What do you think?
Rate this book
The Modern Fortune-Teller’s Field Guide
A groundbreaking approach to the practice of divination.
Historically, fortune-tellers have always stood on the margins of society and been villainized by the Christo-colonial powers that view divination as competition. The Modern Fortune-Teller’s Field Guide takes a contemporary and engaged approach to divination, with a strong focus on social responsibility. Because fortune-tellers can see the world as it is, they serve as a threat to structures that benefit from secrecy.
The Modern Fortune-Teller’s Field Guide is an essential guide to anyone seeking theory and history alongside divinatory knowledge. Though anyone today can pick up a pack of tarot cards or begin casting bones, fortune-tellers have a responsibility in taking up that work to not only consider the forebears who suffered for that art but also to understand the systems of oppression that impact our clients. We must understand that spiritually bypassing a client’s reality is not only ineffective but also cruel.
Historically, fortune-tellers have always stood on the margins of society and been villainized by the Christo-colonial powers that view divination as competition. The Modern Fortune-Teller’s Field Guide takes a contemporary and engaged approach to divination, with a strong focus on social responsibility. Because fortune-tellers can see the world as it is, they serve as a threat to structures that benefit from secrecy.
The Modern Fortune-Teller’s Field Guide is an essential guide to anyone seeking theory and history alongside divinatory knowledge. Though anyone today can pick up a pack of tarot cards or begin casting bones, fortune-tellers have a responsibility in taking up that work to not only consider the forebears who suffered for that art but also to understand the systems of oppression that impact our clients. We must understand that spiritually bypassing a client’s reality is not only ineffective but also cruel.
306 pages, Paperback
Published October 7, 2025
5 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 4, 2026
The Modern Fortune Teller’s Field Guide is a collection of essays on topics related to fortune telling. As clarified in the preface, it is “about being a reader more than it’s a book about how to read” [xiii]. It will not teach you how to read tarot, but it covers many themes – ethics, reader/querent dynamics, free will vs. fatedness, pedagogical considerations for divination-related classes, and so on – that will be of interest to folks who are or would like to be fortune tellers (or diviners, or cartomancers, or readers, and/or anything like this), whether running a divination-related business or just reading for family and friends.
The emphasis of the book (the very vast majority of the examples, a section on meanings of the majors and elements/numbers comprising the minors) is tarot; however, much of the book’s contents would be applicable to work with other systems/tools. Most of the book focuses on reading for others (particularly for clients whom the reader does not have any personal relationship with), but there is one section dedicated to reading for oneself. Other divinatory approaches, such as astrology, are mentioned, but expertise is not presumed. As far as tarot books go, this one is solidly intermediate; I believe readers will get the most out of it once they already have a foundation of knowledge and experience.
The Modern Fortune Teller’s Field Guide is a thought-provoking read, prompting reflection on both overarching philosophical questions (ex. the relationship – or not – between divination and spirituality) and specific, concrete practicalities (ex. in interacting with clients, written vs. synchronous in person readings). I appreciate that the anti-oppressive + social justice oriented perspective is up front and clear. I like the diversity of examples used for sample readings. I certainly don’t agree with him on every point, and a few things (ex. a discussion of binaries vs. polarities toward the end) I have a very different perspective on; however, for the most part the book’s tone is less ‘attempt to convince you’ and more ‘prod you to think + not take commonly held presumptions for granted.’ In this, it is effective. I also think it’s a refreshing read, fundamentally different in format than any other tarot book on my shelf – a lot of tarot books tend to recycle the same format (card by card meanings, spreads, some very basic history) and this one doesn’t (though there are some card meanings, discussion of spreads, and a bit of history here and there).
I will mention, for transparency’s sake, that I’ve met the author (at a tarot conference) and have taken two of his classes (one multi-session online class and one in-person workshop at aforementioned conference). I like Tom Benjamin + appreciate what he contributes to tarot discourse. As always, I’ve aspired to review the book solely based on its contents.
The emphasis of the book (the very vast majority of the examples, a section on meanings of the majors and elements/numbers comprising the minors) is tarot; however, much of the book’s contents would be applicable to work with other systems/tools. Most of the book focuses on reading for others (particularly for clients whom the reader does not have any personal relationship with), but there is one section dedicated to reading for oneself. Other divinatory approaches, such as astrology, are mentioned, but expertise is not presumed. As far as tarot books go, this one is solidly intermediate; I believe readers will get the most out of it once they already have a foundation of knowledge and experience.
The Modern Fortune Teller’s Field Guide is a thought-provoking read, prompting reflection on both overarching philosophical questions (ex. the relationship – or not – between divination and spirituality) and specific, concrete practicalities (ex. in interacting with clients, written vs. synchronous in person readings). I appreciate that the anti-oppressive + social justice oriented perspective is up front and clear. I like the diversity of examples used for sample readings. I certainly don’t agree with him on every point, and a few things (ex. a discussion of binaries vs. polarities toward the end) I have a very different perspective on; however, for the most part the book’s tone is less ‘attempt to convince you’ and more ‘prod you to think + not take commonly held presumptions for granted.’ In this, it is effective. I also think it’s a refreshing read, fundamentally different in format than any other tarot book on my shelf – a lot of tarot books tend to recycle the same format (card by card meanings, spreads, some very basic history) and this one doesn’t (though there are some card meanings, discussion of spreads, and a bit of history here and there).
I will mention, for transparency’s sake, that I’ve met the author (at a tarot conference) and have taken two of his classes (one multi-session online class and one in-person workshop at aforementioned conference). I like Tom Benjamin + appreciate what he contributes to tarot discourse. As always, I’ve aspired to review the book solely based on its contents.
December 30, 2025
Absolutely amazing. It's so refreshing to read an intermediate divination book, and this one gave me so many things to chew on and think about. It added so many books to my TBR list. If you're not following Tom Benjamin on YouTube, what are you even doing with your life?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews