"What began as an elite Renaissance card game for Italian aristocrats has become a popular divination tool for millions of modern Tarot lovers. The cards fascinate us with uncanny predictions, but they also serve as powerful tools for meditation, magic, and spiritual growth." - From the 2006 Tarot Reader

Llewellyn's Tarot Reader 2006 is the second installment of this new offering by Llewellyn Worldwide Publications. There are dozens of articles and reviews covering such topics as reading professionally, Tarot history, card interpretations and spreads, teaching Tarot and much more.

Some of the articles in the 2006 Tarot Reader include:

* Following the Fool by Arnell Ando - This is a great visualization that Ando reads aloud during tarot-related art therapy workshops. What faded picture of the past will *you* give up to possess the magical deck of cards held by the Fool?
* One-Card Readings by Elizabeth Genco - As Genco says, "A one-card reading is the perfect place to break free of tarot tradition and let the images on the card simply speak to you."
* The Voice in the Card by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone - The engaging founders and teachers of the Tarot School elaborate on the principle found in their book Tarot Tips.
* Seventy-Eight Faces of Divinity by Nina Lee Braden - Nina Lee shows us why overlooking the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana as windows into the divine is a mistake.
* Going Pro by James Wells - In addition to providing a blueprint for professional reading, Wells admonishes that "to use a reading to push your own agenda will have the Karma Police on your butt so fast, it won't be funny."
* Tarot for Two by Mark McElroy - In his mischievous, informative, and practical style Mark shows us a process that is a "fast, fun, friendly game you can use to shatter routine and restore a sense of playful awareness in your relationships."
* Living La Vida Arcana: Beyond the Celtic Cross by Thalassa - With her characteristic witty prose, Thalassa demonstrates how Tarot becomes a part of our DNA. In fact, "The symbols, associations, and personal meanings you incorporate seep in-like astral butter into the nooks and crannies of a metaphysical English muffin-to occupy all the levels of the person."
* Zapped! When Clients Explode by Elizabeth Hazel - Hazel provides clear-headed advice should a client have a meltdown during a public reading such as a New Age convention or psychic fair.

Some of the decks examined in Llewellyn's 2006 Tarot Reader include The Baroque Bohemian Cats' Tarot, Tarot of the Dead, The Bright Idea Deck, Celtic Dragon Tarot, The Quest Tarot, The Pagan Tarot, and others. Also featured is a calendar section featuring the Moon's sign and phase, major holidays, and plenty of room to record your daily card readings, special events, and appointments.

The 2006 Tarot Reader is truly a quality offering, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading almost every article and review. I especially enjoyed reading Justice: The Archetype of Balance by Leeda Alleyn Pacotti and trying out Christine Jette's Karmic Insight Spread.

If you're looking for fresh ways to view the Tarot, ask better questions of the cards, or incorporate the Aces in ritual, Llewellyn's 2006 Tarot Reader will more than meet your expectations.

While the book itself presents us with a pocket calendar to record dates and events, the big draw of this Llewellyn Annual is the articles written by folks who are familiar with the tarot, work with it, teach it and use it for readings for clients as well as themselves. We have such well known authors as Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, teachers and founders of the Tarot School; professional Tarot readers such as Bonnie Cehvet and Mary K. Greer; book authors Elizabeth Hazel and Corrine Kenner; Tarot Deck designers Lee Bursten and Arnell Ando are but a few of the contributors to this journal.

The book is illustrated with card designs, tarot spreads, and images from the tarot. This is a great feature as there are some new decks featured that you may want to view before you decide to purchase.

The articles cover some preset topics: "The Fool: Tools for the Journey", "The Magician: Practical Applications" "The Hermit: For Further Study", "Judgment: Deck Reviews" and "The World: Spreads. "The Wheel: 2006 Almanac" encompasses the date book section.

Articles follow the topics. We have an interesting article by Arnell Ando about "Following the Fool", a meditation for preparing you for working with your Tarot Deck. There is also a good article on hearing your deck speak to you called "The Voice in the Card" by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone. The article presents good personal experiences and includes techniques and tips for reading cards.

The second section "The Magician" has some articles on practical application of the tarot. "Ask a Better Question" by Mark McElroy explores the possibility that the client didn't get what they wanted out of a reading simply because they did not ask the right question.

"Judgment" focuses on deck reviews. You may want to browse through here and see what other folks are saying about various new decks.

There are pages scattered throughout the book with advertisements for decks printed by Llewellyn. While it is advertising, it is not a bad thing. There are sample cards from the decks, and some information about the deck itself.

This is just a sampling of the works included in the book. Some folks will find the articles interesting and informative, some will find cause to dispute the material presented. The idea of this book is to be a "reader" with a theme that will entertain, inform and present different aspects to the topic. I found some articles well done, others were not of interest or presented material I disagreed with. We all have different view points.

But the overall value of the book is to broaden our knowledge of the Tarot and this book does this very well. I found it to be very informative, and well presented. From the beginner to the experienced reader, you will all find information and illumination between the covers of this book. Overall, a good presentation and one I am pleased with. boudica