Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners

by Joan Bunning

Learning the Tarot , Joan Bunning offers a complete course in 19 lessons that covers the basics and then gradually goes into more advanced concepts.
 
First published in 1998, Joan Bunning’s Learning the Tarot has become a tarot classic. Written in a confident and natural style, the book communicates the basic depth and beauty of each card, shows how the cards trigger psychological projection, and enhances intuition.
 
Learning the Tarot is a thorough (but never overwhelming) invitation to the beginner. The book focuses in detail
   
The book includes a convenient reference section that contains two pages of information for each card, including a picture from the popular Waite-Smith deck, a description, keywords, action phrases, and suggestions for cards with similar and opposite meanings.
 
The author first presented this course online at learntarot.com , which continues to attract over one hundred thousand visitors per month. “When I first created my website in 1995,” writes Joan Bunning, “I never dreamed how much interest in the tarot I would find. People from all over the world began writing to tell me about their experiences with the course and their adventures with the cards. This response was music to my ears! I knew from my own experience that the tarot is a wonderful tool for personal guidance and inner exploration.
 
“My goal with this book was to give you the basics you need to begin working with the tarot on your own. I try to make this inner process understandable by breaking it up into a series of steps that are simple while still doing justice to the depth and beauty of the cards. I concentrate on the everyday, showing how the tarot makes real, practical sense in the modern world. The tarot is a living system that adapts creatively to each user. Rather than rules, I offer guidelines. While reading my book, I want you to feel that you have a teacher sitting next to you who is introducing you to this special tool, but also encouraging you to go on to discover your own unique approach to the cards.”

Genres: Tarot, Nonfiction, Reference, Spirituality, Divination, Occult, Witchcraft

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 1998

Reviews

[Amit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book to understand TAROT easily. If you want to learn Tarot and want to learn everything u need in just one book, this is "The Book".The best thing of this book is its simplicity and lucid language (no mumbo jumbo to confuse),this I feel is a great sign of an author and a Tarot reader (Joan) who is so clear about the explanations and interpretations, fantastic explanations with examples, a book for even advance tarot readers,a book that wants you to follow ur heart too, &which author would sacrifice their royalty income of book selling by making the course FREE for all on internet? Joan's intentions are clear & pure and not based on profit making which is an essential trait of great tarot readers. But I would stress that you buy the book, as it is a fantastic book of great treasure on Tarot. A highly recommended book. I am sure you won't regret buying it & love it and learn a great deal.

[I’m Probably Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book with a working knowledge of the Tarot, but wanted to refresh since I haven't used the cards in a few years. This book is clear, concise, perfect for beginners, and has a section of exercises useful and fun for any experience level. I borrowed it from the library, but will eventually buy a copy for my shelf.

[Magda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jedna z lepszych książek o tarocie, interpretacji i ogólnie pracy z kartami, jakie czytałam. Bardzo tradycyjna, dlatego podchodzi do kart z niezwykłym szacunkiem. Uczy jak pracować, jak łączyć karty w pary (!), omawia najpopularniejszy rozkład, czyli krzyż celtycki. Używałam go wiele razy, a mimo tego, udało mi się dowiedzieć coś nowego. Ma mnóstwo ćwiczeń, które uczą interpretacji i nakłaniają do użycia intuicji, nie tylko oklepanych formułek. Będę wracać do książki, a na pewno do jej fragmentów z opisami i interpretacją kart.

[Devon Pelto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to understand what Tarot truly is. It saddens me it still carries a stigma because it has deepened my relationship with Source and is truly amazing. This book has helped me learn the traditional meanings of the cards, learn spreads and even important details like writing your question out. I highly recommend to anyone interested in tarot!

[Johny Thomas Kariath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first found this booking in a shack called Laughing Buddha in Hampi, India. At that time I had little to no idea of tarot card except that it was somehow related to occult. Two years later after seeing Eva Green spread tarot cards in Penny Dreadful I was reminded of this book. This was followed by a messy but reward attempt at creating my own Rider-Waite Deck to purchasing my first tarot deck.

I never found this book listed as one of the top books to learn tarot reading, but nevertheless this book served its purpose for me. Being a novice I might not be the best reference in this regard. This book (and an android app called Galaxy Tarot) carried me from zero knowledge to someone wo can read fairly into a given spread (You know how well you are doing by looking at the readee's face).

There are multiple exercises that accompany each lesson followed by suggested answers from the author which made me realize that kindle might not have been the best medium to read this book. The exercises enable us to connect with the cards more and more. With each exercise you can relate with the card more.

