Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot
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- Create Date：2022-11-17 09:53:49
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Rachel Pollack
- ISBN：0722535724
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Summary
The two volumes of 'Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom' have inspired a whole generation of students of the Tarot。 Described by many as ‘the Bible of Tarot readers’， the books brought awareness of myth and modern psychology to the Tarot’s ancient esoteric symbolism。 Now， for the first time， the texts for 'The Major Arcana' and 'The Minor Arcana' appear in one volume。 To mark this special occasion， Rachel Pollack has revised and updated the book in the light of her thirty years’ teaching， reading， and writing about Tarot cards。 She has also written a new preface describing her own journey through the Tarot’s world of symbols。
The Tarot is an eternally fascinating set of strange and beautiful pictures。 But beyond this lies a world of potent symbols granting access to a path of self knowledge， personal growth and freedom。 These symbols connect us to the great stories of world mythology and the eternal truths of the soul。 'Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom'shows you how to use Tarot as an effective and accessible means of self-enlightenment。 The book includes a complete section on how to give Tarot readings， as well as an analysis of the origins， meaning and psychological aspects of Tarot divination。
The Tarot is an eternally fascinating set of strange and beautiful pictures。 But beyond this lies a world of potent symbols granting access to a path of self knowledge， personal growth and freedom。 These symbols connect us to the great stories of world mythology and the eternal truths of the soul。 'Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom'shows you how to use Tarot as an effective and accessible means of self-enlightenment。 The book includes a complete section on how to give Tarot readings， as well as an analysis of the origins， meaning and psychological aspects of Tarot divination。
Reviews
Mike
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If you're interested in Tarot this is a valuable book for your library。 If you're interested in Tarot this is a valuable book for your library。 。。。more
Mrjeffreymiller
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I didn’t come away with a feeling of self-awareness， which is why I wanted to read it。 Pollack does a great job of explaining tarot and its history， but I was hoping it was going to lean more on self-awareness。
Solita
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This book has more information than I can easily digest， given I'm new to Tarot。 （New to researching it， anyway， learning it。） But it does have a lot of interesting ideas。 I will return to it， reread it。 I like it for my shelf of Tarot books that I am collecting。 It might overwhelming if you're new to it， as I am， but rereading helps to clarify。 This book has more information than I can easily digest， given I'm new to Tarot。 （New to researching it， anyway， learning it。） But it does have a lot of interesting ideas。 I will return to it， reread it。 I like it for my shelf of Tarot books that I am collecting。 It might overwhelming if you're new to it， as I am， but rereading helps to clarify。 。。。more
Daniela
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This is more a story about tarot than a guide， you can use it as guidance but be open to understand tarot as a philosophy rather than steps。 It is also a book that you can re-read while you practice。
Nicole Zupich
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My forever go-to reference for tarot。
Dezmond Dawson
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Hard to follow at times， the author tends to ramble about multiple things at once， but was still worth reading。
John
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I can't really rate this fairly， because I don't believe that cards are more than pieces of paper。 When you shuffle them， you get a mathematically random result for any particular reading。 There's nothing supernatural going on here - just the natural entropy of shuffling a deck。That being said， if you look at the cards as a sort of Rorschach test， they can jog certain insights into different questions you might have。 Pollack's book， like a lot of New Age books， rambles a lot。 She makes grandiose I can't really rate this fairly， because I don't believe that cards are more than pieces of paper。 When you shuffle them， you get a mathematically random result for any particular reading。 There's nothing supernatural going on here - just the natural entropy of shuffling a deck。That being said， if you look at the cards as a sort of Rorschach test， they can jog certain insights into different questions you might have。 Pollack's book， like a lot of New Age books， rambles a lot。 She makes grandiose pronouncements。 She draws on bogus/debunked history and psychology。 She uses numerological manipulations to derive pre-determined results from the symbols。 It's 99% nonsense。 Some of it is interesting and memorable。But it's entertaining nonsense， especially if you create a space for the Rorshach test to work。 。。。more
Nina Sukarsono
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Need to re-read this。 So much golden nuggets in this one。
Andy
