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Tarot Tells the Tale: Explore Three Card Readings Through Familiar Stories
Let author and Tarot teacher James Ricklef guide you through sample readings for famous characters from history, myth, and fiction. Discover many ways to interpret the cards, read reversed cards, expand on common three-card spreads, construct a good question, and even rephrase less-than-ideal questions.
Explore several variations of the basic three-card spread, and learn how to break the Celtic Cross into mini spreads for clearer, more insightful advice. Beginning Tarot students will find in-depth solutions to common stumbling blocks, while advanced readers will delight in the myriad possibilities of three-card spreads and the sample readings for famous characters. COVR Award 1st Runner-Up
Explore several variations of the basic three-card spread, and learn how to break the Celtic Cross into mini spreads for clearer, more insightful advice. Beginning Tarot students will find in-depth solutions to common stumbling blocks, while advanced readers will delight in the myriad possibilities of three-card spreads and the sample readings for famous characters. COVR Award 1st Runner-Up
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
7 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 8, 2015
I have been reading tarot cards for years. (I actually own a tarot card reading business - see my profile for the link!) So, I generally avoid books about the cards. I fear they will only repeat common information about reading the cards; I also fear that they will primarily consist of definitions of the cards, versus practical advice or rare knowledge. But, when I saw this book at the used book store, I knew it was worth picking up. I loved the idea of reading for fictional and historical characters and thought it would be a fun read. I"ll admit, I expected to be entertained, but not to learn much!
This was a great book! Ricklef begins the book with a chapter on advice about reading the cards. He warns that this chapter can be skipped if you are a practiced reader. I am never one to skip around in books so I decided to forage ahead, figuring a review of the basics couldn't hurt. Well, Ricklef's explanation was more in-depth and helpful than the course I took about learning to read the cards! Rick offers a series of ways to interpret the card based on the visuals presented; on the elemental and numerology correspondence; on what type of card it is; and more! Ricklef illuminated the fact that our intuition can pick up on the themes represented over and over symbolically through the cards and assist us in a reading.
He also provides guidelines about the ethics of tarot card readings. As I read for more people and do so in a professional format, I run into ethical dilemmas. Do you have to answer every question asked? How do you know if it's "ok" to answer a question, or if it's better to rephrase it or back off completely? Recklef explains this in full.
I thought the readings would be entertaining but would not provide much insight into reading the cards. I was wrong! As I read each chapter I looked at the spread and generated my own interpretation before reading Ricklef's. It was helpful and interesting to outline my own thoughts vs. Ricklef's, and how he got to those conclusions. Reading someone go through a reading step by step is also very helpful, especially if you are new to reading cards. I have not found a resource that offered so many readings from beginning to finish and offered a thorough explanation of the whole process.
The idea of reading for folklore and fairy tale characters was intriguing, but they came off as too simple to bring much complexity to the table. I found it was the historical and literary figures who were the most entertaining. Ricklef is clearly an educated man and this is shown through the characters he chooses to read for.
The book concludes with thoughts on each card, including a quote, keywords, and in-depth thoughts for the major arcana cards. This section really helped me revisit these cards and gave me more of an in-depth understanding of them (especially of The Lovers & The Moon.)
I got a great vibe from the book and the author as well. I will be holding on to this to use as a reference during my readings for the future. I have a client who is learning how to read tarot cards himself, and he asked for resources .This was the first and only one I provided; it's a great start for the beginning tarot card reader.
This was a great book! Ricklef begins the book with a chapter on advice about reading the cards. He warns that this chapter can be skipped if you are a practiced reader. I am never one to skip around in books so I decided to forage ahead, figuring a review of the basics couldn't hurt. Well, Ricklef's explanation was more in-depth and helpful than the course I took about learning to read the cards! Rick offers a series of ways to interpret the card based on the visuals presented; on the elemental and numerology correspondence; on what type of card it is; and more! Ricklef illuminated the fact that our intuition can pick up on the themes represented over and over symbolically through the cards and assist us in a reading.
He also provides guidelines about the ethics of tarot card readings. As I read for more people and do so in a professional format, I run into ethical dilemmas. Do you have to answer every question asked? How do you know if it's "ok" to answer a question, or if it's better to rephrase it or back off completely? Recklef explains this in full.
