Understanding the Tarot Court

by Mary K. Greer & Tom Little; Published by Llewellyn, 2004

Reviewed by Serena Brink

At last a definative book on the tarot court cards!  Comprehensive, original and creative in its approach to the subject of the court cards, it is a treasure trove of valuable resources for both beginners and experienced readers.  A rich learning experience is provided by the combination of well researched information and innovative exercises.  

It's time to embark on an exciting journey of exploration into the realm of the court cards.  A journey I would recommend to the many tarot readers who find the court cards difficult to interpret or who can only interpret them at the most superficial level.  The traditional interpretation of court cards as people in the inquirer's life is a very limited way to approach the interpretation of court cards and doesn't always apply as they can also refer to aspects of the inquirer's personality, describe a relationship, or represent an event or issue in the inquirer's life.  The difficulty is knowing which aspect is operating.  As the authors write:

'Determining which perspective is applicable in any given situation is part of the art of reading the cards.  Most of this book is devoted to illuminating these different perspectives.  Frequently more than one perspective will offer insights in the same reading, so it's good to get into the habit of scanning the possibilities.'

Once these perspectives have been mastered then an in-depth reading of the court cards can be done.  Initially your intuition may identify how the court card is operating in a reading, but if it doesn't then the knowledge gained from this book can help you explore the interpretation possibilities, as well as enrich your interpretation of the card's significance to the inquirer. 

The range of information and exercises includes the following: the use of court cards as significators; ways to reveal the personalities and relationships within your family or circle of friends or place of work; the basis for the different design interpretations of the court cards in different tarot packs; making career decisions; using court cards as a story telling device; and ways of understanding how the court cards can depict aspects of your personality.

A brief but facinating history of the tarot and the court cards provides an interesting background to their origins and evolution, and the metaphysical side of the court cards is explored through the philosophical and metaphysical systems that influence the court cards such as Neo Platonism and the Qabala, as well as astrology and numerology. 

For those who want to concentrate on interpretation, original spreads encourage an exploration of the possible uses of the court cards and there is a section with interpretation guidelines and a sample reading.  There is also a comprehensive summary of the meanings of each of the court cards. The interpretation summary for each court card is divided into categories such as typical roles, masks, subpersonalities; personality styles and values; stresses, problems, weaknesses; sample occupations; events, situations, activities; advice; traditional meanings; and traditional reversed meanings.

When you have developed an in-depth knowledge of the court cards, and are ready to design your own tarot pack, there are exercises to guide the design process.

I regard this book as an essential addition to my book collection and anticipate a long and fruitful relationship with it, both as a workbook and as a resource book filled with useful and comprehensive information.