The Marseille Tarot Revealed: A Complete Guide to Symbolism, Meanings & Methods

I have this fantasy... that I see someone reading a book or looking at a web page about Tarot, and I ask if they read Tarot, and they say no, but they're thinking about it... and then I get to share my thoughts. They ask about the different systems, and that lets me give my spiel about how we shouldn't say "systems," because there is only one system... we call it Tarot. There are different /styles/ or /lineages/, but only one system. And then they ask me what deck they should start with. And... I don't know. I can only give them a choice between two options. 1) The yellow-box RWS. It's an obvious starting point. It's kind of like when you're learning to play the harmonica: the first song you learn is "Oh Susanna". It's a thing. It's a rite of passage. And rites are good. And an RWS deck has a lower learning curve: every card gives you a hint. (Which is good and bad.) 2) Or I could say, "Knowing what I know now, if I could only have one deck, it would be the CBD Tarot de Marseilles deck." And I would say you're going to need a book. And if I could only have only have one book, it would be Dr. Ben Dove's... published as both /Tarot: The Open Reading/ and /The Marseille Tarot Revealed./ Option 2 obviosly has a slightly steeper learning curve. But still. There is something magical about having one deck that will take you all the way. It's like the Marines say: "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine." If I could only have one deck, it would be the CBD Tarot de Marseille. If I could only have one book, it would be Dr. Ben Dove's (either version). I have /The Open Reading/ on Kindle, but I wanted a "desk book." For that, I guess the most important thing is, "Does it lie flat?" I should have asked that before I bought a hard copy. Maybe /The Open Reading/ is better in this respect. I don't know. But after a little work, this one is lying open fairly well, and I think will get better. (I am systematically bending it gently.) Quality construction, pretty presentation. Everyone has a different approach to Tarot, and there's plenty of validity to throw around... But again, if I could only have one book about Tarot, it would be this one. (I only got the physical book today, but I have spent a lot of time with its contents, on my Kindle. And it only takes a day to get an idea about the physical phactors of a book.) EDIT: The glossy color version of Dr. Ben Dove’s book does lie open nicely (with a bit of work), and I’ve found a new good thing I like about. Studying the cards is important. It’s actually easier to study the cards with the book than with the deck. The pictures are bigger, brighter, clearer; you can flip to the page you need; and the pictures in the book are exactly the same as on the cards.

I bought this book years ago at a fantastic bargain and have only recently given it a read. Having read it now, I am of the opinion that even at full price, this would be worth it for how good of a resource it is. An important thing to note is that this book is apparently a higher-quality reprint of the book "Tarot - The Open Reading" by the same author. If you don't already have that book, get this one. The glossy paper and full-color images are pleasant and demonstrate the author's examples in an easy-to-read way, but where this book really shines is in how informative it is. The content is explicitly about the Marseille-style tarot, using the author's own published deck for the examples. The author worked for years on creating the CBD deck (which I also own and would recommend) and his comprehensive knowledge of the Marseille tarot as a result is easy to see here. Many of the principles explained such as basic numerology and correspondences are interesting knowledge for any tarot enthusiast and may be applied to any deck depending on how you decide to read. Learning "open reading" is part of what drew me to this book and to the Marseille in general and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Basically, instead of using rigid meanings for each card in a spread - one would take all of that into account as well - but interpret the cards more so based on their context to each other and to the querent, particularly taking into account the imagery of the cards and the scene that is created by the spread altogether. I'm probably not explaining it very well, but intuition and the art of the cards themselves play a bigger role in an open reading and I find that attractive because it's like reading in a more visceral, primordial way as opposed to the more heady reliance of knowledge of occult traditions, etc. If that sounds interesting to you, then this is a good place to start. This book has possible interpretations for every card, so it makes a fantastic reference for beginners, but it also has much more than that. The way it's written is so nuanced, evocative, thought-provoking - yet concise and down-to-earth, never rambling on for too long about anything or going too far above your head in terms of mysticism or magic. You can tell just by reading it that the author is intelligent, humble, respectful, thoughtful, detail-oriented, and full of love and devotion for the tarot because all of that comes through in the gentle and thorough instruction of this book. I'm a beginner in tarot who has chosen to work primarily with the Marseille and I cannot get over how wonderful of a book this is. Tarot-related or not, few books are as well-balanced, well-paced, well-written, and full of useful information as this book is. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the Marseille tarot, beginner or otherwise. Highly recommended.

