Cynthia Giles

There's certainly no shortage of books about the Tarot! So it’s appropriate to ask whether another one is needed.

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My new book is meant to fill a space that's not already occupied, in at least three ways.

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1. The ebook format makes it visually rich, and allows the reader to focus on specific topics by following themed paths and searching the text.

2. The content is designed to offer readers a compact, consistent format for seeing the Major and Minor Arcanas in a new light.

3. Information graphics and tabular illustrations reveal new ways of seeing the integrative structures that resonate throughout the Tarot deck.

The Tarot is distinguished from other divination systems by its rich visual content~so Symbols and Synergies takes a richly visual approach.

 

Essential information about each Major Arcana card is presented in a two-page spread, consistently arranged for easy reference.

 

Text sections include a historical perspective on the card's imagery, a synopsis of divinatory principles, and a brief survey of archetypal themes, mythic associations, cultural illuminations, and traditional correspondences. Images from each of four influential decks demonstrate the evolution of visual symbolism in the Tarot.

The varied structures of the Tarot deck are deeply interconnected—but the underlying currents and associations are not obvious.    

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For example--it's tempting to consider the Minor Arcana as a series of individual cards, each with its own traditional meaning. But we need to look deeply at the underlying qualities that organize them: number symbolism, elemental associations, cultural constructs.

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Information graphics make it easier to visualize the structures and themes that connect Major and Minor Arcanas to create a unified imaginative system.