Learning Tarot: Books & Resources

I expected quite a lot of cynicism from my friends when I started learning Tarot (as I assumed they’d find it a bit ‘woo’), but most folks have actually been super interested (as well as wanting readings, which I am delighted to give), and have often asked how they can learn more about the history and mythology of the cards. I thought it might be useful to put together a (by no means exhaustive!) list of the resources I have found useful on my Tarot journey.

Tarot Journals

This was a really helpful way to start learning, and I’ve also really enjoyed stuffing my journal full of free cards I’ve accumulated over the past 18 months (indie shops and kickstarter creators will often send you free additional cards/prints if you buy decks from them). However, as you can see, my journal got pretty full pretty quick! It was at this point I started using a Word document to store all my thoughts, which then became my Instagram account, which then became this blog. I actually love blogging about Tarot, as it’s a bit like a virtual scrapbook where I can store my writing alongside cool images and pictures, as well as link directly to other bits and bobs my magpie brain has identified as shiny relevant. So while I recommend a structured journal like this one for starting out, over time you may want to start using a blank notebook or something else that gives you as much space as you need.

Books About Tarot

When you ask on any forum about recommended reading on the Tarot, inevitably one of the first recs you’ll get is for 78 Degrees of Wisdom by the late, great Rachel Pollack. This is basically Tarot cannon by now, and is definitely also something I’d recommend reading if you want to know more about the origins and meanings of Tarot and the links with mythology, religion, literature etc. for each card.

Then, for other fresh/non-standard takes on the Tarot, I’ve enjoyed Tarot For Change by Jessica Dore (mixes Tarot symbolism with modern psychology/psychiatry in a really interesting way), WTF is Tarot? by Bakara Wintner (funny, refershingly irreverent, mixes Tarot with autobiography), and Tarot: A Life Guided By The Cards (a really practical and personal guide to interpreting each card) by Maddy Elruna. I’ve also just got Finding The Fool by Meg Jones Wall, who also has a fab blog/insta page (3am Tarot), and approaches the practice of Tarot from a queer and intersectional perspective which I’m really enjoying.

I also recommend Wild Card by Jen Cownie and Fiona Lensvelt (Litwitchure) (a more modern take on the symbolism of Tarot with lots of pop culture references, and quite a feminist lens). These five books are firmly from a secular perspective, which is my personal angle on Tarot. (However, I do on occassion explore some wider Pagan/witchy writings around Tarot, as you can see from the photograph of the book haul where I acquired Wild Card).

Tarot Websites and Social Media

Obviously there’s more of these than you can shake a stick at, so I’m just going to very briefly list a handful that I have found particularly useful! I’ve found the Aeclectic Tarot website super useful, not just the card meaning guide linked to here, but the chat forums which are full of very in-depth (archived) chats about card meanings and symbolism by really knowledgable people. A super valuable resource for anyone who enjoys a deep dive! My favourite blogs (asides from Maddy’s blog and 3am Tarot which I’ve already cited) are probably Benebell Wen‘s and Little Red Tarot’s. I’ve also learned a lot from some amazing Instagram accounts: fairlighttarot, thetarotzebra, goldenbrooktarot, tarottidbits78, and indiedeckreview.

Tarot Courses

There are lots of Tarot courses out there, and I very much enjoyed the two I undertook (one by Lunasea Tarot, and one by Maddy Elruna). I’ll be honest though, in my day job as a lecturer I exponentially prefer face-to-face teaching to online teaching (or ‘teaching into the void’ as I called it during lockdown). Feedback online is often limited, and it’s a lot of energy to carry a session (largely) by yourself as a teacher (I have renewed respect for folks who make content for YouTube after having to record hours and hours of online lectures!) I personally learn a lot better when I’m able to physically connect with people in space (I mean, not literally touch them, that’s creepy, but feed off the nuances of each other’s body langauge etc.) So while I enjoyed these two courses very much, my ultimate goal is to find more local Tarot courses / practice sessions.

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