The wands suit is stunning: all these intricately decorated wands are placed against a variety of gorgeous sunburst designs. The Knight of Cups clasps the Holy Grail. He is Sri Galahad, the most perfect knight in all the Arthurian world. His head is framed in a decorative circle into which his golden hair flows and blends. The beautiful, dreamy face is androgynous, and in its decorative circular frame is very similar in style to the Art Nouveau paintings of Alphone Mucha. Finally, a few words on Paterson’s book itself: it gives a worthwhile introduction to the cards for beginners, but has omissions and errors that will annoy people who have pursued Celtic studies, or Tarot studies, to any degree. Influenced primarily by Robert Graves, whose fertile imagination was the source he consulted most frequently, she tells us earnestly what gestures were made by the druids, that the druids predicted the birth of Christ, how Tarot cards correspond with the Druids’ tree zodiac, and other similar tales. All of this is guesswork at best, willfully misleading at worst. Practically all of Paterson’s references to the beliefs and practices of the Druids are questionable; little was ever recorded of druidic belief and practice, and most of what was written down was from outsiders who knew only rumors. This card reflects that which is within the subconscious realm of the querent and delves much deeper into the core foundation of the situation. It symbolises the underlying feelings and trends associated with the situation and can indicate what is truly driving the querent. This card may bring a surprise message to the querent, particularly if they are not deeply connected to their inner being (watch out for reversed cards here which are likely to indicate that this is an ‘unknown’ to the querent). Card 7: Advice Compare the Above and Outcome cards (Cards 5 and 10). Again, is there alignment between what the querent wants to happen and what will happen? Is the querent helping or hindering the situation? If you find that Cards 5 and 10 are opposing, then the querent will need to think carefully about how to create the outcomes they want. Look to the Advice card (Card 7) for more guidance.

The hillsides of Britain are carved with many chalk horses, but this is the oldest carving, dating to around 1400 BCE. Sacred to both the ancient Celts and the earlier peoples of Britain, horses fostered the spread of Celtic civilization with their swiftness and strength. Similarly, Davis’s three of swords card suggests a different interpretation than the usual. It shows two crossed swords, surmounted by a third, larger sword. Paterson gives this a sinister interpretation, no doubt influenced by the card’s usual meaning. She writes: “The two crossed swords are surmounted by a third sword and has split (sic) a previous alliance. […] The intruding sword is pointed toward the heart of the querent when drawn. It signifies tears and sorrow.” Looking at the picture, however, the third sword does not seem to have split up an alliance; it is not between the two other swords, but rather lying over them. Moreover, Davis’s art on the sword pips generally represents discord with flashing energy bolts, but this card has none. Indeed, this card looks to me much more like a ceremonial arrangement of swords, such as one would find at an oath-swearing, rather than a battle. In the Celtic context, it is most reminiscent of the practice of choosing a high-king, or high chieftain, to eliminate internecine struggles and unite warring tribes against larger enemies—the historical Vercingetorix and the legendary Arthur were both leaders of this type. Significantly, both Arthur and Vercingetorix were on the losing side of history. In the Celtic context, then, an arrangement like this of three swords may connote useful and noble cooperation, and valiant effort, that nonetheless are doomed ultimately to fail. This would make the card’s meaning different from Paterson’s, but give it some of the general flavor found in typical interpretations of the three of swords. Cuchulain, Paterson says, is a “hero and charioteer.” But the prophecy, which she quotes from T.W. Rolleston’s version of the legend, tells us that “warrior” and “charioteer” are two different job descriptions. As readers of the Ulster cycle of myths will know, in the style of warfare described in the Ulster cycle, warriors battle each other from chariots that are driven by charioteers. The charioteer serves the warrior as a combination of driver and squire, offering advice on tactics, the selection of weapons, and the approach to an enemy. A good charioteer is an essential helper to a good warrior. Cuchulain’s charioteer, Láeg, is an important supporting character in the Ulster cycle, and one of the secrets of Cuchulain’s success. When Cuchulain is discouraged, Láeg acts as a sort of coach, giving him a pep talk; when Cuchulain needs a more serious boost, Láeg insults him, sending him into a berserker rage; when Cuchulain is wounded, Láeg summons healers to help him. Cuchulain was not alone in his reliance on a good charioteer; Julius Caesar, on encountering war chariots in Britain, remarked on the uncanny skill and poise of the charioteers more than on the skill of the fighters.The path of the Celtic shaman was strongly tied to the land and the cycle of the seasons. By honoring the spirits of nature and learning their wisdom, a shaman sought to transform himself and expand his awareness. Conscious of the subtle connection between all things, Celtic shamans recognized the sacredness within everything, allowing them to form a bridge between the spirit world and the human world. And even though the Celtic Cross spread is in nearly every Tarot book and is used by Tarot beginners, many Tarot readers miss the deeper insights that are available in this complex spread. Ancient Celts viewed the wolf with awe and respect. Considered very wise, the wolf only chose to share its wisdom with certain people, and many shamans sought the wolf as their familiar. The wizard Merlin was said to have an old wolf companion during his years as a forest hermit. The white wolf Emhain Abhlac once met the druid Bobaran, who threw three rowan berries at the wolf, three into the air, and three into his own mouth to receive the wolf’s wisdom. The Gundestrup cauldron shows a wolf beside the horned god Cernunnos, and the goddess Brighid is often shown with a wolf nearby. The wolf was a totem guardian of Britain, and one of Brighid’s four sacred animals. All the Major cards are characters from Celtic Mythology, much of which is not commonly known to people (like myself) with only a very average knowledge of the subject. I must therefore confine myself to commenting on the artwork and energy of the cards rather than the characters they represent. On the positive side, the book gives good descriptions of the standard meanings for most cards (even when these meanings seem to be at odds with Davis’s artwork, as in the three of Swords). Paterson also describes the Celtic Cross layout, the Alchemist’s spread, and a new, useful spread, called the Druid’s Star—essentially, an eight-pointed star based on the familiar four elements of earth, air, fire and water. Sadly, her failure to include a coherent explanation of dignified and ill-dignified cards decreases the usefulness of these sections of the book.

