond excellent book on everything you must/should know about tarot. A virtual Tarot Bible. A must have in your collection.

Very comprehensive treatment of the topic. A must for anyone interested in the topic.

I mean it’s the Bible for tarot cards

I am currently reading this HUGE book. It is well written and easy to understand. I love the way that Benebell writes. I highly recommend for any new or advanced Tarot reader.

Excellent book great details For me it's It is a must read book.

Excellent, meaty, well worth the price and time to study it.

A new classic! The only modern tarot book worth buying! It is time for a new generation in this area to come forth, and Benebell Wen shows the way!

Great book. I love every detail of it. I use it mainly as a quick reference. Kinda like the bible ;p

a much thicker book than i thought but i’m really excited to read it ! have seen good reviews about it so i have high hopes

I've only heard amazing things about this book. I think I found something to keep me busy for awhile, thank you!

instructive and exhaustive encyclopedic volume on tarot practicalities. really appreciate the approach. useful to novices and practitioners alike.

Great book! Glad I purchased this. Good reference book.

New to tarot and I’m positive this book will give me expert knowledge when I’m done it’s over 800 pages and it is very organized

Good for self-learning and self-improving

What an awesome book on tarot!!! Far better and truly informative compared to any other tarot book I've ever owned or read! Thank you Benebell Wen!

Haven't read though the entire thing but useful for looking up tarot info. I'm a newbie and it gives lot of good info.

This is a wonderful resource. I am a beginner student in learning the meat and potatoes of tarot. This author has taken the time out of her very life to put together a great reference for all learners of tarot.

This book is DEFINITELY a MUST for anyone studying Tarot... fantastic and LOADED with information!

This Book is Loaded with so much info , Definitely wonderful as a Reference book.

Such a thorough book!

The best, love this book

Very glad I bought this book

I have a lot of Tarot books, but I really like this one that I just recently purchased. I got it for my kindle, but I'm also going to purchase the paperback. I think that although there are links in the kindle version and they work well, it's a large (896) page book and trying to go back and forth is difficult. I ordered at a local book store to see if I will like the print version as far as looking up a particular card meaning or one of the many charts that come in the book. To me (as a beginner) I think it's an easy read and the author has included a lot of information about the Tarot that I have not seen in other books. I would recommend this book.

This will be the go to book for a very long time. I am very pleased to recommend this book to the beginner and seasoned pro. Benebell is an awesome writer, she shares so much wisdom of the ages. You can not help but learn something, every time you pick it up. I wish this book was around a long time ago, would had helped to shed some light on some issues, that I was having. It has helped me tremendously. I can not say enough good things about this book, it has far surpassed my expectations. Will soon be a Tarot reference. The knowledge within this book, will make you a better Tarot Card reader.

What more praise can I give Benebell? I very well researched book, packed to the gills with information. This should be on every tarot lover's bookshelf.

Short story- Very comprehensive, not too hard to understand, and you can jump around in the book with ease.

Wow - what a depth of information here!! Highly recommended!

Excellent resource for a serious Tarot student. Very comprehensive, easy to understand.

If you want to learn all there is about Tarot, this is a solid base to begin the journey.

Must have book from tarot beginners to tarot masters. No matter your level, there is something for everyone.

Very thorough historical context and includes tons of spreads. Love!

Two stars. The contents of the book are great but it is cheaply made and arrived damaged.

I am so impressed by this book. I feel like it's light-years ahead of other tarot texts I've encountered. My only complaint is that it's so comprehensive -- so large! -- that I can't take it with me when I travel.

Benebell Wen has written a Classic, that should be on every Tarot enthusiast bookshelf, I could have used this volume many, many years ago as I was perfecting my craft. This book contains all one needs to learn and understand the Tarot and is not the same old fluff any card reader or student has seen many times before. Congratulations Ms. Wen on a fine work and thank you for the gift! -aeneas

top notch! The only book on Tarot that ones needs

This is a new approach to tarot that makes sense. I find the book very readable.

Amazing resource that is grounded and objective. Im new to this journey and it has been by my side all the way through!

