Irina Soloviova
«Using the Tarot Court Cards in Psychotherapy: Male and Female Archetypal Images»
Tarot cards have been used in fortune-telling for centuries. In psychology, however, they have been present for less than 100 years. It is no surprise, therefore, that there is an abundance of literature on the interpretation of tarot card fortunes but a distinct lack of tomes on the relationship between psychology and tarot. What is more, while the psychology of the Major Arcana as a tool of psychotherapeutic work is still an object of study, the Court Cards have been almost completely ignored in this context. This book aims to fill that gap.
The core idea of the book is that the Court Cards in tarot represent male and female archetypal images.
The book is made up of an introduction, four chapters (three of which are theoretical in nature, one of which is practical) and a bibliography.
Chapter 1 discusses theories about the origins of tarot cards and their names and describes the structure of the deck.
Chapter 2 describes the possible uses of tarot cards in the work of the psychologist and cites the first examples of this practice. The psychological symbolism of the Major Arcana is presented and the possible uses of the Minor Arcana are explored (with client cases used for illustration).
Chapter 3 is devoted to the Court Cards in tarot. Each card is seen as a representation of an archetypal male or female image. Examples from world literature and cinema, as well as historical figures, are used as an illustration.
Chapter 4 looks at the possibility of using the Court Cards in the work of the psychologist for diagnostic purposes. It includes five real-world and previously unpublished diagnostic exercises that can be used when working with clients. Alternatively, they can be completed independently.
The book is written in non-technical language and is intended for the general reader.