Reviews

Pictorial Key to the Tarot, by A. E. Waite

lynn_k's review

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2.0

A good reference book for the different card meanings. I recently discovered that tarot were originally used to play card games and only later did people attach mystical meaning to them.

mattzitterkopf's review

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3.0

If you want to open your mind and "listen" to Waite's voice, go ahead. Warning: you won't come out with clear manings for the amazing cards he (or let's say Pamela Smith) created. There many other great authors who give full and interesting interpretations for the Arcana.

I understand he lived in another time and he thought he was great so he kept loads of information for himself, but this book is not formative at all. I read it because I'm curious and I felt obliged to read the creator of one of the most popular Tarot decks.

Other great reads are Rachel Pollack, Mary K. Greer and Hajo Banzhaf.

katiealleena's review against another edition

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I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11777118

alaunaw's review

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3.0

This book was a slog through hell. I don’t know how I made it through, but I read it from front to back (plus the bibliography), and it was truly an effort. Waite is a horrible, flowery writer with a style that is truly almost impossible (as others have said) to read. He often goes off on unrelated tangents, goes for pages about equally unrelated subjects, and is just generally insufferable. STILL, it has it’s merits! The descriptions of the cards were interesting and fun to read, and I enjoyed seeing the art as well. Overall, this is a good reference book with extremely odd and terrible old man prose - stick to the back half of this one, and you’ll be just fine.
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