Tarot Spreads and Layouts A User’s Manual For Beginning and Intermediate Readers
Jeanne Fiorini
Schiffer Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-7643-3629-4
Fiorini is an author I like. Her articles online are full of information. She writes in a clear, approachable manner. When I heard that she had a book out with Schiffer, I was delighted. For purposes of transparency, this book was sent to me as a review copy. Jeanne Fiorini is also a frequent contributor to the American Tarot Association’s publications.
This is a slim book coming in at 128 pages including the few advertisements in the back. The design is gorgeous. I particularly like the use of borders and boxes to highlight specific parts. I’ve yet to see a book from Schiffer that didn’t have this. And of the recent books I’ve reviewed, this one is special.
Why is it special? Well, the main reason is how Fiorini delivers the material. From how to phrase the question (a fundamental building block for any good reading that is often overlooked) to basic layouts, she guides you through series of layouts from one card up to as many as eight. She discusses expandable spreads as well. Particularly useful is the short Conclusion section where she offers a Reality Check list.
Another bonus is how she gives the positions of the cards in each layout. For instance, in the four card Relationship spread, Fiorini offers a variety of ways to look at the cards. She suggest look for the similarities and the disparities as well as basic Tarot reading techniques such as if there are Court cards, do they face one another or look away? Then the guidelines on how to expand the spread take the reader even deeper.
I think this would be an excellent book for beginners and intermediate readers. If I had one quibble, I would say that even an experienced reader can come away from this book with new insights into how to glean more from their spreads and readings. This is in reference to the subtitle “A User’s Manual for Beginning and Intermediat Readers” that seems to leave out those of us who are past the intermediate stage.
Get your copy today.
Thanks for your kind review of my book, Arwen. I know you would be honest and direct about your impressions, and so I appreciate your words very much.
Jeanne, I hope you have amazing sales. I will be mentioning it at my Meetup as well. 😀