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Reviews
Pathworking the Tarot: Spiritual Guidance & Practical Advice from the Cards by Leeza Robertson
lexyg's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like this books gives you the tools to jumpstart your intuitive force, and also gives you the information that you need to move with confidence when you actually used your deck of cards. It made me realize how I need to keep researching and learning to understand the cards better.
bloodravenlib's review against another edition
4.0
Quick impression: After reading a couple of Tarot books that just were not that good, this was a relief. I really liked this one because the author offers an accessible tone for starters, much more down to earth. Also, there is a lot of material to work from for studying the cards. Overall, fairly easy read and good way to get you to look at the cards in depth.
Full review on my blog later.
Full review on my blog later.
redhairedashreads's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting book. Each card gets an explanation about the card but then it explains three different ways to pathwork with the card.: meditation, journaling, and wandering. This part was very interesting for me and I really like the different options that was given. I will be buying this book once it comes out to use as a reference for future readings.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.*
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.*
captainfez's review against another edition
2.0
I've read cards for a couple of decades now, though am very much an anti-woo stalwart. I like the narratives a reading can create, and about seeking meaning from the chance juxtaposition of some printed designs.
But, like most readers, I still feel there's more I could be getting from the decks. I mean, I'm not a Papus or a Waite, and certainly not a Pollack. And so when the option came up to read a book on pathworking, I took it.
It's a shame I came away a bit bummed.
(Sidebar: I'm not an expert. I've read a lot, and felt my way around this area for ages, but am not attempting to pooh-pooh this based on any perceived superiority. All readers are learning all the time – or should be, at least.)
Pathworking is, in essence, guided meditation. It's about using the cards as indicators rather than in the strictly divinatory sense that some might consider is the standard or correct usage for a deck. For this text, Robertson divided the deck into major and minor arcana – a fairly standard division – and details three ways of interacting with the cards. Intentional, intuitive and wandering methods are covered for each of the major arcana, and then for each value of the minor arcana. The idea is to focus on one card and to foster a connection with it through the various methods, ranging from meditation to going for an actual walk with your laminated chum.
The book reads a bit more fast-and-loose than I prefer in my tarot texts, but that's a personal preference.
I did like the way that the minor arcana's court cards were treated as non-binary and reflective of an interlinked journey rather than moments in isolation. Similarly, the way the numbered cards led to each other was a good take, and I happily took some pointers from some of the comments within.
I filtered a lot of the commentary and exercises, though. It felt like a lot of the intuitive methods of examination could've been shuffled around with not much difference: there's only so many times one can read about stepping into the shoes of a card without thinking that there's something interchangeable about the approach.
I found it strange that the book seems to lump everything in, the assumption being that if you are interested in cards, then angel work, crystals, candle magic, vibrations, mantras, altars and number correspondences will all tag along for the ride. I can totally understand that there's a market for whom this is the case, but it clanged with me.
Something that irked me about the text was the way the author continually refers to their previous works. I understand that Robertson is a deck designer and has written other works on the tarot, but the continual mentioning of other decks (and the occasional "I wrote about this in another book so I won't do it here") passage seems freighted with the expectation that I'd be either familiar with these things, or else would grab 'em at my earliest convenience. This is admittedly a minor irritation, but it felt in places as if the book were written with the assumption that the reader would already be a fan.
Additionally, there's more than a few references to Robertson's clients, which seemed unnecessary at best and a bit of a brag at worst. I don't know: maybe the target audience of this work is readers with an established client list. In that case, they'll perhaps feel a bit reassured that a working reader is writing in a manner that refers to them. For someone who doesn't see clients – I generally only read for friends and by request – it seems to only accentuate the distance between my practice and the author's.
I admit, the limited time I had to read the book – digital review copies have DRM attached which turns a copy into woofle-dust after a certain period – probably influenced my view. Robertson is clear that the book is designed to be used in a take-once-daily kind of way, to deepen the reader's connection to their deck. Perhaps I would have found less repetition had I the freedom to engage in this manner. It may offer a different perspective if approached this way – but based on my feelings on this read-through, it's unlikely I'll give it a second chance.
