Written by contributor Graceley Knox
As a word witch who’s been poring over any little scrap of information written and recorded about various ways of divination for ten plus years now, it’s rare for me to pick up a book and be thoroughly engrossed by each and every word that I read, and not feel the urge to skim through certain parts, but Archetypal Tarot by Mary K. Greer blew me away!
I’ve heard about determining your birth cards through the years, and the concept intrigued me, but the thought of having to calculate all the things on the astrology side was a strong deterrent for me. To be completely frank, astrology and all the symbols and degrees of planets etc. and how they correspond to each other boggles my freakin’ mind because math is hard, and I did my time through school damn it.
So I’ve put off looking into them because as it is, knowing what the 78 cards of the tarot mean, let alone how they correspond with each other, is a lot of information to wade through. Add in how they correspond with planets, and this witch is suddenly sitting in a pile of flow charts, graphs, a notebook with pages of unintelligible scribbled notes, and enough open books around me to form a ritual circle sans chalk or salt. Needless to say… past attempts haven’t gone well, but there’s hope my fellow witches.
From page one, Greer makes it easy to understand exactly what a birth card is, and how to figure out what your particular birth card is. No protractor or advanced degrees needed here, folks, it’s all broken down into easy to follow (and FUN!) steps so you can plug in your info and get to exploring all the things!
Not only did I learn about my birth cards, which are scarily accurate and actually full of surprises at the same time, but I went on a birth card finding spree, calculating my parents, my best friends, my co-writer, my grandparents, and more and it was a BLAST! I can’t count how many times I said out loud “that is so you” when I was telling everyone about their birth cards, whether they wanted to hear about it or not.
As a bonus, if you’re like me and you like the ability to jump around and read different sections rather than having to read linearly, (hello, ADHD, my old friend) in a ‘follow along/lesson’ type of book such as this one, you’re in luck! The layout of this book allows you to read any section you want, in any order, without feeling like you’re completely lost, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve worked with or studied the cards. As someone who’s been focused on other means of divination for a while, and set Tarot aside for a while there, it was a glorious feeling to be able to open a book about Tarot cards (that’s not like a beginners guide 101) and have zero issues whatsoever following along and immersing myself in the process.
I know that I’ll be referencing this book for years to come in my personal practice, my own writing, and for friends, family, and those I work closely with because it’s just that much fun to figure out what makes certain people tick.
I would like to put the disclaimer that if you’re like me and like to take notes on what you’re reading to include later in a BOS or Grimoire, or directly in the book, you should definitely buy two copies of this book because even after my first read through, my copy looks like it went through the Hunger Games of highlights, notes, and underlines and barely made it out alive! I’ll definitely be picking up a second copy to ensure that I’ve always got a back up because Archetypal Tarot is pure spiritual book gold, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Archetypal Tarot is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore. Reviewers Note: I received an ARC of Archetypal Tarot from the publisher, Weiser Books, in exchange for an honest review of this title. I was not paid in any way and all thoughts are honest and my own opinions.
Will you be picking up Archetypal Tarot? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis
The tarot cards associated with your birth date and name form a pattern of personal destiny. They describe the theme of your life—the challenges and the gifts. In Archetypal Tarot, popular tarot practitioner and astrologer Mary Greer connects astrology and numerology to the tarot to create an in-depth personality profile that anyone can use for self-realization and personal harmony.
Greer takes readers on a personal exploration of how the tarot can be used as a tool for learning more about themselves and others.
The book includes:
- Detailed instructions, charts, and exercises on how to determine your soul and personality cards
- How to determine your year card and name card
- The opportunities and challenges you will face
- Journaling and exploratory exercises
Archetypal Tarot is a valuable tool for anyone wishing to learn how to use the tarot to interpret their strengths, challenges, and innermost desires. All you need is a pen and your date of birth and you can learn to cast your own tarot chart.
This book was previously published as Who Are You in the Tarot. This new edition includes a foreword by Theresa Reed, author of Tarot: No Questions Asked, and a new preface by the author.
