- Book: New Directions In Tarot
- Author: Scott Martin
- Publisher: REDFeather
- Recommended retail price: $19.99 USD / £18.99 GBP
- ISBN: 978-0-7643-6630-7
- Review by: Helen Diamond
New Directions In Tarot, by Scott Martin, takes a different approach to learning and using Tarot cards, inspired by Pamela Colman Smith’s theatrical training, and how she used her theatre design experience to create the Minor Arcana. This is an innovative and wonderfully fresh approach to learning and using the cards, appropriate for beginner and seasoned readers alike.
This is one of the few books on Tarot that pays much more attention to the Minors than the Majors. As the Majors of the RWS emulate the older Marseille and Visconti decks, we know there is not a huge variation in style. The Rider Waite Smith deck, however, was the first to use storytelling in the Minors, rather than pip cards.
‘Pixie’ as she was affectionately nicknamed by actress Ellen Terry, did not receive real recognition for her work in designing the Minors. This has only come posthumously, and this book can give the reader new appreciation of the work that has gone into each image.
She was essentially given free reign by A.E. Waite to design the Minors, drawing from her own knowledge and experience in the Golden Dawn, Qabbala, and alchemy in selecting the symbolism of the most widely known Tarot deck today. What had not been explored much prior to this book is how she employed her work in theatre design to create the faux-medieval imagery.
This book is full of exercises that get the reader thinking about their cards differently. This can help challenge the belief held by some that learning to read the cards is a memorisation exercise. Rather, the reader is being encouraged, in an innovative way, to develop personal associations with the imagery used. Concepts such as Thought, Themes, Dialogue and Music encourage the reader to consider the storytelling aspects of the Minor Arcana.
One method to read the cards is as though you have a graphic novel in front of you, and the methodology used here supports this. It is a playful approach, one that can be done alone or in a group. After working with the prompts in this book, a tarotist may even feel inspired to create their own deck. This book gets the reader thinking like a Tarot deck creator.
For many of the exercises at the beginning of the book, it doesn’t seem necessary to do in order, so one can pick and choose what they feel drawn to, or have time for, as some exercises will take longer than others. This could be incorporated into a weekly journal practice, where one exercise is selected for the week and contemplated/journaled. Clearly, this book sparks creativity.
The later part of the book provides new spread ideas, with examples, and clear and concise meanings for each card. At the back of the book are Appendices which give further information on Pamela Colman Smith, including a history of the artist written by Robert M. Place.
Regarding the hardcover book, the paper quality is an interesting choice. The print is clear and the card images are in bright colours. The colour prints of the cards is very helpful, as it makes the book more portable (as you may not need a deck with you when consulting the imagery, for some of the exercises). However, the paper feels more like pamphlet/brochure quality, which feels a little off.
Nonetheless, this is a good quality, well researched and well thought out book which balances serious appreciation for the work of Pamela Colman Smith along with a playful approach to developing one’s cartomancy skills. I would highly recommend this for any fans of Pixie and her innovations in the RWS deck.
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