Review by nexy jo
I have to admit I'm biased. The Robin Wood
Tarot is my deck of choice, and has been for as long as
I've been a student of the tarot, over five years now.
I've also had the privilege of seeing a seminar she
gave on her deck, and the tarot in general. And then,
sitting with her for a few hours afterward, talking about
all kinds of things, the tarot, life, and the
universe.
That said, the book she wrote on her deck is my tarot
"bible". And not only for her deck, but for the tarot in
general. Her deck generally follows the Rider-Waite
format, so really, any deck that is in this vein, is
applicable.
After a short chapter that reviews the book itself, she
reviews the history of the tarot overall, separating fact
from fiction. Her historical review is one of the most
comprehensive and honest treatments of this topic that I've
read. And finally, after a history of her deck, she
reviews some of the common symbols used in the tarot
what each color can mean, each object, each element
that are universally found in almost every deck.
She reviews each card, grouped by suit, and provides at least
a page and a half of prose. Keywords are provided
along with an in depth interpretation. But she doesn't
stop there. She takes the reader into a journey
through her process; why she chose every element in each
of the cards, and what it means to her. This is the
meat of the book, as it really provides insight into
reading the tarot in general. Don't be fooled into
thinking that one must follow her interpretations though.
She's quite clear in suggesting that we each find our
own symbol sets and associated meanings. She provides
the framework though, a new perspective, of looking at
each card, and applying our individual experience into
a comprehensive yet unique interpretation.
I have a poor memory for facts and figures. When I first
started studying the tarot, the idea that I'd have to
memorize 78 different interpretations seemed quite
daunting. That seemed an overwhelming challenge that stood
in the way of my understanding in how the tarot
works. It was only after reading robin wood's book, that
I began to understand. The reader is encouraged to
see each card in the moment, to take notice of what
element in each card stands out in the context of that
particular reading, catching the reader's eye, and then to
place the interpretation based on those experiences, and
not some memorized list of facts and figures. She
guides the reader through the simple mechanics of reading
the tarot.
After a review of each card, she presents
a short chapter on how the tarot works. The next
chapter reviews how one might begin readings. a chapter
on tarot ethics is followed by a review of three
different spreads. And to finish, a few appendixes, one of
which shows several of the cards in her deck at various
stages, and how they evolved through the time she was
creating the deck.
I highly recommend this book, especially for beginners, and for anyone who uses a deck
based on the Rider-Waite format. It is certainly
valuable for anyone who owns the Robin Wood Tarot deck, but
even experienced readers can benefit from her unique
insight into her own process of creating her deck.
© September 2003
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