It's All in the Cards : Tarot Reading Made Easy

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Summary: It's All in the Cards: Tarot Reading Made Easy
Review: Tarot reading is indeed made easy in this new book by first-time author, John Mangiapane. In a down-to-earth, conversational language laced with humour, the author has distilled the essence of his own experiences with the Tarot and also from his classroom experiences as a teacher of Tarot.

From explaining the four main areas of the life where most people want advice or clarity to the use of card spreads, the individual cards both upright and reversed, card combinations and more, the author deftly shares his insights. The examples included are anectodes culled from his experiences as a reader and as a teacher. Though he professes not to be "psychic", it is obvious that he possesses a natural intuition or ability for the use of Tarot as a tool for self-improvement and divination.

I especially like the organization of the contents, including the grouping of the numbered pips together by their number. That is, all the Aces or Ones are together, all the Twos, etc. This facilitates seeing how each minor arcana or pip card may be seen within its context of both number and suit as both qualities impact the possible meanings. Additional insights are offered through the inclusion of different card combinations; also that known as a "run", where three or more of a particular type of card appears in a spread. Those particular features and others are not commonly found in most Tarot books and attest to the thoroughness with which the author views his subject.

As a professional card reader who has not been particularly drawn to most books of the genre, I find the author's style not only appealing, but easily understood. Suitable for the beginner as well as for the more advanced student. The book's contents are structured so that the reader is taken in a step-by-step format towards a working understanding, almost without realizing it. This is one book that demystifies the mysterious often associated with card readings, and very expertly done at that.