Both were associated with the Golden Dawn Society. However, in Europe, a separate French school of the Hermetic arts took off, and the TdM was the mainstay. So, alas, we in America specifically have little on the TdM itself. The Rider-Waite deck became the mainstay in America and also the UK.
It has spawned innumerable clones since.
However, now the TdM is making a huge renaissance in America—I believe due to the Internet connecting communities via forums. Bookstores now carry the TdM in various formats. But, there is precious little on the deck itself.
I personally believe that the first French author to translate a Tarot de Marseille book into English will also be the premier Tarot authority in the English speaking parts of the world. The Gold Medal awaits M. Camoin.
(I’m using lots of Olympic metaphors lately, due to Beijing.)
Of course, we wait for Camoin’s book, which is perhaps to be translated into English. Jodorowsky’s book La Voie du Tarot (French and Spanish) is available now. Even if you must muddle through if you are monolingual English, Jodo’s book is integral. I imagine that Camoin’s book will take the Gold Medal and Jodo’s book will move to Silver Medal, but who can say?
General Tarot:
The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination by Robert Place
Origins of the Tarot: Cosmic Evolution and the Principles of Immortality by Dai Leon
Fortuna's Wheel: The Mysteries of Medieval Tarot by Nigel Jackson; Google this for the website that features it on renaissance astrology.
TdM *(it’s slim pickins’):
The Authentic Tarot: Discovering Your Inner Self by Thomas Saunders
Tarot - Take Your Readings to the Next Level: a comprehensive guide for new readers by Jez Rogers
The book of tarot by Fred Gettings
Generally, any Tarot book will be o.k. for the Majors, but I recommend that English-speakiers start off by purposely avoiding any of the “pictures on the Minors” decks
—this is a Golden Dawn idiosyncrasy and it will mire you in the distractions of the Clones of the Rider-Waite and Crowley decks. You’ll be lost in that Alice in Wonderland world forever.
Many, many, many books are infected with the Rider-Waite and Crowley viruses. I know I offend some tarot readers by that comment, but I am a TdM devotee. In any book on the Minors, look at the 5’s—if they are presenting the 5’s as “bad” cards of conflict and despair, then this is likely a Golden Dawn based book.
A more TdM way of reading the 5's is imaging the 5 of (whatever suit) in the flavor of V-Le Pape.
Also, the 8 of Swords if presented as negative is also a litmus test to see if the book is following Golden Dawnisms, or following a more Pythagorean or traditional TdM numerology system.
If the book is using the psychedelic art of the Crowley Tarot deck (Book of Thoth), I would move along, because it will be an LSD trip of images and interpretations of specious value to the TdM deck.
Any other ideas?
