The Deck and Book Nook - Tarot Dynamics

I consider myself to be a very straightforward woman. I’m the type that won’t mince words and will tell you if your breath smells like cat litter. It’s just how I roll. And I happen to like books that have an honest and no b.s. tone as well. You’ll find that here in Tarot Dynamics, which I found offers a very straight up approach to tarot reading.

This book is different than the rest in that it combines numerology and Tarot in a way that simplifies yet adds depth to the meanings of the cards. While that may sound like a contradiction, trust me, the author Anna Burroughs Cook manages to lay a foundation that is solid yet open for interpretation.

The author chooses simple keywords for each card, based on the numbers and the suit, or in the case of the Major Arcana, one word to symbolize that particular card (ex: Hanged Man = Tranquility). This breaks the tarot down to manageable bites – which is incredibly helpful especially for those who are just beginning to explore the cards. She then adds depth by giving different interpretations for the cards based on whether the reading is negative, positive, reversed, or romantically focused. She also adds information for what the card could mean if it was surrounded by less reassuring cards. This gives the reader a lot to work with.

There is a picture of each card from the Universal Tarot but this book is not limited to any one deck. With Burroughs’ method, you’ll get a solid grip on the tarot that can be used with whichever deck you prefer to work with.

In the final chapters the author covers timing, which I consider one of the most difficult aspects of tarot reading. She once again offers a simplified method (based on astrology) that anyone can use – even if you do not have a background in astrology. Burroughs then includes a few tarot spreads using her methods as well as sample readings which clearly paint a vivid picture of her techniques in action. (I only wish she would have had visual images to go along with the samples as I am lazy – but after laying out the cards myself, it brought the impact of her formula to life!)

The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was her section on do’s and don’ts and FAQs. This part was full of practical advice, written in a manner that felt like my “tarot mom” was giving me the straight talk I needed so that I could avoid the pitfalls and problems that many tarot readers struggle with. I nodded my head often in agreement and enjoyed her down to earth approach to these issues.

If you are new to tarot or just looking for a new perspective, you cannot go wrong with this book. I give it Two Swords Up!