To use or not to use… The Guidebook!
The Outsider Tarot
While some decks come without a guidebook or with just a small pamphlet of traditional keywords, other decks come with amazing guidebooks. I know that a lot of tarot teachers will tell you to put away the guidebook and just go with your intuition… To some extent I agree… I admit that I have some guidebooks that I have hardly even opened. If I can see that they are just lists of the classic traditional keywords I’ll leave it. But for the beginner this could also be a good idea to check out. Cause why not?
“If you are learning tarot, you need as many interpretations as you can get your hands on in order to form your own ideas. And that does not ruin your intuitive impulses! Not at all. It only adds to your internal bank of knowledge.”
Some guidebooks are brilliant works of art and perfect partners of their decks, this is especially the case when it comes to decks that stray from the beaten tarot tradition.
One great example is the guidebook of the Outsider Tarot deck. You can just tell that Bobby Abate spent so much time and consideration writing it and it pairs up perfectly with his deck. The Outsider tarot deck has all new names and suits and I believe that you need the guidebook (as a start at least) to get familiar with and dive deep into the new World that Bobby created. If you use his deck without it you will miss so much good stuff! He gives you the inspiration from eg. quotes and stories to form your own interpretations.
True Heart Intuitive Tarot
Another example is the True Heart Intuitive Tarot by actor Rachel True, the guidebook includes Rachels personal stories from her life in Hollywood along with her interpretations of the cards. This is such a good way to learn the tarot if you are a beginner as you will associate the card meanings with Rachel's stories too and this will inspire you to add your own stories to the cards. Also the stories in the book are quiet funny too.
Yet another example is the Mystical Dream Tarot by Janet Piedilato. Janet is a dream expert and has created her own mystical World with her deck and guidebook. This book is such a beautiful and poetic work of esoteric art. It often confuses me, but in a good way as it makes me think and think hard and always makes me feel enlightened afterwards.
The Mystical Dream Tarot
One last example… Not a tarot deck but still worth mentioning is The Viator Somniorum Oneiromancy deck by Stephanie Alia. This deck would not be the same without the tiny little book of divine wisdom straight from Stephanie's brilliant mind. I'm sure you could do some amazing intuitive readings with just these dreamy cards on their own but the written wisdom is the icing on that pastel cake.
When you get familiar with your cards the books become less important, but as a start I think they are so important and can be extremely inspiring and eye opening.
It gives a good insight into the creators mindset and this is good for bonding with a new deck. Often the creator has spent nearly as much time on the guidebooks as on the design of the cards and this is worth honoring. While some guidebooks call for a read from cover to back, others are great for looking up card meanings while you are doing your tarot readings.
The Viator Somniorum Oneiromancy
Ohh I have one more example, the last one I promise! The tiny little pamphlet of the Autonomic Tarot, so tiny that you could easily dismiss it as nothing important, but please don’t! It is amazing and just as strange as the cards themselves. Poetic, weird and mystical words by writer David Keenan. It will help you to use your intuitive skills interpreting the cards of the deck.
The Autonomic Tarot
These are just a few examples from my personal deck collection. There are many more out there, don’t be afraid to use them!
See all of my decks right HERE.
