Oh, that's fascinating!
My book recommendations for students of symbolism are influenced by my profession - I'm an art historian and deal with symbols and signs every day. I scanned the pomegranate pages of the books in question - or, if there is nothing to be found about pomegranates, another page.
THE classic book is without a doubt
Cirlot's Dictionary of Symbols. You can see that this books is very matter-of-fact. No pictures on the pages! There are some illustration pages inserted, but most of the book is text, text, text. It's easy to find on Amazon, Book Depository and your local bookstore - there are many different editions, I have
this one.
For German readers,
Udo Becker's
Lexikon der Symbole is a cheaper and more approachable alternative.
He's especially interested in magical and fantastic creatures, and so am I. His book is illustrated with simple b-w-illustration and graphics throughout, which makes it nice to read.
Both books are scholarly. I guess you can get everything that's in there also on the Internet... but I'm oldfashioned and like to check in books.
And although I'm a huge fan of e-books and read nearly only on my Kindle, there are books you simply cannot replace with an electronic device - art books with detailed and colourful illustrations.
I have only the German version of
Matilde Battistini's
Bildlexikon der Kunst - Astrologie, Magie und Alchemie, but I found an
English book by that author - if you find it, check it out. It's a pleasure to look at!
Alexander Roob's wonderful rotund volume
Alchemy and Mysticism is well-known, and like in Battistini's book, the pictures are the focus of the book. The text explains what the pictures show.
The book is structured very cleverly and if you read it systematically, you actually get a short course in esoteric symbols and theories.
This book is especially useful if you wish to study
Robert Place's
[ur=https://amzn.to/2HHv3O0l]Alchemical Tarot[/url] and
Christine Payne-Towler's
Holy Light Tarot. You will recognize a number of images that inspired these scholars and artists.
These books don't focus on tarot, which makes any discovery of tarot-related information a bit exciting.
And then there are of course books especially for students of the tarot. Confession: to my regret, I didn't yet hunt down an affordable version of Robert O'Neill's legendary
Tarot Symbolism. I cherish the hope that this book will be published as e-book one day and THEN!!!
Robert M. Place's
The Fool's Journey - The History, Art, and Symbolism of the Tarot is a highly interesting book, and I bought it directly from him or on lulu.com - I don't remember. (Can't read it on my Kindle but it's okay to read it with a pdf reader). It's an exhibition catalogue, and it walks us through the trumps and explains the symbols where we meet them. The illustrations are beautiful - from historical art works and tarot cards, but also contemporary tarot art (Legacy of the Divine, Deviant Moon). This is an in-depth study book.
Place's book
The Tarot: History, Symbolism and Divination covers some of the same ground but focuses on the RWS deck in chapter 5.
A very simple guide to symbols in the tarot is
Corrine Kenner's
Symbolist; you can read the pdf on the Internet when necessary. She doesn't give sources or complicated explanations - either you believe her that the octagon means spiritual renewal or you don't
![Wink ;-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
No, seriously, you can always think about what she says and decide whether it makes sense.
It's nearly impossible to cover the embarras du richesse of symbol dictionaries on the Internet; let's check them again with the pomegranate.
Symboldictionary: following the
pomegranate entry, it looks short but sound. It's called a Visual Glossary of Religious Symbolism which is fine since most symbols were developed before humans invented a worldview without religion
![Wink ;-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
and tarot, our focus, is highly influenced by Judea-Christian iconography.
Symbols includes non-religious symbols, too; again, let's make the highly scientific
pomegranate test: nice!
The Internet is of course full of information...
My last recommendation: in your tarot journal, keep track of symbols that appear on the cards you draw.
Every really powerful symbol is multivalent. It doesn't only say ONE thing, it says many things. The more concepts a symbol touches upon, the more powerful it is spiritually. And one of the things it can say is something personal.
If you draw cards from different decks, or different cards from one deck, but a symbol returns - note it and try to see what it means for YOU.