This book is ok, I am not sure why the publisher went for glossy paper stock and not a longer book with less quality paper. This is a well written book from a traditional perspective , the symbolic depth, and the history rehash have been done before but this is still a good rehash. Mostly traditional Christian/Jewish reference , with Waite, Crowley, reference as the outlier usual suspects . Spreads and shuffling are concise and practical and the depth of symbolic interpretation is good to a point, the reference for color is not contiguous through all card explanations, it varies, in some details color is not carried through as well as it is in the overview on symbolic color. This book is worth the money and it is very well written...in fact some of the best tarot text , very clear and to the point. The book is framed by the context from the historic age when it is was written, therefore the great feature is it supports that historic world and society viewpoint and the is what makes it excellent, it does not try to smother and update the text to the stereotypical "New Age" fluff or turn of the century Romantic view of the occult. The author has a laser focus on practical interpretation and there are the usual Jungian type of references but he does not beat them to death. The references to Jewish influence and tables from the Golden Dawn are simply that , casual references for information, the author does not try to rehash all of that, only what is needed for the immediate context of the history being portrayed. This book has it all, history, application, symbolism, fantastic sharp text, again more within the context of practical application as the end objective, in other words, this book is not a tarot as" internal meditation guidebook", it covers the usual applications of money, fame, romance, relationships, conflict, and the usual boring stuff like that is found in every other tarot book, if you are looking for more of a mental exercise interpretation for the symbolism like that found in a book about TIbetan Buddhism, this book is not that kind of symbolic depth. The wealth of symbolism and symbolism history is great, but it is an applied context, and somewhat stereotypical context. The major thrust of the book is still written from a kind of card reading for a client perspective within the boundaries of what would be a Renaissance and Christian viewpoint in the archetypes, male , female, passive , aggressive, social order ( great writings on social order symbolism), and very good lessons on card symbolism continuity and card scenario integration. The book has a few Asian or India reference, but that is not within the major scope of the book. The book is not a relational table book, there are only a few and only as a comparative reference. I think the writing is so well done and clear, I think another 200 pages on normal paper instead of high gloss and snappy colors, would have been preferred, the illustrations are nice but easily overshadowed by the writing style. It really does not matter whether you are a beginner , pro, etc. , this book is a great read about the history and specific symbolism of this unique deck, tarot scholars might debate some of the authors points on some of the details. The only downside for me was , it still is bogged down on the day to day mundane application for the stereotypical use of day to day tarot to ease the suffering of people trying to understand their lives . The author references the "magic" of the tarot, however in general he stays centered on matters of the earth, thankfully the continuing focus on the specific history of the deck, justifies this approach. The author emphasizes the magic as more of a channeling method rather than formulas for invocations , there are no spells, or pages of esoteric rituals for preparation, just one simple little prereading exercise. Per the usual, there are more pages on the major arcana per topic than the minors , and that seems to be a tradition, only because I think the minors got so connected to the day to day game or regular card playing games, they lost some of their depth, I raise this point because if you were expecting the more in depth image analysis of Pamela Coleman Smith or Frieda Harris in the areas of the minors, this deck does not have that. The interpretations are specific to the simplistic symbolism of the minors in this deck, but at least they are covered. Why this is a wonderful book, is not because of tarot, but rather because it is a biography of one long lived tarot deck that has evolved and mutated over time, and the author does a great job of trying to stay on the track of the original intentions. To read the interpretation of Presidents and their meaning in general in US history is different than reading of the biography of one president in depth, this book is about the tarot and this deck first, and about the tarot in general second. I have a lot of tarot books, and from a writing perspective this is one of the clearest, succinct, in depth, interesting about one specific deck publisher and style, even if it consolidates and is a summary of many other books on general tarot.......it is a good read, and the book format and quality are top notch. You would not regret buying it, the writing is so pervasive an pinpoint , it is just a great read even if you did not agree with all of the symbolic interpretations. I think this is a posthumous book and that is sad, I would have looked forward to other books by this author.

