Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage

Paul Huson explores the roots of the symbolism of the tarot in this excellent volume. From Mamluk cards, to triumphal parades to medieval dramas, he shows how the symbols in the tarot grew out of visual images that would have been familiar to all in their time and place. In his sections on card meanings, he cites interpretations from Etteilla, Mathers, Waite, and the Golden Dawn, which are fascinating to compare. This is a very valuable book for anyone interested in the history of tarot.

Had this book before but must have sold it along the way; so a replacement for me.Good stuff on tarot as it was meant to yield up its basic meanings. If one only wantsone book on tarot then this is the one to keep.

In his preface Huson writes, "...if you take the art of tarot reading seriously (and expect others to), it might behoove you to know something about the actual historical roots of your chosen field. Which, in a nutshell, is what this book is all about." In the Introduction and first chapter he outlines the origin of playing cards;he discusses the development of the trumps, including discussion about how medieval moral and mystery plays may have played a role in it; and in the third he outlines the development of cartomancy with the tarot. Many readers will appreciate that Huson's writing is not overly academic in nature.Chapters 4 and 5, which constitute the bulk of the book, looks at the imagery of each card, provides meanings as written by some of the early occultists, and gives Huson's own suggested interpretations. He does this for the entire deck, not just the Major Arcana with a cursory overview of the Minors. Chapter 6 "Reading the Tarot" is a good, fairly short introduction to reading that includes some very practical advice for readers at all levels. The appendices list some of the historical decks Huson mentions in the book, gives resources for finding current reproductions (note, this was published in 2004), and lists museums where you can see some of the originals.As any good reference or scholarly work should include, there's an index and an extensive bibliography. In addition Huson also includes a section on the sources for the line drawings that he made to illustrate the book.

I bought this to replace a book I misplaced and can't find the same one. It met my expectations. 😊

A lot of information about Tarot that I couldn't find in another books... new information for seekers...

This is the best book I've found on the history, evolution, and meaning of the tarot. However, there are a few gaps, most of which can be filled in by also getting Robert Place's book, The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination.

I have been looking for information on the history of tarot for years that I could understand. All I've found were someone else's ideas on HOW to read. This book was extremely informative .

I'm finding the historical referencing to be immensely helpful, no matter the deck I choose to work with. It helps broaden knowledge which feeds my intuitive part - which, let's face it, is the part you want to come into play!! You could say it helps you stretch out :)

Amazing amount of precious historical information on Tarot backed by serious sourcing. The tone is sober, almost scientific, without useless complexity or mumbo-jumbo. The symbolical analysis are sound and truly inspiring. Huson sticks to the tradition while keeping a strong critical eye. The rigorous compilation of divinatory meanings will be of practical use to any Tarot reader. In my opinion, this is truly a masterpiece of tarology.

Find it interesting and the author knowledgeable - wide scope.

O autor está de parabéns! Foi a primeira vez que vi apresentado alguns dos 'sistemas' usados nos arcanos menores. Show!

Soddisfa le mie aspettative

Dry and tedious- pity the topic was alluring.