Condescending and pretentious.

Unique, innovative, detailed, meticulous, and marvelous in every way

Very good book. Not necessarily for beginners but wonderful and very in depth! A must have for any tarot enthusiast!

It gives a good detailed view of tarot. Defiantly a must in any reference library if you plan on studying tarot. It teaches more the fundamentals of tarot. Not as a divination tool but an analytical tool.

Fascinating book!After reading it a second time I must say that this is the best book I ever read on Tarot!

Excellent book. Complete

This is an excellent resource for students of the Tarot at all levels, offering yet another viewpoint. However, although the work is extensive, the middle of the text is bogged down by rehashed card interpretations, many that can be easily found elsewhere. This is where one star is lost. The value of this book can not be overstated. Holistic Tarot is a necessary reference and complete learning system to be enjoyed at all levels.

Best book on Tarot that I own.

Excellent Resource! Best I've seen yet! Love it!

An excellent tome....not only for the beginner, this will improve your readings!

I learning lots of things

This book is phenomenal. It is a huge book and I now know why; there is sooooo much information in it. Whatever question you might have, I'm positive your answer will be found in this book. It's a book you can pick up and read from any section. You do not have to start with page one and finish to the end. Plus there are many visual examples as well. I absolutely love this book. Anyone loving tarot will need this book and WILL NOT be disappointed!

Comprehensive, in-depth, well written. Would be good for someone just starting to learn tarot, as well as seasoned readers.

An amazing read.

Fantastic book on tarot! Full of information. I recommend it for anyone interested in the tarot!

intense resources

A great book with so much information had to add it to my collection

The best and most complete book on the topic. It's a must have for tarot lovers

This is a very thorough book covering many precious details in tarot. It help me clarify many things of doing The opening of the Key. It's the keeper.

This definitive and extremely open minded guide to Tarot is a gem. Novices and masters alike will learn from it. In addition to being an essential tool for Tarot practitioners, Holistic Tarot is a must for writers, psychologists, and anyone interested in the power of symbols. Comprehensively addressing every facet of this incredibly intricate system is no mean feat, and Wen manages it brilliantly. An amazing guide to the map of the human psyche that is embedded in the cards, both scholarly and accessible. I love this book.

Very clear and informative. The author is systematic in her approach to explaining the various aspects, uses and approaches to Tarot. I will definitely keep an eye out for other works by Wen.

Great book! Lots of information and examples. I would recommend it for anyone learning tarot.

One stop Tarot info. Would make a great gift for the Tarot enthusiast, collector or reader.

Very informative.

A Bible of everything Tarot!

Comprehensive, a truly amazing and far reaching piece of work on the subject of tarot. So glad we found it.

I just got this in the mail today and just two chapters into it, I'm hooked. I'm waiting on my RWS deck to get here (I gave the one I had away) so I can delve deeper into the information provided. I love, love, love this book. The next time I get an e-book, this is going to be the one I purchase so I can take it along with me wherever I go.

Great book!

Excellent read

Great quality book.

LOVE this book! Buy it, you won't regret it.

I love this book. I wish I would have picked it up as my first book on tarot, it would have saved me a lot of frustration. This is the most comprehensive book on tarot I have seen to date. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.

I love this book! It is a must read for tarot readers!

This is the best tarot book. It contains all imaginable information and explains the rationale behind the information. It's a perfect supplement to online resources. It's like having a library at your fingertips. I've been transcribing notes about card meanings into a tarot app that I use to input and save spreads. I'm nowhere near getting through the whole book yet but will soon. There are things in this book, like suggesting practicing reading to a teddy bear, that are dumb and should be ignored. Read to anyone and everyone. Who cares if you mess up. The only way to learn is to practice on humans. And yes, you can do it online, remotely, whatever. Everyone does it these days. I even do readings on a certain orange cretin and his minions. It's great practice. Just have fun and ignore any information in the book that's annoying, wrong, or useless. I don't think those things take away from the vast amount of useful information in the book. The scant negatives aside, if someone were thinking about just buying one book, this should be the one because it's so comprehensive.

