I took notes of all o' this in my tarot notebook!! I never noticed much difference between guidebooks before, but now I know better what to look for and how each creator/author shines. And it's great guidance for how to take notes and develop my own guidebook for some of my decks, too! Thank you for the valuable insights and comparisons!
The few of these I have, I also love. ❤😊 I love the Book of Pandas too -- the spreads are brilliant, and all the panda names and personalities are so much fun -- and the Pacific Northwest LWB is so nicely written. The Deviant Moon book is beautiful + such a great insight into Patrick Valenza's art process.
I love guidebooks because a lot of times they give such good journaling prompts and things to think on. My top guidebooks: 1)Animal totem tarot 2)the big guidebook that came with the original shape-shifters tarot by Lisa Hunt 3) Mystical Dream tarot (but caveat here because this deck is mostly good for Dream work imo. Which i love because that is what I use it for) 4)Moonchild tarot 5)Rosetta Tarot 6)Mary El Tarot 7)Arthurian Tarot guidebook is incredible 8)Lightseers tarot 9)Dreams of Gaia tarot 10)Tarot of the spirit 11)Tarot of the crone 12)Star tarot
"You might be surprised to see a Lllewellyn Guidebook in my Top 10." Uhm - NO! 😂 I have several Llewellyn decks, also cause I LOVE the guidebooks. The newer fullcolor guidebooks are just pretty and guidebooks like the Hidden Realm (you mentioned), Enchanted Forest, Tarot in Wonderland or Winterseer Animal Oracle are just awesome, cause you get a context, story, myth etc AND the card meaning. It helps me to connect with the cards, get to know the characters/scenes and I learn something new about card meanings with every single guidebook. And that for a very good price!
My top 3 favorite guidebooks in my small collection are all Llewellyn publications: Tarot of the Hidden Realm, Legacy of the Divine Tarot, and Witches Tarot. Such good information in all of them.
I was the one who sent you the Deviant Moon book! It was right before your birthday a few years ago and you had expressed interest in the Deviant Moon. The book changed the way I saw the deck and I knew you needed it (and would never get it for yourself!) 🥰
Sometimes the guidebook is the best part of a deck system/set. So many nuances can be overlooked, but I believe the guidebooks give you some personal insight into the creator's mind. You've shown some personal favourites. Thank you. Now, I'm off to get the Book of Pandas.
Darn. I can’t keep the list showing while I answer. Let’s see if I can remember. Pacific Northwest - have it, love it. Everyday Witch - don’t have it, but you’re tempting me. Anna K - bought the app to get the guidebook. Book of Pandas - got it, love it. Witches’ Wisdom - my soul deck/book. Robin Wood - I don’t own it, but I should. I think I’ll buy the book first, though. Osho Zen - have it, love it, it was the first deck I replaced when I lost my collection in my last move. Druidcraft - don’t own it cos I’m not a Druid, but the book looks amazing. Star Tarot - I have the second edition and I like it a lot, love the guidebook. I preordered it before they even had a release date because I fell in love with it while browsing aeclectic. Dreams of Gaia - I bought the app to get the guidebook, but I think I’d rather have a physical copy to kick back with. No, I didn’t remember this off the top of my head, I opened up CZcams on my phone as well so I’d have the list. Hard no to vampires or Deviant Moon. I should have bought Spirit Keepers and didn’t. Alice Tarot - darn it, now that you’ve shown me the book, now I want it! Wild Messengers - just signed up to find out when I can preorder the second edition. Big Visions - have it, love it. I have close to all of Eads’ catalog, so far as I know, all I’m missing are the Lenormand deck and the sepiatone version of PrismaVisions. I should do my own top ten list.
The Star Tarot 2nd ed is fantastic! Wonderful card stock and no borders. Also love Dreams of Gaia Tarot (and you can order the guide book separately from Ravynne)
Robin wood was the 2nd deck I ever purchased forever ago. I had no idea there was a big guidebook. I would love to read through that. Already added it to my cart.
I agree, the star book is really really really good. I'm not a big reader, but that book was just so jam packed with great information. Deviant moon is my top 1 too.
