Originally
produced online where it gained publicity and recognition, this very beautiful card deck is
produced to a very high standard and edged in gold leaf. The illustrator has used paintings dating from (1200-1500), a little known period known as
International Gothic Style of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Many
are owned by European churches. Tapestries, silks and brocades, carving, gilding,
landscapes of hills, castles and crowns, gothic arches, stained glass,
palfreys, talbots and flags, ornamentation and fine detail are the enjoyments
of this deck. Classes of feudal society and aspects of human frailty are shown.
The Rider-Waite symbolism is the foundation for the card concepts. The deck is
for use more for personal insight and review than psychic fortune telling.
I
think the deck will be especially enjoyed by women. The Fool is portrayed as
female, as is The Chariot. It is suggested we select a card for the day,
perform a three card spread of past, present and future, or choose an 11 card
Celtic Cross Spread. There is also an 8 card Horseshoe Spread.
I have chosen the Moon card which depicts a full moon on a outcrop of rock with various animals in the moonlight between two white columns. There is a stag silhouetted against the moon and a greyhound chases a hare up the rock face. A crayfish and crab lurk on the pebbled beach. ‘That which wanes will grow full again. There may be obstacles to overcome, but if you struggle through the darkness, glad times will return’.
Queen of Cups. This card depicts a beautiful blonde Queen standing at a table. She is dressed in an ornate gown of red and gold wallpaper hangs from the wall behind her. She holds a book and quill. On the table is a basket of doves, a cup of water with a glass decanter and a scorpion. The meaning is a warm and loving woman, maternal and nurturing. She is gentle and insightful and considers the needs of others. She is loyal, honest and completely trustworthy. She does not assert her own opinions or personality. She is a lover of the arts and represents the sign of Scorpio. Kat Black is a member of the College of Digital Collage, a webmaster, author and artist who has a major interest in European religious art and she lives in Australia where she has exhibited her artwork to great acclaim.
It is a very classy deck to work with, of the highest quality materials and the booklet gives an excellent summary of the cards' concepts. Reviewer: Wendy Stokes www.wendystokes.co.uk
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