There's some good ideas here, and some approaches that I might well adopt – but I think Pathworking the Tarot highlights that my approach to both tarot and pathworking are a bit different to the author's. I suspect that if I were just starting out in tarot, I'd have a much more glowing take on the work.
(I read this book ahead of its publication, thanks to Netgalley, in exchange for an unbiased opinion. It wasn't for me, but it might be for you, and you can find out more from the publisher's page on the work.)
But, like most readers, I still feel there's more I could be getting from the decks. I mean, I'm not a Papus or a Waite, and certainly not a Pollack. And so when the option came up to read a book on pathworking, I took it.
It's a shame I came away a bit bummed.
(Sidebar: I'm not an expert. I've read a lot, and felt my way around this area for ages, but am not attempting to pooh-pooh this based on any perceived superiority. All readers are learning all the time – or should be, at least.)
Pathworking is, in essence, guided meditation. It's about using the cards as indicators rather than in the strictly divinatory sense that some might consider is the standard or correct usage for a deck. For this text, Robertson divided the deck into major and minor arcana – a fairly standard division – and details three ways of interacting with the cards. Intentional, intuitive and wandering methods are covered for each of the major arcana, and then for each value of the minor arcana. The idea is to focus on one card and to foster a connection with it through the various methods, ranging from meditation to going for an actual walk with your laminated chum.
The book reads a bit more fast-and-loose than I prefer in my tarot texts, but that's a personal preference.
I did like the way that the minor arcana's court cards were treated as non-binary and reflective of an interlinked journey rather than moments in isolation. Similarly, the way the numbered cards led to each other was a good take, and I happily took some pointers from some of the comments within.
I filtered a lot of the commentary and exercises, though. It felt like a lot of the intuitive methods of examination could've been shuffled around with not much difference: there's only so many times one can read about stepping into the shoes of a card without thinking that there's something interchangeable about the approach.
I found it strange that the book seems to lump everything in, the assumption being that if you are interested in cards, then angel work, crystals, candle magic, vibrations, mantras, altars and number correspondences will all tag along for the ride. I can totally understand that there's a market for whom this is the case, but it clanged with me.
Something that irked me about the text was the way the author continually refers to their previous works. I understand that Robertson is a deck designer and has written other works on the tarot, but the continual mentioning of other decks (and the occasional "I wrote about this in another book so I won't do it here") passage seems freighted with the expectation that I'd be either familiar with these things, or else would grab 'em at my earliest convenience. This is admittedly a minor irritation, but it felt in places as if the book were written with the assumption that the reader would already be a fan.
Additionally, there's more than a few references to Robertson's clients, which seemed unnecessary at best and a bit of a brag at worst. I don't know: maybe the target audience of this work is readers with an established client list. In that case, they'll perhaps feel a bit reassured that a working reader is writing in a manner that refers to them. For someone who doesn't see clients – I generally only read for friends and by request – it seems to only accentuate the distance between my practice and the author's.
I admit, the limited time I had to read the book – digital review copies have DRM attached which turns a copy into woofle-dust after a certain period – probably influenced my view. Robertson is clear that the book is designed to be used in a take-once-daily kind of way, to deepen the reader's connection to their deck. Perhaps I would have found less repetition had I the freedom to engage in this manner. It may offer a different perspective if approached this way – but based on my feelings on this read-through, it's unlikely I'll give it a second chance.
There's some good ideas here, and some approaches that I might well adopt – but I think Pathworking the Tarot highlights that my approach to both tarot and pathworking are a bit different to the author's. I suspect that if I were just starting out in tarot, I'd have a much more glowing take on the work.
(I read this book ahead of its publication, thanks to Netgalley, in exchange for an unbiased opinion. It wasn't for me, but it might be for you, and you can find out more from the publisher's page on the work.)
