- Tarot Court Card DNA: How to interpret the Tarot’s court cards (Paperback – Large Print)
- by Alison Cross
- Self-published by Alison Cross through Amazon
- Recommended pricing UK £23.49/ US $29.99 / CAN $40.10
- ISBN: 9798695206609
- Reviewed by Jason C Dean
I first discovered Tarot Court Card DNA by accident. I had only recently joined the Tarot Association of British and International members (TABI) when I attended their Mid-Winter Conference in January 2023. An online-only event. Alison was one of the presenters and did a workshop on the central aspects of her new book. I was so impressed that afterward, I looked up the book on Amazon and ordered my copy.
The first thing I noticed about the Tarot Court Card DNA is that it is strikingly attractive. It has an all-black glossy cover adorned with colourful artwork by Alexander Daniloff and his 2012 Tarot deck with several other of his cards included throughout. In fact, Alison’s book is also littered with lovely colourful Tarot Court illustrations from the Chosson Tarot by Sullivan Hissman and the Druidcraft Tarot by Will Worthington. These visually augment the richness of the information Alison imparts.

Tarot Court Card DNA is 331 pages packed with a lifetime, if not several decades, of Alison’s experiential knowledge of the Tarot Court cards and how they can be pinned to the neo-pagan Wheel of the Year and the depicted Gaelic festivals. The seven pages of Contents listed are indicative of the instructive and useful style of this book.
It’s worthwhile reading the first two chapters first. I say this because I have a tendency to treat most Tarot books like reference material for readings and flick to the page I want to the topic of interest. However, this book has a lexicon. Alison has a method here, and you will need to grasp her easy-to-understand terminology like, Ranks, Throne Room, 4 H System, Mapping, Pidgin Tarot, and Secret Squirrel names etc, etc. Although the Tarot Court Card DNA is instructive and prescriptive in assisting you to understand the Tarot Court, it is not necessarily rigid. Alison invites you to apply your own conventions to her methods, however, for the purpose of the exercise, adhere to her descriptive labels initially while exploring her book.
Tarot Court Card DNA is like a little encyclopedia and workbook combined. It has many workshop-style exercises, tables to complete, and a Wheel of the Year to draw and populate. At the back of the book Alison has provided a ‘ready reckoner’, where all the workshop tables are completed, and you can compare and contrast your own work. There is a gentle build-up of information throughout. But for me, Chapters 7 and 9 are ‘where the rubber hits the road’! The ‘Uses for the Court Cards’ and ‘Court Cards’ Chapters provide you, the reader friend, with the methods and key of how to apply the Tarot Court Card DNA to your readings and festival practices.
Tarot Court Card DNA has a wonderful foreword written by an internationally recognized living luminary of the Tarot world, Caitlin Mathews. It is also endorsed by TABI, the gold standard in Tarot organizations. In addition to the workshop Alison taught in January 2023, she also presented an individual workshop for TABI in December 2023. This workshop was focused on the Wheel of the Year, and a printable handout was used. It is well worth your while to obtain access to both inexpensive workshops in addition to purchasing the book, as it will give you primary source access to the wonderful practical knowledge contained in Tarot Court Card DNA.
Whilst there is a mountain of information in this book, it is easy to understand and lovingly presented. Alison writes like she is speaking directly to you, old Tarot friend, and with every colourful turn of phrase and humorous reference, she will impart to you all she has gleaned about the Tarot Court Card DNA, and you will be entertained and educated in the process.
If you are interested in viewing Alison’s January 23 TABI Mid-Winter Conference workshop or December 23 TABI Workshop, they are still available to purchase through TABI. Please contact the TABI Chair at chairman@tabi.org.uk Alison Cross can be contacted via TABI, or through her own website, Tarot Thrones.
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