The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna Marie Ferguson

Published by Llewellyn Publications 2006
ISBN 978-0-7387-0299-5

is a country famed for its history, culture, and language. Home to some of the most beautiful tales and legends from the British Isles, it can also boast the origins of one of today’s most popular Tarot deck and New Age publishers, Llewellyn. According to current publisher of Llewellyn Worldwide, Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, the publishing house was founded in 1901 by a man who hailed from Swansea, – Llewellyn George. To celebrate over 100 years of continued publication, Anna Marie Ferguson (creator of the beautiful Legend Arthurian Tarot) has created a Tarot deck that explore the rich history, landscapes, and mythology of Wales, using as her main source The Mabinogion. This text, a collection of tales that was put together in the 12^th century (though many of the tales appear to be much older) has long needed a Tarot deck devoted to it, since its stories convey timeless wisdom and archetypes through a charming, imaginative originality. Needless to say, as a fan of The Mabinogion as well as Ferguson’s previous deck, and currently living in , I was looking forward to the release of this deck.

I was not disappointed. The Llewellyn Tarot is just as beautiful as the Legend Arthurian Tarot, and shows Ferguson’s distinctive watercolour art style. In the card images, colours blend into each other and the scenes come to life, the characters becoming real people and their emotions and actions really coming out. The Major Arcana in particular are absolutely stunning, with some evocative choices for each card.

Being familiar with the mythology and legends of already, I went through the Majors and loved every single choice for the cards – from Gwydion for The Magician and Llew Llaw Gyffes for The Sun, to Cerridwen for The Priestess and Bala Lake for The Tower. Not all the stories for the Major Arcana are found in The Mabinogion though, but luckily for those who don’t know much already about Welsh legends the companion book to the Llewellyn Tarot retells each story, making it clear why they were chosen for each card. I was pleased to see one of my favourite Welsh legends in Judgement: called “The Sleepers” by Ferguson, this story tells of how King Arthur and his Knights are said to be in a magical sleep in a cave in Snowdonia (though other legends have different locations in Wales) and can be woken by blowing the horn/sounding the bell that lies with them three times.

The Llewellyn Tarot retains the traditional ordering of the Major Arcana, with Justice as XI and Strength as XIII. Although most of the cards are recognizable, Ferguson has shied away from traditional Tarot imagery and instead portrayed the meanings of each Major Arcana card in the context of the specific legend she has chosen for it. The Hanged Man, for instance (“Enchantment of Dyved”) does not show a man hanging upside down from a cross beam by one foot, but instead shows Pryderi paralyzed and stuck to the enchanted cauldron inside a castle, in which he and his mother Rhiannon (who befalls the same fate) will remain trapped for seven years.

This deck does, however, change some of the cards’ names, though not drastically enough to make them unrecognizable. The High Priestess has become The Priestess, and The Devil has become The Horned One.

The Minor Arcana are a little disappointing without spoiling my love of this deck. Welsh mythology and legends are rich and varied, so I was expecting and hoping to see each Minor Arcana card assigned to a legend or myth just like the Majors are. I understand that this would be an immense task however, and whilst I miss the mythological feel of the Majors, I like what Ferguson has done with the Minors. Very similar to the Rider Waite, she has painted them in her own distinctive style although added a more ‘work-in-progress’ feel to them – the lines are rougher and they seem less finished. To some, this is a bad thing, but I personally like it. In places, the card image moves away from Rider Waite imagery drastically, making for some interesting interpretations and comparisons for experienced Tarot readers. Ferguson has also changed the card backgrounds and the clothing of the figures in the Minors to better fit the theme of the deck, and by doing so has made these cards one hundreds times more beautiful and symbolic than the Rider Waite. These cards flow where the Rider Waite is static, and are colourful where the Rider Waite is dull. The colours even remain similar based on the card’s suit – all the Wands are set in heathland with yellows and oranges, the Swords are surrounded by mist or a cloudy nighttime in dark blues and greys, the Cups are in lush green and moist areas or near bodies of water, and the Pentacles are in ripened cornfields filled with the gold of the corn and the red of poppies.

I think that even if you are disappointed by the Minor Arcana’s lack of mythology, they are so beautiful and easy to read that they make this deck a highly recommended alternative to the Rider Waite, and an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced readers.

The deck comes packaged with a companion book, box, and sheer golden brocade Tarot bag. It is the packaging of this deck that for me made it stand out from so many other Llewellyn Tarot decks – other decks have plain white boxes and a plain black drawstring bag packaged with them, whereas the Llewellyn Tarot’s packaging is sumptuous and almost luxurious. It really suits the beautiful deck that is contained within it, and quite frankly I wish the rest of my Tarot decks had such beautiful bags to live in!

As for the 288-page companion book, it tells the reader the stories of the legends in the Major Arcana, as well as giving meanings for every card, some advice for using the Tarot, a glossary of Welsh terms and pronunciation guide (much needed! Trust me!), and the usual Celtic Cross Spread (and a Horseshoe Spread that, whilst it is not as common as the Celtic Cross, is still fairly usual.) I was disappointed to find only two spreads that have been created specifically for the Llewellyn Tarot, and they can be found on the two extra cards of the deck: the Red Dragon Spread and Llew’s Spread. Having tried them both, I can vouch that they are much better than the Celtic Cross Spread!

Overall, a very pleasing deck that is stunningly beautiful. An excellent alternative to the Rider Waite, and a highly recommended beginner’s deck. The Llewellyn Tarot would also be good for anybody interested in Welsh mythology and legends, any fans of the Legend Arthurian Tarot, and experienced Tarot readers who want something a little different that is not full of confusing esoteric symbolism.

Kim Huggens is a 22 year old Tarot enthusiast who has been studying and using Tarot for 13 years.  She is currently studying for her Masters Degree in Late Antique religion at Cardiff University (with a dissertation on 'Voodoo' dolls in Graeco-Roman magic!), and is also the co-creator of the forthcoming "Sol Invictus: The God Tarot", a deck exploring the myths and legends of male deities throughout the world.