Best book ever

Excellent, I love it.

Good read as a student of the craft.

haven't finished reading it yet, but so far I'm happy I bought it.

Wonderful book I will use forever! Love it!

Good but standard--both strength and weakness for those of us who have read many tarot books. It promises more than it delivers.

Great book

I am still finding my way through this book on my iPad. It's very well researched and organized and very well-written but it is a little cumbersome for me to find individual card meanings and get back to my previous place in the text. It may work better in this instance to have a printed copy of the book.

Best Tarot book!!

Wonderful encyclopedia of Tarot and related fields. Everyone can benefit from Ms. Wen vast knowledge.

I am surprised by how much the witch community loves this book (holistic tarot) because it pretty blatantly looks down its nose at and doesn't even seem to understand magical views of the tarot. Like she doesn't get all out ranty, but it's like a strong atheist from a non-Christian country with only a very passing idea of what Christian culture is like talking about - oh say winter feasts - and being like "Of course, I guess I need to mention the Christian theory since it's so pervasive or whatever, that we celebrate gift giving at 'Christ Mass' to honor the Kings that found God's baby in a zoo." Additionally, the ethnic slur "gypsy" is used repeatedly in the history section and without necessity. She can do all this research but can't look up what that word means? And the word is only used in reference to theories without evidence. Which, in my opinion, don't need to even be mentioned. What is the point? "Some people think this." Okay, some people think the earth is hollow, why are we taking up space with this? She includes these things, but also takes the occasional paragraph to politely dump on witches? To be honest, it really feels like she is sourcing every book that has ever mentioned tarot (and some DVDs) just so she can throw in a ton of citations to make herself look as "scholarly" as possible, as she does as well by throwing in archaic vocabulary wherever possible and also making up her own terms so that she can tell you at length why her terms are better. It is a good book, but I feel like I can't recommend it to anyone without looking like I condone this. Additionally, I am only on chapter three, and already there are so many problems and unnecessary information, that I have to wonder if this book really did need to be over 800 pages long, or if that, too, was done simply for bragging rights. Pare it down, speak like your actually trying to teach people, lose the slurs, and stop dumping on a good portion of your audience. So this book isn't about magical usage. Cool, that's right up my alley. So just say that and stop treating witches like idiot weirdos, or assuming you have any authority with which to speak for the whole magical community.

First of all there is no debating the sheer analytical vastness of this book when it comes to the Tarot. Wen knocks it out of the park in the field of Tarot book knowledge. HOWEVER, this book is not friendly to the creative mind and doesn't create a literary space conducive to forging a personal relationship with Tarot, which is a massive aspect to mastering the Tarot. Wen shows a clear disdain for the spiritual aspects of the Tarot and for many other practices done in the context of divination in general. There is definitely nothing wrong with not using the Tarot as a divination tool and deciding to define how you personally use Tarot, which is something that Wen decisively does. I just personally felt that Wen went above and beyond when it came to their personal opinions on spirituality, intuition, and mysticism; which are objective aspects of the Tarot even if you don't personally work with them. For me, Wen's overbearing bias was a definite con, especially considering their clear passion for the Tarot as a system for personal development. It's a con to the point of disrespect, Wen could have kept it more professional and scientific. It also even suggested that Wen lacks understanding within the vastness of the Tarot. Studying the Tarot necessitates getting you to think outside yet within duality, which includes the practical and spiritual side of things. Now for pros, there is probably no better book on the Tarot to read if you want a different access point to use the Tarot process-wise. Wen covers many different ways to use the Tarot in a systematic way. If you're someone trying to come at the Tarot as an analyst this book is THE Tarot Bible. Wen also includes more on Tarot history than any other book I've ever read on the Tarot, as well as practical theories on how and why the Tarot even works as a tool to begin with. Ultimately, this book is a must for developing the perceptive end of being a Tarot reader, which gives a powerful balance to an intuitive process if that's your strength as a reader. Again, this concept of mastery and understanding within yet without duality comes up again. That's pretty much where it ends though. The book accomplishes what it sets out to do and leaves little room for anything else, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. To put the cherry on top: Wen is an excellent writer and their style is the perfect blend of human, detached, academic, yet focused with a lovely sense of flow.

