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.

BOOK REVIEW: TarotSeek (TM)

TarotSeek™

Read Tarot Cards For Yourself

Volume 1

(Introducing the TarotSeek system)

By Abella Arthur and Ryan Arthur

Higher Mind Publications
$7.99

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65938

Copyright 2011 Abella Jucy Arthur and Ryan Arthur

FORMAT:  E-Book for the Kindle at Amazon & at smashwords (see above link) for download to your Kindle or computer.

First of all, I just received a Kindle last month from my husband for our anniversary. I’ve been anxious to find good tarot books to download onto it that I haven’t read already.  The choices have been few and far between, sad to say.  Fortunately, Arthur & Arthur just published their E-book, TarotSeek, a week or so ago and when I read how the authors promised a much easier way to read tarot cards I ordered it for my Kindle.

What many people will say is, “man, that’s a such a short book and they want $7.99 for it?  What gives?”  Well, I’ll tell you.  Yes, it is short at around 50 pages, however, the wealth of information TarotSeek contains is WELL worth the price.  I have no regrets about my purchase & am now recommending it to all my tarot reading followers here and to my friends on Facebook. 

Just what is the TarotSeek method, you may ask?  Well, ask away, but you won’t be getting the answer here.  Suffice it to say, that it’s simple and even my 12 year old daughter can now use it, and with great effectiveness.  In fact, here is the best endorsement this book could receive, from Ariel, who said upon learning the system from me,

“OMG, Mom!  This is so simple and I don’t have to look in the book anymore, I just look at the pictures on the cards.  This is great!”

Yes, you read right. My child who has been reading tarot for herself less than a year no longer has to refer to the book that came with her tarot decks (she now owns 2 and wants more – like mother, like daughter).  In fact, Ariel is in her room now happily reading her tarot cards and she reports every once in a while, “this is cool!  And I haven’t even gotten the book out!” 

Like many who have attempted to learn tarot, Ariel was overwhelmed with having to memorize the meanings of 78 cards.  If you decide to read reversals, than the number of meanings you need to know automatically doubles.  This presents a daunting task to anyone.  However, if you employ the TarotSeek method there is no reason to memorize the meaning of the cards.  The only requirement is that all the cards, including the minor arcana, or pips, as they are otherwise known, be fully illustrated with scenes containing action and people or other types of figures (cats, and so on) on each card.  As long as your deck is fully illustrated with a scene on every card, then you can use it with the TarotSeek method.

In addition to the TarotSeek method this E-book also contains what I, as a professional reader, consider to be highly valuable information on how to properly formulate questions for a tarot reading.  So many times clients order from me with questions of, “When will Jim ask me to marry him,” or, “When will I meet my true love.”  The problem with the first is you’re assuming Jim will ask.  He may have other ideas.  The problem with the second question is that it’s too open-ended.  This person may have met their true love already and the opportunity may have passed them by.  Imagine having to tell a client something like that in a reading.  That would be difficult. 

TarotSeek provides a lengthy section on how to formulate questions for a variety of topics and then includes examples of questions under each topic heading.  I wish EVERY tarot book would do this as a matter of course.   I have to often email clients once they’ve ordered to help them to revise their questions in such a way so the tarot can address them properly and accurately.  Professional readers should read TarotSeek so they can see just how easy it is to formulate really good and specific questions that will help the tarot to get to the heart of the matter under question instead of providing vague or difficult to follow answers.  

I’ve been reading professionally since 1996 and have been reading tarot for myself since 1979.  I even learned a couple of new things from TarotSeek that has made tarot readings easier and faster for me to do.  I used the method on several readings so far and each client has emailed me back on how insightful it was and to the point. 

What is important is quality, not quantity, but many people don’t realize that.  The quality of the information you will receive upon ordering TarotSeek will impress you.  It’s a method you will use time and time again, and you will NEVER need to refer to another tarot book again, unless you really, really want to, that is.