The Arthurian Tarot [Paperback]

Caitlin Matthews (Author), John Mattews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 1990

Steeped in the sheer unequaled magic of the legends, history and traditions of Arthurian Britain, these exceptional cards capture in 78 frames all the wonder and beauty of King Arthur's realm.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The ultimate in tarot design: steeped in the magic of the legends, history, and tradition of Arthurian Britain, these exceptional cards capture all the wonder and beauty of King Arthur's realm.

About the Author

Caitln Matthews is the author of The Celtic Book of Days, The Arthurian Tarot, and many other books on Celtic traditions, shamanism, myths, and spirituality. She has studied the ancestral British and Celtic traditions for thirty years and teaches practical applications of their wisdom worldwide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 159 pages
• Publisher: Thorsons (January 25, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850308437
• ISBN-13: 978-0850308433
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,869,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the Serious Worker, November 19, 2001

By 

wysewomon "wysewomon" (Paonia, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Arthurian Tarot (Paperback)

This has been my main deck for the last ten years or so. The artwork is immensely detailed and stunning, and the scholarship is unrivaled. Whereas some recent decks leave out a lot of the ceremonial magick symbolism and replace it with nothing, the Matthews have developed an entirely new symbolism, just as rich and detailed, based on Arthurian legend. Every single card portrays a scene you can sink into, and in every viewing you notice something different.

The Arthurian Tarot might prove challenging in that a number of the Major Arcana have been substantially changed to fit the underlying mythology. The Chariot, for example, has become Prydwen (King Arthur's ship) and The Hanged Man has become the Wounded King. This is apt to pose difficulties for someone with a little experience; a new reader won't get the differences and an experienced reader probably won't care.

This is not a "pretty" deck. The colours are striking rather than soothing and the many of the images are unusually violent. This is a deck for people who are serious about facing themselves and committing to action. I would not recommend it if you think Tarot is a game or if you think it's not really going to change you.

Arthurian legend has become increasingly popular in recent years and now there are a number of decks of this theme available. The Matthews' deck is the first and remains the best.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy instructions, great Celtic history & beautifully drawn, April 4, 2000

By 

Patty Kalck (Berlin, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Arthurian Tarot (Paperback)

These tarot cards are a must-have for any tarot-lover! They include detailed but clear instuctions for several reading spreads. Each cards meaning is also fully explained. Their Celtic origins and history are a plus for people of all ancestries. The illustrations are just the icing-on-the-cake, beautifully drawn. They have definately been a great source of fun!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Arthurian Tarot for Personal Enrichment, January 10, 2002

By 

Eilid Sidhe "Eilid Sidhe" (North Dartmouth, Massachusetts United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Arthurian Tarot (Paperback)

I have been working with Tarot, divination, astrology and shamanic practice for many years, and Caitlin and John Matthews' "The Arthurian Tarot" is by far my favorite deck. Though I also use Robin Wood Tarot and Universal Waite and Hanson-Roberts and others as well, The Arthurian Tarot lures me again and again with its Celtic and Arthurian/Grail imagery, mythology and symbolism, and its excellent artwork. The "arched-window" border that frames each scene depicted gives the impression of personally observing the scene firsthand from wherever you are in time and place. The Tarot journey is the journey of "The Seeker" in all of us. The scenes are more "realistic" than traditional tarot decks, and sometimes they are more harsh as well. The paperback book "The Arthurian Tarot" that accompanies the deck succinctly describes the myth and legend behind the cards' meanings. Keep in mind that the Matthews' background is rich in Grail lore, Celtic and Druidic study, and Shamanic Practice. Their considerable knowledge and practice in these areas is evident in the symbolism of the cards as well as the explanations in the accompanying book. Caitlin provides helpful first-hand descriptions of how the different spreads have been used with her clients, and many helpful suggestions in using and interpreting them.

If one is already even minimally knowledgable regarding the traditional Waite/Universal tarot meanings and symbolism, it is no great leap to accomodate the Arthurian symbolism. The book lists the traditional Celtic Cross spread along with several other interesting and useful spreads, Excalibur Spread, Merlin's Mirror etc. The Arthurian Tarot is the better deck for use in personal growth and enrichment, as the symbolism and mythology lends itself to this kind of psychological work.

I also own and heartily recommend the companion work by the Matthews, Hallowquest-The Arthurian Tarot Course, (purchased through Amazon.com) which more elaborately explains the mythology and symbolism, and utilizes the The Arthurian Tarot cards in a year-long personal journey of self-discovery and enrichment. There you see that the "arched-window" effect of the cards is carefully planned to assist the Seeker in shamanic meditations to enter the scene and interact within that realm rather than merely be an observer of it.

All things considered, this is a tarot experience that everyone could benefit from, and I heartily recommend the Matthews' Arthurian Tarot.