Tarot for Troubled Times

I was so happy to discover that this book (which has been in my 'to read' pile for too long) was co-authored by Theresa Reed. Reed wrote one of the best books I've reviewed all year so it was a cinch to dive right into Tarot for Troubled Times.

Only to find myself in a completely different place. When reading for myself, I often skip the introduction but that would be a mistake here. The authors warn, straight out, that the first part of the book will deal with "personal evolution, social justice, and healing." Readers dive right into to shadow work, embarking on a journey to actively change their life. Heady stuff, and more than a little scary if you are looking for a (yet another) book about the meaning of the Fool, or the 8 of cups.

Upset and angry at what is going on in the world with its changing, scary, political situation and unnerving socioeconomic inequities? There are reasons for that, and navigating your inner landscape will reveal ways to not only understand *why* you feel the way you do, but how to create new reactions. (We can't change externalities, but we can change how we react; in doing so we change the dynamic.) Tarot for Troubled Times show us how we can address our shadow through working with the major arcana. Readers are given lots of tools to use, including specific Tarot spreads, affirmations, and journaling prompts.

This is not an easy book and you might be tempted to just get to the 'good stuff' in the second and last sections which are about tarot and numerology. But learning your shadow side and undergoing that work, as difficult as it might be, is the real meat here.

Recommended.

~review by Lisa Mc Sherry

Authors: Shaheen Miro & Theresa Reed
Weiser Books, 2019
pp. 288, $16.95