Living the Tarot

by Amber Jayanti

Amber Jayanti's masterpiece of Tarot interpretation takes the Tarot out of the theoretical and the mystical and makes it accessible as a tool for daily living. Used as a guide and as a companion, LIVING THE TAROT reveals the practical applications of the Tarot. In addition, this book provides a wealth of references and insight, linking Tarot with Qabalah, mythology, astrology, numerology, magic, Buddhism, Hinduism and psychology. For advanced students and those who wish to take their studies further, LIVING THE TAROT offers keys to using the Tarot as a path to enlightenment and a more profound understanding of all aspects of life.

Genres: Tarot, Divination

432 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1989

Reviews

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC! I need a secondhand copy that doesn’t smell of secondhand smoke 😖

My top tarot book rec for beginners, and I mean beginners who just started getting into tarot, is Mary K. Greer's Tarot for Your Self. Amber Jayanti's Living the Tarot would be a good one if you're looking to ease yourself in with tarot and Kabbalah, as this is based on the B.O.T.A. Tarot, rooted in RWS but with Kabbalah symbolism and numerological associations.

I just love Jayanti's love and devotion to her tarot practice; she has a respect for the tarot cards, and I just love it when someone gets passionate and lights up about their hobbies and interests.

I also appreciated the organization of the Major Arcana via 4 gateways, as opposed to the highly popularized soul's journey across 3 lines that Rachel Pollack shared. Each Major Arcana card is expanded upon with general symbolism deciphering, personal relationship to the card, a student's reflection to their relationship to the card, divinatory questions for upright and reversed cards, as well as a list of actions to embody the tarot.

Although this is Kabbalah, the author has clearly yogic influences, and due to my own connections to yoga, those were the most memorable for me.

I'm not sure if this book is still in print, but I picked up a secondhand copy. If this book does get reprinted, I will likely get a new one because this secondhand copy has a smoker's smell.

[Twinkle T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was recommended to me by a friend. I love all of the activities Ms. Jayanti put in her book and how I can almost interact with the author. This is a really deep and interpretive book. It not only talks about her own situation, but the situations of her students as well. This gives to more insight into the cards and for me, helps with memorizatioion. I'd definitely recommend this book to all. The only thing I'd wish for this book is that it interpreted the full 72 deck and not just the Major Arcana, but other than that it is a great read!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simplest and best working tarot book I have ever read. This book has many valuable tips for living the tarot as part of your everyday life and I would recommend it for the novice or expert alike.

[Lubica Lehotská · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of inner philosophy, it is not any surficial thing but a school of deep knowledge. I m oblidged to the author for such complete and creative work, her feeling, storries of her students and excelent excercises wich can really enrich any personality. Living the Tarot is really something alive and inspiring anybody - you can then open your empty notebook, create a picture of any Tarot arcanum and paint it by yourselves. Next to it you can do a poem about it, you can sing or dance it. I would like to know the author personally... her book has opened my eyes... and now I am living the Tarot really. Thak you. Lubi Lasca Lehotská