The Llewellyn Tarot
by Anna-Marie Ferguson
Publisher: Llewellyn; Book&Cards edition (Sep 2006)
ISBN-10: 0738702994. Price £24.85
Review by Vixen
Synopsis
Over a century ago, a young boy left Wales and journeyed to America, where he started a small press, now known as Llewellyn Publications. Llewellyn George's adventurous spirit and Welsh heritage embodies "The Llewellyn Tarot", which also celebrates the publisher's enduring legacy. From the creator of the popular "Legend: The Arthurian Tarot Kit", this lavishly illustrated deck offers universal appeal (based on Rider-Waite) with a Welsh twist. A compelling story unfolds starring Rhiannon as The Empress, Bran the Blessed as The Emperor, The Wild Herdsman as The Horned God (the Devil), Gwydion as The Magician, Llew Llaw Gyffes as the Bringer of Light, and other figures from Welsh mythology. Watercolour imagery beckons us forth into a mystic world of ancient forests, sensuous seascapes, and wondrous waterfalls - gorgeous landscapes brimming with mystery, meaning and magic.
Review
Over recent years there have been a number of new tarot decks published on the Celtic or Druidic theme – with varying degrees of accuracy and success. So it was that I was eager to get hold of and use this new deck from Llewellyn.
Named after the founder of the eponymous American publishing house – a gentleman who emigrated to the US from Wales – the deck is inspired by the rich myth of the land of his birth, and as such I do wonder if the title gives the deck enough credit and exposure for its overall theme. But what do we get for our money?
The deck is supplied as set – a deck of 78 cards, a decorative ouch to keep the cards in and a thorough looking Companion Book – all contained within a rather attractive box.
The deck itself follows the well known Rider Waite system, with Strength being number 8 and Justice being numbered 11. The Major Arcana cards all carry the traditional Rider Waite names as well as a supplementary name inspired by the Welsh tales, and the only one changed is card 15, The Devil having been renamed The Horned One.
The full list of names for the Majors is:
The Fool - Peredur
The Magician - Gwydion
The Priestess - Ceridwen
The Empress - Rhiannon
The Emperor - Bran the Blessed
The Hierophant - Taliesen
The Lovers - Dream of Macsen Wledig
The Chariot - Manawydan
Strength - Twrch Trwyth
The Hermit - Myrddin
The Wheel of Fortune - Arianrhod
Justice - Lady of the Fountain
The Hanged Man - Enchantment of Dyfed
Death - Arawn
Temperance - Keeper of the Well
The Horned One - The Wild Herdsman
The Tower - Bala Lake
The Star - Branwen
The Moon - Lake of Maidens
The Sun - Llew Llaw Gyffes
Judgment - The Sleepers
The Universe - Cadair Idris
Those who are familiar with the Arthurian Legend tarot deck will instantly recognise the distinctive water-colour artwork and style of Anna-Marie Ferguson who has done a wonderfully evocative job of creating these cards, rich in symbolism and full of the atmosphere of the tales they relate to. As with any new deck, not all the cards are a perfect reflection of my own vision, and one or two do seem to need a little refocusing to understand the images in relation to the traditional meanings of the cards. But with a little patience and familiarity they do offer something that works, and works well. In addition, when used fro meditative work, seeking to understand the deeper meanings of the tales that inspired them they have offered me a doorway to a deeper understanding of the tales.
The minor cards are beautifully rendered in the same style, but are themed entirely on the RW deck, with no underlying Welsh mythology shown. In some ways this is a little disappointing, but it also means there is not the problem often encountered in decks inspired by mythology, where the story told or image shown bears little or no relationship to the traditional meanings. So there’s no need to relearn masses of symbolism or meanings!
The cards, in line with many modern decks are a little flimsy and I do wonder how well the edges will wear with intensive use. They measure 3 ¼ by 4 ½ inches and so are very slightly larger than ‘standard’.
Overall I am very impressed with this deck, both in terms of presentation and practicality. If you are seeking a Rider Waite based deck with a flavour of Welsh myth then this deck is perfect.
Available from Amazon.co.uk