Compare the Below and Hopes/Fears cards (Cards 6 and 9). If you are finding it difficult to interpret the Hopes/Fears, have a look at what is happening at the subconscious level within the querent (Card 6). Is there something in their subconscious realm that is creating fear or hope? If you see reversed cards in these positions, then it is likely the querent is not yet aware of their subconscious drivers and how this is impacting them in the ‘real world’. The Circle/Cross shows what is going on in the querent’s life at the time of the reading. This section is made up of two crosses – a central one (Cards 1 and 2) nested within a larger cross (Cards 3 to 6). The smaller cross represents the heart of the matter – what is most central to the querent at the time of the reading. Horses were known as the chosen mounts of the gods, particularly the sun and moon deities. They symbolized the virility of the land itself, as well as strength and swiftness. The Iceni tribe derived their name from the word for horse, and Britain’s horse cults predate the arrival of the ancient Celts. Horses were shown on the earliest Celtic coins, and they were common god or totem creatures through the Iron Age and into the Bronze Age. For ancient Celts, horses represented the instinctive aspects of humanity, which often needed to be tamed and controlled. The horse’s master used the bit and bridle to control his horse, and this symbolized the intellect that tempered destructive impulses. While horses symbolized raw life-force, the reigns betokened the willpower and intelligence needed to harness this life-force effectively. Many of these Major cards have decorative circular wheels or windows above or behind the characters. The Magician stands in front of a zodiac wheel, its energies controlled by a Star of David, that holds within it his Cup, Coin, Wand and Sword. In The Star, this wheel is a cosmic mirror studded with seven stars. It holds a a pentagram, which in turn holds another pentagram. A white dove hovers over it. The naked woman draped in a purple cloak is a personification of Aquarius, symbol of universal consciousness. Wearing deerskin, this shaman sits at his cauldron, beating his bodhran drum to call to the spirits. He brews a potion that helps him engage the spirit world, and a few of the potion’s ingredients surround him, notably the sacred herb vervain.

The Hermit is Merlin. A solar disc lights the path in front of him. Ribbons of light from the lamp he holds, stream across his head symbolizing illumination. He bare feet show his humility, and he is supported by his staff, symbol of his faith. This is perhaps one of the most difficult positions to interpret. Keep in mind that hopes and fears are closely intertwined, therefore that which we hope for may also be that which we fear, and so may fail to happen. Sometimes it is useful to draw a second card for clarification after the reading has been laid and to read the two together. Card 10: Outcome Paul Mason, The Shaman; Mixed media illustration. Sacred Circle Tarot: A Celtic Pagan Journey; Llewellyn Publications, 2000. Together these six cards give a snapshot of the inner and outer environment at the time of a reading. The Celtic goddess Ceridwen is said to have captured the wisdom of the Three Realms in her potion. She charged the youth Gwion to keep the fire going beneath her cauldron, and one day he splashed three drops onto his finger. When he put his finger into his mouth to soothe the burn, Gwion instantly became one with the past, present, and future of all things. The knowledge frightened him, and Ceridwen decided to test his worthiness by appearing as a terrifying beast. Gwion fled, taking on the forms of different animal familiars, and these animal spirits helped him integrate his new knowledge. The goddess continued chasing him until Gwion took the form of a grain of wheat, and Ceridwen ate him. Nine months later, she gave birth to him as Taliesin, meaning “radiant brow.”