Though the publisher's description does not expressly say so, this is a fancied up reprint of the lat Yoav Ben-Dov's Tarot - the Open Reading , an instant classic for reading the Tarot de Marseille (TdM). The Open Reading was self-published, and straightforward when it comes to production quality. This version is substantively nearly identical. It polishes the text some, omitting typos and adding some images of the CBD Tarot, a modern restoration of the Nicholas Conver TdM completed under the author's care. I understand that the paper copy of this book is glossy, with color images, compared to the plain paper and greyscale images of the original. Both editions have color images in the Kindle versions, which is what I purchased. Admittedly, I was disappointed that this edition turned out not to be new material on the TdM by the author, who passed away suddenly only six months before its publication. The publisher hardly makes that clear in descriptions of this book. I am not, however, going to dilute ratings for the book because of that. This is one of the finest books one could hope to find in learning to read the TdM--a style of tarot, and of reading, that differs substantially from the prevalent modern styles of tarot deck and interpretation. That would be a disservice to those new to this wonderfully creative and exhilarating way of engaging the tarot. In short, you don't need both this and The Open Reading, particularly in the Kindle version. You can decide which you prefer based on cost and production values. On to the substance. Both books are wise, gentle, and encouraging. They cover a broad range of material. The main premise of the reading style advanced by Ben-Dov, and many others steeped in TdM interpretation, is that the Marseille Tarot is best read in an "open" manner that is receptive to imagery and resonance present right in the cards in each draw, rather than through applying preset meanings to individual cards, or positions in a spread. Rather, the cards are read holistically, as they relate to each other, the reader, querent, and the present moment, without conceptual overlays, which, however insightful, nevertheless interpose a layer of separation between reader, querent, and cards. Ben-Dov skillfully presents a concise but informative background of the history and styles of tarot cards, describes the environment of a reading session, and the mechanics of his proposed style for reading TdM. He then goes through the entire deck with illustrations of how to mine the images and cultural associations of each card for meaning. While he does provide discussions of each card, he makes clear that they are not meant to become a system to memorize and apply mechanically. Instead, they are meant as a guide to what the "open reading" approach makes possible--"that the cards are a visual tool that works directly on the unconscious layers of our mind." Ben-Dov provides examples of actual readings that demonstrate the dynamic and open-ended nature of this reading style. The author also makes clear that this reading style can be applied to tarot other than the Marseille, even though it reaches its full potential with that style. As always, people differ, so not everyone will resonate with this approach. In my experience, compared to "system" based readings which I used for years, this reading style is more sensory, even poetic. Readings feel very immediate and powerful to me. Images that seem to be rather naive in execution, and simple almost to a fault, slowly unfurl their complexity and beauty as one develops intimacy with the cards. For those interested in learning how to see the Marseille Tarot deeply, you would be hard pressed to find a better place to start than either this book or The Open Reading. The Open Reading's approachable style made it an instant classic when it was first published. Other books in line with this approach are The Way of Tarot: The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards (whose author Ben--Dov credits as his own most significant influence), Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism , Reading the Marseille Tarot by Jean-Michele David (available through Lulu online), and MARSEILLE TAROT: TOWARDS THE ART OF READING . I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in this open" style of reading associated with the Marseille Tarot. A visit to the author's website, cbdtatot (dot) com, is also very helpful. Yoav Ben-Dov generously provided more informaiton and free printable images of the deck he restored for personal use. His deck, also self-published, went out of print shortly after his passing, but is expected to become available again.

If you are a tarot beginner or an experienced reader, or just a cultural wanderer, this book will be a good guide in your journey. It has very calm philosophical undertones. The book is very cinematic -- it is so easy to visualize what's written in there.

I have the kindle version which can sometimes be a pain but it is helpful all the same.

If you have too many tarot decks and too many tarot books (which is likely true if you are reading this) do not hesitate. I haven't read a word. But the high quality pictures, and the absolute respect and love of Tarot that this book shows just opening and thumbing through it. I am so grateful I ordered it! Books give off a vibe (and if you read Tarot you know this) I wondered when ordering how it could be as nice as another review said. Just beautiful.

Yes yes yes, this is the same book as The Open Reading, as so many reviewers have pointed out. I did purchase The Open Reading in kindle version a few months ago, but after checking out The Marseille Tarot Revealed from the library, I wanted this book. Amazon reduced the price (probably due to the reviews) and so I snatched it up. Stunning color plates, much larger than the cards, make it easy to study this deck. In fact, if that is what one wants the deck for, and not to use for readings, buy this book and forget the cards. I have the pack too, and the kindle book, but the images in this book easily surpass the cards. I am very impressed with the quality job Llewellyn did, especially at this price. I am a senior, on social security, low income, so money is tight. But once I got my hands on the paperback from the library, I wanted this book. I argued with myself that it was really a waste of money. Yet once I started using the book, comparing the images to the kindle images (which are well done) I knew I would not be satisfied until I had my own paperback copy. Be kind to yourself. Buy this book. Thank you Llewellyn.