Anthony Louis - Tarot Plain and Simple

Turn Experience into Wisdom

Congratulations on choosing Tarot Plain and Simple! You'll find it to be a quick and reliable guide for any Tarot deck.

Why learn the Tarot? Because it is an excellent method for turning experience into wisdom. At its essence, the Tarot deals with symbols of the human situation. By studying the Tarot, we connect our personal situation to the archetypes portrayed in the cards. As a tool, the Tarot helps to awaken our intuitive self.

Before you begin, it is important to know the basic meanings and symbolism of the cards. Tarot Plain and Simple offers descriptions for each of the seventy-eight cards and includes a history of the Tarot and six popular spreads so the inexperienced reader can interpret the Tarot quickly and reliably.

The author brings a profound understanding of human nature and psychological conflict to the study of the Tarot. Tarot experts and enthusiasts will find that his Jungian approach to the card descriptions will transport them to a deeper level of personal transformation and insight.

Best of luck on your new journey!

Anthony Louis is the author of the critically acclaimed text Horary Astrology: The History and Practice of Astro-Divination (Llewellyn, 1991). He is a highly respected teacher who is sought after internationally to lecture on astrology and divination. He has also written several book chapters on divination systems, geomancy, the Tarot, and astrology. His articles have appeared in the leading occult journals. He is a psychiatrist with extensive clinical experience, which enlightens his study of the various systems of divination, including the Tarot.

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Anthony Louis

with illustrations by Robin Wood

Preface

vii

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Appendix A

Appendix B

Horary Astrology

Aprenda como leer el tarot (Spanish)

To my wife Linda and my sons David and Aaron for their enduring love and encouragement.

here are already many books on the Tarot, so why read this one? Primarily because this text presents the Tarot in language that is plain and simple, with basic, easily understandable definitions of the cards. The goal has been to remain close to the source and to let the Tarot speak for itself. The content of this book is based on existing literature about the Tarot and on many years of recording my own experiences with the cards.

I asked several friends to examine this text for user-friendliness. They found the descriptions to be clear and easy to follow, even for a complete newcomer to the Tarot. Most importantly, those who have previewed this book have found the definitions of the cards to serve as a rapid and reliable guide to Tarot interpretation, both for novices and for those with prior experience using the cards.

Why learn about the Tarot? Mainly because the Tarot is an excellent method for turning experience into wisdom. At its essence, the Tarot deals with archetypal symbols of the human situation, symbols we can relate to our own lives that help us better understand ourselves. In studying the Tarot we connect ourselves to the mythical basis of our lives, contacting the gods within us. Consulting the Tarot about a troubling situation usually gives us a fresh perspective. In every Tarot reading we ask how the cards relate to our lives and what we have learned from the consultation.

A study of the Tarot awakens our intuitive abilities. We should select a deck that appeals to our imagination and then learn to associate the various symbols on the cards with meanings that will form the basis of our understanding of the Tarot. As we learn more, our experience will add to this basic definition to further expand our grasp of what the Tarot can teach us. This process requires a certain amount of work and memorization but, with practice, the significance of the cards becomes second nature. At some point we have the experience that the symbols on the cards and their positions in a spread suggest a meaning that does not occur in the textbooks. We must pay close attention to such experiences because they indicate that our intuition has been stimulated and is offering a solution to the problem at hand.

After studying the textbooks, we come to realize that, in a particular reading for a particular person and circumstance, the cards mean what our intuition and experience tell us they mean. There are no immutable or absolute meanings for any of the cards; the basic definitions here should only serve as a general basis for your own definitions. In a good reading our inner voice suggests nuances of meaning that we may never have considered before. Such a state of intuitive awareness of the archetypal significance of the cards comes only after a period of disciplined learning and practice.

If we are reading for someone else, we must keep our explanations as clear and simple as possible. We should avoid jargon and metaphysical mumbo-jumbo. If our clients have never heard of the Golden Dawn, the Cabala, Jungian archetypes, or whatever, we do not need to confuse the issue with unnecessarily technical ideas. If we comprehend the meaning of the spread, we will be able to convey our understanding in plain English. If we don't understand what we see in the cards, we should say so. A Tarot reader has no obligation to be all-knowing, and the reader must always be respectful and honest with the client. The value of what we and the cards have to say to a particular client depends on whether the client finds our comments useful in gaining perspective on his or her situation. Some readings are extremely helpful and others are simply off-target.