1-2-3 Tarot: Answers In An Instant

Rating:
Summary: Good for Party Games
Review: Mr. Tyson has come up with a simple method for the most superficial of tarot readers. Yes, the woman or man on the street can obtain a surprisingly accurate albeit shallow, insight using Mr. Tyson's method and written interpretations. The author is very clear this book is for a casual card reader. It is not for any serious Tarotologist, or occult scientist for that matter, let alone spiritual seeker.
The basis of his interpretations is a triplet of cards. The cards then become the parts of a sentence - subject, verb, and object. The author suggests several outlines, known as spreads, based on this sentence structure. He re-interprets the basic meaning of each card using parts of speech. Each interpretation contains a subject interpretation, verb interpretation and object interpretation. There are several suggested spreads, from the simple to the more complex, with his method specifically in mind. All in all, it is a good rank beginners book made for the mass market.
To his credit, the author is very clear about what he has created. He does devote several easy-to-read chapters to the exoskeleton of the cards, history and more esoteric function. These display a respectable degree of understanding that seems to have been purposefully omitted from the method. Any true Tarot buff is aware of the vast depth of knowledge and insight the cards hold. No made-for-mass-market book could begin to do the system justice. This book thankfully does not try. The chapters devoted to the more detailed mechanics of the cards do as good a job as any light book could. A detailed understanding is not needed to use this book.
The greatest downside to this book is the shallow interpretations seem unnecessarily negative. It is as if the shoe is always about to drop. Even the most positive cards are laced with unwarranted negativity.
All in all, the casual reader will have fun with the interpretations. It might even be good a parties - but it would shed that negative light on the cards. This book is not for any serious reader.


Rating:
Summary: Overall Great Tarot book
Review: The concept is different, using a noun, verb, and adverb with respect to three different cards. For quick readings the answers I have recieved from the simple sentences were quite accurate. Some I didn't quite understand how they related, but then I referred to the full sentences that the three words come from.

Also, this is the first book that has helped me understand the minor cards(especially the Court cards)with any real certainty. I can finally use the whole deck! :-D Before this I had restricted my readings to the Major Arcana. The only problem with the book is his use of the Knight and Knave, but again that is just me because I am used to the Prince and Princess usuage. Its easy to overlook this, just kind of caught me at first.

As far as the previous post about how all the cards seeming to be darker than needed, I totally disagree. Tyson states that his meanings for the cards are derived from the Golden Dawn meanings. These meanings have always been more stark, to the point, and yes sometimes on the heavy side. Sometimes people don't want to look at problems head on...many authors gloss over meanings making unfavorable cards seem favorable even when they shouldn't. I had this problem with the Witches Tarot, by Ellen Reed. The artwork on the cards took my breath away but then the "always love and light" card interpretations turned me off.

Also, saying that this is only a book for parties is putting this book down greatly. True Tyson doesn't talk about magical theory and the like in this book, because it is a book for people to start with and go from there. The depth he gives for the meanings is good, and if one uses intution you will move beyond his noun, verb, adverb and go onto readings that come from you. Just my thoughts.