Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom

Rachel Pollack's thoughtful and fluid description of the minor arcana gives the tarot reader insight to human elements w/in the symbols for each of the cards. She encourages the read to look beyond the immediate image/ placement to the full array of textures & layers the cards are providing. If the reader allows the wisdom to speak to them, they will feel the true power of spiritual guidance at their finger tips. She utilized many personal examples encouraging the reader to trust through knowledge - of themselves and the cards. I also highly recommend her 78 degrees of Wisdom the Major Arcana which is much more esoteric, which is the dna of the major arcana in a reading. The two together is an amazing experience that anyone interested in serious transformation should read.

I bought this book along with others because of the great reviews I saw. However, most of the other books did not live up to the great reviews. With one exception. SEVENTY EIGHT DEGREES OF WISDOM. This book doesn't give you formulas to memorize and it moves away from tradition and dogma. Ms Pollack asks the reader to let the tarot speak it's own unique language to each individual reading, querent, student and situation.It gives the historical, mythological, spiritual, etc., meanings and attributions for each major card and also her personal insights and experience. She does the same for the minor cards, however, she doesn't go much into history and myth here but delves into her own experiences and interpretation. She also has GATE cards that allows the reader to get connected to particular cards that elucidate the intrinsic meanings of the suit. I'd love for her to do a book about meditations on the tarot.To the back of the book there is an exposition on doing divination with the cards and she gives examples of the two spreads she covers to explain them better. Her Work Cycle spread is one with promise although I was left wanting a little more. I can't seem to find a resource where one can learn more about this spread.There is one thing that I would ask every newbie to do when studying the cards. Get a resource that details occult symbols and colours. See how they fit into the particular cards and then you have a more detailed description of the cards. The meaning of some cards often don't appear in the artwork (figures etc) however the colours (red, orange, black etc) and the symbols (white rose, black staff, circle, etc) will clear up anything you have a question about.Also, see MK Greer's book: Tarot for youself and Rachael Pollack's new book: The Forest of Souls.Phoinix Sky

Rachel Pollack's SEVENTY-EIGHT DEGREES OF WISDOM is a key work described by many (including Joseph Campbell) as an important source for understanding the wisdom of the Tarot. The book appears to have been first published in the early eighties in two volumes, one dealing with the Major Arcana and the other with the minor Arcana. Since few authors examine the minor cards Pollack's book is a must for serious students. Pollack writes insightfully and intelligently, including longer passages for each of the cards of the Major Arcana. She includes reversed meanings and encourages shuffling the deck so as to ensure some cards fall upside down for a reading. She provides two examples for each card, one from A. E. Waite's deck illustrated by Pamela Coleman and the other from various other decks. Pollack notes that when she first wrote her book no one compared the different pictorial representations of various decks. She includes points of agreement and disagreement with interpretations from Waite's "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot", Aleister Crowley's "The Book of Thoth" and other works. Unlike many contemporary authors on Tarot, Pollack subscribes to the notion that one can use the Tarot not only for interpretation of current circumstances but for seeking advice. She describes how to cast the Celtic cross a descriptive tool which can be used to gain insight into a present situation. She also shares a layout she created that the reader can use to gain insight into possible courses of action regarding work situations. Of the many books I've read on Tarot so far this one is the best.

I've read dozens of tarot books over the years, and if I had to toss them all away except two or three, this book would clearly be one of the keepers. Pollack writes clearly and outlines both her own philosophy and the philosophy of others. Her outlook is broad rather than limited to formulaic "meanings". Most important in my mind is that she can explain why multiple interpretations are not contradictions. It may sound corney to say, but this book stirred up my mind as much as an examination of the cards. This book is a cup of coffee for your spiritual/mythological mind. Ms Pollack, Thanks!