Dear Lisa, thank you for this video🌷🌼🌻! I have the Robin Wood Tarot for a very long time and I didn't know that there's a guidebook😲😲!! Thank you so much for letting me know- I think I really need this awesome book!!❤❤❤
OMG !!! My all time favorite tarot deck is Robin Wood. I had no idea there was a companion book. I didn't even finish your video til I ordered it. LISA MADE ME DO IT. LOL
Hi Lisa, been following your channel for a long time and loving it for just as long... I have 10 of your 16 best guidebooks. I can't say that you didn't influence me, like when I finally decided to purchase the Everyday witch, when I saw the little phrases that you pointed out underneath the pictures in the guidebook, or when I bought the Alice tarot guidebook from Baba Barock, even if the deck is unavailable, so I can at least read the book... I also contacted the creator of the Wild Messenger Alchemy tarot and I remember that they answered that a reprint was in preparation. But now, I can't find that message anywhere, and wonder if I didn't dream the whole thing...! So I just wrote to them again... Will tell you when I have an answer ;-)
I think the Haunted House tarot and Dark Wood, both by Sasha Graham i believe are story like too. Love the Haunted House tarot, enjoy it way more than I thought I would. 😊
Deviant moon is my favorite by far. I love Patrick Valenza so much that I e bought almost all his deck and a signed copy of his tarot book. He's a genius! And his artwork is so different and beautiful. I also love the star tarot guidebook. The way she describes the cards is beautiful.
Your selections are terrific, and spot on! You've listed some of my favorites as well. I really like The Gaian Tarot guidebook it is written beautifully. The two books ( one on majors and one on minors) for the Haindl Tarot are both really good and written by Rachel Pollack. Another Rachel Pollack guidebook I love is The Crystal Skull Tarot, she packed so much into that smaller style guidebook. Of course it helps that I like and enjoy the decks too. :) :)
@@Lisa_Papez It was one of my first trims, but it turned out pretty good. I trimmed the blue borders off and left the white ones. Then edged it in blue. I didn't use Boho Tarot's method of marking for even edges. It isn't perfect, but it side shuffles well and overhands. The cards are still big for my hands.
That one was TOTALLY in the running.... would be fun to do an updated one of these though down the line - very excited about the even bigger Gentle Tarot guidebook I'm waiting on via Kickstarter!
Lisa, this was such a fun video to watch. There are so many guidebooks that I love and I'll have to have a think about what my favourites would be. I'm excited for you to dive into the vampire guidebook. It's such a great resource of information. I have a battered old copy of the deck and book from before Llewellyn started doing the pretty hard case boxes. As an aside thank you for reading that extract from the Osho Zen. I needed to hear that message today. 🦄💜🦄
I pulled the Page of Pentacles for a self reading today and what you read from the Robin Wood book gave me chills because it's so much more on the nose than my initial interpretation. Very interested in Dreams of Gaia now, too. Great video!
Ooo awesome video! Book of Maps kind of eclipses everything else I have, but it and the deck are so dense I still only ever pull one card at a time 😬 Have a feeling I'll be discovering new things in that book for decades.
Hey, Lisa! I am just getting into tarot as of the start of this year! My first deck is the Dreamkeeper's Tarot (which is gorgeous and absolutely has my heart; it also has a great guidebook). I would really like it if you could do a standalone guidebook review (right now I am deciding whether to buy the Liz Dean pocket book and Ultimate Guide, or the Rashanda Tramble Numinous Tarot Guide. Could you please do a review of any or all of these books? Also, please please PLEASE check out The Dreamkeeper's Tarot. It's gorgeous. You might not favor the more muted tones, but the symbology and book are wonderful.
This is awesome! It's so nice to have decks with juicy guidebooks to work with. Unfortunately, a lot of the little white books that come with most decks leave something to be desired and are more of a jumping off point or refresher for those already familiar with tarot. Do you have recommendations for general tarot walk-through/ guide books that we can use for most decks without good matching guidebooks? You've mentioned Kitchen Table Tarot by Melissa Cynova, and you have an awesome Tarot with Training Wheels/ Beginners playlist. Are there any other books you'd strongly recommend?
If you're still looking, Finding the Fool by Meg Jones Wall is a great "tarot guidebook" that can be used with any deck! The author deliberately put no images of specific tarot decks in the book for that reason.
Could a comparison be done between the Robinwood vs Wildwood Tarot? I’m starting a year in the Wildwood, but am always wondering the differences in these. Maybe even adding in the Greenwood and the Druid craft…..
I really like you showed the "over the top" section because I love art books. Having these in the shelf would make my shelf, my room, my ambiance so noice.
I am SOOOOOO happy that you have gotten and included Tarot of Vampyres, this is the BEST guidebook ever (IMO)! I also heard about it from Raecine of Owlmoon513. It includes great info on the Kabalah and really helps me to make sense of that. Also, astrological references. I will say that sometimes The Star Tarot's (another guide book that I love) astrological correspondences vary from Ian Daniels' (ex: 3 of cups). However, Ian's references are in alignment with those in T Susan Changs book, as well as, Tarot & Astrology by C. Kenner, so I do align with his correspondences. As always, loved your video, you always put out the best content!!
