Review by Bonnie Cehovet
The 2008 edition of Llewellyn's Tarot Reader is the last issue to be published in this series. Unlike previous editions, there is no calendar section, nor are there new spreads presented, nor are there any one page synopsis of Llewellyn decks. The quality of the paper and the cover are not as good as previous editions either. There are the usual plethora of authors, including Nina Lee Braden, Mary K. Greer, Rachel Pollack, James Ricklef, Valerie Sim, Thalassa, and James Wells.
The book is divided into the following sections: The Fool: Tools For The Journey, The Magician: Practical Applications, The Hermit: For Further Study, and Judgment: Deck Reviews. A wide array of topics are included: working with the court cards, developing a Tarot vocabulary, shamanism and the Tarot, working with Tarot elements, formatting a question, Tarot and death, and metaphysical Tarot. At the beginning of the book there is a section presenting short biographies on each of the authors.
Amongst the articles that I was drawn to were Nina Lee Braden's two part article on "Death", Gail Wood's "Shamanic Tarot", James Ricklef's "Introductions At Court", "Tossing Tarot" by Kevin Quigley, "The Answer Is In The Question" by James Wells, "Pathworking" by Magenta Griffith, and "Metaphysical Tarot" by Leeda Alleyn Pacotti.
Tarot reviews were presented for the following decks: The Tarot of Mermaids, review by Annie Jones; Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights, review by Elizabeth Hazel; The Sacred Circle Tarot, review by Dallas Jennifer Cobb; and The Witches Tarot, reviewed by Roslyn Reid.
The book is worth buying even if only one or two articles appeal to you, as the writing is, for the most part, quite good. There is also the thought that this is the last of the Llewellyn Tarot Readers, and as such a part of current Tarot history.
© August 2007
Bonnie Cehovet is Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.
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