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36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot
The minor arcana of the tarot have an astrological secret: 36 of them, in fact. In the early 20th century, members of the British secret society of the Golden Dawn created what would become the world's best-known tarot deck: the Rider Waite Smith tarot. They also created an infrastructure of esoteric correspondences around the deck, assigning each minor card numbered 2 through 10 in each of the four suits, to a decan-a 10� section of the zodiac, and by extension a 10-day section of the calendar year. For magical practitioners, these decans have a deep and lasting relevance; their mythic history, their imagery, and their use in talismanic work date back millennia. In our time, the yearlong "decan walk" has become a means of honoring that occult legacy, a way of experiencing firsthand the qualities reflected in each of these cosmic windows. 36 Secrets is the chronicle of one such walk, taken by T. Susan Chang in the period from March 2019 to March 2020. It explores the ways tarot and decan imagery overlap and depart from one another, and the metaphorical language they share. Beyond that, it is a deep excavation of the meaning to be found in the minor arcana, or "Lesser Secrets," and one practitioner's heartfelt contribution to the lore and mythic legacy of the cards.
281 pages, Paperback
Published December 31, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 19, 2021
It’s brilliant, and elementally so well balanced. Contained within, you have erudition (air), a contagious passion for the craft of reading cards (fire), imaginative nuance and clever metaphors (cups), and deep practical wisdom (earth). It will be a fine and essential addition to your Tarot library.
March 22, 2021
Such a joyful way to take a Decan walk. Easily broken down into each astrological decan. Lots of information on each tarot minor and the two majors that correspond. The writing style is easy and unfussy, full of useful diagrams and pictures too.
This is my guide now for the year ahead.
This is my guide now for the year ahead.
September 10, 2022
I'm new yet to the tarot, but already this book has become one of my favorite tools for study. I was in search of an astrological take on tarot that would go deeper than simply pairing a given card with the three signs in a single element, and this book does not disappoint. It makes for a beautiful, accessible, intuitive interpretation of the wisdom behind the decanic system as relates to tarot. Now I feel ready to go back over some spreads I've journaled and decode pulls that I think may be referencing dates in past, present or future. In addition, I was gifted with the author's deeper interpretations of some cards that I found offputting previously based on others’ takes on them. Her style is excellent here. She takes an approach that is interdisciplinary, blending scholarship with heart-centered exploration. she is a wellspring of knowledge, making all kinds of connections to literature and mythology and history, and at the same time, she lets us in on her own personal experiences with each card for additional context. The book reads wonderfully all the way through but can also act as a quick reference–which in my opinion is not easy to pull off. The author also pairs a poem with each card to aid in further reflection, and I have to say this speaks to my soul as a poet. I'd give it ten stars if I could.
March 28, 2025
I read most of this last year but I’m reading it again this year.
It’s the kind of book where it’s best to read two or three paragraphs each day as you follow the decans round the sky on what Tarot lovers call a decan walk.
I imagine anyone interested in this book already knows what a decan is but in case you don’t, they are 10-degree sections of the 12 signs of the zodiac, with each sign (Aries to to Pisces) having 3 decans. Some Tarot experts associate each decan with a pip card of the Tarot, excluding the aces. In other words, every card from 2-10 of each suit can be associated with a decan.
This means you can relate each 10-day period of the astrological year with what is going on in your life and the influences manifested in the corresponding Tarot card. Last year I did this with Susan Chang’s book and four decks from my collection. This year I’m using M.M. Melleen’s latest deck, which is called The Telos of 777.
The deck sounds very arcane and it is. It’s full of Qabalistic correspondences and the art was created during the astrological time corresponding to each of the relevant decans.
Susan Chang’s book also follows the traditional path of the decans starting with the spring equinox when the sun enters Aries, which corresponds to the two of wands.
Her ideas combine well with those of M.M. Meleen’s. They have collaborated on a book and a podcast together, which I’ve also read and listened to. I’ve also collected all of M.M. Meleen’s decks and books since her first one, The Rosetta Tarot with its accompanying Book of Seshet, so I’m very familiar with her work.
Susan is a lot more voluble than Mel, who tends to be somewhat modest and retiring. Mel’s decks are deeply researched and reflect years of meditation and introspection. Susan is more effusive and spontaneous, although I believe she was an introspective child, and her volubility is very much in evidence in her book.
If I’d reviewed it last year I probably would have rated it less favourably. Each section starts well but she never knows when to stop. I’ve found the book is more accessible if I stop for her because my brain starts to fog over after about three paragraphs.
Luckily, the text is broken up with sub-headings every few paragraphs, so this is very manageable. Also, I’ve developed a habit of incremental reading with most Tarot and astrology books over the years because these disciplines seems to attract people who can talk the hind leg off a donkey.
As there are 36 decans in the year and each lasts approximately 10 days, reading three paragraphs a day works pretty well throughout the year.
This gives you time to write in your journal about the themes Susan mentions in the book. It’s a very good way of getting to know a new deck and to reflect on what is going on in your life.
In case you’re wondering why the aces and major arcana are left out, well, they’re not. They’re included as well but they have a more over-arching influence in this scheme, so they pop up more than once in the appropriate places.
One of the strengths of this book is the illustrations. All the relevant cards are depicted at the start of each section but there are also many illustrations within each section, homing in on details and correspondences within the cards and depicting illustrations from other sources.
Another thing I really like is that Susan finishes each section with a poem or literary fragment that captures the overall theme of the decan. These are very well chosen and worth reading for their own sake.
If you’re interested in Tarot cards, this is a very good time to start reading this book (I am writing this on 28th March 2025) because we’ve just had the spring equinox and are about to enter the second decan, which represents new growth.
If you’re living in or near London, you’re also just in time to catch the last days of the free Tarot exhibition at the Warburg Institute in Woburn Square, which ends on 30th April. Some rare and historic decks can be seen there. I haven’t been yet but I’ve reserved a time slot.
The exhibition alerted me to Italo Calvino’s The Castle of Crossed Destinies, which I’m also reading incrementally. I hope to finish it just as I arrive there, which would be a kind of poetic finish to that book.
It’s the kind of book where it’s best to read two or three paragraphs each day as you follow the decans round the sky on what Tarot lovers call a decan walk.
I imagine anyone interested in this book already knows what a decan is but in case you don’t, they are 10-degree sections of the 12 signs of the zodiac, with each sign (Aries to to Pisces) having 3 decans. Some Tarot experts associate each decan with a pip card of the Tarot, excluding the aces. In other words, every card from 2-10 of each suit can be associated with a decan.
This means you can relate each 10-day period of the astrological year with what is going on in your life and the influences manifested in the corresponding Tarot card. Last year I did this with Susan Chang’s book and four decks from my collection. This year I’m using M.M. Melleen’s latest deck, which is called The Telos of 777.
The deck sounds very arcane and it is. It’s full of Qabalistic correspondences and the art was created during the astrological time corresponding to each of the relevant decans.
Susan Chang’s book also follows the traditional path of the decans starting with the spring equinox when the sun enters Aries, which corresponds to the two of wands.
Her ideas combine well with those of M.M. Meleen’s. They have collaborated on a book and a podcast together, which I’ve also read and listened to. I’ve also collected all of M.M. Meleen’s decks and books since her first one, The Rosetta Tarot with its accompanying Book of Seshet, so I’m very familiar with her work.
Susan is a lot more voluble than Mel, who tends to be somewhat modest and retiring. Mel’s decks are deeply researched and reflect years of meditation and introspection. Susan is more effusive and spontaneous, although I believe she was an introspective child, and her volubility is very much in evidence in her book.
If I’d reviewed it last year I probably would have rated it less favourably. Each section starts well but she never knows when to stop. I’ve found the book is more accessible if I stop for her because my brain starts to fog over after about three paragraphs.
Luckily, the text is broken up with sub-headings every few paragraphs, so this is very manageable. Also, I’ve developed a habit of incremental reading with most Tarot and astrology books over the years because these disciplines seems to attract people who can talk the hind leg off a donkey.
As there are 36 decans in the year and each lasts approximately 10 days, reading three paragraphs a day works pretty well throughout the year.
This gives you time to write in your journal about the themes Susan mentions in the book. It’s a very good way of getting to know a new deck and to reflect on what is going on in your life.
In case you’re wondering why the aces and major arcana are left out, well, they’re not. They’re included as well but they have a more over-arching influence in this scheme, so they pop up more than once in the appropriate places.
One of the strengths of this book is the illustrations. All the relevant cards are depicted at the start of each section but there are also many illustrations within each section, homing in on details and correspondences within the cards and depicting illustrations from other sources.
Another thing I really like is that Susan finishes each section with a poem or literary fragment that captures the overall theme of the decan. These are very well chosen and worth reading for their own sake.
If you’re interested in Tarot cards, this is a very good time to start reading this book (I am writing this on 28th March 2025) because we’ve just had the spring equinox and are about to enter the second decan, which represents new growth.
If you’re living in or near London, you’re also just in time to catch the last days of the free Tarot exhibition at the Warburg Institute in Woburn Square, which ends on 30th April. Some rare and historic decks can be seen there. I haven’t been yet but I’ve reserved a time slot.
The exhibition alerted me to Italo Calvino’s The Castle of Crossed Destinies, which I’m also reading incrementally. I hope to finish it just as I arrive there, which would be a kind of poetic finish to that book.
September 28, 2024
T. Susan Chang’s 36 Secrets is one of the most enriching Tarot books I’ve read in a long time. It’s not just an exploration of the Minor Arcana; it’s a journey that connects the cards to the decans in a way that’s meticulous and deeply personal. What drew me in immediately is how Chang treats the Minor Arcana as more than just supportive characters to the Majors—each card becomes a world unto itself, rooted in astrology, mythology, and magic.
I’ve always found the minors to be a bit elusive compared to the archetypal power of the Major Arcana, but Chang makes them come alive through the lens of the decans. It was like discovering a hidden layer I never knew existed, making me rethink cards I thought I knew inside and out. Her approach is thorough without feeling clinical. Every card has its own story, and she weaves in historical correspondences with poetic reflections that make the material accessible even if you’re not an astrology expert. The way she tracks her own yearlong “decan walk” makes the book feel so human—it’s not just theory, it’s lived experience.
One thing I loved was how Chang connects the imagery of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck to the mythic and astrological currents of the decans, yet never loses sight of the cards’ divinatory power. You get a sense of how these 10-day slices of the zodiac influence not just the Minor Arcana but also the rhythm of our lives. Her insights into cards like the Five of Swords or the Eight of Cups feel vivid and layered, each interpretation digging deeper into the nuances of these “Lesser Secrets.” By the end, I felt like I’d been through a transformative process myself.
This is not just a book you read once and shelve. It’s a text you keep returning to, a guide for anyone serious about integrating astrology with Tarot or looking to honor the subtle forces that shape each card. Chang’s 36 Secrets is one of those rare books that offers not just knowledge, but wisdom. It’s a tribute to the complexity of the Tarot’s structure and a love letter to the Minor Arcana, one that’s going to stay close at hand whenever I sit down for a reading.
I’ve always found the minors to be a bit elusive compared to the archetypal power of the Major Arcana, but Chang makes them come alive through the lens of the decans. It was like discovering a hidden layer I never knew existed, making me rethink cards I thought I knew inside and out. Her approach is thorough without feeling clinical. Every card has its own story, and she weaves in historical correspondences with poetic reflections that make the material accessible even if you’re not an astrology expert. The way she tracks her own yearlong “decan walk” makes the book feel so human—it’s not just theory, it’s lived experience.