I thought the readings would be entertaining but would not provide much insight into reading the cards. I was wrong! As I read each chapter I looked at the spread and generated my own interpretation before reading Ricklef's. It was helpful and interesting to outline my own thoughts vs. Ricklef's, and how he got to those conclusions. Reading someone go through a reading step by step is also very helpful, especially if you are new to reading cards. I have not found a resource that offered so many readings from beginning to finish and offered a thorough explanation of the whole process.
The idea of reading for folklore and fairy tale characters was intriguing, but they came off as too simple to bring much complexity to the table. I found it was the historical and literary figures who were the most entertaining. Ricklef is clearly an educated man and this is shown through the characters he chooses to read for.
The book concludes with thoughts on each card, including a quote, keywords, and in-depth thoughts for the major arcana cards. This section really helped me revisit these cards and gave me more of an in-depth understanding of them (especially of The Lovers & The Moon.)
I got a great vibe from the book and the author as well. I will be holding on to this to use as a reference during my readings for the future. I have a client who is learning how to read tarot cards himself, and he asked for resources .This was the first and only one I provided; it's a great start for the beginning tarot card reader.
July 25, 2008
i love the premise for this book. i find it fascinating that he can take fictional or historical characters and read the cards. it gave me some new perspective to think about when interpretting the cards. i tried this with a reading on president bush about a year ago.....it was pretty interesting!
November 18, 2022
The world of tarot literature can be a bit linear, and I say that as a real sucker for books on tarot; they tend to be almost clinical in certain approaches and, since there is so much space for intuition in reading tarot (and opinion on meanings), this can make a lot of sense. If the book can clear up a definition for you, that frees you up to actually process the meaning of that definition. But, if you're like me, you're a bit of a stickler for doing things the right way, and that means you're looking for a bit of a how-to on reading the cards in a more comprehensive, organic manner. An oxymoron? Maybe! And yet this book does a pretty good job of offering just that.
Mr. Ricklef's approach is a lot of fun; he answers inquiries from famous figures in a 'Dear Abby' style column format. Joan of Arc or Psyche share their woes and the author pulls 3 cards to provide the guidance they require. The focus is more on understanding how the spread as a whole addresses the inquiry; individual card meanings are not as important as how they work within the spread and address the specifics of what's being asked. Each chapter is focused on one of the major arcana, and includes pictures of the cards drawn and reference to the decks used so that the reader can take a shot at interpreting them prior to reading the author's response. The tone is pleasant and kind and the writing perfect for a quick read. Overall, it's a really nice demonstration of looking at the spread as a whole, which is just what I was looking for!
While it wasn't what I came to the book for, I do also want to take a moment to acknowledge the very first chapter, which gives a surprisingly comprehensive review of how to read tarot for anyone coming into it blind. It was honestly incredibly informative for me, even with a few years of reading tarot under my belt; I especially liked the sections on reading court cards and reversals. Since there are so many different ways to read these types I'm always looking for fresh perspectives, and Mr. Ricklef does a really good job of outlining a few different methods he uses within the book that add layers to understanding how he interprets a reading. The introduction states that seasoned tarot readers can skip Ch. 1, but I wouldn't recommend it!
Additionally, I really enjoyed the author's emphasis on ethical reading practices, especially the giving of advice and the structuring of questions. Mr. Ricklef encourages moderation with the giving of advice and paying attention to the one asking the question to ensure that the information being given doesn't cause more harm than good. He also deliberately asks questions that push this boundary when writing as the famous figures he chooses to help, only to ensure that his response can reiterate that the job of the tarot reader isn't to tell the questioner what to do, but offer perspective and guidance as he rephrases the question asked into something more beneficial. This is something that left an incredibly positive impression on me; in the face of, I'm sure, quite a bit of criticism, any tarot reader who acknowledges their limitations to preserve the well-being of their clients deserves a good deal of praise.
Now, as much fun as this book was, I did have one hangup that kept knocking me out of what the author was trying to do every chapter: since the characters asking the questions were so well known, how could a reading be given to them without being tainted by the knowledge you already have about how their story turns out? The answer is, you can't, and the author freely acknowledges this and tries to separate it out as much as he can, but it's still there in the background. I think it's unavoidable given the premise, but it does keep it from being the completely organic reading experience I was looking for. Still, knowing how things turn out actually gave the cards drawn a little more dynamism, so even this ended up as a net positive for me!
While this isn't a reference book I'll be keeping in my permanent collection for multiple read-throughs, this seems like an excellent book to gift to anyone who is just starting off in tarot. I really wish it had been on my radar when I first started!