I would be the happiest art loving tarot nerd if Somnia Tarot and Doctor Falke's "Tarot of the Drowning World" would come out with big books like the hulking Deviant Moon book. They wouldn't be able to take my money fast enough. Lol
I am deep diving the star tarot this year specifically for the guidebook. I had no idea that the Alice tarot had such a fantastic guidebook and I will definitely be purchasing the deck and book in the future if it’s reprinted. The book and deck that I am most intimidated to work with is the spirit keepers and the book of maps 😂 I have the 2nd Ed and am waiting patiently for my book of maps that is on its way now for the newest edition. I can not wait to have it in full color…I am even debating on have 2 copies just because it’s so beautifully done. But holy wow, her books are so educational that it’s overwhelming to think about deep diving. She’s a true genius lol and I also hope she reprints the 3rd edition along with her newest deck creation. Thank you for doing the guidebook review, I really enjoyed this!
Love this video topic! I pay A LOT of attention to guidebooks. So thank you to all reviewers who read a sample from the book when doing a flip through! It's true some "big pretty books" fall flat and some little pictureless books are like - Wow. Hidden Realm was the first book to take me on a literary adventure - so it will always be my favorite. I do not have any of these decks. I never wanted Osho Zen deck, but that guide book I am very drawn to. Reminds me of Tao Oracle which I love. The Witches Wisdom - I am putting that in my Amazon cart now -Ha :)
Yay!!!! Thank you so much for doing this video, Lisa. This has been amazing! I am so excited to add some of these to my wishlist! I already own the Dreams of Gaia pocket edition and have barely used it because I don't like the guidebook, so the fullsize version has been bumped to the top of my list. I'm excited to dig into the guidebook! I will also be keeping an eye on some of the OOP decks, too. Thanks again for doing this!!
Great video! I love The Renaissance Tarot guidebook by brian Williams- he was such a brilliant art historian. He really leaves no stone unturned in terms of mythology & semiotics. Honestly I would read anything by him. I also love the baba studios guidebooks, they offer so many layers of meaning.
Ohhh the Anna K is on my wishlist since you used it in troubleshooting the Tarot 😍 Also I love the guidebook of the dreams of Gaia, tho I don’t use because of the gloss. Maybe need to get the small one at one point 😮
I'm surprised the Voyager tarot guidebook didn't get in here, with each piece of the collage-y card having meaning and it being explored in the companion book. Love your choices though, and bumped Spirit Keepers tarot up higher on my list as a result!
What a fun video idea, I absolutely loved your choices and would love to make a video response ASAP! The Everyday Witch Tarot was my first tarot deck and the guidebook just made me obsessed with tarot in general. Thank you so much for sharing
I’ve come to just use guidebooks instead of tarot books since I’ve liked them more than the few tarot books I’ve tried reading. Witches Wisdom is one of the decks I plan on journaling about and working with this year. I’ve only read the first part of the book, and it put me off, so I’ve decided to just work through each card and write down my thoughts as I work through it. Everyday Witch, I read some months ago, and I thought it was decent. There were a few cards I didn’t care for, and I didn’t like The Lovers, but I usually don’t like the write-up for that card in books. The Dreams of Gaia is another deck I plan on finally working with this year. I told myself I’d buy the mini version when I get a good chunk in. I’m curious about the psychology stuff you’ve mentioned. I have a psychology degree, so anything like that I find interesting. Though I do get annoyed at times when psychology comes in with metaphysical stuff since it’s usually old stuff, twisted, or not actually psychology. There was someone I’m doing spreads made by them, and a few months ago, I got really annoyed when they said certain stuff was psychology, and it was a mishmash of old stuff and then stuff that wasn’t even in the field of psychology. A few I really like: I think the most impressive guidebook I have is so large and has so much info that it’s actually called a Companion Grimoire, and that’s the companion book you can buy with The Nameless One Tarot and Oracle. A favorite of mine lately has been the guidebook for the Blood Moon Tarot. The hardcover came in the mail a few weeks ago, and I love the descriptions of the minors before the meaning that pulls you into the image, and then the back of the book shows the process of making the cards, thumbnails, color swatches, etc. which is really cool. I also really liked The Forager’s Daughter Tarot’s guidebook when I read it. I also live about 40 min from where the creator is from, so the beginning part was easy to imagine when she was talking about her childhood. Then I do really like guidebooks that are story-like and pull you into the guidebook.
