Tarosophy: Tarot to Engage Life, Not Escape It

by Marcus Katz

The book that changed the world of Tarot. "From the first steps in reading Tarot through metaphysical correspondences and on to professional marketing, this book has it all! Marcus Katz's Tarosophy® is a work of intelligence and depth, featuring tons of Tarot tips and exercises that will help you explore the wisdom of the cards in a manner that is accessible, playful and practical. Highly recommended!" - Mary K. Greer, author of 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card. "In precise detail, with clarity but also with wit and a playful and explorative mind, Marcus Katz maps out a course for the serious Tarot reader. Ranging across culture, myth, and history as well as the Tarot tradition itself, this book is a major contribution." - Rachel Pollack, author of 31 books, published all over the world in 14 languages. Her Tarot books include 78 Degrees of Wisdom, often called "the Bible of Tarot readers," and the recently published Tarot Wisdom. "Marcus Katz has recovered the spiritual dignity of Tarot." - Naomi Ozaniec, author of The Watkins Tarot Handbook and The Aquarian Qabalah. "Marcus Katz has fixed himself as a bright Star in the firmament of Tarot. His Tarosophy® is everything its subtitle promises; "Tarot to Engage Life, Not Escape it." It's sane, sensible, and profoundly original. His 'Temple of Thoth' (Gated Spread) alone is worth the price of admission." - Lon Milo DuQuette, Author of Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, and creator of Tarot of Ceremonial Magick. "Any system of thought such as Tarot, Kabbalah or Astrology that reflects life processes back at the user of that system, thereby enabling him or her to live life more consciously and spiritually ‐ in harmony and accord with life itself ‐ is, of necessity, very complex. The teaching of such is therefore commensurately difficult. Here, in a manner I would love to see employed for the teaching of other disciplines too, Master Katz ‐ for Master he is ‐ has delivered to us a manual for learning Tarot (and much more) by being true to its own he engages the reader, not just through clear, practical and reliable information, but through numerous interactive exercises, techniques and rituals that effectively find Tarot being taught to you from the inside out! From 'Tarot True', through 'Tarot Deep', to 'Tarot High', he takes you on an enjoyable and rewarding journey of discovery that births the unique Tarot‐reader who was already inside of you. Genius!" - Lyn Birkbeck, astrological consultant and best‐selling author of Do‐It‐Yourself Astrology, The Instant Astrologer. Based upon 30 years of studying, reading and teaching tarot, more than 10,000 face-to-face readings and extensive research in the field, Marcus Katz successfully combines academic rigour with invaluable practical experience and breathtaking originality. From terminology and technique, to reading and spreads, inner work and trees, Tarosophy encapsulates the wisdom of tarot as a living, divine art and science; a dynamic interface between awareness and appearance, and a system to observe, tie and untie the 'secret knots' that bind the world. With 50 unique exercises, in excess of 50 illustrations, extensive footnotes, and detailed reading lists, there are more new tarot ideas on any given page of Tarosophy than in some entire texts on the subject. Join the Tarot Association for a free ten-hour video course from the author and much more at www.tarotassociation.net.

Genres: Tarot, Reference, Occult, Nonfiction

642 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2016

About the author

Marcus Katz is a professional tarot teacher at the Far Away Centre, the first independent contemporary esoteric training centre in the United Kingdom. As the Director of Tarot Professionals, www.tarotprofessionals.com the world's largest professional tarot organisation, he has studied and taught tarot for 30 years and has delivered more than 10,000 face-to-face readings.

Marcus is also the co-creator of Tarot Town, www.tarot-town.com the social network for tarot readers, with thousands of people worldwide sharing innovative tarot development. He graduated from the University of Exeter as the first student in the world to obtain a Master of Arts degree in Western Esotericism - as such he is one of the few recognised academics in this field.

A licensed neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) trainer and neo-Ericksonian hypnotherapist with 20 years of experience training, presenting and teaching, he has completed training with Paul McKenna, Richard Bandler, John Grinder, and many other NLP luminaries.