Mr. Ricklef's approach is a lot of fun; he answers inquiries from famous figures in a 'Dear Abby' style column format. Joan of Arc or Psyche share their woes and the author pulls 3 cards to provide the guidance they require. The focus is more on understanding how the spread as a whole addresses the inquiry; individual card meanings are not as important as how they work within the spread and address the specifics of what's being asked. Each chapter is focused on one of the major arcana, and includes pictures of the cards drawn and reference to the decks used so that the reader can take a shot at interpreting them prior to reading the author's response. The tone is pleasant and kind and the writing perfect for a quick read. Overall, it's a really nice demonstration of looking at the spread as a whole, which is just what I was looking for!
While it wasn't what I came to the book for, I do also want to take a moment to acknowledge the very first chapter, which gives a surprisingly comprehensive review of how to read tarot for anyone coming into it blind. It was honestly incredibly informative for me, even with a few years of reading tarot under my belt; I especially liked the sections on reading court cards and reversals. Since there are so many different ways to read these types I'm always looking for fresh perspectives, and Mr. Ricklef does a really good job of outlining a few different methods he uses within the book that add layers to understanding how he interprets a reading. The introduction states that seasoned tarot readers can skip Ch. 1, but I wouldn't recommend it!
Additionally, I really enjoyed the author's emphasis on ethical reading practices, especially the giving of advice and the structuring of questions. Mr. Ricklef encourages moderation with the giving of advice and paying attention to the one asking the question to ensure that the information being given doesn't cause more harm than good. He also deliberately asks questions that push this boundary when writing as the famous figures he chooses to help, only to ensure that his response can reiterate that the job of the tarot reader isn't to tell the questioner what to do, but offer perspective and guidance as he rephrases the question asked into something more beneficial. This is something that left an incredibly positive impression on me; in the face of, I'm sure, quite a bit of criticism, any tarot reader who acknowledges their limitations to preserve the well-being of their clients deserves a good deal of praise.
Now, as much fun as this book was, I did have one hangup that kept knocking me out of what the author was trying to do every chapter: since the characters asking the questions were so well known, how could a reading be given to them without being tainted by the knowledge you already have about how their story turns out? The answer is, you can't, and the author freely acknowledges this and tries to separate it out as much as he can, but it's still there in the background. I think it's unavoidable given the premise, but it does keep it from being the completely organic reading experience I was looking for. Still, knowing how things turn out actually gave the cards drawn a little more dynamism, so even this ended up as a net positive for me!
While this isn't a reference book I'll be keeping in my permanent collection for multiple read-throughs, this seems like an excellent book to gift to anyone who is just starting off in tarot. I really wish it had been on my radar when I first started!
June 12, 2019
This was a super interesting way to learn about how people put cards together to form readings. Since that's something I've been stuck on for ages, I really appreciated it.
July 4, 2025
Fantasioso e istruttivo!
Con questo libro, James Ricklef – nello stile garbato che gli è proprio – dimostra che spesso non servono stese astruse per fare una profonda lettura di Tarocchi. Questo libro è una raccolta di esempi di fantasia (lo consultano Bella di “La Bella e la Bestia”, Cenerentola, Gertrude Stein, la Psiche mitologica e tanti altri) fatti tutti con la stesa delle tre carte in molteplici varianti.
Ed è anche un manuale vero e proprio. Ovviamente Ricklef lo scrive seguendo la sua etica e il suo modus operandi con i Tarocchi, e poi sta al lettore decidere se accettarlo pienamente o criticamente, ma è comunque un libro eccellente, in specie per i principianti.
E consiglio anche il secondo libro dell’autore: “Tarot: Get The Whole Story” per avere una panoramica completa anche su altre stese.
Con questo libro, James Ricklef – nello stile garbato che gli è proprio – dimostra che spesso non servono stese astruse per fare una profonda lettura di Tarocchi. Questo libro è una raccolta di esempi di fantasia (lo consultano Bella di “La Bella e la Bestia”, Cenerentola, Gertrude Stein, la Psiche mitologica e tanti altri) fatti tutti con la stesa delle tre carte in molteplici varianti.
Ed è anche un manuale vero e proprio. Ovviamente Ricklef lo scrive seguendo la sua etica e il suo modus operandi con i Tarocchi, e poi sta al lettore decidere se accettarlo pienamente o criticamente, ma è comunque un libro eccellente, in specie per i principianti.
E consiglio anche il secondo libro dell’autore: “Tarot: Get The Whole Story” per avere una panoramica completa anche su altre stese.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews