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The Llewellyn Tarot
The Amazing, Century-Spanning Tarot
The Llewellyn Tarot is a stunning achievement that has already drawn acclaim for its depth and beauty. Its watercolor imagery invites you into a mystic world of ancient forests, sensuous seascapes and wondrous waterfalls brimming with mystery, meaning and magic. This lavishly illustrated deck is based on the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck, making readings easy. It also reveals a compelling Celtic story featuring Rhiannon as The Empress, Bran the Blessed as The Emperor, The Wild Herdsman as The Devil, Gwydion as The Magician, Llew Llaw Gyffes as the Bringer of Light and other figures from Welsh mythology.
This deck--created by famed artist Anna-Marie Ferguson--reveals Welsh myths and honors Llewellyn George, who traveled from Wales to the U.S. in 1901 to teach astrology and start Llewellyn Publications. The deck comes with a full-size book that explains the myths associated with the image on each card as well as their divinatory meanings. It also includes two original spreads.
The Llewellyn Tarot brings life to the ancient myths while keeping to a structure that makes it ideal for giving readings. It honors the wisdom and spirit two great personalities, one who strived in myth, and another who strode to open astrology in a new land. Inspiring and practical, this is the deck you will use every day and on special occasions. Whether this is going to be your first deck or your hundredth deck, it is the deck you must have.
The Llewellyn Tarot is a stunning achievement that has already drawn acclaim for its depth and beauty. Its watercolor imagery invites you into a mystic world of ancient forests, sensuous seascapes and wondrous waterfalls brimming with mystery, meaning and magic. This lavishly illustrated deck is based on the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck, making readings easy. It also reveals a compelling Celtic story featuring Rhiannon as The Empress, Bran the Blessed as The Emperor, The Wild Herdsman as The Devil, Gwydion as The Magician, Llew Llaw Gyffes as the Bringer of Light and other figures from Welsh mythology.
This deck--created by famed artist Anna-Marie Ferguson--reveals Welsh myths and honors Llewellyn George, who traveled from Wales to the U.S. in 1901 to teach astrology and start Llewellyn Publications. The deck comes with a full-size book that explains the myths associated with the image on each card as well as their divinatory meanings. It also includes two original spreads.
The Llewellyn Tarot brings life to the ancient myths while keeping to a structure that makes it ideal for giving readings. It honors the wisdom and spirit two great personalities, one who strived in myth, and another who strode to open astrology in a new land. Inspiring and practical, this is the deck you will use every day and on special occasions. Whether this is going to be your first deck or your hundredth deck, it is the deck you must have.
1000 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 23, 2007
a very pretty 'new age-y' deck with lots of celtic and king arthur type images and the deck is focused through this genre. the companion book is not something i always consult when i play with my cards but i have found that the meanings in this version tend to be unnecessarily negative or "narrow" and i don't always agree with them, especially her reversals. i'm more of a visual tarot reader anyway - which is perfect for the lovely deck. it is a nice book to read if you're into the arthurian legend and lore stuff. the descriptions and history of her cards in the book are much more enjoyable than her interpretations i think - at least as it pertains to the major arcana. the minor arcana have much briefer mentions. a great deck/book for beginning tarot readers, since the imagery is very expressive.
February 21, 2012
Normally I don’t hear much about new Tarot decks before they come out. This deck, however, was an exception; a number of people mentioned to me that I’d need to have this deck. So I knew I was going to buy it. But this skeptical Scorpio wondered if it would live up to the hype.
This deck retains much of the imagery of the standard Rider-Waite deck. It is brightly colored and reminds me in some respects of the Gilded Tarot. The colors are a little more subtle than the Gilded, and the color palette is more limited. That didn’t seem to take away anything for me, however. The backs of the cards are brown and gold with a crest in the center; it’s simple and pretty.
I like the fact that the artist went that extra mile and added some subtle touches on many of the cards to make the images distinctive. One point I noticed right away is that many more of the cards of this deck have water in the images than in the standard Rider-Waite. For example, the Seven of Wands usually pictures a man with a Wand defending himself atop a cliff against six others held by unseen people from below. In this deck, the man is standing at the top of a waterfall, while the rest of the image is essentially the same. The Tower is being struck by lightning, but is also being consumed by a torrent of rushing water. The Fool, astride a horse, is jumping over a waterfall with his dog following him, and the sunlight is producing a small rainbow that mimics the curved shape of both the horse and dog.
The Major Arcana cards list the number and title of the card as well as a name or title. They feature figures from British Isles legends and pantheon; Cerridwen is the [High] Priestess, and Taliesin makes an appearance as the Hierophant.
The one thing I really don’t like about this deck is the font. I am fortunate enough to not need glasses or contacts but the cursive font that this deck chose is a little too ornate for me. I’d much rather be able to read the words quickly than revel in their beauty.
You probably noticed that I didn’t answer my own question at the beginning. Overall, yes, I feel that this deck lived up to its billing. I’d recommend it for beginner or intermediate Tarot students who want a more optimistic deck. It has already become a client favorite.
This deck retains much of the imagery of the standard Rider-Waite deck. It is brightly colored and reminds me in some respects of the Gilded Tarot. The colors are a little more subtle than the Gilded, and the color palette is more limited. That didn’t seem to take away anything for me, however. The backs of the cards are brown and gold with a crest in the center; it’s simple and pretty.
I like the fact that the artist went that extra mile and added some subtle touches on many of the cards to make the images distinctive. One point I noticed right away is that many more of the cards of this deck have water in the images than in the standard Rider-Waite. For example, the Seven of Wands usually pictures a man with a Wand defending himself atop a cliff against six others held by unseen people from below. In this deck, the man is standing at the top of a waterfall, while the rest of the image is essentially the same. The Tower is being struck by lightning, but is also being consumed by a torrent of rushing water. The Fool, astride a horse, is jumping over a waterfall with his dog following him, and the sunlight is producing a small rainbow that mimics the curved shape of both the horse and dog.
The Major Arcana cards list the number and title of the card as well as a name or title. They feature figures from British Isles legends and pantheon; Cerridwen is the [High] Priestess, and Taliesin makes an appearance as the Hierophant.
The one thing I really don’t like about this deck is the font. I am fortunate enough to not need glasses or contacts but the cursive font that this deck chose is a little too ornate for me. I’d much rather be able to read the words quickly than revel in their beauty.
You probably noticed that I didn’t answer my own question at the beginning. Overall, yes, I feel that this deck lived up to its billing. I’d recommend it for beginner or intermediate Tarot students who want a more optimistic deck. It has already become a client favorite.
October 3, 2018
Although the imagery is significantly different, the concept of this deck is similar to the Druidcraft deck in that myths and legends of medieval Wales (Arthurian)are superimposed onto the traditional Tarot concepts. If you are a Rider Waite officiando, the images are so close, this deck would be an easy transition. Cards are well made and images are artistic. The book is clear. With the majors you'll see an image you can easily recognize as the empress with the word empress at the bottom but also the name Rhiannon at the top of the card and within the book a discussion of the lore of Rhiannon, similarly the Priestess notes Ceridwen. If you'd like to learn more of this lore, this is an easy way to learn (put down a spread, look up in the book what those few cards elaborate). Other than U.S. Games Inc, Llewellyn Worldwide is the other major producer of tarot in the U.S.
On the downside, quite a few Llewellyn decks use a male for the strength card and liken it to physical strength. I prefer the image of the woman gently commanding, taming the lion than the image of brute force on this (and their Art Nouveau) deck.
On the downside, quite a few Llewellyn decks use a male for the strength card and liken it to physical strength. I prefer the image of the woman gently commanding, taming the lion than the image of brute force on this (and their Art Nouveau) deck.
June 10, 2017
Love the artwork on the cards. The interpretations are good (both upright and reversed). I gave only four stars for 2 reasons:
1) I don't like her opinion on reverses and how she handled it. If she feels so strongly about reversed cards, why included them at all in the book? I personally feel the reverses (when the reader is adept) enriches the readings. Sounded like someone was just trying to focus on selling a product.
2) The cards aren't the best quality. Not as bad as some I've seen, but they definitely won't last forever.
I do want to restate that I love the cards. The artwork is amazing and they speak volumes too me. I've been reading with the RWS deck (and others, but it was my primary) for years. This was a smooth transition over all. With a better connection. I still like the RWS, however I had an instant connection with this deck. Personal opinions aside, the author did an amazing job with this deck! I will be buying another to supplement as this one wears out!
1) I don't like her opinion on reverses and how she handled it. If she feels so strongly about reversed cards, why included them at all in the book? I personally feel the reverses (when the reader is adept) enriches the readings. Sounded like someone was just trying to focus on selling a product.
2) The cards aren't the best quality. Not as bad as some I've seen, but they definitely won't last forever.
I do want to restate that I love the cards. The artwork is amazing and they speak volumes too me. I've been reading with the RWS deck (and others, but it was my primary) for years. This was a smooth transition over all. With a better connection. I still like the RWS, however I had an instant connection with this deck. Personal opinions aside, the author did an amazing job with this deck! I will be buying another to supplement as this one wears out!
November 14, 2019
"The Llewellyn Tarot",by Anna-Marie Ferguson has beautiful watercolor illustrations, the backings are a brown leather looking print with golden diamonds and an ornate golden dragon symbol in the center, the box also includes a wonderful 264 page guide book. The cards are on the thin side with semi gloss but very easy to shuffle and seem like they would hold up to use. The box is sturdy, but the cards are not in their own separate little box, which I would have prefered. The guide book is not your ordinary book that usually comes with decks. This book has a story to tell about each of the major arcanas. I loved looking at the cards while reading the stories, it was like stepping into another world. The connection to these cards was enriched by this book. I highly recommend "The Llewellyn Tarot" , even for beginners as it is Rider Waite style and very easy to read.
June 5, 2013
Every time I saw someone using this deck, I yearned to hold the cards, to study the images, to fall in love with another aspect of Celtic wisdom. Of course I eventually bought it. Then my grandson came to visit. After looking at several decks together, I asked which deck he would like to have. He chose this deck.
So, I was again in covet mode. I wanted another copy of this deck and book. Finally I got my second copy. The beautiful watercolor artwork by Anna-Marie Fergusion depicts Welsh legends. Anyone interested in more Celtic lore will add this deck to their favorites.
So, I was again in covet mode. I wanted another copy of this deck and book. Finally I got my second copy. The beautiful watercolor artwork by Anna-Marie Fergusion depicts Welsh legends. Anyone interested in more Celtic lore will add this deck to their favorites.
May 25, 2009
A beautiful deck with gorgeous imagery. The companion book isn't bad but I prefer others.
June 17, 2025
Anna-Marie Ferguson ha dipinto il mazzo di Tarocchi e ha scritto il libro d’accompagno che insieme anche a un sacchetto di broccato formano la confezione del Llewellyn Tarot.
Nelle pp. XI-XIII della Prefazione, Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, editore della Llewellyn Worldwide, ci racconta che (traduzione mia): «Molto, molto tempo fa, in un posto molto, molto lontano – a Swansea, nel Galles – un ragazzo decise di intraprendere un viaggio che l’avrebbe condotto in America, terra di promesse, dove divenne un rinomato astrologo e teosofo. Era il fondatore della Llewellyn Publications. […] Llewllyn George era nato a Swansea il 17 agosto 1876 alle 4:15.
«I Llewellyn Tarot sono il risultato di cinque anni di studio e creazione intensi da parte di questa artista, già rinomata per la creazione dei suoi "Legend: The Arthurian Tarot" e per le sue illustrazioni nell’edizione di Cassell di "La Morte d’Arthur" a cura di John Matthews.
«Anna-Marie Ferguson ha creato i Llewellyn Tarot per esemplificare proprio la ragion d’essere della Llewellyn quale “portatrice di luce”. La Llewellyn prende il suo nome da Llew Llaw Gyffes – “Il Luminoso Leone dalla Mano Esperta” – eroe del Mabinogion.»
Continua la Ferguson a presentarci l’opera, prima a p. XVI e poi in vari punti da p. 3 a p. 12. «Il mio primo grande progetto da giovane illustratrice e autrice è stato "Legend: The Arturhian Tarot" che attingeva alla leggenda di re Artù […]. Essendo già passata per l’autostrada dei tarocchi in precedenza, pensavo che fosse improbabile che la ripercorressi. Eppure, quando la Llewellyn Publications mi ha proposto questi tarocchi come progetto speciale – attingere alla mitologia gallese come omaggio al nome gallese della casa editrice – mi si è presentata l’occasione di ripensarci e infine di accettare. Quando scelgo i miei progetti, sopra tutte le altre considerazioni la mia missione è sempre stata quella di reintrodurre le vecchie leggende meno note al pubblico, contribuendo in tal modo nel mio piccolo alla loro salute futura come “leggende viventi”. Quando realizzato con cura e in buona fede, il matrimonio di un mazzo di tarocchi con la mitologia può trarre beneficio da entrambe le tradizioni.
«Il Galles è un tesoro per la sua eredità artistica culturale. Un piccolo libro come questo può solo dare brevi introduzioni, e l’eredità letteraria del Galles è lunga e complessa» e infatti l’autrice rimanda alla bibliografia per apprendere di più sulle ricchezze gallesi, ivi compresi gli studi sui bardi. «Gli Arcani Maggiori di questo mazzo attingono alla mitologia remota del Galles da fonti medievali, leggende tradizionali quasi storiche e occasionalmente anche dal folklore moderno. […] È una sfida lavorare con i miti e le leggende gallesi perché c’è così tanto che i lettori moderni non conoscono. Il Galles aveva una tradizione orale, tramandata tramite generazioni di bardi che memorizzavano un vasto repertorio di cicli di saghe, del quale è rimasto pochissimo. […] La fonte principale per i miti di questo mazzo è il Mabinogion [ma anche] gli scritti di Goffredo di Monmouth sono stati centrali nella creazione di questo mazzo. […] Anche se la bibliografia fornisce un elenco dei molti titoli che sono risultati inestimabili per la compilazione del materiale per questo mazzo, una menzione speciale va a "The Welsh Fairy Book".
«C’è infine la questione di re Artù, perché il Galles è immerso nella tradizione arturiana. Anche se il Re e i suoi cavalieri fanno qualche apparizione in questo mazzo, la scena è stata appositamente lasciata alle leggende meno note di modo che possano godere delle luci della ribalta.»
«I Llewellyn Tarot si ispirano all’arte dei primi tarocchi dei Visconti per gli Arcani Maggiori e ai popolari Rider-Waite per gli Arcani Minori». (p. 11) Gli Arcani Maggiori sono ricchi di dettagli, e illustrano il momento della storia mitologica gallese cui si riferiscono (il cui titolo è anche riportato in alto nella carta), mentre gli Arcani Minori sono meno raffinati (ma non per questo brutti!), e come peculiarità hanno che molte delle figure che nei RWS sono maschili qui sono invece femminili.
Anche nel corso del libro, a ogni Arcano Minore è dedicata una sola pagina, mentre gli Arcani Maggiori presentano una gran ricchezza di materiale: si parte dalla descrizione generale tradizionale della carta, alla quale può seguire il perché vi sono differenze nella versione di questo mazzo; si continua con una descrizione sommaria della storia scelta per la carta per concludere con i suoi dettagli (e spesso quelle pagine ti fanno venire voglia di correre in libreria o di collegarti a Internet per leggere ancora di più sull’argomento, sulla singola storia, sulle peculiarità dei personaggi, ecc.). Ovviamente non manca una parte dedicata ai significati delle carte, e questi sono presentati in modo da essere accessibili anche ai principianti. In effetti, è un ottimo mazzo per chi è alle prime armi perché dà quel giusto ammontare di informazioni da non essere né scarno né eccessivo, e può tornare utile anche a chi già li conosce per un ripasso che non fa mai male.
Ci si presenta una differenza sostanziale con i mazzi tradizionali nella carta del Diavolo (qui chiamata “Il Cornuto”), della quale parlerò tra un attimo, ma colgo l’occasione qui per ribadire come la penso a riguardo di certe differenze: _arricchiscono_ i Tarocchi, come ci insegna la filosofia dei Tarocchi Comparativi di Valerie Sim.
Nella descrizione a pp. 129-130 leggiamo: «L’immagine tradizionale nella carta del Diavolo raffigura una grande figura caprina, parte umana e parte bestia, pelosa e con zoccoli al posto dei piedi, il che […] è la descrizione dello spirito della foresta o del dio della caccia, la cui immagine divenne un comodo capro espiatorio assegnato a rappresentare il diavolo della subentrante religione cristiana. [��] I mazzi che invece raffigurano il Cornuto» non presentano «catene o dolore nella scena ma solo la vita nel suo stato naturale». A sottolineare questo, la Ferguson conclude così la parte sui significati della carta (p. 135): «Tuttavia, a meno che le carte circostanti suggeriscano un’interpretazione negativa, il Cornuto di questo mazzo è il simbolo di una natura selvatica salubre che arricchisce la vita.»
Oltre ai due metodi presentati nel libro (la celebre Croce Celtica e il quasi altrettanto famoso Ferro di Cavallo, che comunque apparivano già anche in "A Keeper of Word", il libro d’accompagno ai "Legend: The Arthrian Tarot"), all’interno della confezione vi sono anche due carte che presentano schematicamente una stesa cadauna: il metodo del Drago Rosso (orgoglioso emblema nazionale del Galles ancora oggi) per superare un ostacolo e il metodo di Llew per gettare luce su una situazione.
Nelle pp. XI-XIII della Prefazione, Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, editore della Llewellyn Worldwide, ci racconta che (traduzione mia): «Molto, molto tempo fa, in un posto molto, molto lontano – a Swansea, nel Galles – un ragazzo decise di intraprendere un viaggio che l’avrebbe condotto in America, terra di promesse, dove divenne un rinomato astrologo e teosofo. Era il fondatore della Llewellyn Publications. […] Llewllyn George era nato a Swansea il 17 agosto 1876 alle 4:15.
«I Llewellyn Tarot sono il risultato di cinque anni di studio e creazione intensi da parte di questa artista, già rinomata per la creazione dei suoi "Legend: The Arthurian Tarot" e per le sue illustrazioni nell’edizione di Cassell di "La Morte d’Arthur" a cura di John Matthews.
«Anna-Marie Ferguson ha creato i Llewellyn Tarot per esemplificare proprio la ragion d’essere della Llewellyn quale “portatrice di luce”. La Llewellyn prende il suo nome da Llew Llaw Gyffes – “Il Luminoso Leone dalla Mano Esperta” – eroe del Mabinogion.»
Continua la Ferguson a presentarci l’opera, prima a p. XVI e poi in vari punti da p. 3 a p. 12. «Il mio primo grande progetto da giovane illustratrice e autrice è stato "Legend: The Arturhian Tarot" che attingeva alla leggenda di re Artù […]. Essendo già passata per l’autostrada dei tarocchi in precedenza, pensavo che fosse improbabile che la ripercorressi. Eppure, quando la Llewellyn Publications mi ha proposto questi tarocchi come progetto speciale – attingere alla mitologia gallese come omaggio al nome gallese della casa editrice – mi si è presentata l’occasione di ripensarci e infine di accettare. Quando scelgo i miei progetti, sopra tutte le altre considerazioni la mia missione è sempre stata quella di reintrodurre le vecchie leggende meno note al pubblico, contribuendo in tal modo nel mio piccolo alla loro salute futura come “leggende viventi”. Quando realizzato con cura e in buona fede, il matrimonio di un mazzo di tarocchi con la mitologia può trarre beneficio da entrambe le tradizioni.
