TAROT TELLS THE TALE

(ISBN 0-7387-0272-2)

By James Ricklef

A review by John Gilbert, Ph.D.

With so many books out there purporting to teach people how to read tarot cards, why are there so many poor tarot readers? Why are so many people trying unsuccessfully to learn how to read tarot cards? The answer to these two questions seems to be another question: Why is it so hard to learn how to interpret the cards?

The answer is it isn’t hard to learn how to interpret tarot cards; you just have to find the right teacher. Author James Ricklef is the right teacher and he’s done a masterful job of teaching tarot readers how to interpret the cards in his new book “Tarot Tells the Tale (ISBN 0-7387-0272-2) by James Ricklef, published by Llewellyn Worldwide (www.Llewellyn.com).”

“Tarot Tells the Tale” is a collection of twenty-two three-card tarot readings done by Mr. Ricklef for some of history’s notables. The first reading, for example, is done for Beauty the famed heroine of “Beauty and the Beast.” The author admits these are traditional three-card tarot readings done in the normal manner. They are not figments of his imagination. For each reading James lists the deck he used for the reading, explains the challenges presented to him by the reading, the things he learned from the reading, explains his process and presents the whole reading as an answer to the question raised by his “client.”

Each reading is a wonderful teaching tool designed to assist the student in learning the art of tarot card interpretation. Beginning and intermediate tarot readers will be able to progress into doing professional readings by following Mr. Ricklef’s methods. Advanced students will be able to hone their skills and improve the quality of their readings. Any student of tarot will benefit from the wisdom shared in this book.

In the first chapter, the author discusses advanced topics such as rephrasing the question so the reading is meaningful, using reversed cards to increase the number of possible interpretations and ethical considerations of being a tarot reader. He also discusses how to handle the court cards, elemental and numerological associations of the cards and how to pull things all together.

The second chapter contains the twenty-two tarot readings and full commentary. In chapter three the author presents a complete Celtic Cross Tarot Reading and discusses an effective way of using the Celtic Cross Tarot Spread. He includes a full commentary of this reading as well. In the first appendix, the author provides further comments on each card in a tarot deck. In the second he cross-references each card to the twenty-two readings presented in the second chapter. Finally, he offers a good bibliography and list of references.

“Tarot Tells the Tale” is a book for those people who are starting to read tarot cards for themselves and others. It’s also a book for every tarot reader interested in honing his or her tarot interpretation skills. It’s a treasury of down-to-Earth knowledge and a joy to read.

The Reviewer :

John Gilbert is a Professor of Comparative Religions and Mysticism for Universal Seminary. Dr. Gilbert is a recognized meditation master, Essene healing master and Kaballah master within the Universal Gnostic Church. John is a Certified Tarot Grandmaster. He and his wife Charlene live in North Carolina with four wonderful cats and a beautiful Border Collie.

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