Book Review: Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen

  • Source: I received an advanced copy from Benebell Wen and North Atlantic Books

  • My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (see my review on Goodreads)

[NOTE: This review was originally posted in March 2015]

Have you ever read a book and just felt an instant kinship with the author? That was me while reading Holistic Tarot. With some nonfiction books, I am tempted to skip all the introductory content, but I was eating up every single word of this book. This is one of the few books that was just asking for me to break out a pencil and underline passage after passage.

“Tarot is a mirror. It reflects back who you are. It shows you your strengths and weaknesses. It makes you confront the decisions you have made in the past, your attitude, both good and bad, and how these components have affected your life.”

What sold me on Holistic Tarot very early on was that Wen’s approach to tarot is analytical and not *woo-woo* in nature. I loved that she describes it as “tarot analytics” and compares a tarot reading to making a mind map. As I’ve been creating mind maps aplenty recently, and I am drawn to the analytical, this seemed like the perfect book for me!

Holistic Tarot is comprehensive and exceptionally thorough. Whether you’re completely new to tarot or a seasoned practitioner, there is something (many somethings) for you in this book. Everything is well laid out and the chapters follow a logical and smooth progression from one topic to another. You’ll encounter a plethora of reference charts, spreads, techniques, and things to consider from multiple perspectives.

“Don’t use the tarot only because you want to know what will happen next or you might lose sight of what is happening now. Instead, use the tarot to understand why and how. You influence your future through action and attitude, not through cards.”

Each chapter is illustrated with images, but also with example readings to help expand upon the ideas and suggestions. There are even chapters on devising your own spreads, in depth operations, and things to consider if you plan to practice tarot professionally. I found the breadth and depth of advice and reference information in this book impressive!

So far, I’ve tried out many of the techniques and spreads in this book, but there is still so much more that I plan to delve into for a long time to come! In fact, when it’s my turn to host my “tarot book club” meeting, I’ll be sharing some of what I learned in Holistic Tarot!

This is absolutely the BEST tarot resource I’ve found.

I’m seriously considering getting the ebook version as well, so I can have it with me everywhere I go! Highly recommended for anyone interested in the tarot.

[Many thanks to Benebell Wen and North Atlantic Books for the opportunity to read and review this fine tome!]

book reviewKelleytarot, nonfiction