«Il Galles è un tesoro per la sua eredità artistica culturale. Un piccolo libro come questo può solo dare brevi introduzioni, e l’eredità letteraria del Galles è lunga e complessa» e infatti l’autrice rimanda alla bibliografia per apprendere di più sulle ricchezze gallesi, ivi compresi gli studi sui bardi. «Gli Arcani Maggiori di questo mazzo attingono alla mitologia remota del Galles da fonti medievali, leggende tradizionali quasi storiche e occasionalmente anche dal folklore moderno. […] È una sfida lavorare con i miti e le leggende gallesi perché c’è così tanto che i lettori moderni non conoscono. Il Galles aveva una tradizione orale, tramandata tramite generazioni di bardi che memorizzavano un vasto repertorio di cicli di saghe, del quale è rimasto pochissimo. […] La fonte principale per i miti di questo mazzo è il Mabinogion [ma anche] gli scritti di Goffredo di Monmouth sono stati centrali nella creazione di questo mazzo. […] Anche se la bibliografia fornisce un elenco dei molti titoli che sono risultati inestimabili per la compilazione del materiale per questo mazzo, una menzione speciale va a "The Welsh Fairy Book".
«C’è infine la questione di re Artù, perché il Galles è immerso nella tradizione arturiana. Anche se il Re e i suoi cavalieri fanno qualche apparizione in questo mazzo, la scena è stata appositamente lasciata alle leggende meno note di modo che possano godere delle luci della ribalta.»
«I Llewellyn Tarot si ispirano all’arte dei primi tarocchi dei Visconti per gli Arcani Maggiori e ai popolari Rider-Waite per gli Arcani Minori». (p. 11) Gli Arcani Maggiori sono ricchi di dettagli, e illustrano il momento della storia mitologica gallese cui si riferiscono (il cui titolo è anche riportato in alto nella carta), mentre gli Arcani Minori sono meno raffinati (ma non per questo brutti!), e come peculiarità hanno che molte delle figure che nei RWS sono maschili qui sono invece femminili.
Anche nel corso del libro, a ogni Arcano Minore è dedicata una sola pagina, mentre gli Arcani Maggiori presentano una gran ricchezza di materiale: si parte dalla descrizione generale tradizionale della carta, alla quale può seguire il perché vi sono differenze nella versione di questo mazzo; si continua con una descrizione sommaria della storia scelta per la carta per concludere con i suoi dettagli (e spesso quelle pagine ti fanno venire voglia di correre in libreria o di collegarti a Internet per leggere ancora di più sull’argomento, sulla singola storia, sulle peculiarità dei personaggi, ecc.). Ovviamente non manca una parte dedicata ai significati delle carte, e questi sono presentati in modo da essere accessibili anche ai principianti. In effetti, è un ottimo mazzo per chi è alle prime armi perché dà quel giusto ammontare di informazioni da non essere né scarno né eccessivo, e può tornare utile anche a chi già li conosce per un ripasso che non fa mai male.
Ci si presenta una differenza sostanziale con i mazzi tradizionali nella carta del Diavolo (qui chiamata “Il Cornuto”), della quale parlerò tra un attimo, ma colgo l’occasione qui per ribadire come la penso a riguardo di certe differenze: _arricchiscono_ i Tarocchi, come ci insegna la filosofia dei Tarocchi Comparativi di Valerie Sim.
