Confessions of a Tarot Reader: Practical Advice From This Realm And Beyond

by Jane Stern

Overview

Tarot cards have been used to foretell the future for centuries. Once the domain of the esoteric and mystical, tarot today has many practical applications in the modern world. Jane Stern, a fourth generation tarot reader perhaps best known for Roadfood, has given the art of the tarot a very modern spin. Using the twenty-two major arcana cards (the “heart of the tarot”) as chapters, she has gleaned all she has learned over the years and presents Confessions of a Tarot Reader as a witty, readable, and useful self-help book. In her own words, the author likes to think of herself as a “psychic Dear Abby,” and by drawing on the wisdom of the tarot deck, to give practical advice in every life situation and lift the veil between this world and the unseen beyond.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762769049
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/04/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jane Stern is author of the best-selling memoir Ambulance Girl as well as many food and popular culture books coauthored with Michael Stern. Together they run the very popular website Roadfood.com, have won three James Beard awards, and been inducted into the Who’s Who of American food. Visit her at janemastertarot.com.

Table of Contents

Welcome to Your Reading ix

A Note About the Cards xvi

0 The Fool: New beginnings and heading into the unknown 1

1 The Magician: Making what is possible real 9

2 The High Priestess: Tapping into the mystery of your potential 17

3 The Empress: Mothering-beauty and comfort 27

4 The Emperor: Fathering-authority and control 37

5 The Hierophant: Learning the rules of life 45

6 The Lovers: How to find enduring and passionate love 53

7 The Chariot: Advice on identifying and reaching your goals 67

8 Strength: The lesson in knowing that you can and will endure any problems 75

9 The Hermit: Looking for the answers within 83

10 The Wheel of Fortune: Seeing the turning point and moving forward 91

11 Justice: Committing yourself to honesty and doing what is right 99

12 The Hanged Man: Giving up control and accepting what is 107

13 Death: Endings, beginnings, and the difficulty of waiting in-between 115

14 Temperance: Finding balance and moderation in your life 127

15 The Devil: Fighting ignorance, bondage, and hopelessness 135

16 The Tower: Overcoming upheavals and sudden change 145

17 The Star: Being open to faith and thinking positively 155

18 The Moon: The battle against your inner demons 163

19 The Sun: Finding sense behind the chaos of your life 173

20 Judgement: Preparing for your day of reckoning 181

21 The World: Experiencing wholeness and integration of your personality 189

A Note to the Reader 197

About the Author 198

Editorial Reviews

"[A]n insightful how-to guide that reaches far beyond simple directions for reading tarot cards.. .. [Jane] Stern chronicles the ways in which past readings have served as a launching point for journeys of self-discovery—for both herself and her clients.. .. Weaving anecdotes from her 40 years’ experience tangling with the occult, including particularly memorable readings she’s performed for herself, Stern provides a delightful take on a practice too often derided as scam or mere superstition."

—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Stern(500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late,2009, etc.)offers an insightful how-to guide that reaches far beyond simple directions for reading tarot cards.

The author, best known for her work as a James Beard Award–winning food writer with husband Michael, is a fourth-generation tarot reader with more than four decades of experience staring down destiny. Stern chronicles the ways in which past readings have served as a launching point for journeys of self-discovery—for both herself and her clients: "A real tarot card reading is intrusive, and—as with psychotherapy—few people want their lives laid bare for fun." Broken down into 22 chapters, one for each card of the Major Arcana deck, the author elaborates on both the obvious and hidden meanings of each card, complete with suggestions for personal growth and insight. Stern is quick to point out, however, that tarot reading is more akin to a Rorschach test—the process is not simply meant to predict a future set in stone, but rather serve as a catalyst for deep introspection and analysis. Weaving anecdotes from her 40 years' experience tangling with the occult, including particularly memorable readings she's performed for herself, Stern provides delightful take on a practice too often derided as scam or mere superstition.

More than one skeptic may come away agreeing with the author when she writes, "the tarot deck is the best method for seeking answers from beyond the limited realm of our thought."

Kirkus Reviews