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A good look at the interpretation of tarot cards and spreads。 This could have been a 5 star but there were a number of tech edit failures （i。e。 Water was spelled as Wat in back to back sentences and grammar was confusing in some places） and there were some unsupported historical claims that bring to mind the Margaret Murray hysteria。 Specifically， the claim that， prior to patriarchal conquest it was common practice in both Europe and India for priestesses to sacrifice the king at every winter so A good look at the interpretation of tarot cards and spreads。 This could have been a 5 star but there were a number of tech edit failures （i。e。 Water was spelled as Wat in back to back sentences and grammar was confusing in some places） and there were some unsupported historical claims that bring to mind the Margaret Murray hysteria。 Specifically， the claim that， prior to patriarchal conquest it was common practice in both Europe and India for priestesses to sacrifice the king at every winter solstice as an offering to the Goddess， necessitating the selection of a new king， is just fantasy。 It assumes the existence of a pan-European （from the northwestern tip of Ireland to the southeastern tip of India） Goddess cult that was overrun and replaced by the IE cultures （who then created diverse but linked cultures？）。 Worse， these factual claims came without even a perfunctory citation。 Ultimately， this book gets 3 stars because of the Tarot info。 It should have left the pseudo history on the cutting room floor and desperately needed a competent tech editor。 It could have been a 5 absent those problems。 。。。more
M。A。 Stern
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This is a good overview of how to approach the tarot。 I appreciate the depth it goes into and how Pollack ties things together。 Overall very helpful in understanding how the tarot’s cards relate to each other and outside concepts
Kaity
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What this book does well （minor arcana descriptions and spread explanations） it does exceedingly well。 Pollack's interpretations in both sections widely expanded my understanding of each topic。 However， what this book doesn't do well drags on endlessly。 When first reading the major arcanum section， I enjoyed how Pollack brought in various， intersecting topics such as numerology and even some Kaballistic references into her descriptions。 However， after a while， the numerological associations seem What this book does well （minor arcana descriptions and spread explanations） it does exceedingly well。 Pollack's interpretations in both sections widely expanded my understanding of each topic。 However， what this book doesn't do well drags on endlessly。 When first reading the major arcanum section， I enjoyed how Pollack brought in various， intersecting topics such as numerology and even some Kaballistic references into her descriptions。 However， after a while， the numerological associations seemed like they were excessive and exceedingly wordy （"As Trump 17 the Star goes beyond 7， with the Star releasing the life force that the Chariot controlled and directed。 1 plus 7 equals 8， and we can see that the Star is Strength raised to a higher level， with the lion of desire no longer simply tames， but transformed into light and joy" 124）。 Perhaps this is because this book offered my first introduction to numerology， so many of the references went over my head。 Regardless， as this is considered an introductory Tarot book， this subject should have been separately covered in straightforward detail or left out entirely rather than tacked onto each card description in a manner a beginner reader would not understand。 。。。more
Cassidy Burwell
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this is the best tarot book i’ve read！！！ she gives you not only the meaning and reversal meaning but in-depth history and explanation to where the imagery and symbolizing came from。 within just the first couple chapters I was captivated and googling people and events I had never heard of， getting lost in new information。 I feel better connected with the cards and and such a better understand to the path of the fool and his journey to the world。 she also helps understand the meanings of the numbe this is the best tarot book i’ve read！！！ she gives you not only the meaning and reversal meaning but in-depth history and explanation to where the imagery and symbolizing came from。 within just the first couple chapters I was captivated and googling people and events I had never heard of， getting lost in new information。 I feel better connected with the cards and and such a better understand to the path of the fool and his journey to the world。 she also helps understand the meanings of the numbers in the minor arcana， cards I often forget the meanings too。 all around excellent， couldn’t put it down。 a necessity for anybody who love tarot and wishes to understand it on a deeper and historical way 。。。more
Pedro Fernández
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Un libro recomendado para todos aquellos que están empezando en el mundo del tarot， las explicaciones son largas， pero fáciles de entender acerca de los arcanos mayores， los arcanos menores， las combinaciones y las tiradas。 Muy completo。
Werner Nell
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A classic book on the Tarot that combines sophistication and depth with readability， and is a fantastic book for beginner and advanced Tarot readers alike！ Pretty much every Tarot site hail this book as a classic， and for good reason。 This is most certainly one of the definitive texts on the modern interpretation of the Tarot。 In her explanation of the cards， Rachel Pollack manages to plumb the psychological depths of the cards in ways that really opens up the reader’s understanding。 Rather than A classic book on the Tarot that combines sophistication and depth with readability， and is a fantastic book for beginner and advanced Tarot readers alike！ Pretty much every Tarot site hail this book as a classic， and for good reason。 This is most certainly one of the definitive texts on the modern interpretation of the Tarot。 In her explanation of the cards， Rachel Pollack manages to plumb the psychological depths of the cards in ways that really opens up the reader’s understanding。 Rather than merely listing the usual card meanings， she brings the archetypal essences of the cards into view， which in turn gives new life to those lists of keywords that most Tarot readers have memorized early on in their journey。 The experience I had when first reading her book is a little like someone who has been driving a car for many years and having someone open up the hood and showing them the engine and the way it all works。 If you want to understand the bigger picture and the underlying structure of the Tarot， this book is a must read。 。。。more
