Review by Bonnie Cehovet
"Tarot
Celebrations" is a book that I picked up from one of my
never-ending book clubs - and have been happy ever since that I
did! I have always been interested in what the Tarot is
and can do in my life - not just the varied ways that
it can be read, but the uses for meditation,
affirmations, visualizations, ceremony and ritual.
The latter
uses for Tarot are what this book is all about.
Geraldine Amaral and Nancy Brady Cunningham have taken the
22 cards of the Major Arcana and created a wonderful
mix of background and symbolism for each of the cards,
as well as gifting us with ceremonies that allow us
to incorporate the essence of each tarot archetype
into our lives.
The emphasis here is on the healing
properties of the archetypes, and how we can place that
healing in our everyday lives. In the first part of the
book, "The Call Of Ancient Voices", starts out by
discussing the Jungian archetypes represented by each of the
cards. We then take a look at what we as individuals
bring to the Tarot table. The gist is that we need to
allow ourselves to become open and clear channels so
that Tarot knowledge can flow though us.
One of the
more important chapters for me was that on the Shadow
side of self, and the importance of acknowledging and
understanding our Shadow selves as a way of enhancing our own
spiritual grown and understanding of ourselves as
individuals. To this end, in the back of the book Geraldine has
presented a spread originated by herself and Lola Lucas
called the Golden Shadow Spread. I have worked with this
from time to time, and found it incredibly
beneficial.
If you are looking for a better understanding of
Tarot, a way to integrate Tarot and ceremony into your
life via the Tarot archetypes, or just a good Tarot
read - this is the book for you!
Oh - as an added
bonus, there is a section at the back with exercises that
allow the reader to see how good their knowledge of the
Tarot archetypes really is. A game worth playing -
the *fill in the blank* questions could actually be
used literally as such - or simply as a person reality
check.
Bonnie Cehovet is Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.
| 
