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A Magical Course in Tarot: Reading the Cards in a Whole New Way
As interest in spirituality and divine guidance continues to grow, more and more readers are turning to the ancient art of Tarot. A Magical Course in Tarot offers an unprecedented understanding of this mysterious art. Appealing to both novice and experienced Tarot readers, Michele Morgan's method taps into the psychic energies that are inherent in everyone. Morgan's strategy, which can be applied to any of the various Tarot decks, allows the reader to begin reading cards after the first chapter.
Accompanied by 78 beautifully penned original illustrations, this guide is divided into three sections, including how to follow one's instincts, traditional and historical meanings of the cards, and a detailed analysis on the interactions among the cards.
Accompanied by 78 beautifully penned original illustrations, this guide is divided into three sections, including how to follow one's instincts, traditional and historical meanings of the cards, and a detailed analysis on the interactions among the cards.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
79 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 11, 2007
I read this book apprehensively thinking it would be too elementary for someone who's already been practicing tarot for a year. However, I was wrong. Michelle Morgan's course in tarot IS magical and it will bend your imagination in fantastic new ways and force you to think differently about tarot. At her suggestion, I stopped using my guide book to interpret tarot and started using some of her techniques to develop my intuition during readings. The results have been phenomenal. Morgan offers Tarot lovers lots of different practical suggestions for readings and ritual, all the while stressing the importance of creating one's own formula. After reading it I would actually suggest it as an appropriate course for intermediate level tarot readers.
March 16, 2009
From "choosing, keeping and caring for your deck" to illustrated, card-by-card explanations, Morgan gets readers up and running quickly by fostering intuitive takes on what comes up, before tackling "spreads, timelines and why the king and queen aren't speaking."
The examples and exercises Morgan uses in the book are easy to do and they create an interactive tarot voyage for the seeker. Overall, this is a refreshing and renewing look at learning the tarot and should be one, if not the first, stop for beginners.
The examples and exercises Morgan uses in the book are easy to do and they create an interactive tarot voyage for the seeker. Overall, this is a refreshing and renewing look at learning the tarot and should be one, if not the first, stop for beginners.
December 27, 2017
Learning the Tarot, like learning any other new skill or practice can be tricky, especially if you're wading into unknown territory. So I was quite glad I came across this title on the recommendation of a YouTuber called Kate aka Daily Tarot Girl.
Advice on choosing other decks apart from the beginners go-to "Original Rider Waite" are suggested but the main point Morgan makes is to choose a deck which speaks to you on a personal level. Tricky to do so without seeing the cards or decks in person but there are sites online where you can have a look for yourself. My decks include The Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot Deck and Morgan Greer Tarot, simply because I fell in love with its vibrancy having looked at pictures online.
In contrast to other Tarot books, sample readings are given before the author's definitions, and the advice is to say what you see, and start journaling as well. Frustratingly no mention or guidance how to phrase questions or even sample questions to ask the Tarot, so again you may have to refer to the Internet. I found the section on symbols, colour associations and numerology the most helpful bit of this book, so I will be consulting this section in future reference but I didn't care too much for advice on how to use the Tarot to cast magick either, nor how to find a good psychic in my area.
Other titles from my local bookshops or even other titles I've picked up, require you to digest the 78 card meanings and definitions, or even worse, write your own (gulp!) before even getting to a sample reading. This method is just far too time consuming for people who just want to get on with it, and what I learnt from Morgan is that with the right deck, the answers to your questions will come from your intuition, once activated.
In my opinion, if this is your first Tarot book, you'll need something like The Tarot Bible by Sarah Bartlett to assist you, as although this is a good title, it's not perfect, but Morgan's approach to reading the Tarot is refreshingly different and makes for an enjoyable and easy read.
Advice on choosing other decks apart from the beginners go-to "Original Rider Waite" are suggested but the main point Morgan makes is to choose a deck which speaks to you on a personal level. Tricky to do so without seeing the cards or decks in person but there are sites online where you can have a look for yourself. My decks include The Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot Deck and Morgan Greer Tarot, simply because I fell in love with its vibrancy having looked at pictures online.
