Understanding the Tarot Court by Mary K Greer and Tom Little

Understanding the Tarot Court, seeks to take readers from seeing the court cards as two-dimensional figures with simple characteristics through to knowing them as richly complex personalities. As the authors claim, “The purpose of this book is to make the court cards come alive, and to give you a deep familiarity with the cards and their possibilities.”

To do this Understanding the Tarot Court begins by providing an overview of both the different ways the court cards cards can be interpreted in a reading and a breakdown of the suit and rank associations, before encouraging readers to take a guided meditation to meet the court in a non-threatening way (at a beach party to be precise). This book combines information and a hands-on approach which is all designed to encourage you to see the court cards as people you can get to know.

Many different decks are incorporated and the way the activities are delivered makes this book suitable for use with any deck. There is not a one size fits all approach which makes this book applicable for all tarot reading styles. In examining the Minchiate Etruria deck at the beginning of chapter 2, they write, “This is but one example of conclusions that can be drawn from viewing the cards imaginatively. You may find that you see them in a different way.”

Whilst the book provides a wealth of information the reader is encouraged to explore their own deck/s and to draw and value their own conclusions. I love this aspect of the book. Various spreads are used as teaching tools as well. I really enjoyed being introduced to decks I hadn’t seen before and the inclusion of historical information that’s outside the general history of the tarot featured in many books.

In analysing the court’s personalities, the book considers their astrological associations and their Myers-Briggs Type before moving on to explore their Jungian archetypal connections. I found the next chapter that explores court card relationships insightful. I liked the section that discusses the significance of multiple court cards and/or court card combinations because it opens the way for a deeper analysis of a reading and can make the court’s appearance much less daunting.

The book wraps up with a comprehensive chapter on court card interpretations that offers four illustrations taken from various decks for each card followed by two pages of information. The text suggests their typical roles, masks and subpersonalities; their personality styles and values; their stresses, problems and weaknesses; their sample occupations; the events, situations and activities associated with them; the advice they offer; their traditional meanings; as well as their traditional reversed meanings. When this information is considered alongside the insights gleaned from doing the activities, readers can gain a thorough understanding of the tarot court.

About the Authors

Mary K Greer specialises in writing about and teaching methods of self-exploration and transformation. The activities in this book attests to that. If you are interested in discovering her other published titles see the about section in my review of one of her other books, 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card.

Tom Little is a health physicist with a PhD in astronomy. He is a Wiccan priest with a strong interest in Tarot history and antique decks (which readers benefit from in this book) who uses tarot as his primary spiritual tool.

Understanding the Tarot Court Contents

• Foreword by Rachel Pollack
• Introduction
• The Many Faces of the Tarot Court
• The Court Card Family
• The Court in Society
• The Court Within
• Court Card Relationships
• The Court and the Cosmos
• Bringing it all Together
• Build Your Own Court
• Court Card Interpretations
• Appendix A:
  • Court Card Comparison Chart
• Appendix B:
  • Myers-Briggs Court Card Comparison Chart
• Appendix C:
  • Golden Dawn Court Card Correspondences
• Appendix D:
  • Important Terms
• Bibliography

If you find the appearance of court cards in a reading challenging, spending time with this book will definitely change that. Even if you don’t, I still believe this book has something to offer as the exercises can help you to understand more about yourself and your way of seeing the world and others. It also forces you to think creatively which in turn expands your storytelling ability. This is an invaluable tool when working with the tarot.

Publishing details

Published by:

Llewellyn Publications

Pictured version:

First Edition, 12th Printing, 2019

Pages:

265 pp.