What Tarot Can Do For You: Your Future in the Cards

by Barbara Moore

Curious about Tarot cards? Shrouded in mystery and superstition, tarot cards have been used for centuries to predict the future. But that's not all they can do! What Tarot Can Do For You shows you the basics of tarot, from getting started to using the cards for more than just fortunetelling. You'll learn how Empower yourself, overcome obstacles, and make better decisions―all with a little help from your tarot deck.

Genres: Tarot

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

The tarot has been a part of my personal and professional life for nearly twenty years. I first discovered the Tarot in college. Right from the start, the tarot intrigued me with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, history mystery, and magic.

My education in the tarot has been and continues to be broad and enlightening. I am grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to study under renowned tarot scholars Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack. I have also had the privilege to share the wonders of the tarot with all manner of wide-eyed, would-be tarot readers.

I enjoy giving a voice to tarot cards by writing the books that accompany decks. I have had the good fortune to write books and booklets for several decks, including A Guide to Mystic Faerie Tarot (Llewellyn, July 2007), The Gilded Tarot Companion (Llewellyn, September 2004), The Enchanted Oracle (Llewellyn, September 2008), The Mystic Dreamer Tarot (Llewellyn, September 2008), and Shadowscapes Tarot (Llewellyn, May 2010). Recently, I finished writing a new edition of Tarot for Beginners (Llewellyn, November 2010).

My articles on the tarot have appeared in several tarot publications and in Llewellyn's New Worlds of Mind and Spirit.

Over the years, I have been very active in the tarot community. I am a founding member of the Minnesota Area Tarot Symposium and have spoken at tarot conferences around the United States. In July of 2010, I had the pleasure of attending the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI) Annual Conference as keynote speaker.

In addition to teaching tarot classes and providing personal readings, I currently work as a consultant for tarot publishers Llewellyn Worldwide and Lo Scarabeo. I also contribute bi-weekly posts to Llewellyn's Tarot Pathways blog. I am very excited to be working on designing several forthcoming tarot decks as well as another book for tarot newbies on spread design.

Reviews

[UrbanWitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I have read by Barbara has proved to be brilliant. This book, in particular, has a lot to offer you if you are into working with the Tarot. Even though it seems like this guide is aimed at beginners, it is immensely useful for someone who is already well on the way on their journey. The reason why I feel this way about this book lies in its practicality. It allows you to experience real 'practical magic'. It encourages you to try exercises and spreads that will deepen your connection to the cards and increase your overall knowledge about not just the Tarot but yourself.

I am going to highlight what I enjoyed the most in each chapter (excluding the first two ones) and why:

~ chapter on problem-solving: Barbara draws on real-life situations and characters to illustrate how you can use the cards, especially when you are at a crossroads. I love to involve the cards in my decision-making process, so to me, this section was truly interesting. Specifically, because of her analysis.

~ chapter on meditation: Although meditation is getting increasingly popular these days I bet it is still something most people would not do without guidance. This short but powerful chapter inspires you to open up your mind to the possibility of self-directed meditation without the limitations of someone else's directions. The author used The Wheel of Fortune as an example, and it completely changed my view of the card, which I had initially struggled with.

~ chapter on journaling: Yet another trending concept of our days, and to be honest, I was not expecting much from this chapter. I was in for a surprise! This section is gem-packed with tips and exercises that will take away the stress of not knowing where or how to start. It completely reformed my outlook on journaling and writing as well. It has pushed me to begin writing which I have been wanting to do for ages.

~ chapter on magic: Even though I am not yet a practicing Wiccan I did enjoy how Barbara presented this short but intriguing section. It is particularly useful if you are, like me, interested in practising magic with tarot but are afraid you might do it 'wrong'. Plenty of reading material is suggested if you wish to dive deeper into the topic.

~ chapter on self-improvement: She kept the best for last. The Alternate Major Arcana Spread is presented in this chapter which is a tarot exercise devised by major tarot expert Rachel Pollack. You are in for a treat with this one.

~ chapter on selecting a deck: I own a lot of decks and this section still proved to be useful. The deck selection she represents here is only eye candy for us people who live in the 2020s. There are only a few decks from this list that are available to buy. Since the book was published these decks moved up to the vintage and priceless categories. It was still amazing to browse through them, though...

Final thoughts, I love the fact that this gem was written 20 years ago, in 2004, yet the author's ideas are still insightful and not even a tiny bit outdated. It is a great source of wisdom for anyone who wishes to use the Tarot daily. It is a definite keeper! Keeper within reach.

[Minh Quang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows me some other ways to use the Tarot more effectively. If you want a book provides the meaning of Tarot cards, certainly, it is not for you. This is not also for beginners. The book helps you understand more clearly the ways which the Tarot can do for you. Such as, meditate with cards, improve your-self, or solve problems effectively.

[Marcello Tarot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come l’autrice stessa scrive nell’introduzione, non si tratta di un libro contenente i significati in dettaglio di ogni singola lamina (i significati sono tutti riassunti in 6 paginette, dedicando a ciascuna carta 1-2 righe), piuttosto di un pot-pourri di che cosa sia un mazzo di Tarocchi, cenni su divinazione, risoluzione di problemi, meditazione, tenuta di un diario, magia, auto-miglioramento, scelta di un mazzo. Lo stile della Moore è, come sempre, scorrevole e facilmente comprensibile, ma questa sua opera difetta della profondità che si riscontra invece altrove, e alla fine l’impressione è che non si tratti di un libro di grande utilità perché i vari argomenti trattati qui quasi en passant si possono trovare in altri libri ai quali siano appositamente dedicati.

[Nupur Vanderlick · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like about this book is that is is concise, to the point and gives you some basic information that can get you started on your journey to interpretations.It deals more with the logistics of reading rather than the meaning of the actual cards which is the focus of most tarot books. Some areas of the book that were of interest to me were the pieces about meditation, journaling and magic. Moore's reviews on books and decks form a good foundation list for any tarot reader to build on the basics.