BOOK REVIEW: Tarot Diva

Tarot Diva, by Sasha Graham                     

Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, Minnesota

http://www.llewellyn.com

ISBN #:  978-0-7387-2604-5

PB:  $18.95

300 pages

Tarot Diva is written in first person, which causes the entire book to read as though you and Sasha are sitting down in your living room having a nice long tarot chat over several cups of coffee.   First person for a tarot book presents the reader with a fresh perspective written in a personal voice and this causes the entire text to be easily readable and accessible, even to tarot newcomers.

For a newcomer to tarot, Tarot Diva has it all:  brief interpretations, meditations, exercises, spells, tarot charms, cooking recipes, and more.  The book provides a wealth of information all in one place that is easily readable, understandable, and is presented in a charming and friendly manner.  For anyone, the book is an enjoyable read.

The word, “diva,” is Italian for “goddess.”  The term is used “to describe any woman of unusually glamorous and successful talent …  anyone who walks the walk, talks the talk …  A diva is not to be crossed or messed with” (p. 6).  The chief premise of this book is that tarot cards can help you to discover and to release your inner diva by cultivating your intuition.  

Sasha Graham presents information on how to keep a tarot journal, creating tarot charms to manifest desired outcomes, the major and minor arcana experiences in life and how to tell the difference between the two, kitchen tarot focusing on how to apply the tarot archetypes to your cooking, and how to discover and refine your sense of personal style through the tarot archetypes.

Specific to tarot, Sasha Graham presents information on how to choose a deck that best fits you, creating sacred space and tarot ritual, archetypes, and the four suits and their associations.  What I found enjoyable was her discussion of the court cards as though they were personality types one would actually know.  For example, the Knight of Pentacles as the good looking popular boy who drives a nice car and comes from a family with money.  In other words, “beefcake dreaminess” (p. 154).  Her descriptions of the court cards brought them to life for me.   Her discussion of the minor arcana is thorough.  Ace – ten of each suit is discussed in terms of not only their basic interpretations, but each is accompanied by one or more of the following:  journaling exercises, spreads, beauty tips and practices, charms and spells, methods to strengthen a card’s energies in your life, even health and diet are all topics addressed and connected to particular cards.  

Regarding the process of doing a reading, basic topics are included; such as, how to shuffle (many people do wonder about this), spreads (1 & 3-card, Stairway, Celtic Cross), reading for yourself and others.   What I found particularly enjoyable about this section was how the author broke down the 10-card Celtic Cross spread into several smaller readings with question prompts to ask yourself that will help a reader to learn the deeper meanings of each card position within that spread.  

All in all, Tarot Diva, is not only informative, but the information is presented in a very entertaining manner.  This is a book to enjoy and then to keep on your tarot bookshelf for years to come as a good reference.