In contrast to other Tarot books, sample readings are given before the author's definitions, and the advice is to say what you see, and start journaling as well. Frustratingly no mention or guidance how to phrase questions or even sample questions to ask the Tarot, so again you may have to refer to the Internet. I found the section on symbols, colour associations and numerology the most helpful bit of this book, so I will be consulting this section in future reference but I didn't care too much for advice on how to use the Tarot to cast magick either, nor how to find a good psychic in my area.
Other titles from my local bookshops or even other titles I've picked up, require you to digest the 78 card meanings and definitions, or even worse, write your own (gulp!) before even getting to a sample reading. This method is just far too time consuming for people who just want to get on with it, and what I learnt from Morgan is that with the right deck, the answers to your questions will come from your intuition, once activated.
In my opinion, if this is your first Tarot book, you'll need something like The Tarot Bible by Sarah Bartlett to assist you, as although this is a good title, it's not perfect, but Morgan's approach to reading the Tarot is refreshingly different and makes for an enjoyable and easy read.
January 3, 2017
If it has one star I liked it a lot
If it has two stars I liked it a lot and would recommend it
If it has three stars I really really liked it a lot
If it has four stars I insist you read it
If it has five stars it was life changing
If it has two stars I liked it a lot and would recommend it
If it has three stars I really really liked it a lot
If it has four stars I insist you read it
If it has five stars it was life changing
October 22, 2012
Totally digging the intuitive, free-form approach and non-positional spreads. This is an approach I've been toying with a lot over the last year, and it was great to read about someone else's experiences with it.
August 12, 2018
Quote: "When you're first learning to trail the wild beast through the forest, the last thing you need is to be fumbling in your backpack for someone else's map."
Interesting read. Good advice.
The over the top chapter introductions got on my nerves, because of that 3 stars, not 4.
Interesting read. Good advice.
The over the top chapter introductions got on my nerves, because of that 3 stars, not 4.
February 13, 2009
There aren't enough stars to rate this book properly in my opinion. It completely changed the way I looked at and read tarot cards.
April 25, 2011
This guide to reading the cards intuitively was refreshing and offered some great ways to get reinspired. Recommended.
January 18, 2019
New to Tarot? This is the book to read. I read several different books in my quest to learn the Tarot cards. Some were technical, some read like a history book, and some seemed like short guides. But this book felt like a friend speaking to me, explaining the different cards and their meanings in simple terms and with easy to remember tips.
January 19, 2024
It's a pretty good book. I definitely don't agree with everything said in it, but when is that ever the case in witchcraft adjacent books-
It was a pretty refreshing read that offered some new perspectives, and even though there wasn't any sort of breakthrough moment or revelation, I do think I learned a thing or two.
This one is pretty good if you're rigid in the way you read tarot imo :)
It was a pretty refreshing read that offered some new perspectives, and even though there wasn't any sort of breakthrough moment or revelation, I do think I learned a thing or two.
This one is pretty good if you're rigid in the way you read tarot imo :)
March 19, 2020
I finally bought a deck of actual Tarot cards, instead of my awesome Faery Oracle cards. And I figured that I would reread this book. I like how she is all about intuition instead of follow these guidelines. But yet, there are the traditional guidelines of the meanings.
January 22, 2021
A light and fun course in Tarot.
Very useful for Tarot beginners, this book helps to create a familiarity with which one of the cards in a light way.
The book covers too rituals and other magick stuff.
Very useful for Tarot beginners, this book helps to create a familiarity with which one of the cards in a light way.
The book covers too rituals and other magick stuff.
January 1, 2019
I like Tarot just as a silent meditation on events in my life, not as a spiritual practice, so this was a little woo woo for me. Still, it did contain some useful background info.
October 4, 2021
A helpful intro to tarot; also a confidence boost that I had a good sense of things even before picking up this book!
