Although this book was published in 2011, I recently picked it out of my library for research I was doing on a card. I’m glad I did! Rachel Pollack has a knack for finding unique perspectives on Tarot. Her interpretations are succinct, easy to read, and more relevant to each card’s image than many other Tarot handbooks.

As you might expect from Rachel (if you are familiar with her other texts), The New Tarot Handbook is written in a narrative manner. She teaches through stories, and the reader is entertained while learning their way through the layers of meanings of the cards. She has attempted to distil over forty years of study into this guide, and it works very well as an introduction to Tarot, but for more detailed explanations of the cards, you are better off with her previous book, Tarot Wisdom.

The idea of using spreads to understand the nature of each of the suits and Major Arcana cards is innovative and exciting, and it is why you must have this book. Rachel explains the process in the following way, “Each major card really presents its own unique view of the world, so that when we do one of these readings (using the whole deck), it’s as if we ourselves become the Magician or the Empress or the Fool asking about magic or passion or foolishness in our lives.”

This concept of using a layout of cards to explain each of the Major Arcana cards is simple yet mind-blowing in its results. The questions she suggests you ask are relevant and truly insightful—for this alone, the book is worth the asking price.

With its modern twist, Rachel has put together a clever and concise explanation for the interpretation of Tarot cards. The book is interesting enough to engage the minds of even the most experienced users of Tarot, and it will certainly satisfy the curiosity of beginners. It covers the basics and then directs the reader to discover more advanced Tarot options when they are ready.

The author begins the book with the story of how she became involved in Tarot, and in the final paragraph, she writes about how Tarot can be applied to our lives… “Think of the Tarot as an endless series of doorways—seventy-eight cards with infinite combinations. Let them become the gates to your own wisdom.” It’s a beautiful conclusion to yet another thoughtful and well-written book by one of Tarot’s shining lights.