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Tarot Outside the Box |
Rarely has a book inspired me to change my approach to so many aspects of Tarot. Anyone who has been teaching or reading for a number of years should read this book just to get the creative juices flowing again. In just 160 pages, Ms. Sim inspired me to joint the comparative Tarot group, recommit to being more involved in other discussion groups, add story telling and readings without a querent to my beginning class and generally, to be more open to a more creative approach to the cards. If this sounds like an exaggeration, believe me, it is not.
Ms. Sim has opened the door to a variety of innovative ways of using the cards. After a brief introduction, we are thrown into the marvelous world of using two or more decks for one reading. I believe every experienced reader uses one deck but has individual cards they prefer from another deck. As a teacher, I am constantly having students bring in different decks that I have to examine how the are similar and different to deck I know, Ms. Sims shows many ways of honoring the meanings in multiple decks. As an example, she picks a card and compares it in 21 different decks.
One of the most obscure elements in learning to read Tarot, in my opinion, is elemental dignities. It isn't that they are difficult to comprehend; it's just that if you get into a discussion group on this topic, you are guaranteed to end up totally confused. The reason for this is that so many readers use elemental dignities so many different ways. Ms. Sims spells out a very simple and direct approach to using this approach to reading, both in familiar readings and in readings where each position utilizes multiple cards to give a picture of the elemental atmosphere of the position.
The section on creative writing utilizing Tarot cards is very exciting. Everything from stories to poetry to haikus to limericks is covered. The final chapter is a wonderful story written by a group over the internet. Even for writers who are not students of Tarot, this chapter alone is worth the price of the book for its potential for breaking writer's block.
In all my years of reviewing books and decks, I have never seen a more
original work than Tarot Out of the Box by Valerie Sim (ISBN 0-7387-0377-3).
Written simply enough for a new student, the book offers many ideas which
will help learn the cards for the first time. Covering many topics of
interest to the experienced Tarot reader, the chapters awaken new passion
and new ideas which will inspire even more creativity in the Tarot universe.
Stir up your life and enjoy your experience with this book.