The Marseille Tarot Revealed by Yoav Ben-Dov
Although this book is specifically written for use with a Marseille Tarot-style deck, I found a lot of useful information that can apply to any reading with any tarot deck.
Yoav includes a section on reading symbolic language in the cards. He includes categories that many of us have seen before, such as color and number, but he includes other categories that are less commonly discussed. I found the section of body parts particularly interesting.
Although I never had what I consider a formal method of interpreting body parts, I realized that I do casually think about body parts symbolically. For example, I usually notice if a character is wearing any sort of headpiece such as a crown or a hat, which to me denotes what is on someone’s mind. I notice the feet, whether they are bare or with shoes or boots, whether they are firmly on the ground, moving, or in water. Let’s take a look at Yoav says:
Body parts of tarot figures can be interpreted in several ways. One way is to interpret the body parts metaphorically according to their function and use. For example, a hand symbolizes what the querent is doing. An eye symbolizes what they can or want to see. The shoulders can represent the burden they are carrying. A belly is what they contain and keep inside. A woman figure with a round belly can express pregnancy with something, not necessarily a real child. The legs represent the stability of the querent’s position or their ability to move. Whatever is under them can be the basis on which they stand.
In the book he goes on to compare certain parts of the body to the minor suits (leg = pentacles, pelvis = wands, chest = cups, head = swords). You’ll have to get the book for his take on these connections, but even if you don’t, spend some time and think about the possibilities and maybe other potential connections.
This is a beautiful, full color book that will be useful to any tarot reader, whether they use the Marseille or not. Take a peek and see if it interests you: http://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738752280