James
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How this book reads sometimes:Card XVI。 The Tower （Upright）A strike of lightning， showcasing the symbiosis between destruction and liberation。 Following Card XV implies a breaking away from illusion - the tower， as any formal structure， is misled in its separation and isolated confinement of its subjects; this delusion is necessary for any organization to perform。 Judeo-God's destruction of Babel may not have been a malicious cinching of human achievement， but a reminder that the inherent restri How this book reads sometimes:Card XVI。 The Tower （Upright）A strike of lightning， showcasing the symbiosis between destruction and liberation。 Following Card XV implies a breaking away from illusion - the tower， as any formal structure， is misled in its separation and isolated confinement of its subjects; this delusion is necessary for any organization to perform。 Judeo-God's destruction of Babel may not have been a malicious cinching of human achievement， but a reminder that the inherent restrictions of 'structure' （wherever they may be applied to reduce degrees of freedom and convoke lower forms of reality） stand paradoxically as both methods of analytical investigation and barriers to higher knowledge。（Reversed）You're boyfriend might be cheating on you。 :o 。。。more
Molly
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If I could give this six stars I would。
n t
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don't ask don't ask 。。。more
Anushree
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I read this book long back。 However， I still remember the simple and lucid introduction to the major arcana cards and the four elemental suits （Air/Swords， Fire/Wands， Water/Cups， and Earth/Pentacles）。 This is a great book for beginners as it covers the basic well and makes the task of getting familiar with the cards an interesting adventure to look forward to。
Lusete Wiccan Life
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Amazing， a must for anyone who wants to know more about the tarot。
Matt
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Filled with context and ideas and history and musings， even if I wasn’t planning to read tarot cards， this would remain a worthy document。 Pollack’s writing is clear and informative and her interpretations all make for great starting points。 She breathes life into the cards， approaching them from a meditative， divination， self-transformation， and storytelling perspective。 You can feel all the extra knowledge she’s learned hovering off the margins， and when you finish， you’re willing to follow he Filled with context and ideas and history and musings， even if I wasn’t planning to read tarot cards， this would remain a worthy document。 Pollack’s writing is clear and informative and her interpretations all make for great starting points。 She breathes life into the cards， approaching them from a meditative， divination， self-transformation， and storytelling perspective。 You can feel all the extra knowledge she’s learned hovering off the margins， and when you finish， you’re willing to follow her further。 The first half of the book is much more richly written — Even she breezes through the Minor Arcana。 The typesetter of the book made a lot of mistakes in the back half。 。。。more
Daniel
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*Marge holding up a tarot deck* I just think they're neat！ *Marge holding up a tarot deck* I just think they're neat！ 。。。more
Julia V
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A great guide book on the Tarot。 I listened along with a pdf copy and it truly was a great explanation of the Tarot while maintaining open ended with the emphasis on the readers intuition。 Some may see her perspective as cold， but I see her as a realist。
Sharon Elletson
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I listened to the Audible version of this book and will keep it handy as a reference tool。 The narrator's voice had a robotic quality to it。 I listened to the Audible version of this book and will keep it handy as a reference tool。 The narrator's voice had a robotic quality to it。 。。。more
Katey Bellew
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Book 1 （Major Arcana） 2 StarsBook 2 （Minor Arcana） 3 StarsOverall rating 2。5 Stars I really disliked the first half of this book。 Sex and gender and binaries were mentioned constantly。 The justifications for many connections and conclusions drawn felt almost laughably tenuous。 And we even get some low key offensive mental illness references and racial slurs… just no。 I tried to appreciate this book for what it was and it’s place in the history of tarot， but I really struggled with the first half Book 1 （Major Arcana） 2 StarsBook 2 （Minor Arcana） 3 StarsOverall rating 2。5 Stars I really disliked the first half of this book。 Sex and gender and binaries were mentioned constantly。 The justifications for many connections and conclusions drawn felt almost laughably tenuous。 And we even get some low key offensive mental illness references and racial slurs… just no。 I tried to appreciate this book for what it was and it’s place in the history of tarot， but I really struggled with the first half。 It was somewhat redeemed by the second half。 Although I still didn’t enjoy it all that much， I could appreciate what Pollack contributed to tarot a lot more in her exploration of the minor arcana。 I don’t think this is a must read tarot book in the 2020s， and it certainly wouldn’t be one I’d recommend to someone getting interested in tarot。 I think we have many better options now。 But I can still appreciate the incredibly impactful contribution Pollack made to the world of Tarot with 78 Degrees of Wisdom。 。。。more
