If you are an avid fan of the tarot you may have noticed an addiction creeping up on you - the desire to collect tarot decks. There are literally hundreds of tarot decks on the market featuring inspirational artwork and dedicated to any theme you can imagine, from cat and dragon tarot decks right through to Steampunk and Druid decks. Whatever your interest it’s more than likely that there’s a tarot deck dedicated to it.
Legend: Arthurian Tarot
Legend: The Arthurian Tarot is a deck created by Anna-Marie Ferguson and dedicated to the old English Arthurian myths. If this subject holds a draw for you or if you want to find out more you may well be considering adding this deck to your tarot collection. The pack of 78 cards also features an instruction booklet providing a brief interpretation of each card and a synopsis of the Arthurian myths represented in the images.
This is probably not the best deck to choose as your first if you are a beginner or just starting to learn the tarot. Most tarot experts suggest beginning with the Rider Waite Smith deck to get a comprehensive knowledge of basic tarot before exploring the subject further with themed decks such as this one.
The Major Arcana
The 22 cards of the Major Arcana feature the traditional names of the Rider Waite Smith tarot at the top of each card but have been given different names relating to the Arthurian myths at the bottom. For example The Fool card is known as Percivale, The Wheel of Fortune as Arthur’s Dream and The Moon card is Morgan Le Fay.
The Minor Arcana
The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana are divided into four suits. Those familiar with the Rider Waite Smith deck will recognize the suits of Cups and Swords, however in this deck Wands are known as Spears and Pentacles become Shields. Each card of the Minor Arcana is also represented by Arthurian myths in the artwork and is named accordingly. The cards are also named and numbered by suit so you will still find the Ace of Cups, the Six of Swords, the 4 of Spears and the 9 of Shields printed on the corresponding card to help with your interpretation of them.
The Book
For anyone who wants to explore this deck and Arthurian myths in greater depth there is a companion book that can be bought separately from the tarot card deck and booklet. ‘A Keeper of Words’ by Anna-Marie Ferguson and Ray Rue explains the Arthurian myths in greater detail, providing deeper insight and meaning into the cards. For anyone fascinated by myths and folklore this deck provides a thorough, creative and imaginative journey through the castles, romances, battles and vibrant characters of English mythology.
