The Spiritual Roots of the Tarot

Russell has presented a unique, coherent, and persuasive model of the tarot as an illustrated key to the rose garden of the spiritual life. It has not been since the 1980 anonymous publication of Meditations sur les 22 arcanes majeurs du Tarot that any similar wide-ranging spiritual survey has been assayed of the Major Arcana of the Tarot de Marseille. In following the Fool's journey through the frames of Cathar history, the Beatitudes, and other elements of Christian mysticism, The Spiritual Roots of the Tarot provides a timely and invaluable guide to a life lived in love and mindfulness. * Marcus Katz, author of Tarosophy and coauthor with Tali Goodwin of Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot * Millions of words have been written about the tarot and the Cathars. What distinguishes Russell's rather excellent book, which brings the two topics together, is the coherence that laces his ideas. Russell is obviously not simply a scholar or enthusiast but a practitioner of the ideas he lays out, and this enables him to find deeper connections between otherwise unrelated things. This book lays out a viable and powerful spiritual path that, I think, bears deep study. There is also just so much material here for students of the tarot, for those curious about the spirituality of the Cathars, or for anyone merely curious about the depths of esoteric Christianity. A wholehearted grace emanates from these pages, which promise to lead you deeper on your spiritual journey; take the invitation! * Most Reverend Timothy Mansfield, Bishop of New South Wales, Apostolic Johannite Church * A fascinating and ingenious reinterpretation of the history of tarot and the myths of the Grail. * John Matthews, author of The Cathar Tarot and coauthor of The Lost Book of the Grail * This rich and fascinating book deepens our understanding of the tarot by grounding it in its historical context. * Richard Smoley, author of A Theology of Love * The book takes the reader on a spiritual pilgrimage of evolving consciousness, where, as 'fools,' we are initially absorbed by and enmeshed in the worldly attractions of wealth, power, love and fame, but the process of life represented by justice, time and chance brings us to a crossroads and entry into the dark night of the soul and various stages of growth- represented by individual cards-culminating in unlocking the gate of heaven. * David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer * I really enjoyed The Spiritual Roots of the Tarot and look forward to reading it again and doing an in depth journey into each of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. My knowledge of the symbolism of the Major Arcana was enhanced greatly by what I learned. I'd recommend this book for Tarot teachers, expert readers, and others who study Tarot history and meaning. * PJ Spur, Musing Mystical * This is a book to come back to again and again. It has a richness to it and is a cornucopia of valuable insights. Whatever your take on the Tarot, your preferred deck, or your philosophical outlook, this book can enrich your understanding of these wonderfully vivid and enigmatic cards. Sturgess shares his insights and discoveries with great generosity, an his book will have a permanent place on my shelves. * Cherry Gilchrist, Quest *