Nella descrizione a pp. 129-130 leggiamo: «L’immagine tradizionale nella carta del Diavolo raffigura una grande figura caprina, parte umana e parte bestia, pelosa e con zoccoli al posto dei piedi, il che […] è la descrizione dello spirito della foresta o del dio della caccia, la cui immagine divenne un comodo capro espiatorio assegnato a rappresentare il diavolo della subentrante religione cristiana. [��] I mazzi che invece raffigurano il Cornuto» non presentano «catene o dolore nella scena ma solo la vita nel suo stato naturale». A sottolineare questo, la Ferguson conclude così la parte sui significati della carta (p. 135): «Tuttavia, a meno che le carte circostanti suggeriscano un’interpretazione negativa, il Cornuto di questo mazzo è il simbolo di una natura selvatica salubre che arricchisce la vita.»
Oltre ai due metodi presentati nel libro (la celebre Croce Celtica e il quasi altrettanto famoso Ferro di Cavallo, che comunque apparivano già anche in "A Keeper of Word", il libro d’accompagno ai "Legend: The Arthrian Tarot"), all’interno della confezione vi sono anche due carte che presentano schematicamente una stesa cadauna: il metodo del Drago Rosso (orgoglioso emblema nazionale del Galles ancora oggi) per superare un ostacolo e il metodo di Llew per gettare luce su una situazione.
November 30, 2025
“The Llewellyn Tarot” by Anna-Marie Ferguson is an ethereally esthetic and beautiful Tarot deck with a special focus on Welsh mythology. This deck is based on the RWS deck, belonging to what is called the ‘English school’ of Tarot.
My momma purchased this deck for herself and later gave it to me. While I marvel at its beauty, I find myself more drawn to the ‘French school’ and the CBD Marseille Tarot. Despite my own preferences, I’ll continue to keep this Tarot out of deep regard for my mother and also because of this beautiful artwork.
My momma purchased this deck for herself and later gave it to me. While I marvel at its beauty, I find myself more drawn to the ‘French school’ and the CBD Marseille Tarot. Despite my own preferences, I’ll continue to keep this Tarot out of deep regard for my mother and also because of this beautiful artwork.
February 1, 2018
I love the mix of mythology and tarot knowledge. A beautiful deck with a lovely and well thought out book to accompany it.
August 15, 2018
I own Ferguson's Arthurian deck. Obviously, I had to have this one as well. I was attracted to this deck because it combines my interest in Paganism, tarot, and medieval literature. The watercolour imagines are also breathtaking.
The Llewellyn deck is based on Welsh mythology and folklore. If one's not familiar with Welsh mythology it would be best to read the companion book. In the book one will find information on the namesake of the deck, Major and Minor Arcana, the history of tarot, and spreads. The Major Arcana has all figures that are recogniseable from the Rider-Waite tarot, but are also deities from the Mabinogion. The deck is also influenced by Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. This fact thoroughly amuses me because Geoffrey of Monmouth hated Pagans. Monmouth wrote that the Pagans were vermin, barbaric, yet had no problem incorporating magic in his writing. Now his writings are being used by those "disgusting" Pagans to commit heresy. Oh, the humanity! +snickers+
Anyway, Ferguson doesn't believe in reverse readings. She believes that the cards are symbolic enough and that it should not matter if a card is upright or reversed. Yet, she chose to include the reversal meaning in her book. Personally, I think this weakens the tarot deck. If I was her I would have done it my way and then let the reader choose. With this deck I see the reverse. That's just how it works for me.
This deck is for seasoned readers. I was even warned about how picky this deck is at Alchemy Arts. The reader has to search for the answers. Many times the images are misleading from what the book says it represents. Once again, this is an instance of follow one's instincts.
Also this is not a very happy deck. Don't expect sunshine and rainbows. Most Celtic mythology results in sex, bloodshed, or death. That said this deck is a lot gentler than the Arthurian deck I own. My Arthurian deck is blunt and makes most people cry. It's why I call it my when- sh-- hits- the -fan deck. This deck softens the blow because the cards are very open-meaning. Although that means the reader has to rack their brain to figure out which symbolism the card is being assigned to.
I like that this tarot deck has smaller cards compared to the big ones that come in my Arthurian deck. On the other hand, the fact that the title of the cards are in small cursive letters also makes it very hard to read. I'm young and I had to pick up every card individually and hold it up to my face. I've started going off the number instead to find the card in the companion book. If I'm having a difficult time reading the names of the cards. I can't imagine a person who's 60+. In addition, while shuffling the cards they have already started to wear. The box it came in is really flimsy. I give this box a month before I have to tape it all together. I like to keep my decks in the boxes they came in since it's easier to identify and store.
Other than those things I love this deck.
The Llewellyn deck is based on Welsh mythology and folklore. If one's not familiar with Welsh mythology it would be best to read the companion book. In the book one will find information on the namesake of the deck, Major and Minor Arcana, the history of tarot, and spreads. The Major Arcana has all figures that are recogniseable from the Rider-Waite tarot, but are also deities from the Mabinogion. The deck is also influenced by Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. This fact thoroughly amuses me because Geoffrey of Monmouth hated Pagans. Monmouth wrote that the Pagans were vermin, barbaric, yet had no problem incorporating magic in his writing. Now his writings are being used by those "disgusting" Pagans to commit heresy. Oh, the humanity! +snickers+
Anyway, Ferguson doesn't believe in reverse readings. She believes that the cards are symbolic enough and that it should not matter if a card is upright or reversed. Yet, she chose to include the reversal meaning in her book. Personally, I think this weakens the tarot deck. If I was her I would have done it my way and then let the reader choose. With this deck I see the reverse. That's just how it works for me.
This deck is for seasoned readers. I was even warned about how picky this deck is at Alchemy Arts. The reader has to search for the answers. Many times the images are misleading from what the book says it represents. Once again, this is an instance of follow one's instincts.
Also this is not a very happy deck. Don't expect sunshine and rainbows. Most Celtic mythology results in sex, bloodshed, or death. That said this deck is a lot gentler than the Arthurian deck I own. My Arthurian deck is blunt and makes most people cry. It's why I call it my when- sh-- hits- the -fan deck. This deck softens the blow because the cards are very open-meaning. Although that means the reader has to rack their brain to figure out which symbolism the card is being assigned to.
I like that this tarot deck has smaller cards compared to the big ones that come in my Arthurian deck. On the other hand, the fact that the title of the cards are in small cursive letters also makes it very hard to read. I'm young and I had to pick up every card individually and hold it up to my face. I've started going off the number instead to find the card in the companion book. If I'm having a difficult time reading the names of the cards. I can't imagine a person who's 60+. In addition, while shuffling the cards they have already started to wear. The box it came in is really flimsy. I give this box a month before I have to tape it all together. I like to keep my decks in the boxes they came in since it's easier to identify and store.
Other than those things I love this deck.
July 1, 2008
baca buku ini gara-gara ada yang minta tolong diterjemahin - dia beli kartu tarot asli dari luar negeri - so manualnya juga bahasa inggris.
pertama suka dengan tulisan (font) dalam buku ini, kemudian cara pengaturannya, deskripsi setiap kartu dari arcana mayor dst.
kemudian ada gambar2nya juga, karakter per tokoh, arti setiap detil gambar. trus arti kartu itu sendiri, klo tegak lurus, kalo terbalik - artinya udah beda.
tapi asli klo suruh praktekkin cara ngeramalnya...nyerah deh
pertama suka dengan tulisan (font) dalam buku ini, kemudian cara pengaturannya, deskripsi setiap kartu dari arcana mayor dst.
kemudian ada gambar2nya juga, karakter per tokoh, arti setiap detil gambar. trus arti kartu itu sendiri, klo tegak lurus, kalo terbalik - artinya udah beda.
tapi asli klo suruh praktekkin cara ngeramalnya...nyerah deh
August 30, 2013
A beautiful deck, one of my favourites.
September 18, 2014
I got this deck a couple/few weeks ago and just love it. It's just beautiful, and the more time I spend with it, the more my love for it grows. It may be on it's way to being mah fave. :)
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