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
A good book, useful to beginners and skilled pratictioners.
I liked how the book is organised and I found useful ideas and hints.
It could have been a 5* but I think that the references to previous books do not help.
Recommended
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I liked how the book is organised and I found useful ideas and hints.
It could have been a 5* but I think that the references to previous books do not help.
Recommended
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
lauraglovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
I overall liked this book! I think for a beginner or intermediate reader, or for a reader interested in working with their cards in a new way (ex. more intentionally 'face up' / for intention setting, for meditation, etc), there will be something in this book that appeals.
The book is organized by cards - a section on each major, a section on each tier of the courts (Pages to Kings), then finally a section on each number in the minors (the Aces through the tens). For each of these, there is a description of the card(s) followed by three exercises: intentional, intuitive, and wandering. I will say these seemed to bleed into each other a bit -- Robertson acknowledges this -- but in working through the book I completed one exercise for each section and aimed to complete roughly an equal number of exercises from the three types. Some were more interesting than others; there were certainly gems I'll revisit, while others felt like ideas I'd read before (some of the exercises within the book were rather repetitive).
One quibble I have is that the definition of "pathworking" in this book is extraordinarily broad/general -- dare I say to the point of losing meaning. I know there are a few different definitions/understandings of pathworking, but this just felt rather 'anything goes' - pathworking is an important part of my meditation practice and as I understand it, many of these exercises were not what I would call pathworking at all (which is not to say that made them not good, just to say I'm not sure the title for the book is exactly descriptive of the contents).
I very much enjoyed Robertson's writing style -- conversational and friendly, not formal but not overly familiar either. This book is approachable and enjoyable and I'm glad I have it in my tarot library.
The book is organized by cards - a section on each major, a section on each tier of the courts (Pages to Kings), then finally a section on each number in the minors (the Aces through the tens). For each of these, there is a description of the card(s) followed by three exercises: intentional, intuitive, and wandering. I will say these seemed to bleed into each other a bit -- Robertson acknowledges this -- but in working through the book I completed one exercise for each section and aimed to complete roughly an equal number of exercises from the three types. Some were more interesting than others; there were certainly gems I'll revisit, while others felt like ideas I'd read before (some of the exercises within the book were rather repetitive).
One quibble I have is that the definition of "pathworking" in this book is extraordinarily broad/general -- dare I say to the point of losing meaning. I know there are a few different definitions/understandings of pathworking, but this just felt rather 'anything goes' - pathworking is an important part of my meditation practice and as I understand it, many of these exercises were not what I would call pathworking at all (which is not to say that made them not good, just to say I'm not sure the title for the book is exactly descriptive of the contents).
I very much enjoyed Robertson's writing style -- conversational and friendly, not formal but not overly familiar either. This book is approachable and enjoyable and I'm glad I have it in my tarot library.
annarella's review
4.0
A good book, useful to beginners and skilled pratictioners.
I liked how the book is organised and I found useful ideas and hints.
It could have been a 5* but I think that the references to previous books do not help.
Recommended
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I liked how the book is organised and I found useful ideas and hints.
It could have been a 5* but I think that the references to previous books do not help.
Recommended
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
theinstantreader's review
4.0
As a thank, you to Netgalley and the publisher ( Pen and Sword History) for an advanced readers copy of Leeza Robertson’s “ Pathworking the Tarot”. This book is multifaceted as it can be used by novice and experienced tarot card readers. This book is one that should be explored in a timely manner then read consecutively. It can be of course the richness in which Robertson creates should be savored slowly as she provides much to meditate on. In this book Robertson expands on the personal journey one has with the Tarot. This is done by exploring the themes each hard holds as well as exploring meaning found in the cards and provides information in which one may meditate on. This book can be used as an exploratory tool in spiritual work or by exploring the shadow self within us all. This book is insightful and one that I will look to concerning my relationship with the cards for time to come. I gave this book four out of five stars on Goodreads.
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