The numerology in Benebell Wen’s ambitious book is misleading and completely wrong, and has no business being in a Tarot book if this badly written. She makes NO mention of master number #33, the 9 interpretation is wrong, there is NO such thing as a 2 lifepath, and she says letter V is 2, V is actually 22. Too many mistakes in here regarding numerology. I decided to write this review to warn readers that mixing numerology with tarot if misinterpreted wrong is dangerous, because it could potentially lead to very bad guidance, for a better understanding of numerology mixed with tarot read numerologist GG33 Gary Grinberg’s work. Thank you for reading this review.

An encyclopedia/reference for tarot

Wen spends her first pages of her book insulting and attacking those who would dare use the tarot for looking into the future. Where did that rule come from? If she has ever done paid readings at a psychic fair or expo, as I have, she would know that it is fairly common for someone to sit down at your booth and ask you what is on their horizon in terms of their love life. There is nothing wrong with asking this question, and it is a fairly common question. People are free to ask about the future all day long if they wish. There are no rules. In the first example that Wen gives of an actual divination, the querent asks about whether or not that person will get a raise at work. That is forecasting, is it not? That is what Wen condemned as being so unspeakably evil in her earlier pages. And on her first page, Wen claims that the tarot cannot tell you what to do. If your are asking for guidance, the tarot or any oracle can tell you exactly what you should do in any given situation. That first page made me wonder if Wen has ever seen a tarot deck, much less used one. I have read lots and lots of books about the tarot and other oracles as well, and in all the pages of her book, Wen does not offer one original insight. It is all material that you can get from other books.

I can't praise this book highly enough. I have been studying the tarot off and on for about ten years, and have purchased and read over a dozen different books on tarot. Some of them were better than others, but this one is by far the best. No other book comes close to being as comprehensive. The author covers every aspect of the tarot thoroughly yet concisely, and in a manner that is easily understood. Her beliefs align with my own, that the tarot is more of an analytical tool for personal development than a mystical fortune telling method. I have been amazed at the insight I have gained by using some of the spreads introduced to me by this book. The appendices alone are more than worth the purchase price. I was a bit afraid of getting lost in over 800 pages of material, but found the book easily readable. I would highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone with any interest in the tarot, from novice to expert. While I feel that it is always beneficial to learn from a variety of sources, if I were only able to recommend one book on tarot, this would be the one. It is simply complete, and does not leave the reader with a feeling of having to consult other sources to clarify or learn more about certain topics. I offer my congratulations and thanks to the author for producing such a brilliant book.

I will first and foremost say that I am a beginner in the realm of tarot, but it is something that I have felt calling to me for several years. This is my first non-LWB tarot literature other than online blogs that I have been reading. I have not yet finished it, I would say I am about a quarter of the way through. I will try to update this review once I have finished the entire thing. I've laid out a couple of points that struck me the most when reading. Readability: I think a lot of beginners in tarot may look at this monstrous book and turn away. So far, most reviews seem to be from non-beginners, in my opinion. I feel that a lot of individuals who are beginning may not feel ready to to tackle a scholarly work that this appears to be. I will state here and now, that while it is heavy with references, everything is explained in plain, but intelligent, English. Perhaps it is Wen's legal background that assists her in this venture, but I actually find this reading fairly light. I fully enjoy checking the back of the book to read more in-depth on the footnotes, and it has given me ideas for further reading. She's certainly not talking down to you, I have a lot of trouble with many books that attempt to teach me something because they remind me of an elderly man on a bus trying to instruct me how best to cook for my future husband. I can say that is completely absent from this text. I feel more as though she is talking to me as a friend who has something really interesting and insightful to tell me, and I appreciate that. Her Views: While I personally agree with Wen's views that tarot is not fortune-telling, they are just that, my personal views. While I fully appreciate her stating her views from the beginning to account for any bias, I do find it a bit irritating that she feels the need to constantly remind us that she explicitly does not believe in fortune-telling. The way she often references it feels a bit intolerant to others beliefs to me. While I feel claiming an ability to see the future can indeed be harmful (as she says, leading people to become complacent or become self-fulfilling prophecies) a religion is a religion. I would not appreciate if anyone told me that because I wasn't baptized I am going to hell (yes this has happened), and this reminds me, in perhaps a less extreme version, of that. By constantly referencing her beliefs I feel like she's forcing them on me (and I happen to fully agree with her, which makes it a little awkward.) I don't think it's a big deal, and out of the 262 pages I have read thus far it has not been too noticeable. Gender: My other main caveat (and this is the only other one I have found, mind you) is that she often talks about switching her readings based on a person's gender. It is probably the millennial in me, surrounded by social justice warriors, that does not like this idea of treating peoples differently based on gender. In particular she mentions how she would not read the Knight of Wands card in a reading with a female vs. a male the same way in most cases. This irks me, plain and simple. She does precede these examples by saying that everyone has a different interpretation for the cards, and I agree. But this has come up several times, the Empress is often the signifier for a woman, the Emperor, a man. And while this is an important part of tarot history, I would be mightily irritated if a reader chose the Empress card to be a signifier off the bat in a reading. I personally just don't care for assumptions, particularly those based on gender (or race, mind you, though I think she handles the history of race in tarot quite well, personally). Now onto better things again! Information: I love all the diagrams and the massive amount of information she has covered. Is it still missing some? Of course! This tradition is centuries old, the literature could fill its own library. For instance, I would love to have had a section focused fully on the symbolism in the tarot, as that is of particular interest to me. However, I do think she has tried very hard to give at least a brief overview of many of the ideas intersecting with tarot, numerology, i ching, etc. I fully enjoy the full explanations of the tarot cards. As a beginner the primary thing I have been doing is collecting various interpretations of the cards in order to fully form my own impressions. Her explanations are some of the more well-rounded I have encountered, I particularly enjoy her comparisons and examples. The intersection helps me to understand the cards so much better than I previously had been able to. Organization: I will say it here and now, I am a bit obsessed with keeping things organized. I LOVE how Wen has laid out this book, too the carefully laid out index in the back, to the itemized table of contents. I have no trouble quickly glancing at either to find, almost every time, exactly what I am looking for. Incredibly helpful for on-the-spot learning. Examples: The plethora of examples of readings is incredibly helpful. As someone who entertains ideas of reading for others someday (not necessarily as a professional, but for friends and the like) this gives me a much more robust idea of what to think about. I am not in an area where I can easily find a reader, and I am often skeptical of readings through email (though I have considered some of the Skype options). This is invaluable information for people like me who live in areas where tarot may not elicit the best response from our peers. In conclusion, I highly recommend this work to beginners. It is the most robust book for beginning tarot I could find readily available, my local Barnes and Nobles even had it in stock. It's easy to read and understand - I even read this before bed because I find it calming (not boring!). If you are like me and you want to know *everything* and as soon as possible, I think this is a great place to start.

I have loved the Tarot off and on for about 30 years. I never used it to try to predict the future, but rather to try to think about my path. Mainly I loved tarot decks for their artwork, but I read many 'how to' books on the tarot, but really was never motivated to try to memorize their meanings. I had some serious health issues, and a faith healer convinced me that it was harmful and going against God to do yoga, tarot, etc. she saw all of this as occult practices, lining people up with Satan! So it nearly broke my heart, but I got rid of my huge tarot collection, and the library of books. I recently went to get an Angel deck of cards, and found this book next to the cards. I read the first bit in the store, then bought it. I have been reading it ever since. I can't thank the author enough for helping me release my fear of reading the cards, and now I am reconnected to my friends, the tarot cards. The book and the card meanings are for me, amazingly accurate, far better than any other book I have read. She has done such an outstanding job of researching and writing this book, I am full of new ideas and enthusiasm, like keeping a notebook type journal. I only hope she writes a book about I Ching as well!