James Ricklef’s Tarot Tells the Tale is well-known for its collection of entertaining and instructive readings done for literary characters. They really are effective learning tools. Because they are the main focus, people might forget or overlook the fact that this book is also a great general “beginner” book. Before delving into the readings, James covers all the basics, so even if you’ve never done a reading before, you’ll have all the information you need to get started. Of course, James includes a discussion of reversed cards, which I thought I’d share part of it with you. The rest of the book is just as succinct and useful. It really is a treasure. The Five D’s

Tarot shelves at bookstores are filled with beginner level books. Do we really need so many? Aren’t they all essentially the same? I think we do need so many and that they are not essentially the same. First, they all differ in terms of voice and presentation. People learn differently and respond better to some styles of communication than to others. Every author has his or her own voice and way of explaining things. Second, not every tarot reader interprets or reads the cards in the same way. By seeing that there are so many different methods and schools of thought, new readers are encouraged to explore until they find what works for them. This month we will look at eight different