Aly
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READ！
Lachrymarvm_Library
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I came across this at a small bookstore in south Philadelphia back in 2019 （called A Novel Idea， in case you're local）。 As it turned out， this newest edition of the book had just been released the same year。 But Rachel Pollack’s work （described on the cover as ‘a Tarot classic’） has been around since 1980， when it was originally published as two separate volumes （one each for Major and Minor Arcana）。 As much as I appreciate multi-volume works （they look great on a shelf）， I have to admit it’s ni I came across this at a small bookstore in south Philadelphia back in 2019 （called A Novel Idea， in case you're local）。 As it turned out， this newest edition of the book had just been released the same year。 But Rachel Pollack’s work （described on the cover as ‘a Tarot classic’） has been around since 1980， when it was originally published as two separate volumes （one each for Major and Minor Arcana）。 As much as I appreciate multi-volume works （they look great on a shelf）， I have to admit it’s nice to have this available now as a single volume for the ease of use。And use it I have！ For almost 3 years this has been my go-to source， as essentially a reference book on in-depth Tarot meanings。 But it's filled with much more information than that！ Rachel also explores some history of the cards themselves （especially the Waite-Smith deck used in this book）， discusses how revolutionary Pamela Colman-Smith's art was in the development of the Tarot （as Minor cards didn't typically have designs before hers incorporated them in 1910）。 There are chapters of detailed examples of divinatory readings with different layouts， such as the Celtic Cross and others， plus discussions of how to utilize the guidance we receive。 I have never done readings for anyone but myself and I don't personally use the Significator in practice， but I enjoyed learning of it。"Do not take for granted that you know what you have already learned。 We all carry certain biases and as time goes by we tend to remember some meanings and forget others。 Often a card will make no sense because we insist on interpreting it in a certain way strictly from habit when another， forgotten meaning will clear it immediately。 Therefore， from time to time， even after you think you know all the cards by heart， look back on your notes and your books。 You will be surprised as how much you relearn。" - Rachel PollackIn the final chapters， Rachel encourages practice to develop interpretation skills， as well as keeping a book of your insights and past readings （just as many sources recommend a record of the details of your past magic/rituals/etc）。 She brings full circle the title's theme of the Tarot as means toward Self-Awareness as it helps us better understand ourselves and others。 This is truly a book I've enjoyed reading cover to cover and keep coming back to。--------------------------------------follow mother_lachrymarvm on instagram for occult content and more。。。https://www。instagram。com/mother_lach。。。 。。。more
Graciela
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One of the most helpful books I have ever read。 Comprehensive。 Pollack gives you historical insight and places tarot within a larger divination historical context。 Interesting even if you don't ever plan to pick up a pair of tarot cards。 One of the most helpful books I have ever read。 Comprehensive。 Pollack gives you historical insight and places tarot within a larger divination historical context。 Interesting even if you don't ever plan to pick up a pair of tarot cards。 。。。more
L。A。L。
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What an incredible reference book。 There is so much information packed into this book。 I'm glad to have it as a handy reference that I can return over and over。 Highly recommend for any student of tarot。That being said， I have this caveat。 I read Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull Up a Chair， Shuffle the Cards， and Let's Talk Tarot first。 Kitchen Table has a down-to-earth approach that made tarot less overwhelming to me。 Had I started with Seventy-Eight， I probably would have been overwhelmed simply by t What an incredible reference book。 There is so much information packed into this book。 I'm glad to have it as a handy reference that I can return over and over。 Highly recommend for any student of tarot。That being said， I have this caveat。 I read Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull Up a Chair， Shuffle the Cards， and Let's Talk Tarot first。 Kitchen Table has a down-to-earth approach that made tarot less overwhelming to me。 Had I started with Seventy-Eight， I probably would have been overwhelmed simply by the amount of detailed information。 Also， I learned about Seventy-Eight from Kitchen Table， as Melissa Cynova highly recommends this book （and anything Pollack has written）。 Having read Kitchen Table and studied my deck for a while， I felt reading to tackle Seventy-Eight。 And I'm glad I did。 This is a book I will read， make notes， and then read again。 A wonderful reference。 。。。more
Thea
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Wonderful book， understand why it's an essential。 Frustrating it's not currently available as an ebook for Australian purchase， I listened to the audible edition。 There's an interview at the end of the audible edition with Rachel Pollack which has very poor audio quality which is a real shame because it's very interesting。 Wonderful book， understand why it's an essential。 Frustrating it's not currently available as an ebook for Australian purchase， I listened to the audible edition。 There's an interview at the end of the audible edition with Rachel Pollack which has very poor audio quality which is a real shame because it's very interesting。 。。。more
Laura
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