Tarot Fellow
Big Book of Tarot Meanings by Josephine Ellershaw — Complete 78-Card Reference
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Big Book of Tarot Meanings by Josephine Ellershaw — a complete reference guide covering all 78 tarot cards in both upright and reversed positions, drawing on Ellershaw’s three decades of professional reading experience. Clear, approachable definitions suit beginners building their card vocabulary, while the depth and nuance of each entry serve intermediate readers who want a reliable desk reference beyond the standard white booklet. Works well with any RWS-based deck.
Description:Quick Specs
- Author: Josephine Ellershaw
- Type: Tarot reference guide covering all 78 cards
- Best for: Beginners building a working card vocabulary and intermediate readers wanting a reliable desk reference
A Reference Built on Thirty Years of Reading
Josephine Ellershaw has been reading tarot professionally for over thirty years, and The Big Book of Tarot Meanings distills that experience into a practical, card-by-card reference. The book covers all 78 cards with divinatory meanings, keywords, and interpretive context. Ellershaw's writing style is direct and unfussy. She does not rely heavily on esoteric jargon or historical trivia. The goal throughout is to give readers a clear, usable meaning for each card that holds up in actual readings.
The structure follows standard tarot organization: the Minor Arcana suits are covered in order, followed by the court cards and then the Major Arcana. Within each card entry, Ellershaw offers a primary meaning, supporting keywords, and notes on how the card reads in different positions or in combination with other cards. This makes the book functional as both a study text and a real-time reference you can consult mid-reading.
Who This Book Is For
The Big Book of Tarot Meanings is particularly well-suited to readers who are past their very first encounter with tarot and are trying to build a consistent interpretive foundation. The systematic approach rewards readers who work through it methodically. If you already use the Gilded Tarot deck from Ellershaw's Easy Tarot kit, this book extends that work considerably. It also functions independently of any specific deck and pairs well with any standard RWS-based illustrated tarot.
How to Use The Big Book of Tarot Meanings
Three effective ways to use this reference book as you build your tarot reading practice.
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Work Through One Suit at a Time
Rather than reading cover to cover, start with the suit you find most challenging. Read each card entry slowly, note the keywords, then pull that card from your deck and place it beside the book to compare the description to the image.
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Use It as a Reference During Live Readings
Keep the book open while you practice. When a card meaning is not immediately clear, look it up in the moment. Over repeated readings, you will reach for the book less often as the definitions become internalized and natural to use.
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Review Card Combination Notes
Ellershaw includes guidance on how certain cards interact when they appear together in a spread. After building familiarity with individual meanings, revisit the combination notes to deepen your ability to read cards as a connected narrative.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry this book because Josephine Ellershaw's approach to card meanings is grounded and practical, which is exactly what most readers need when they are trying to move beyond keyword memorization and into actual fluency. It is a book that earns its spot on the desk rather than the shelf. If you want to pair it with a quality tarot deck, browse my tarot card selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Big Book of Tarot Meanings by Josephine Ellershaw is a comprehensive reference covering all 78 tarot cards. It provides divinatory meanings, keywords, and contextual notes to help readers build a reliable working vocabulary for tarot.
Josephine Ellershaw is a UK-based tarot reader with over thirty years of professional experience. She is also the author of the Easy Tarot kit. Her writing style is direct and method-focused, aimed at practical readers seeking clear guidance.
Yes. Ellershaw writes clearly and avoids jargon. The book works well as a first reference because it gives concrete card meanings without requiring prior knowledge of esoteric traditions. It pairs well with any illustrated RWS-based tarot deck.
Ellershaw does not emphasize reversed meanings as a primary reading method. The book focuses on upright interpretations with contextual nuance, consistent with her teaching philosophy throughout the Easy Tarot series of books.
