Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness (A New Edition of the Tarot Classic)

Pollack has a refreshing voice which is at once scholarly and pedestrian. Her writing is easy to follow, well laid out, and comprehensive. She goes into much detail regarding symbolism, history, and interpretation—yet somehow manages to keep every bit of the content completely relevant and useful. (I also really enjoy The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Card Meanings by Brigit Esselmont. However, Esselmont‘s descriptions tend to have this heavy filter of “positivity”, which I find really distorting at times. Her philosophy is a personal one, and that’s fine; but it’s nowhere near as well researched or earnestly delivered as Pollack’s book.)I was continually confronted with this book since the start of my tarot journey several years ago. My gut didn’t tell me to buy it until a couple months ago, and for great reason (in retrospect). While at first I was upset I hadn’t bought it sooner, I now concede that having a well-established understanding of tarot and the mystery schools made my reading experience much more impactful. However, I do feel a neophyte will get a lot out of it. And honestly, it’s a must-have for anyone who is serious about tarot... make the investment.The binding is nice on the paperback edition; I can bend the spine to my liking with no damage or bad creasing. My only complaint is to the publisher for such TERRIBLE editing. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors abound. While I tend to be picky about that sort of thing in general, I still feel the next edition needs a serious editor... this is a gem and should be preserved in its best light. However, to the buyer: DO NOT let that keep you from purchasing!

So many tarot books out there give a 3-page history of the tarot, then dive into what each card means. This book takes the time to look at the way the deck is structured, how the order of the cards makes sense, the symbolism and numerology, and then what each card means. But more than just keywords and vagaries, you learn the Why behind the meanings, and gain highly useful, grounding perspective that helps you remember those meanings. For me, it was the perfect combination of elements that kick-started my tarot learning into higher gear. Looking forward to exploring the author's other tarot works, which I'm certain are as thoughtful and knowledgeable as this one.

This was a pleasant surprise! I recommend it to anyone interested in tarot

I was searching for a book on symbolism in the Tarot And chose this because of the positive reviews. it was not what I was searching for, a quick easy to use reference guide to quickly gain an understanding of symbolism. What it IS Though, is A well written, easy to read, in-depth Understanding of the deck. I have no desire to use it as a quick reference guide, but to slowly read through card by card. I am only halfway through the major arcana and I am so enjoying learning, again that in depth understanding Of history and symbolism and how different cards tie together to create a story. The writers style Resonates with my learning style. This book is not for those Looking for a Basic understanding to read cards for friends. For those looking to really connect with the history of the cards This is the book. I am savoring every minutes I’m reading it

this work gets four stars for giving a comprehensive thought analysis on why Tarot works, how to interpret the cards in the Major Arcana in relation to each other, how to interpret different spreads, her nod to appreciating all the work that was put into the cards by previous generations, and an excellent analysis on the ways in which modern science can be just as rigid, inflexible, and dogmatic in its explanations of the deep mysteries of life and the universe. that being said, the meanings she gives to the cards are what turned me off to Tarot for so many years. they are just so overwhelmingly negative and filled with a sense of inescapable doom and gloom. i recommend this book for anyone serious about learning Tarot. but there are other ways to interpret these cards. this book is a good start but i have been reading about general symbolic interpretations about colors, numbers, animal imagery, the layout of images on the cards (left or right/top versus bottom), the symbols themselves (conjunctions, circles, spirals, squares, triangles) and combining that with astrological meanings to get a less gloomy view of the cards. i also always factor in the reversed meanings for every card and thus i never have them reversed when laying out a spread. when i do this, i always get lots of upside down cards and it really affects my mood. but i don't ignore reversals, they have to exist in order for the upright meaning to exist so i consider it all, sideways, crossways, whatever keeps me grounded and focused.

This book was recommended to me when I purchased my first Rider Waite tarot deck and knew SO little about tarot. What a difference this book makes in helping you learn and understand the traditional Rider deck!! The rich themes, stories and nuances of the cards do Not come thru in the tiny booklets that come with the decks....this book Really gives great depth of understanding the cards in upright and reversed positions. Absolutely a necessary companion to tarot in my 'book!' ;-)

I've had this book for years and finally replaced my old copy. This is a book to be read again and again. It was originally published in the early '80s and was an instant classic. This book remains one of the best on Tarot even after all these years.I've read other reviews about this book. Does the book include some bits about Qabalah and Jewish mysticism? Yes, because that tradition has been part of the Tarot at least since the 1800's (probably much longer than that). Does this book have negative parts? Yes, because, well.... Tarot reflects life and there are negative attributes of life whether we like it or not.Is the book complex? Sure.... so what? Some people complain it's too simple. Some people complain it's too complex. Some people say it's too much, or not enough..... Please, how is a single tome to cover everything in language that's appropriate for everyone? And if you can't understand the book, then maybe it's because you need a remedial Tarot book to study instead of information meant for more serious studies of the cards. Don't blame the book if you can't grasp what is being explained clearly.For over 30 years, this and Waite's book on the Tarot have been my main 2 books of study and both of them have served me well. I highly recommend Rachel's book to anyone wanting to get serious about the cards. Enjoy!

Let me start by saying, this book is dense. If you're looking for something that just gives quick descriptions of the card's meanings, this might not be for you. That being said, it is a wonderful book filled with so much useful information. Pollack talks not only about the cards themselves, but also of the historical and contextual societies they were developed during which brings a whole new meaning to the cards. She ties this in seamlessly to modern times and connections with other cards, so that by the time you actually get to the section specifically on divination meaning, you can almost figure it our for yourself. She does provide multiple perspectives for the reversals. I don't mind that as I see the more knowledge the better, but I can see it being a difficult thing for me to navigate (as I'm a new reader) when trying to decipher which of the contexts is correct. But that's more about time and practice than anything else. Overall, great book that I wish I had bought years ago.

By far the best book about tarot! It gives a very deep look into each card but more important a connection between them AND our daily life. It helps understanding the tarot by comparing it to the psychological development we all go through. Not just a book with 30 key points per card to memorize!

The best book on the Tarot cards. It is not necessary to use the cards as oracle. It is possible to use the cards for the purpose of meditation, to gain self-knowledge and wisdom. In as much as the cards represent all aspects of our life it is also possible to draw (say) five cards at random and create a story. Fun.

It is a good read for all who are interested in tarot reading. The explainable by Author gives another insight on the cards. Good buy!

Brilliant, insightful and practical, helped me gain confidence in my own intuition. An essential read for anyone wanting to truly understand tarot.

This is rated as the best Tarot book ever written. I can believe that. It is very in depth. The layout and structure is very different to most Tarot books, it is actually best to read the entire book beginning to end, not just as a reference to "look up" each card meaning whilst doing a reading.