March 21, 2017
Great reference for people learning the tarot. Very fun, engaging, and understandable. Some of it is a little woowoo for my personal taste, but even in those sections, Michele Morgan's sense of humor keeps the book grounded.
November 16, 2016
This review is from: A Magical Course in Tarot: Reading the Cards in a Whole New Way (Paperback)
Michele Morgan is one of my favorite authors. I just loved her Simple Wicca (Simple Wisdom Series), and she doesn't disappoint here. Her informal and encouraging prose urges the reader into the wonderful world of intuition. Her uncomplicated writing style makes you feel like you are sitting down at the kitchen table with a teacher who is also a friend.
Nowhere else have I ever read so succinctly about the chatter in your head, what she calls "The Committee," which is so distracting when trying to read. Ms. Morgan shows how to silence this "Committee," which will enable you to awaken the instinctual, intuitive nature that lies beyond. This book is greatly centered around intuition, which Ms. Morgan encourages us to use often, and shows us how to start. From this book, I took away a lot of new advice about using intuition.
Some of the most useful information I found here was how to look for actions, and also less subtle cues. For example, look for movement ("A man on horseback in the Six of Wands riding toward a castle in the Ten of Pentacles"); family dynamics ("Do the King and Queen have their backs to one another, or are they facing each other?"); body language ("In one layout, the Magician might be reaching out to assist the woman in the Nine of Swords; in another, he might appear as though he's handing her a nightmare"); and expression ("Sometimes the farmer in the Seven of Pentacles appears frustrated; other times, he seems to look upon his labors with satisfaction and pride"). She also touches on energetic and intuitive placement, card combinations, and time lines.
Ms. Morgan provides descriptions for each card (she makes a point of not calling them definitions), and her advice for understanding each card takes more of a story-telling approach, which was refreshing. Unfortunately, I was not as pleased with the illustrations. While I love Rebecca Richards' interpretation of the majors (I thought they were brilliant), the minors, while unique, left me uninspired. I didn't see anything in the minors that would serve as an effective intuitive, visual prompt as to what the card actually is about (but maybe that's the point).
Overall, this magical little book is a great introduction to the use of intuition, which of course is the best way to read cards. Michele Morgan has successfully created much more than just a simple instruction book. The information and suggestions here would not overwhelm the beginner, and also have plenty of sage advice for the more experienced. It was a very enjoyable, informative read.
Michele Morgan is one of my favorite authors. I just loved her Simple Wicca (Simple Wisdom Series), and she doesn't disappoint here. Her informal and encouraging prose urges the reader into the wonderful world of intuition. Her uncomplicated writing style makes you feel like you are sitting down at the kitchen table with a teacher who is also a friend.
Nowhere else have I ever read so succinctly about the chatter in your head, what she calls "The Committee," which is so distracting when trying to read. Ms. Morgan shows how to silence this "Committee," which will enable you to awaken the instinctual, intuitive nature that lies beyond. This book is greatly centered around intuition, which Ms. Morgan encourages us to use often, and shows us how to start. From this book, I took away a lot of new advice about using intuition.
Some of the most useful information I found here was how to look for actions, and also less subtle cues. For example, look for movement ("A man on horseback in the Six of Wands riding toward a castle in the Ten of Pentacles"); family dynamics ("Do the King and Queen have their backs to one another, or are they facing each other?"); body language ("In one layout, the Magician might be reaching out to assist the woman in the Nine of Swords; in another, he might appear as though he's handing her a nightmare"); and expression ("Sometimes the farmer in the Seven of Pentacles appears frustrated; other times, he seems to look upon his labors with satisfaction and pride"). She also touches on energetic and intuitive placement, card combinations, and time lines.
Ms. Morgan provides descriptions for each card (she makes a point of not calling them definitions), and her advice for understanding each card takes more of a story-telling approach, which was refreshing. Unfortunately, I was not as pleased with the illustrations. While I love Rebecca Richards' interpretation of the majors (I thought they were brilliant), the minors, while unique, left me uninspired. I didn't see anything in the minors that would serve as an effective intuitive, visual prompt as to what the card actually is about (but maybe that's the point).
