Easy Tarot – New Edition

Easy Tarot: New Edition - structured beginner kit with a proven track record

Few tarot kits have sold close to half a million copies. That number says something concrete about the Easy Tarot: New Edition by Josephine Ellershaw - not that it is the most artistic or unconventional kit on the market, but that it reliably delivers on its purpose as a learning tool.

The set brings together two updated components: Ellershaw's revised and expanded guidebook, and the Gilded Tarot Royale deck by Ciro Marchetti. The guidebook's focus is on understanding the cards, not memorising definitions. Ellershaw draws on over fifty years of reading and teaching to walk the reader through interpretation, step by step.

What the guidebook covers

The guidebook includes keyword cheat sheets, card combinations for significant life events, and tips for linking cards in a reading. Seven spreads are included, among them Ellershaw's own Life Spread and Anchor spread. The book also covers elemental correspondences and numerical associations, and includes space for a tarot diary and personal notes.

Who this is for

This is a beginner kit in the most literal sense. The approach is methodical and practical, giving new readers concrete tools to build confidence quickly. Those already familiar with tarot who are looking for artistic experimentation or advanced technique will likely find little here that is new. This is a structured learning resource, not a workbook for experienced readers.

Marchetti's imagery follows the classical Rider-Waite-Smith tradition closely, which means Ellershaw's reading instructions map directly onto the cards in front of you - a deliberate and useful choice for beginners.

About the creators

Josephine Ellershaw is based in North Yorkshire, England, and has been reading and teaching tarot for over fifty years. She is the author of several tarot titles, including the international bestseller Easy Tarot: Learn to Read the Cards Once and For All. Ciro Marchetti is an award-winning artist from the United Kingdom who studied art in London before working across Europe and South America, where he co-founded what became the largest graphic design agency in the region. He later moved to Miami, where he also taught digital illustration at the Fort Lauderdale Art Institute.

Specifications

• Author: Josephine Ellershaw
• Illustrator: Ciro Marchetti
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• ISBN: 9780738780900
• Language: English
• Weight: 526 g
• Dimensions: 30 x 133 x 210 mm

Questions we often get

Is this suitable as a first-ever tarot kit?
Yes. The guidebook is written entirely for people with no prior knowledge, with keyword overviews, card combinations, and clearly explained spreads. Nothing additional is needed to get started.

How does this differ from the original Easy Tarot?
This edition includes the Gilded Tarot Royale deck rather than the original Gilded Tarot. The guidebook has been revised and expanded with additional questions, techniques, and space for personal notes.