Depth Psychology and tarot are the perfect team for psychospiritual development.
When we view the cards through an archetypal lens, through symbol and soul, we open ourselves not only to “answers” in the cards, but our profound truths, the very depths of who we are. We access portals of archetypal transformation, opportunities for psychospiritual metamorphosis.
But finding the right resources to support this tarot study can be really challenging. With hundreds of books out there, and so much confusing information about depth psychology, Jungian theory, and archetypes, there’s really no straight path.
Well, until now. Here are my personal picks for the best books for Jungian tarot study that you should put on your shelf. (And grab a free book while you’re at it!) Go enjoy, go deep!
And if you want to go deeper, you should check out the Jung for Witches Seminar Series, a 3-part class that dives into the psycho-spiritual wisdom of C. G. Jung. We’ll be exploring the Collective Unconscious, archetypes, divination, synchronicity, parapsychology, the Divine Feminine, and how all of this can deepen and transform your witchcraft. Check it out here!
1. Tarot & Individuation: Correspondences With Cabala and Alchemy by Irene Gad
This book is long and dense, but one of the most essential for diving into the Jungian framework. Gad dives into not only Jungian archetypes, but also Cabala and alchemy, two practices that explore the mystical side of life that Jungian scholarship is always interested in. Gad goes deep into the major arcana, offering perspectives from psychological, mystical, and archetypal angles. It’s a slow read, but a must-read.
Get it here.
2. Jung & Tarot—An Archetypal Journey by Sallie Nichols
This is the classic. As with many of these, this book has gone through name changes and intense edits, but no matter what version you pick up it will be worth it. Nichols dives into the major arcana with an extremely readable style of exploring the archetypal resonance of the cards. Each card goes much deeper than a couple pages, and offers an entire chapter of profound reflection that is truly illuminating.
Get it here.
3. Tarot as a Way of Life: A Jungian Approach to the Tarot by Karen Hammaker-Zondag
This book offers the traditional card-by-card breakdown of the tarot, but takes a Jungian twist. While most of these other authors focus exclusively on the archetypes of the major arcana, Hammaker-Zondag offers an approachable, real-life reading of every card. It explores numbers, images, and focuses on adaptable interpretations over intimidating philosophies. One of my favorites!
Get it here.
4. Discovering Your Self Through the Tarot: A Jungian Guide to Archetypes and Personality by Rose Gwain
This book goes a little deeper into one of Jung’s most popular theories, the psychological types. Jung’s psychological types are divided into four functions—thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition—which correlate directly with the four tarot suits of swords, cups, pentacles, and wands. Gwain offers a way to understand your personal psychology and type (as in the Myers-Briggs system) through the lens of the court cards. Overall it’s a great resource to look at the more practical applications of Jungian theory.
Get it here.
5. The Jungian Tarot Deck Collection: The Jungian Tarot and Its Archetypal Imagery, Tarot Psychology, Perfect Tarot Divination by Robert Wang
This is the trickiest, but perhaps the most thorough on the list. Robert Wang is the creator of the Jungian Tarot Deck, which is a great tool for applying Jungian principles in reading, and his accompanying books take the work even deeper. The deck books are broken into three texts, each focusing on a different part of the Jungian approach, and while the titles sound like a lot to bite off, Wang keeps them simple. These books offer a solid introduction to Jungian principles and how they interact with the tarot, but be warned—they will only leave you hungry for more!
Get it here.