This is excellent. 😀 It's so fascinating to see how others prioritize reading a guidebook. I'm currently doing 'tarot book reports' for my depth year, so I'll 100% plan a VR to this by the end of the year. 🤖🖤 Edit: I wanted to add that the Spirit Keepers is on my book report list. Started reading it and it's not as intimidating as it looks. Wen makes it pretty reader friendly, although there is work that goes into notetaking since there's a lot of info to organize.
@@Lisa_Papez I think you might have meant to respond to a different comment. 🤔 While I do love the attention, either way, 😎 someone's missing vital info! 😱
@@ScholarBot OOPS i hit the wrong button - thank you!! Shared that with the right person lol. and YES Thank you for sharing your experiences thus far with SKT and the current Book of Maps!! :)
Agree, love the deviant moon book!🌛 I think the moonchild would have been a flop for me without the book, it's beautiful but some of the cards are just like yoga positions. when I read from the book for the first time I was like okay, here's where it's at. The Forhaxa companion book is pretty good at storytelling which I enjoy. And the Lost Hollow explains the God/symbols in The deck so it not only explains the card, but often teaches me something. 🤔Maybe I'll do a vr 💖😁
Yay! Please do! P.S. I don't know if I commented this to you - but I was watching one of your vids recently - I had NO IDEA I was pronouncing your name wrong every time I tried lol... sorry!!
OMG I can’t wait to see what you think of the Tarot of the Vampire. OwlMoon on CZcams pointed me to this deck and it was one of the 1st decks I purchased before I really went down the rabbit hole. I will not part with the deck or the book.
WHEEE! WAs so excited to see this pop up this morning! I was literally polishing my nails so I could make a video this weekend on this topic - spoiler: our top 10 only has 1 common deck. I just completed reading the Book of Maps - I did a 1-card-a-day study from Jan-March. Wow Wow Wow I hope you love it as much as I did.
Irked I missed PNW, any chance of a 2nd version, MM or reprint? I've got Dreams of Gaia on my WL & this may push me over the edge for good 😄 another Lisa Made Me Do It Club Member! (Eta: I want the pocket-size deck but FS book, of course I would, or I attempt a deck mod, yikes)
I’ve been thinking about this the last few days, wonderful guidebooks and which ones are he best. I don’t have a ton of decks, but I do really like the everyday enchantment book
Hey Lisa ☺ just wanting to know would you say that the Robin Wood book is valuable to have even if you don't have the deck? Also do you have the Holistic Tarot book by Benebell Wen? I'm wondering if there's much of a difference between that and The Book of Maps, I don't have either but plan on getting Revelations on the next release. Thank you! ❣
I think Book of Maps is VERY different from Holistic Tarot - totally different feel throughout but also new info (from what I've seen so far). :) And as for Robin Wood... hmm... I'm not sure if it would hold as much meaning for me as a standalone because I've never really looked at it that way. Let me think on that!
![Ars Notoria [Solomonic Magic - Full Grimoire]](/img/n.gif)
I took notes of all o' this in my tarot notebook!! I never noticed much difference between guidebooks before, but now I know better what to look for and how each creator/author shines. And it's great guidance for how to take notes and develop my own guidebook for some of my decks, too! Thank you for the valuable insights and comparisons!
Witches wisdom is one of my favs too! I instantly connected to it. Love the video, great idea. Companion books are overlooked so much but I love them.
The few of these I have, I also love. ❤😊 I love the Book of Pandas too -- the spreads are brilliant, and all the panda names and personalities are so much fun -- and the Pacific Northwest LWB is so nicely written. The Deviant Moon book is beautiful + such a great insight into Patrick Valenza's art process.
I love guidebooks because a lot of times they give such good journaling prompts and things to think on. My top guidebooks: 1)Animal totem tarot 2)the big guidebook that came with the original shape-shifters tarot by Lisa Hunt 3) Mystical Dream tarot (but caveat here because this deck is mostly good for Dream work imo. Which i love because that is what I use it for) 4)Moonchild tarot 5)Rosetta Tarot 6)Mary El Tarot 7)Arthurian Tarot guidebook is incredible 8)Lightseers tarot 9)Dreams of Gaia tarot 10)Tarot of the spirit 11)Tarot of the crone 12)Star tarot
YES omg great list here - and Moonchild Tarot's guidebook is excellent - totally agree!!!