Overall, this magical little book is a great introduction to the use of intuition, which of course is the best way to read cards. Michele Morgan has successfully created much more than just a simple instruction book. The information and suggestions here would not overwhelm the beginner, and also have plenty of sage advice for the more experienced. It was a very enjoyable, informative read.
February 13, 2017
I don't feel like this was a "whole new way" of reading the cards. she was all about being permissive and doing your own thing and being intuitive, which is great. some of her "definitions" of the card meanings didn't do anything for me. she had some good anecdotes. I read a lot of reviews that swooned over this book, which makes me think a lot of other tarot books must be awful (and I have come across at least one that was pretty bad).
I think personally, being a pisces, I find the whole being intuitive bit pretty instinctive and I've definitely seen most "how to tarot" instructions encourage using your intuition in combination with the traditional card meanings, so I don't find that this was all that fresh an approach. it is affirming. it's probably a great beginner book for people who aren't all that confident in their own intuition.
I think personally, being a pisces, I find the whole being intuitive bit pretty instinctive and I've definitely seen most "how to tarot" instructions encourage using your intuition in combination with the traditional card meanings, so I don't find that this was all that fresh an approach. it is affirming. it's probably a great beginner book for people who aren't all that confident in their own intuition.
April 14, 2016
Some tarot books are written in a neutral, detached style like a textbook. Not this one. Sure, this is a book to help you learn to read tarot cards, but Michele Morgan writes as if she's having a conversation with the reader, so there's a strong sense of the author herself in this book. Morgan emphasizes relying on your intuition to learn to read the tarot, rather than memorizing the meanings of 78 cards from the little white book that comes with most decks—indeed, she recommends putting away your tarot books for three months to get used to getting the meaning from the cards. Morgan has a free-spirited approach to the tarot: in addition to not relying on cookbook definitions, she's not personally fond of spreads, and her section on spreads feels like she included it only under pressure from her editor or her beta readers (she gets out of that part as fast as she can!).
The book is divided into three parts. The first section is an introduction to the tarot, the second is the meanings of the cards, and the third is on spreads and ways to use the cards for magic, ritual, prayer, and creativity (more of those activities than spreads, of course). Morgan may not be comfortable telling you what the cards mean, but she did a nice job of it. Each card description is accompanied by an illustration from her friend Rebecca Richards that fits with traditional meanings of the cards without copying Pamela Colman Smith's art. And the third section has several ideas that are unique to this book compared to other introductory tarot books.
It's not a bad book, but I am not its ideal reader. I respect Morgan's personal take on the tarot, and Richards' illustrations are charming, but I found Morgan's style annoying after a while. However, another reader could adore this book for that very same style.
The book is divided into three parts. The first section is an introduction to the tarot, the second is the meanings of the cards, and the third is on spreads and ways to use the cards for magic, ritual, prayer, and creativity (more of those activities than spreads, of course). Morgan may not be comfortable telling you what the cards mean, but she did a nice job of it. Each card description is accompanied by an illustration from her friend Rebecca Richards that fits with traditional meanings of the cards without copying Pamela Colman Smith's art. And the third section has several ideas that are unique to this book compared to other introductory tarot books.
It's not a bad book, but I am not its ideal reader. I respect Morgan's personal take on the tarot, and Richards' illustrations are charming, but I found Morgan's style annoying after a while. However, another reader could adore this book for that very same style.
September 10, 2022
Excellent book for beginners. Give you all the tools that you need to understand each card, the energy and how to start to read. Which symbols to look at, what means each one, colours, numerology and everything without overwhelming. So good index, bibliography to go deep when you feel ready. And yes, it's so well written, accessible and clear.
April 29, 2017
I just adore the way Michele Morgan writes and interprets the tarot. A great book for students on all levels.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews