In Twenty-Two Impressions: Notes from the Major Arcana, Jessica Friedmann takes readers on an enlightening exploration of the Tarot, reflecting many of our own serendipitous encounters with these intriguing cards. Like Friedmann, I once believed the Tarot wasn’t for me, only to discover its profound ability to unlock personal insights and offer a deeply calming ritual that has become an essential weekly practice.

Friedmann starts by unravelling the Tarot’s rich and complex history, starting with its origins as a numbered card game in Persia. She vividly recounts how early ‘Proto-Tarot’ decks, used for games of Trionfi, sparked such fascination that they inspired sonnets (and gambling bans). Only a century later, these decks became ammunition for witchcraft accusations. Her narrative highlights the Tarot’s cultural evolution, from its use as an alternative language during the Enlightenment – serving as a tool for critique and satire – to its Victorian reinvention by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which gave rise to the iconic Rider-Waite deck and reshaped the Tarot’s meanings.

Something ambiguous in the Tarot’s cultural saturation during the ’90s led me to believe that its interpretation was purely a matter of personal semiotics. However, Friedmann’s Twenty-Two Impressions dispels this notion, showing that while personal understanding is important, the Tarot’s symbols have rich, ancient and enigmatic histories far beyond our individual readings. Friedmann encourages us to appreciate and explore this deep historical context before we reinvent it too eagerly.

I enjoyed reading about this history immensely but found her reflections on the Major Arcana most rewarding. Blending historical insights with her own warm, vulnerable perspectives, Friedmann’s book will influence how each of us – novice or expert – reads and interprets the Tarot. Personally, my readings have never felt more profoundly positive, and Friedmann’s work has deepened my exploration of the enduring power of this complex set of cards.