@@Venefica. I was actually thinking of re-starting my tarot channel
"You might be surprised to see a Lllewellyn Guidebook in my Top 10." Uhm - NO! 😂
I have several Llewellyn decks, also cause I LOVE the guidebooks. The newer fullcolor guidebooks are just pretty and guidebooks like the Hidden Realm (you mentioned), Enchanted Forest, Tarot in Wonderland or Winterseer Animal Oracle are just awesome, cause you get a context, story, myth etc AND the card meaning. It helps me to connect with the cards, get to know the characters/scenes and I learn something new about card meanings with every single guidebook. And that for a very good price!
My top 3 favorite guidebooks in my small collection are all Llewellyn publications: Tarot of the Hidden Realm, Legacy of the Divine Tarot, and Witches Tarot. Such good information in all of them.
I was the one who sent you the Deviant Moon book! It was right before your birthday a few years ago and you had expressed interest in the Deviant Moon. The book changed the way I saw the deck and I knew you needed it (and would never get it for yourself!) 🥰
It was the KINDEST thing - and you're right I don't think i ever would have splurged on it for me!
@@Lisa_Papez I'm so glad you love it and it got a feature in your video! It really is more like a giant coffee book!
I love the Robin Wood, had no idea she passed away 😔 I used the deck for years before reading the excellent book. Hope it stays around for a long time
Sometimes the guidebook is the best part of a deck system/set. So many nuances can be overlooked, but I believe the guidebooks give you some personal insight into the creator's mind. You've shown some personal favourites. Thank you. Now, I'm off to get the Book of Pandas.
Darn. I can’t keep the list showing while I answer. Let’s see if I can remember.
Pacific Northwest - have it, love it.
Everyday Witch - don’t have it, but you’re tempting me.
Anna K - bought the app to get the guidebook.
Book of Pandas - got it, love it.
Witches’ Wisdom - my soul deck/book.
Robin Wood - I don’t own it, but I should. I think I’ll buy the book first, though.
Osho Zen - have it, love it, it was the first deck I replaced when I lost my collection in my last move.
Druidcraft - don’t own it cos I’m not a Druid, but the book looks amazing.
Star Tarot - I have the second edition and I like it a lot, love the guidebook. I preordered it before they even had a release date because I fell in love with it while browsing aeclectic.
Dreams of Gaia - I bought the app to get the guidebook, but I think I’d rather have a physical copy to kick back with.
No, I didn’t remember this off the top of my head, I opened up CZcams on my phone as well so I’d have the list.
Hard no to vampires or Deviant Moon. I should have bought Spirit Keepers and didn’t.
Alice Tarot - darn it, now that you’ve shown me the book, now I want it!
Wild Messengers - just signed up to find out when I can preorder the second edition.
Big Visions - have it, love it. I have close to all of Eads’ catalog, so far as I know, all I’m missing are the Lenormand deck and the sepiatone version of PrismaVisions.
I should do my own top ten list.
Another iconic video from Lisa Papez. Here for it. Thank you!
Aww thanks! 🥰🥰🥰
The Star Tarot 2nd ed is fantastic! Wonderful card stock and no borders.
Also love Dreams of Gaia Tarot (and you can order the guide book separately from Ravynne)
Robin wood was the 2nd deck I ever purchased forever ago. I had no idea there was a big guidebook. I would love to read through that. Already added it to my cart.
I agree, the star book is really really really good. I'm not a big reader, but that book was just so jam packed with great information. Deviant moon is my top 1 too.
I love the guidebooks you recommended!! ❤
Dear Lisa, thank you for this video🌷🌼🌻! I have the Robin Wood Tarot for a very long time and I didn't know that there's a guidebook😲😲!! Thank you so much for letting me know- I think I really need this awesome book!!❤❤❤
You're welcome!!
OMG !!! My all time favorite tarot deck is Robin Wood. I had no idea there was a companion book. I didn't even finish your video til I ordered it. LISA MADE ME DO IT. LOL
YES it's wonderful!!! :D Hope you love it!
Hi Lisa, been following your channel for a long time and loving it for just as long... I have 10 of your 16 best guidebooks. I can't say that you didn't influence me, like when I finally decided to purchase the Everyday witch, when I saw the little phrases that you pointed out underneath the pictures in the guidebook, or when I bought the Alice tarot guidebook from Baba Barock, even if the deck is unavailable, so I can at least read the book... I also contacted the creator of the Wild Messenger Alchemy tarot and I remember that they answered that a reprint was in preparation. But now, I can't find that message anywhere, and wonder if I didn't dream the whole thing...! So I just wrote to them again... Will tell you when I have an answer ;-)
Oh no... Oh no... Now I want to buy half of these decks you shared for their guidebooks! 🙈
Loved this video, and there will be a second printing of the wild messengers! Need that one!