One thing I loved was how Chang connects the imagery of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck to the mythic and astrological currents of the decans, yet never loses sight of the cards’ divinatory power. You get a sense of how these 10-day slices of the zodiac influence not just the Minor Arcana but also the rhythm of our lives. Her insights into cards like the Five of Swords or the Eight of Cups feel vivid and layered, each interpretation digging deeper into the nuances of these “Lesser Secrets.” By the end, I felt like I’d been through a transformative process myself.
This is not just a book you read once and shelve. It’s a text you keep returning to, a guide for anyone serious about integrating astrology with Tarot or looking to honor the subtle forces that shape each card. Chang’s 36 Secrets is one of those rare books that offers not just knowledge, but wisdom. It’s a tribute to the complexity of the Tarot’s structure and a love letter to the Minor Arcana, one that’s going to stay close at hand whenever I sit down for a reading.
December 25, 2024
Interesting and thoughtful reflection on the images and meanings that can be associated with Tarot card images and numbers. I love learning about different systems that organize different archetypal concepts (the elements, the zodiac, numerology, planetary archetypes) in a way that can help frame how to think about current circumstances or challenges. In this book, Chang draws from different esoteric texts and systems (Qabalah, Astrology) and her own personal experiences and sometimes words of famous poets to discuss possible interpretations of mythic images and sequences. I find this type of integrative exploration very interesting and generative because it opens up creative ways of thinking. I also find this book intellectually rigorous because Chang cites her sources, puts things into historical context, and her discussion feels nuanced. She has clearly studied relevant materials extensively, and she offers different ways to think about how things go together or can be understood in a sequence. I have been reading this book very slowly because I pick one Tarot card and read the corresponding chapter and then contemplate it for a while. I am enjoying this slow pace as it allows me to play around with and digest the possible meanings of all the associations.
April 1, 2024
I read this over the course of a year as I embarked on my own decan walk, and of all the resources I consulted through that year, 36 Secrets was, by far, the most invaluable to me.
Susie Chang has done an excellent job with evaluating tarot's decanic minors and providing insightful information about their meanings, nuances, symbolism, and practical applications. I loved reading about the esoteric connections she's made with the cards. Her candid explanations have laid a new foundation for me and my own tarot practice, and I finished my decan walk feeling inspired and empowered to make the tarot more personal than I ever thought possible.
I have often felt that the minor arcana are overlooked and glossed over when researching card meanings, whether its online/free resources or paid tarot courses or purchased books. That's absolutely not the case with Susie's book. She has given thoughtful attention to the minors and has highlighted all of the layered depth that each card provides. Whether you're conducting your own decan walk or just want more on the minors, I think 36 Secrets is a must-own for any tarot reader.
Susie Chang has done an excellent job with evaluating tarot's decanic minors and providing insightful information about their meanings, nuances, symbolism, and practical applications. I loved reading about the esoteric connections she's made with the cards. Her candid explanations have laid a new foundation for me and my own tarot practice, and I finished my decan walk feeling inspired and empowered to make the tarot more personal than I ever thought possible.
I have often felt that the minor arcana are overlooked and glossed over when researching card meanings, whether its online/free resources or paid tarot courses or purchased books. That's absolutely not the case with Susie's book. She has given thoughtful attention to the minors and has highlighted all of the layered depth that each card provides. Whether you're conducting your own decan walk or just want more on the minors, I think 36 Secrets is a must-own for any tarot reader.
March 11, 2023
A "non-typical" Tarot book. Definitely an interesting read. Well-researched and well-organised. I enjoyed reading it and I found it quite inspiring. It opened up for me, a new perspective of reading the cards.