As with all things theological, there is a lot of vagueness with the cards and sometimes you find your reading slightly different from the author's suggestion. Just keep in mind that these are not answer's but suggestions - an alternate perspective. Understand that the meanings change with the surrounding cards and the situation at hand. Keep an open mind and know that there is no right answer when it comes to tarot reading.

[bookish_magpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful and clear language which has helped me immensely when starting tarot. So far, all of the other books on tarot I've seen haven't had this level of depth and clarity. Definitely a stellar book that takes you on a studious tarot journey, with plenty of examples of meanings, questions, and readings. The section on reversals was particularly enlightening for me and was what helped me make the decision to buy this book. This book is stuffed to the brim with information, with 318 pages full of enlightening perspectives and meanings. Most other books I've seen have been shorter and just haven't been as full of helpful information (or they only list a couple of meanings for each card alongside an entire page of art). Definitely worth it! 4/5 stars.

[Alexandra Schlomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

While 'Kitchen Table Tarot' is interesting and accessible, as a beginner learning to use tarot in a Jungian introspective sort of way I found Bunning's book to be more informative and helpful. Her exercises and emphasis on introverted rather than extroverted use was much more my style.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an urge to learn Tarot so I picked a deck and got this book. I didn't do everything the book instructed, but I did do, or still plan to do, the majority of the exercises. I have about 12 more cards to learn for my learning one card a day exercise and there are a few other exercises that I am probably going to do at least part of, but as of now I have read the whole book.

I found myself disagreeing with some of Bunning's interpretations more and more frequently as I became more familiar with the cards in my own deck, but that is probably a good thing and shows that I actually did learn. This book is not amazing or mind-blowing, but it gave me a structure for learning Tarot - steps to take and activities to do, which is pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still reach from this from time-to-time if I'm really stuck in a reading and need some keywords to jumpstart my thinking. I've recently acquired a ton of new tarot books and wanted to just refresh myself on some of the basics before diving into more advanced topics, and where better to do that than with the first book I found on Tarot at my local library? (Though has long since been a part of my personal collection.) I'm going to keep my initial 4-star rating of the book as it reflects my thoughts from when I was a beginner better (unfortunately that version of me didn't think to write a full review,) but as a more intermediate-to-advanced reader looking back I think maybe a 3-star or 3.5-star may be more fair.

I do think that there's a lot of information here that can be overwhelming for beginners as well, which may be a drawback. Like, when you're aware of how much more there is to the Tarot, then what's in this book is does seem very beginner level on the surface, however I also think when you're just starting out less is usually more. I didn't really find my flow as a reader until I picked up the much more casual, laid-back, and pared down (in comparison) Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull Up a Chair, Shuffle the Cards, and Let's Talk Tarot. YMMV, obviously, that's just what worked for me, so that's how I see it.

I found some lessons to be a little too dogmatic as in "this is how to do this" in approach. I know from experience in reading for myself as well as for others that it doesn't really matter who shuffles the cards or how you shuffle the cards or which hand you cut the deck with. Most times just overhand shuffle and cut the deck with my right hand (gasp), sometimes I even riffle shuffle if it's a deck that can withstand being handled in that way (don't want to damage my nicer decks if I flub this one), and for a while I only washed them. All of these techniques have worked equally well for me. I guess I just wish that lessons around things like that in here were framed more as an example of one way to do things with more emphasis on following your own intuition as things like this literally do not matter.

Additionally, as I was re-reading through some of the card meanings I realized how far I've come in my journey as a reader because there were places where I was like "Hmmm... that's not how I'd ever read this card." Not a fault of the book, just another example that these things are just suggestions. To some extent that may just be how society has changed as a whole since the late nineties, but it also just shows how each reader is different.

Still, it's overall a thorough book for a beginner to verging on intermediate level, especially if you're looking for in depth explanations and insight into how to read a traditional Celtic Cross spread. That was really the best part of the book in my opinion (though even some of that could have been edited down.) Some of the exercises are more helpful than others. I don't necessarily think workbook type exercises are the best for Tarot, IMHO, it's one of those skills you have to learn by doing.

[Anne Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd recommend this as the best beginning go-to book for tarot, and a staple for anyone's tarot library.