His esoteric, kabbalah and tarot courses and workshops are attended by students from across the world, and he delivers three online courses in spellcrafting, kabbalah and alchemy to students through the Magicka School. He has also travelled and taught private groups across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the United States.

Marcus has learnt from, met and corresponded with many of the leading names in occultism during the past 30 years, and has enjoyed unparalleled access to private and academic libraries and rare manuscripts. His own library of esoteric books, magazines and materials is one of the largest and most comprehensive in private collection.

Reviews

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book fixates on 3 things: The Kabbalah, Aleister Crowley and his Thoth deck, and the order of the Golden Dawn. I found the studies on the Kabbalah very interesting but realize that is at least another book all on it's own. As for all the topics pretty much relating back to Aleister Crowley and the Golden Dawn, I understand that this is where we get modern Tarot and even the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, however I think we are a little beyond that now and I would like to see more information on modern adaptations of what Aleister Crowley and the Golden Dawn began. Other than that small issue, I think it was a very good book with some great information and some really great exercises.

[The Loracular · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tarosophy: Tarot to Engage Life, Not Escape ItMarcus Katz
(Disclaimer: I recently joined Tarosophy Tarot Association)

First published in 2011 this is the 3rd print edition published by Forge Press in 2016. It is a dense, thick 500+ page book that is probably one of the most utilitarian and useful books on esoteric tarot to come out this decade. The author has a very solid history and reputation in the greater tarot/occult community. He covers an almost mindless number of topics with skilled expertise. He cites sources, makes a number of really good recommendations for further reading and does a very thorough job of giving credit to colleagues and others when describing ideas and techniques he's learned over the decades.

This a book to read multiple times. It is an essential for someone looking towards a career as a professional tarot reader and probably best started and worked with for at least a year before jumping into that deep end.

I would not recommend it to someone who considered themselves a "beginner" because I think they might be overwhelmed or even intimidated but I think some of the material is outright essential to everyone who -teaches- tarot to others.

The only part my brain started glossing over was in the middle of the book dedicated to a group of tarot spreads. I also think I will be picking this up and using it as a reference and reviewing that same material later when that is a more specific interest of mine. For a book this size that I expect to be part of my core library, I would have paid a lot more than a mere $19.95 on Amazon.

[Joannah Keats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great at times, off the rails at others

This book started out strongly, with great exercises, lots of highlights, accessible and readable, and then it seemed to go off the rails and suddenly the ordering no longer made sense, it seemed like the book was an unfinished outline of a book instead of an actual finished product, and wound up feeling like something of a promo piece for the Golden Dawn than for tarot in and of itself. It wasn’t terrible, and I certainly got some useful practices and insights, but (and I hate that I’m even admitting this) Dusty whatever-his-name-is’s book on advanced tarot was much more immediately useful, organized, and easy to follow.

This book is not for beginners, but more for intermediate or advanced readers who ALSO have a solid working knowledge of Kabbalah at the least, or ideally for those who are into hermetic or Kabbalist studies on a deep level, otherwise the second half of the book feels mismatched and inaccessible.

[Pseudonym Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transformational

I would highly recommend this. As a tarot reader, I am an advocate for the continuous study of your craft. There's always little nuggets of wisdom or practice suggestions to be found, new spreads to try, new ways of seeing the cards that all culminate into being a more well-rounded reader & better quality readings. Definitely add this one to your shelf.

[Oliver Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. I liked the practical ideas and exercises. In some parts it leaned heavily into traditional western esoteric stuff. I can see returning to this for ideas and to try some of the exercises again.

[Jay Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

So.
There's a lot of information here. Lots of reference to Heremetic order of the golden dawn, kabbalah and some of their theories and practices.
Katz is quite the gatekeeper, western esoteric guru, name dropping and ready to snark about those who debase the dignity of the tarot. Also very keen on NLP without much explanation of why techniques often used for selling or dating have a place in interactions around tarot readings.
Credit for the vast amount of research and information presented, some fascinating information and things to try, not much context about rational for some of it. Quite a bit of superiority about his studies and teaching, how great his franchise is, but in a crowded market this is probably vital to stand out.