The 5 Best Tarot Books for Beginners

If you are overwhelmed by the market of tarot books, start with these five. All are well-written, useful for beginners and interesting.

Once you have read these books, not only will you know more about tarot cards, but you will have a good idea of where you want to go with studying the tarot.

If even this is too much, begin with the first book on this list––the one I most highly recommend––and don't worry about anything else.

1. The Tarot: History, Symbolism and Divination, by Robert M. Place

Robert M. Place, creator of the Vampire tarot, is also an accomplished author. Tarot: History, Symbolism and Divination is his excellent introductory volume on the tarot.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about tarot symbolism. Place covers the history of this symbolism from the Renaissance to the present day.

Place is a good writer. His books are interesting and easy to read. Throughout the book, Place includes historical illustrations which he has redrawn in his characteristic style. These illustrations make the history of the tarot, and its historical antecedents, clearer.

2. The 2-Hour Tarot Tutor, by Wilma Carroll

Wilma Carroll's book is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to practice tarot divination. Carroll's approach to tarot reading is to "look at the cards and say what you see." She explains how to do this, starting with a 2-hour long exercise, and tells stories from her own practice as a tarot reader.

This is a great resource for aspiring tarot readers who are overwhelmed by the books on the market––and the information on the web. If you want to read tarot cards and need to strengthen your intuition, this is the book for you.

3. A History of the Occult Tarot, 1870-1970, by Ronald Decker and Michael Dummett

Despite its flaws, A History of the Occult Tarot is a great starting point for anyone interested in tarot history. It's also affordable, unlike Dummett's other books on this subject.

History covers the beliefs and practices of these occult societies, up until the tarot revival of the 1960s and 70s. Much space––too much, in my opinion––is given to the "temple politics" that led to splits and fractions within the groups. However, this does make interesting and occasionally funny reading, as when S.L. Mathers retaliates against his enemies by cursing frozen peas (110).

The book also has a primer in esoteric theories, such as the cult of Thoth and Rosicrucianism. This is valuable for anyone wanting to know the history of these movements, and to get an historical perspective into groups like the Golden Dawn.

4. Tarot Dictionary and Compendium, by Jana Riley

Jana Riley's Tarot Dictionary compiles what fourteen prominent tarotists have written about each tarot card. Want to know what the Four of Cups represents to A.E. Waite, Rachel Pollack and Mary Greer? This book will tell you. The book also includes a section on card correspondences and Jungian archetypes.

I recommend this book for anyone with a divinatory interest in the tarot, who wants to know how various occultists have interpreted specific tarot cards since the late 19th century. This book helps you clarify your interpretation of a specific card in a short amount of time.

5. 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card, by Mary K. Greer

21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card is a thorough primer for anyone interested in using the tarot for divination. This book systematically presents 21 different approaches to reading tarot cards, without lapsing into mystical vagueness.

In this book, there are exercises for beginners and adepts for each method. These exercises make the learning process even easier––as long as you do them, that is! There is no substitute for action, and 21 Ways makes both action and understanding easily accessible.

Conclusion

Once you've perused these five books, feel free to read more on tarot. Fair warning: sometimes, less is more. There are a lot of tarot books out there of dubious value. If you ever find yourself getting confused by all the ideas out there, return to these five books and you'll be fine.

Read More:

Free Tarot Books

Printable Tarot Cards

Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot

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