The way of tarot (Inner Traditions Bear and Company)

Alejandro Jodorowsky's profound study of the Tarot, which began in the early 1950s, reveals it to be far more than a simple divination device. The Tarot is first and foremost a powerful instrument of self-knowledge and a representation of the structure of the soul.

The Way of Tarot shows that the entire deck is structured like a temple, or a mandala, which is both an image of the world and a representation of the divine. The authors use the sacred art of the original Marseille Tarot--created during a time of religious tolerance in the 11th century--to reconnect with the roots of the Tarot's Western esoteric wisdom.They explain that the Tarot is a "nomadic cathedral" whose parts--the 78 cards or "arcana"--should always be viewed with an awareness of the whole structure.

This understanding is essential to fully grasp the Tarot's hermetic symbolism.