I love the guidebook of the Forhäxa and the Murder of Crows because they are written in a story format and I love that ❤
I think the Haunted House tarot and Dark Wood, both by Sasha Graham i believe are story like too. Love the Haunted House tarot, enjoy it way more than I thought I would. 😊
@@tarottarantulas ohh cool thank you for the tip, will check them out !
oooh that's really good to know!!
I normally don't care for darker decks but I love the Tarot Z and its guidebook. The card descriptions read like scenes from a TV show or movie.
Deviant moon is my favorite by far. I love Patrick Valenza so much that I e bought almost all his deck and a signed copy of his tarot book. He's a genius! And his artwork is so different and beautiful. I also love the star tarot guidebook. The way she describes the cards is beautiful.
Your selections are terrific, and spot on! You've listed some of my favorites as well. I really like The Gaian Tarot guidebook it is written beautifully. The two books ( one on majors and one on minors) for the Haindl Tarot are both really good and written by Rachel Pollack. Another Rachel Pollack guidebook I love is The Crystal Skull Tarot, she packed so much into that smaller style guidebook. Of course it helps that I like and enjoy the decks too. :) :)
I'm SO tempted by the Gaian but would probably want the Llewellyn edition soooooo.... LOL
@@Lisa_Papez I did trim mine, but I would love the Llewellyn edition as well lol
@@whalesong813 I've seen the trim be a bit of a nightmare for folks - where you can't really get an even trim. How was it for you?
@@Lisa_Papez It was one of my first trims, but it turned out pretty good. I trimmed the blue borders off and left the white ones. Then edged it in blue. I didn't use Boho Tarot's method of marking for even edges. It isn't perfect, but it side shuffles well and overhands. The cards are still big for my hands.
I really liked those excerpts from the Anna K, even though I'd been unsure on the art. Thanks!
I was expecting to see the Gentle Tarot somehow. Loved your takes on those guidebooks though. :)
That one was TOTALLY in the running.... would be fun to do an updated one of these though down the line - very excited about the even bigger Gentle Tarot guidebook I'm waiting on via Kickstarter!
Lisa, this was such a fun video to watch. There are so many guidebooks that I love and I'll have to have a think about what my favourites would be.
I'm excited for you to dive into the vampire guidebook. It's such a great resource of information. I have a battered old copy of the deck and book from before Llewellyn started doing the pretty hard case boxes.
As an aside thank you for reading that extract from the Osho Zen. I needed to hear that message today. 🦄💜🦄
You're welcome!! Yes I'm excited about Tarot of Vampyres too!!
I pulled the Page of Pentacles for a self reading today and what you read from the Robin Wood book gave me chills because it's so much more on the nose than my initial interpretation. Very interested in Dreams of Gaia now, too. Great video!
Ooo awesome video! Book of Maps kind of eclipses everything else I have, but it and the deck are so dense I still only ever pull one card at a time 😬 Have a feeling I'll be discovering new things in that book for decades.
The cardstock on the pocket dreams of gaia is life. It's one of my favourite I'm fidgetty shufflers.
Hey, Lisa! I am just getting into tarot as of the start of this year! My first deck is the Dreamkeeper's Tarot (which is gorgeous and absolutely has my heart; it also has a great guidebook). I would really like it if you could do a standalone guidebook review (right now I am deciding whether to buy the Liz Dean pocket book and Ultimate Guide, or the Rashanda Tramble Numinous Tarot Guide. Could you please do a review of any or all of these books? Also, please please PLEASE check out The Dreamkeeper's Tarot. It's gorgeous. You might not favor the more muted tones, but the symbology and book are wonderful.
This is awesome! It's so nice to have decks with juicy guidebooks to work with.
Unfortunately, a lot of the little white books that come with most decks leave something to be desired and are more of a jumping off point or refresher for those already familiar with tarot.
Do you have recommendations for general tarot walk-through/ guide books that we can use for most decks without good matching guidebooks?
You've mentioned Kitchen Table Tarot by Melissa Cynova, and you have an awesome Tarot with Training Wheels/ Beginners playlist. Are there any other books you'd strongly recommend?
If you're still looking, Finding the Fool by Meg Jones Wall is a great "tarot guidebook" that can be used with any deck! The author deliberately put no images of specific tarot decks in the book for that reason.
Could a comparison be done between the Robinwood vs Wildwood Tarot? I’m starting a year in the Wildwood, but am always wondering the differences in these. Maybe even adding in the Greenwood and the Druid craft…..
I really like you showed the "over the top" section because I love art books. Having these in the shelf would make my shelf, my room, my ambiance so noice.
Hee hee!
I am SOOOOOO happy that you have gotten and included Tarot of Vampyres, this is the BEST guidebook ever (IMO)! I also heard about it from Raecine of Owlmoon513. It includes great info on the Kabalah and really helps me to make sense of that. Also, astrological references. I will say that sometimes The Star Tarot's (another guide book that I love) astrological correspondences vary from Ian Daniels' (ex: 3 of cups). However, Ian's references are in alignment with those in T Susan Changs book, as well as, Tarot & Astrology by C. Kenner, so I do align with his correspondences. As always, loved your video, you always put out the best content!!
I love love love Benebell Wen. Her decks are sold out and I'm waiting to get her next one. I can't wait.
I would be the happiest art loving tarot nerd if Somnia Tarot and Doctor Falke's "Tarot of the Drowning World" would come out with big books like the hulking Deviant Moon book. They wouldn't be able to take my money fast enough. Lol
I am deep diving the star tarot this year specifically for the guidebook. I had no idea that the Alice tarot had such a fantastic guidebook and I will definitely be purchasing the deck and book in the future if it’s reprinted. The book and deck that I am most intimidated to work with is the spirit keepers and the book of maps 😂 I have the 2nd Ed and am waiting patiently for my book of maps that is on its way now for the newest edition. I can not wait to have it in full color…I am even debating on have 2 copies just because it’s so beautifully done. But holy wow, her books are so educational that it’s overwhelming to think about deep diving. She’s a true genius lol and I also hope she reprints the 3rd edition along with her newest deck creation. Thank you for doing the guidebook review, I really enjoyed this!
A reprint of Alice Tarot by Karen & Alex is planned (to the best of my knowledge). :D
Love this video topic! I pay A LOT of attention to guidebooks. So thank you to all reviewers who read a sample from the book when doing a flip through! It's true some "big pretty books" fall flat and some little pictureless books are like - Wow. Hidden Realm was the first book to take me on a literary adventure - so it will always be my favorite. I do not have any of these decks. I never wanted Osho Zen deck, but that guide book I am very drawn to. Reminds me of Tao Oracle which I love. The Witches Wisdom - I am putting that in my Amazon cart now -Ha :)
Yay!!!! Thank you so much for doing this video, Lisa. This has been amazing! I am so excited to add some of these to my wishlist! I already own the Dreams of Gaia pocket edition and have barely used it because I don't like the guidebook, so the fullsize version has been bumped to the top of my list. I'm excited to dig into the guidebook! I will also be keeping an eye on some of the OOP decks, too. Thanks again for doing this!!
Thank you SO SO much for requesting it (and reminding me)!!! :)
@@Lisa_Papez When you said "highly requested" I told my husband "She's talking about me!!" 🥰🥰🤣🤣🤣
Great video! I love The Renaissance Tarot guidebook by brian Williams- he was such a brilliant art historian. He really leaves no stone unturned in terms of mythology & semiotics. Honestly I would read anything by him.
I also love the baba studios guidebooks, they offer so many layers of meaning.
oooh thanks for sharing that!
Ohhh the Anna K is on my wishlist since you used it in troubleshooting the Tarot 😍
Also I love the guidebook of the dreams of Gaia, tho I don’t use because of the gloss. Maybe need to get the small one at one point 😮
I'm surprised the Voyager tarot guidebook didn't get in here, with each piece of the collage-y card having meaning and it being explored in the companion book. Love your choices though, and bumped Spirit Keepers tarot up higher on my list as a result!
What a fun video idea, I absolutely loved your choices and would love to make a video response ASAP! The Everyday Witch Tarot was my first tarot deck and the guidebook just made me obsessed with tarot in general. Thank you so much for sharing
I love working with The Star Tarot! It's so intricate. I have the first edition (which does have a lot of typos, though).
I’ve come to just use guidebooks instead of tarot books since I’ve liked them more than the few tarot books I’ve tried reading.
Witches Wisdom is one of the decks I plan on journaling about and working with this year. I’ve only read the first part of the book, and it put me off, so I’ve decided to just work through each card and write down my thoughts as I work through it.
Everyday Witch, I read some months ago, and I thought it was decent. There were a few cards I didn’t care for, and I didn’t like The Lovers, but I usually don’t like the write-up for that card in books.
The Dreams of Gaia is another deck I plan on finally working with this year. I told myself I’d buy the mini version when I get a good chunk in. I’m curious about the psychology stuff you’ve mentioned. I have a psychology degree, so anything like that I find interesting. Though I do get annoyed at times when psychology comes in with metaphysical stuff since it’s usually old stuff, twisted, or not actually psychology. There was someone I’m doing spreads made by them, and a few months ago, I got really annoyed when they said certain stuff was psychology, and it was a mishmash of old stuff and then stuff that wasn’t even in the field of psychology.
