Tarot and the Journey of the Hero
By Hajo Banzhaf
ISBN: 1-57863-117-3

"Tarot and the Journey of the Hero" is a wonderfully illustrated guide to a different and deep understanding of the major arcana of the tarot. For those of you who don't know the tarot is a system of cards (there are many different illustrated versions, the most popular being the Waite Tarot, the Marseilles Tarot and the Crowley Tarot), which are used to clear your position in life and perhaps your future. Of course this is just my concept of the tarot, there are many different ideas and thoughts about it. The tarot cards are split into two arcan, the Major Arcana and the minor arcana. The major arcana is made up of figures of mythological importance, the magician, the tower, the Emperor, etc. While the minor arcana is built up of numbers and symbols, like say 7 cups or 8 pentagrams. These cards are very similar to playing cards today, as they go from a ace card to a king card.

This book focuses on the major arcana, giving a reading to them based on the hero's journey. This is a very well researched book drawing from many people from C.G. Jung to Joseph Campbell, who's book "The Hero With a Thousand Faces" is obviously a major source and influence.

The book sets up the cards in the order of the hero's journey as put forth by Mr. Campbell. It begins with our hero the Fool, and ends with the world as "paradise regained". In between it uses the cards to tell the story. Each card has a very descriptive history and meaning, each of which is very interesting. This book would be of interest to anyone who studies mythology or similar subject as well as people who are tarot users. A very good and informative book.

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