The Tarot Trumps and The Holy Grail

Absolutely amazing! A must read for all "Grail seekers" ! Margaret Starbird is AMAZING!

Going out on a limb: this tiny book may not be the last word on Tarot but any Tarot student who hasn't read it is missing out. Big time.

She has reason to make some of the connections she makes as far as connecting the Tarot Trumps to the belief that Mary Magdalene lived to bear the child of Yeshua. But some of her connections are not (can't be) backed up simply because we don't have all the cards. But this is a very interesting premise and she does a good job of making connections, however tenuous. There are some good pictures of one of the earliest know set of Tarot cards also.

A book for true SEEKERS!

Excellent reference. Appears well researched.

This book claims a strong link between the Tarot trump cards and the medieval heresy of the Holy Blood Holy Grail, referring to Jesus and Mary Magdalene, but this book only demonstrates a Weak link. The most significant reasonable claim is that the Tarot trump cards refer to the time of the dissolution of the Templars during the reign of King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V, most obvious in the trump cards usually numbered IV and V. There are a few problems with the presentation. The author includes color modern reproductions of the Gringonneur tarot deck trump cards originally dated to the mid fifteenth century. Her reference of Kaplan's Encyclopedia of Tarot has only one color photo of an original card, and some of the colors are different than the modern reproduction version. All the other Kaplan photos of the originals are black and white, and cannot be color compared to the modern color versions. The original version has only sixteen surviving trump cards, not the usual twenty-two trump cards, and they are Not numbered, but they do have names. The author or her source for the modern version has added identifying numbers to the sixteen trump cards, but which numbering does not match up with most tarot decks with twenty-two trump cards. In one case, the author or her source has mis-identified The Fool, wrongly identifying it as The Devil, as can be seen by reference to Kaplan's book. The author bases much of her evidence or thesis upon medieval watermark symbols, which do not directly exist on the Tarot trump cards, although there may be occasional similarities in symbolism on the trump cards. In general, this book is mainly about Mary Magdalene and the Holy Blood Holy Grail heresy, and not so much about Tarot trump cards.

Well all I can say is bravo! Mrs Starbird. I bought this book and I could not put it down. I read it through, twice, in one sitting. It was so logical, historical, well written, thoroughly researched, and extremly easy to read. Like many people I am sure, I looked at the Tarot Deck and wondered what the story was behind those trumps. I have seen playing card decks, from other countries, that look like tarot cards minus the Trumps which sparked my interest even more, but what about those Trumps? Have you ever wondered the same?Pick up this book! You will not be disappointed in what Margaret Starbird presents to you in a clear concise manner. Once you read it you will just step back in awe, and say that makes so much sense.A must read for any student of religious history.

I just love the book, and Margaret Starbird has made a believer of me. Perhaps this is the ultimate "cross-over" book as it combines impressive knowledge and scholarship of medieval Europe with a bold and heart-opening interpretation of Christianity and Tarot that occult scholars will also appreciate. Starting with the obvious, the earliest extant tarot deck, Starbird quickly shows, with some impressive fanfares along the way, including the possible origin of the "Pope" and "Emperor" cards, how the mystery of the original "church of love," as she puts it, i.e. the gnostic church's belief in the sacred marriage, was continued and carried by followers of Mary Magdalene, throughout Europe, possibly by troubadours. This is one hell of a mystery, (I suspect even for major sceptics!)and Starbird's book proposes the most plausible "real" origin of the tarot ever to come along. As a teacher of English and someone who has studied tarot for twenty years, I can only say, brava!