Tarot: Temple of Paper, House of Cards

Book excerpt: Tarot: Temple of Paper, House of Cards breaks new ground in the study of the Tarot. The primary goal of this book is not to provide a user manual or card interpretation guide. Nor is it an argument for any one school of thought in regards to the cards, their origin or intended use. Instead, the purpose is to help beginners and adepts alike appreciate the never yet ever changing Tarot in a genuinely new way. The thought exercise that creates this lens through which to understand the heart of the art includes techniques for internalizing the cards, their combinations and overlooked complexities in an immersive manner. These do not compete with prevalent methods but only enhance them. The Tarot is different things to different people. It has survived, and thrived through more than six hundred years of use because of its elastic evolution. This book encapsulates what it was and what it is while still adding to the methods available for its users. Additionally, new research is offered that is sure to surprise even those already well-read on the subject. And speaking of that subject, the practice of Tarot is fascinating on multiple levels including the historic, artistic, folkloric, psychological and spiritual. All of those and more are touched on in a work meant to revitalize not the Tarot itself, but the ways in which we can better understand and make use of it.