Personally, I don't think this book is meant for Tarot beginners. To understand it to its full depth, one needs to know the basic meanings of the Tarot cards and have some understanding of astrology (planets, signs, modalities and rulerships).
I took the journey over an entire year so that I got a chance to see how every card related to my own experience. It was a cool exercise.
This is not a book I would read at a fast past, as I think its beauty lies in comparing the writer's experience to your own.
Personally, I don't think this book is meant for Tarot beginners. To understand it to its full depth, one needs to know the basic meanings of the Tarot cards and have some understanding of astrology (planets, signs, modalities and rulerships).
I took the journey over an entire year so that I got a chance to see how every card related to my own experience. It was a cool exercise.
This is not a book I would read at a fast past, as I think its beauty lies in comparing the writer's experience to your own.
March 22, 2022
I enjoyed the walk through the PIP, minor Arcana cards. All of the mythology was a little dense for me to get through, as it’s not totally my jam. That’s said, I loved that for each card Susan shared what typically happens to her on days that she pulled this card.
Her depth of knowledge is abundantly clear & I can feel her fun personality throughout the book.
She draws from a lot of sources, which rounded out the book well, but also required a lot of processing time (for me) between each chapter.
Her depth of knowledge is abundantly clear & I can feel her fun personality throughout the book.
She draws from a lot of sources, which rounded out the book well, but also required a lot of processing time (for me) between each chapter.
July 25, 2022
Rachel Pollack’s 78 Degrees finally has a rival for the title of “my favorite tarot book of all time.”
The author is a brilliant scholar, yet she shares her knowledge in an accessible, graspable way that simultaneously comforted and challenged me. The style is meditative and poetic, but never grandiose or pretentious. I especially enjoyed her poignant reflections on the ways the cards have shown up in her everyday life.
This is an absolutely necessary classic, and T. Susan Chang is nothing short of a gift.
The author is a brilliant scholar, yet she shares her knowledge in an accessible, graspable way that simultaneously comforted and challenged me. The style is meditative and poetic, but never grandiose or pretentious. I especially enjoyed her poignant reflections on the ways the cards have shown up in her everyday life.
This is an absolutely necessary classic, and T. Susan Chang is nothing short of a gift.
July 25, 2024
Chang illustrates the tarot through many lenses, shedding light and bringing to me a new understanding of the meanings behind the minor arcana. With this book, not only do I gain new perspective through her lived experiences with the cards, I have a much larger and more intricate framework with which to interpret them in my own readings. Her interpretive skill is sharp and poetic, and her depth of knowledge on the subjects of tarot, astrology, and esoterica is inspiring.
November 9, 2024
Reading the minor arcana through the decans is helpful... I'm finding that "theosophy" presents a proliferation of systems of codes that are then all decipherable through each other, which can help place each in conversation with the others, but also often ends in a confused referentiality which is necessarily circular precisely because it never "bottoms out" in some final reference, which also makes for a lot of redundancy within the system.
May 26, 2024
Fantastic resource for learning the astrological correspondences in tarot. Chang presents deeply researched material that really goes into the weeds while still managing to be relatable and readable.
June 3, 2023
This book is great! Filled with interesting and useful information. It is like setting off on a great adventure with a good map!
August 22, 2024
Loved this book, which is really inspiring.
September 6, 2024
This was the first book by T. Susan Chang I ever read and loved it! She's a gift!
December 11, 2024
brilliant understanding of the astrological decans in relation to tarot articulated through the “decan walk”- necessary context on the history and traditional astro’s undeniable contribution to the making and development of divination
March 26, 2025
Loved so much.
May 29, 2025
4.5 Stars. It lost me a bit at times, but it is definitely one I want to reread and study.
April 29, 2023
I'm amazed with this and her writing is so good.
October 14, 2025
Started my first Decan Walk in 2023. This was one of the recommended resources. If you are haven’t heard of a Decan Walk, I followed Marlene Theresa. You can find her channel on YouTube.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews