Anyone want to read and discuss a TdM book with me?

General Discussion
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Hi, all:

I need to be studying and reading more, but I really do that better in a classroom environment or when I’ve got folks to discuss the book with. Would anyone like to read and discuss a book with me? I’d like to read Paul Marteau’s book.

  • Jo
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Update: I’ll be reading Caitlin Matthews’s Untold Tarot this week if anyone wants to discuss it with me. :slight_smile:

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Hi Jo,
I read Untold Tarot last year and was very disappointed to see that Matthews superimposed the Golden Dawn’s RWS system onto the older Marseille tradition. I enjoy both Marseille and RWS. But, her obfuscation of the Marseille tradition in this book is confusing and misleading.

I’m now reading a book that compares evolution of symbolism and meanings of the earliest 15th century decks, Marseille, RWS, and Thoth. You might like it, too. Mystical Origins of the Tarot by Paul Huson.

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@Lala, thank you for sharing your insights on the book. It was on my reading list, but I didn’t realize that Matthews used the Golden Dawn system. That is a bit disappointing. I’m curious to hear your thoughts @JoMasters.

I’m not familiar with Mystical Origins of the Tarot. The content sounds quite promising. Is there information in it that isn’t covered in other books such as Jean-Michel David’s Reading the Marseille Tarot?

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I haven’t read Reading the Marseilles Tarot, yet. But I did see Marilyn’s review on her YouTube channel and it’s on the ‘required reading list’. From what Marilyn said, it most likely contains all the info Mystical Origins of the Tarot contains. But, I opted for Mystical Origins after seeing it on the YouTube channel, Tea and Tarot. The choice was specifically because of the way Mystical Origins is structured. There is an ease of comparison between the systems that I haven’t found elsewhere. It’s a nice reference book. I’m sure it can’t compare to the enormous amount of information contained in Jean-Michel David’s tome.

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HI, Lala: I’m just getting into her descriptions of the trumps, and so far nothing feels distinctly RWS to me. What struck you as such? I glanced ahead to see how she interpreted the pips, and her descriptions (from my quick perusal) felt very different from the RWS system and a lot more like what I’ve read in books on traditional cartomancy.

  • Jo
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Lala and @WilliamRader: Thank you for the recommendation, Lala! I had started “A Wicked Pack of Cards,” but I’ve put it aside in favor of reading Mystic Origins. It’s wonderful, and I’m learning so much.

I can’t wait to open up Jean-Michel David’s book, but oh boy do I need to winnow my to-read pile down first! It looks amazing.

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I dont know that book so i’ve browsed a little on the web, and this is the first sentence from the first result provided by Google:

Review of the book “Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage”

A profusely illustrated history of the occult nature of the tarot from its origins in ancient Persia"

¡Persia! We all know that Tarot was created in northern Italy, most probably Milan. So just right from the start this book is a big NO for me. Sorry! :smiling_face_with_tear:

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Tarot itself didn’t come from Persia but the game of Mamluk has similarities to Italian tarot inasmuch as it has a form of court cards and uses the Italian suits. So it’s not a tarot deck and can’t really be used like one, but it looks like there’s a connection:

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