As soon as I picked up tarot again a few years ago (literally picking up an old Ryder Waite Smith deck that I had acquired at least twenty years ago) I wanted to know where it all CAME from and immediately started delving into the more scholarly books that could give me the real history of the thought and iconography behind the cards - notably The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination by Robert Place (my favorite), and of course the Decker and Dummet books, all of which I gobbled up with voracious fascination (and highly recommend). But ---

-- But when it comes to really practicing, you've got to start with some kind of anchor for all that rich renaissance imagery - and for that I think Bunning's book is perfect. Her meanings have both depth, and practical application. The layout of the book with it's keywords and associations is super helpful for starting that process of putting those rich meanings at the end of your synapses when giving a reading. And she also provides a great visually helpful guide to the Celtic Cross spread.

[Nathaniel Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I translated this book for Polish edition few months ago, and this is a expanded review of the book I've made on Amazon.

Let's start with what's wrong with the book - and the book lacks safety rules regarding magical work, and I believe that Tarot is, among many things, a magical tool and it does require some magical safety rules to be implemented in your own practice. I get this feeling that Bunning consider the Tarot to be a toy, or at least a New Age set of cards, and not a magical tool. Lack of safety explained is the greatest flaw of this book.

Other than this, the book has many pros - it's well written and informing. It provides a lot of details and explain each and every Tarot card with a lot of keywords, actions and descriptions. When someone wishes to learn Tarot, this book will explain the cards and reading process in great details. Just add some safety rules and magical skills to Bunning's work and your Tarot education should be fine.

[Dubzor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I'm finished with the part of the book that's actual reading. What's left is exercises and card descriptions and the section on the Celtic Cross.

This was a decent entrance into the subject and I have started to feel like I'm learning the ins and outs. However I only just now noticed how out of date it is and have found a more modern book of interpretations.

What I like most about this book is that its way of reading cards isn't as -- in the most polite terms I can find at the moment -- "new age" as I anticipated it being. In fact, in many ways it falls in line with many Buddhist teachings which makes it much more palatable. Sure it still talks about "consulting your inner guide," but as it never really says what that is, you can just consider that your own conscience or intelligence, or in my case, the Dharma.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn this is a fantastic book if you are a beginner at tarot. Her description of the cards and her suggestions for learning how to do readings have been endlessly helpful to me! Bunning is clear, but still leaves a lot of room for you to let your intuition guide you. I definitely understand why this is considered a bible of the tarot world!

[simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

certainly a more traditional/ fastidious approach to learning the tarot and much more of a handbook than a book you passively read; but the practices abs exercises really helped so much! very usual for practical and hands on learning, especially if you are delving into the world of tarot on your own.

[Samantha Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully complete book with exercises, explanations of cards, practical examples of the classic Celtic Cross spread, and card interactions. As a tarot beginner myself, I couldn't ask for a better starting point.

[Jalice · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite book on the subject. It leaves more up to your interpretation. It gives a solid foundation without overwhelming or imposing too much on the reader.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old classic, the book I learned Tarot with. Still a great reference and a solid guide to learning how to build a relationship with the cards as a reflection/storytelling tool.

[actuallymynamesssantiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never beating the witchcraft allegations.

[Jordan Lombard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title/Author: Learning the Tarot by Joan Bunning
Series/Standalone: standalone
Subject/Topic: nonfiction, how to read tarot cards
Book Format: print/website (learntarot.com)
Length: 320 pages
Well Written/Editor Needed: Well written, but organized funny, in that I would have preferred the exercises to be at the end of each corresponding lesson, as they were on the website. It is helpful to know that the author’s website (learntarot.com) came first and the book came second but is the exact same thing.
Would I Recommendy?: Yes
Personal Thoughts: I took this course with a group of friends, where we read the lessons aloud in a group and then did the exercises together, often talking out the answers as a group. This was awesome! Best way to do it. We broke the lessons up into five groups and met in person at the library for five weeks, which culminated tonight. It was great to get the thoughts and opinions of others, and to be able to help figure out someone’s reading. The material was easy to understand and the lessons were short, which was helpful. The exercises were useful and fun too. I should emphasize that we had a lot of fun taking this free online course and we learned a lot! The book was good to have on hand too so while the projector had the website up I could flip to something else in the book to see how it related to the article. But the book isn’t necessary if you have an internet connection and a way to view the website.

