1-2-3 Tarot

by Donald Tyson

Reviewed by Solaris, CPTR

I see red flags when an author assures readers, There's no need to memorize the cards - it only takes a moment to look up the parts of each Tarot Sentence. The technique in this book seems absurd as some of the Tarot Sentences are complicated, lengthy, and the meanings are way off track (if you use Rider Waite as a basis for comparison) The good thing about the 1-2-3 system is that the cards are read collectively in triplets. What Tyson does is take the meanings from each of the three cards and makes a sentence by combining them into three parts: Subject - the nature of the card; Action -what the card is doing; and Direction - the way the action expresses itself. No background is given in the book as to how to interpret basics of symbolism, which a reader must already be familiar with to work this system. Not having this information included leaves the reader wondering where the author came up with some of the meanings for the sentences. The 1-2-3 system is an individual, personal reading system not universally taught throughout the tarot community. To be able to work it, a reader needs to have a pre-existing knowledge and basic background of how tarot really works in general.

The illustrations further complicate this book. Most inexperienced readers expect illustrations to be similar to a Rider Waite deck, and this Universal isn't. Something I would like to see in this book is more on what the trumps and pips represent, and how numerology and elements fit in. Also, how to interpret basic symbolism -- all of which would help a reader better understand Tyson's 1-2-3 system of tarot reading.

I would add my own triplet here as a disclaimer to purchasing this book.

3 of Wands -- buy and add it to your collection

Page of Pentacles -- read it once

8 of Cups -- leave it on your shelf

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