Why bother with tarot? In the words of Anthony Louis, "The Tarot awakens our intuitive abilities." You will find nothing could be truer. Louis then explains that after a certain amount of experience with the cards, using intuition, the cards and their positions in a spread will suggest meanings outside the textbooks. This is what any good tarot teacher wants his students to work toward.

This book is a good place to begin that journey.

Louis uses the Robin Wood Tarot for illustrations, which is absolutely my favorite deck and No. 1 reading deck. The Robin Wood is intuitively drawn, colorful, lively and encourages unique interpretation for each individual.

Louis has a fresh, new approach to presenting the cards, which I like very much. Rather than grouping all of a suit together, which most books do, he gathers all aces, all twos, all threes, etc. It's a different way of looking at the cards, and is very insightful. He includes a short introduction to each group of numbers. If you get a disproportionate group of one number in your spread, this will give you a feel for what that particular number is telling you.

Also, I like that he includes the "Fool's Journey," which will help you get acquainted with each of the Major Arcana.

Louis includes advice on how to spread the cards. I absolutely love his "theme and variations" spread, which I use to tell a story that will play out over time. This spread is a great place to start. It is simple enough for a beginner, but still detailed enough to receive helpful insight. Also, his suggestion to master the Celtic Cross, which I have found to be my most helpful spread, is good advice. This, I feel, is a natural progression from the "theme and variations." If you practice it, it will become second nature.

I would highly recommend you take his advice to keep a tarot journal. I have devised a system of color-coded shorthand for each card so I can easily record the spreads. Looking back over past spreads, you may come to see how spreads played out over time, enabling you to gain an even deeper understanding of what each card means to you.

After you have been working with your deck for some time, go back and reread the beginning chapters and the Fool's Journey. You will find they have both deeper meaning and different advice for you. You will notice things that slipped by the first time. With this book, you will be well on your way into the world of tarot!