Book Review

Tarot in Motion: A Handbook to Embody Wisdom Through the Cards

by Miriam Jacobs

Published by Red Feather

Published on October 19, 2021

128 pages

 

 

Tarot In Motion: A Handbook to Embody Wisdom through the Cards is by Miriam Jacobs, published by Red Feather Mind, Body, Spirit, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310. Copyright 2021 by Miriam Jacobs.

Tarot in Motion is a 6 inch by 9 inch soft cover book with a matte finish full color front cover showing the book’s title and a back cover containing a description of the book. It contains 128 pages with black print on sturdy off-white paper that is amenable to pencil notations (a useful thing in my opinion; my copy is already filled with underscores) and some color in the images.

Tarot in Motion is a concept that has existed prior to the creation of this book. Miriam, a healer, dance enthusiast and Tarot reader, had been offering Tarot in Motion classes that instructed the concepts presented in this book, but that all ended with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. After her classes were shut down due to the virus, Miriam began offering virtual classes, and this book, begun as a handbook for her classes, was a result of that process.

Unlike the approach of typical “how-to” books, Tarot in Motion provides insightful and useful connections between the cards of a traditional Tarot deck and the chakra system of the subtle body, the physical body and its movement and sensations, the elements, the Full and New Moons, astrology, holidays, and the continual cycles of Nature, and the expression of these connections through physical movement. The book offers all kinds of instructions for all kinds of situations, from solitary connections to the Tarot and movement to one-on-one classes to groups.

The preface and Introduction set the stage by describing how the book came to be, a description of what Tarot in Motion is and how to use the book, and a brief summary of dance history as it connects to the movements presented in the book. What follows are several detailed methods of practicing Tarot in Motion, including the choosing of Personality and Soul Cards, exploring lunar, elemental and anatomical focuses, art-making, life milestone celebrations, choosing music, and working with children. There is an entire chapter entitled Guidelines – Structured
Improvisation that talks about pace of movement, music and sound, inspirations, and card, chakra, astrological and physical focuses. Detailed information is included regarding seasonal celebrations and the holidays associated with each season, as well as places on our world and the other planets.

Chapter VI begins the process of looking at card meanings, beginning with an introduction to the setup of a Tarot Deck and continuing with specific information about the Major Arcana cards, and the Minor Arcana cards broken down into suits. Following the specific information about the individual cards are chapters describing Tarot Card Spreads as well as warm-up and strengthening exercises to be included in a Tarot in Motion session. The book ends with a discussion of collaborations and performance, followed by a useful Glossary, a list of Footnotes, a list of Sources, and a few lined pages for notes.

This is not a book meant to introduce the Tarot and its intricacies to a novice who is looking to learn traditional information about the cards and to perform traditional readings for Seekers with questions to be answered. However, Tarot in Motion offers an entirely new method for connecting with the card images and correspondences that provide meaning to the Tarot’s symbolism, by using movement of energy and of the physical body. The book provides plenty of detailed information about each of the connections between the cards and movement, so even someone new to working with the subtle body will find meaning and understanding. I am a former belly dancer, a 500-hr registered Yoga teacher and a Thai Massage Bodyworker, and Tarot in Motion offers me intriguing new methods for delving deep into card meanings and connecting the cards to my physical and energy self. The links Miriam describes between the cards and the physical and subtle body are powerful, and the exercises and practices she offers are valuable tools for communicating with the cards and the inner self.

None of the methods described need to be done in front of or with anyone else (although they can be done in a group and would be fun to try), and can be visualized if physical motion is not advised. That means anyone can benefit from Tarot in Motion. All you need is this book, a Tarot deck, and a physical body to begin a remarkable journey toward discovering a new and rich connection to the cards and images of the Tarot.

Miriam Jacobs, RPE, IPE, CMT, BFA is a San Francisco Bay area energy based bodyworker, and dance enthusiast who has been reading Tarot cards for over 30 years. Following a successful career as a visual artist in New York, Miriam found herself drawn to the healing arts. In 1994 she began formal training and was certified in Polarity Therapy in New York, and then moved to California to continue with her studies and open a private practice. Miriam is the creator of Polarity Wellness Tarot and author of Tarot and the Chakras; she synchronizes several healing systems with the Tarot to bring experiences of the self into heightened consciousness, and to have fun. You can learn more about Miriam, her training, and her classes and sessions at her website.

 

Nature Spirit Tarot: A 78-Card Deck and Book for the Journey of the Soul on Amazon

 

**

About the Author:

Raushanna is a lifetime resident of New Jersey. As well as a professional Tarot Reader and Teacher, she is a practicing Wiccan (Third Degree, Sacred Mists Coven), a Usui Reiki Master/Teacher, a certified Vedic Thai-Yoga Massage Bodyworker, a 500-hr RYT Yoga Teacher specializing in chair assisted Yoga for movement disorders, and a Middle Eastern dance performer, choreographer and teacher.  Raushanna bought her first Tarot deck in 2005, and was instantly captivated by the images on the cards and the vast, deep and textured messages to be gleaned from their symbols. She loves reading about, writing about, and talking about the Tarot, and anything occult, mystical, or spiritual, as well as anything connected to the human subtle body. She has published a book, “The Emerald Tablet: My 24-Day Journal to Understanding,” and is currently working on a book about the Tarot, pathworking and the Tree of Life. Raushanna documents her experiences and her daily card throws in her blog, DancingSparkles.blogspot.com, which has been in existence since 2009. She and her husband, her son and step son, and her numerous friends and large extended family can often be found on the beaches, bike paths and hiking trails of the Cape May, NJ area.