A few I really like:
I think the most impressive guidebook I have is so large and has so much info that it’s actually called a Companion Grimoire, and that’s the companion book you can buy with The Nameless One Tarot and Oracle.
A favorite of mine lately has been the guidebook for the Blood Moon Tarot. The hardcover came in the mail a few weeks ago, and I love the descriptions of the minors before the meaning that pulls you into the image, and then the back of the book shows the process of making the cards, thumbnails, color swatches, etc. which is really cool.
I also really liked The Forager’s Daughter Tarot’s guidebook when I read it. I also live about 40 min from where the creator is from, so the beginning part was easy to imagine when she was talking about her childhood.
Then I do really like guidebooks that are story-like and pull you into the guidebook.
This is excellent. 😀 It's so fascinating to see how others prioritize reading a guidebook. I'm currently doing 'tarot book reports' for my depth year, so I'll 100% plan a VR to this by the end of the year. 🤖🖤
Edit: I wanted to add that the Spirit Keepers is on my book report list. Started reading it and it's not as intimidating as it looks. Wen makes it pretty reader friendly, although there is work that goes into notetaking since there's a lot of info to organize.
A reprint of Alice Tarot by Karen & Alex is planned (to the best of my knowledge). :D
@@Lisa_Papez I think you might have meant to respond to a different comment. 🤔 While I do love the attention, either way, 😎 someone's missing vital info! 😱
@@ScholarBot OOPS i hit the wrong button - thank you!! Shared that with the right person lol. and YES Thank you for sharing your experiences thus far with SKT and the current Book of Maps!! :)
Agree, love the deviant moon book!🌛 I think the moonchild would have been a flop for me without the book, it's beautiful but some of the cards are just like yoga positions. when I read from the book for the first time I was like okay, here's where it's at. The Forhaxa companion book is pretty good at storytelling which I enjoy. And the Lost Hollow explains the God/symbols in The deck so it not only explains the card, but often teaches me something. 🤔Maybe I'll do a vr 💖😁
Yay! Please do! P.S. I don't know if I commented this to you - but I was watching one of your vids recently - I had NO IDEA I was pronouncing your name wrong every time I tried lol... sorry!!
@@Lisa_Papez it's ok 🥰
I giggled when you showed the monstarot bookmark. what’s a Lisa top 10 without a monstarot mention? (even if it’s just a bookmark) 😂😂
OMG I can’t wait to see what you think of the Tarot of the Vampire. OwlMoon on CZcams pointed me to this deck and it was one of the 1st decks I purchased before I really went down the rabbit hole. I will not part with the deck or the book.
I'm excited to dig into it!! First a couple other Thothy decks ;) Then I can give that one my full attention!
WHEEE! WAs so excited to see this pop up this morning! I was literally polishing my nails so I could make a video this weekend on this topic - spoiler: our top 10 only has 1 common deck. I just completed reading the Book of Maps - I did a 1-card-a-day study from Jan-March. Wow Wow Wow I hope you love it as much as I did.
OOOOOH! Yay can't wait to see your picks!
Irked I missed PNW, any chance of a 2nd version, MM or reprint? I've got Dreams of Gaia on my WL & this may push me over the edge for good 😄 another Lisa Made Me Do It Club Member! (Eta: I want the pocket-size deck but FS book, of course I would, or I attempt a deck mod, yikes)
Oh Lisa. You are so bad for my wallet 😆
🤣💸
I’ve been thinking about this the last few days, wonderful guidebooks and which ones are he best. I don’t have a ton of decks, but I do really like the everyday enchantment book
Oh yes!
Hey Lisa ☺ just wanting to know would you say that the Robin Wood book is valuable to have even if you don't have the deck? Also do you have the Holistic Tarot book by Benebell Wen? I'm wondering if there's much of a difference between that and The Book of Maps, I don't have either but plan on getting Revelations on the next release. Thank you! ❣
I think Book of Maps is VERY different from Holistic Tarot - totally different feel throughout but also new info (from what I've seen so far). :) And as for Robin Wood... hmm... I'm not sure if it would hold as much meaning for me as a standalone because I've never really looked at it that way. Let me think on that!
@@Lisa_Papez ok thanks lovely!
Ok, so I paid for a copy of the book of maps and need to get it printed. Where sis you print yours?
Ok
Went back to my email and ordered. I have been meaning to do that, because I too, have not workes with the drck yet!