LLEWELLYN’S TAROT READER FOR 2008

By Llewellyn Worldwide Publications

ISBN 978-0-7387-0681-8

Attention all ye who collect Tarot books and decks! There seems to be a growing crescendo to the Tarot publication shift that will change what we see in the near future regarding the likes of “Tarot Readers” from Llewellyn Publications. If you love to collect Tarot books like I do, you might want to search out and find any years you might be missing in your collection. Changes are afoot and we hope that this Tarot publication will not be discontinued as I have heard is being considered. By the look and feel of this year’s edition, which is much smaller and doesn’t include the monthly calendar, it’s possible that the “Tarot Reader” might be combined with another publication. I tried to speak with someone at Llewellyn, but as yet I have not been able to clarify the future possibilities of this book. I will let you know when I get the straight scoop from Llewellyn.
When eBay first begin to see an increase in Tarot listings of decks and books back in 2000 (only 1 to 2.5 pages of listings), who knew that today there would be literally thousands of listings exclusively for Tarot items, especially decks and books? There seems to be a shift as Tarot begins to become more a part of the mainstream for people seeking enlightenment and inspiration, and increased sales support this opinion.
The 2008 “Tarot Reader” has articles by very talented Tarot teachers, writers and readers, which include the Amberstone team well-known in the NE of the United States for their Tarot correspondence courses and their well-attended annual Readers Studio. They share their insight on turning inward and the inherent challenges when doing so. These highly creative teachers bring us to a new perspective of how to open doors using Tarot.
Also, the prolific Tarot author, Nina Lee Braden, brings to us a variety of helpful insights on grief, relationship work and teaching Tarot. Cards anyone? Valerie Sim completes a two-part series (the first part in the 2007 Tarot Reader) on Tarot Solitaire. What fun! This is a version of a game called Pyramid because of its triangular layout of twenty-eight cards. If you are a card player you will enjoy this Tarot game.
You won’t find the scrumptious, gorgeous clip art as in the “Llewellyn’s 2006 Magical Almanac” (This is a hint for you collectors of fantasy and magical clip art and articles.) but you will find articles written by Tarot scholars like Rachel Pollack “Seeking the Gods”, Mary K. Greer, “Tarot and the Tree of Life”, James Ricklef, “An Evening with the High Priestess” and James Wells, “The Answer is in the Question”, among others. The phrase, “Less is more” can be applied to this smaller annual version of the Llewellyn “Tarot Reader” for 2008 and I highly recommend it for a helpful and quick read, but also getting it for your collection.
Review by Kristin Lee-Gray, CTI - Certified Tarot Master and Instructor
President, CTN - Canadian Tarot Networ, Intl. www.tarotcanada.com

LLEWELLYN WORLDWIDE PUBL.