[二六 侯]

作者以去神秘化、強調心理和個人意志的方式來詮釋塔羅，有種完形心理學的感覺。她不支持用塔羅來「決策」，而比較傾向將之用來分析情勢（所以只教大家賽爾特十字），並覺得可以用在占卜他人或新聞事件。

[Lee L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best beginners' guides for Tarot that I have come across. Nowhere else will you find a more comprehensive yet simple approach to putting together the Celtic Cross. Ms. Bunning gives key words for each position, and she looks in detail at the pairs within the Celtic Cross. Her detailed descriptions of both the positions and position pairs is a great way to learn the individual position meanings and how they relate to each other.

Ms. Bunning uses a lesson format, with lessons that slowly build on each other as you learn. It's a very non-pressured approach. The lessons are fairly short, yet comprehensive, and you can work at your own pace. The exercises are helpful as well, and encourage intuitive interpretation rather than rote memorization. For the individual cards, she provides key words that sum up the card, as well as a more detailed look at each card, but as always she encourages you to find meanings that are unique to you.

Another one of the most valuable lessons I took away from this book was "how" to pose a question. She goes way beyond the simple "yes or no" answer, and explains how to use the Tarot as a tool for deeper understanding. The way she encourages you to ask a question opens up the answers for a greater scope of understanding, giving you the opportunity for a broader look at your answer.

My only criticism would be that her organization did not always make sense to me. For example, I feel the Fool's Journey in Appendix A should be read before delving into the interpretations for the Major Arcana, as it gives a good feel for the Majors as a whole. Also, the pairs within the Celtic Cross in Lesson 16 should not be put under a microscope until the Celtic Cross itself is looked at, which is in the back of the book in Section V. However, there's not much to criticize here. These sections, while, I feel, are out of order, are each quite comprehensive.

I have found the Universal Waite Tarot Deck she uses for illustrations to be an excellent learning and reading deck. The engaging pictures drawn by Pamela Colman Smith encourage creative intuition and profound insight. I would highly recommend buying this deck to use with this book. The backs are a completely reversible indigo and gold star field, so if you decide to move on to reversed cards, this deck will grow with you.

After you have been working with your deck for a while, go back and reread the first half of the book, the fool's journey, and the detailed instructions for the Celtic Cross and its pairs. You will find you get even more insight from it the second time around. I would highly recommend this book as one of the best for beginners.

[Fostergrants · Rating 5 out of 5]

the perfect book for beginners. the basic meanings and symbolism of each card. not a lot of ancient history to confuse a newbie. i also love this book because joan is so optimistic with her tarot meanings. not a lot of old world doom and gloom and plague and pestilence like some books throw in. refreshingly modern. a good book to keep next to you for quick reference during a reading. easy to get to each card's section. this book covers everything you want to know to get started and it's even enough if you never read another tarot book.

[Chiem Vu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The must-have book for Tarot beginners and experienced readers alike. Unlike Liz Dean's "The Ultimate Guide to Tarot", which gives too specific and sometimes questionable details for both upright and reversed cards, Joan Bunning describes only briefly the essential meanings of each card, leaving room for personal interpretation and further discovery. Naturally the descriptions are short, as this book is intended for beginners, but they suffice.

Aside from this fundamental book, I would highly recommend "Holistic Tarot" by Benebell Wen, which I am still reading.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource that I continue to come back to years later. This book breaks down the theory of tarot, the archetypes and elements, the basic significance of the cards, and then detailed interpretations of each card, including major characteristics, opposing cards, enforcing cards and a narrative. Highly recommended for those looking to learn more about reading tarot, need a refresher, or just want to continue their studies.

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an excellent beginner's book. I owned this book when I first got into tarot (about 15 years ago), then sold it on eBay because I felt like I didn't need it anymore, which was clearly a mistake because I just rebought it after spending some time away from tarot and feeling like I needed a little bit of a fresh start again. That should be an indication of how useful and educational this book is.

[Mark Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for teaching tarot to others. If you are wanting to teach others about tarot use this book. I could see this as a classroom text book for tarot class. There is a reference to each card with keywords, phrases and relating card. The first part of the book was like doing class exercises for learning tarot. I use this book as a reference for doing tarot readings.

[Shita Dewi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm,..quite ok for someone who's beggining to try his/her lesson about Tarot. This book will give you detail description about every card so you'll be able to understand the wisdom behind them.
So,..what are you waiting for??
Grab & buy this book right away,..but be careful on its binding.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this, treating it like a textbook and a reference manual. I, like most everyone else here, find it extremely useful. I imagine I will be returning to this book again and again for reference as I progress with the cards.

[Ploy_jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended for beginners (as the title said)

The excercises are very useful.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book to learn the basic.