Customer Reviews

Medieval Enchantment: The Nigel Jackson Tarot

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The title "Medieval Enchantment" is well chosen for Llewellyn's newest release of Nigel Jackson's splendid Tarot deck. Each Tarot card is a window into its own world, painstakingly rendered in an original watercolor painting by this renowned esoteric authority and artist.

Subsequent tarot decks have adopted the Rider-Waite's innovative use of individual scenes for the Minor as well as Major Arcana, but few give such impetus to the imagination and inspiration as Nigel's evocative and bewitching images.

While in the general line of Tarot decks based on the Rider-Waite, Nigel doesn't hesitate to innovate within that tradition, using thoughtful new elemental assignments and his own magical take on the subjects for each card. The deck is easily accessible and useable by main stream Tarot practitioners while still being ingenious enough in its variations to pique our unconscious and draw forth our inner divinatory powers.

While no one buys a Tarot deck for the instructions, the added mini-book provides a fascinating look into Tarot history, theory and philosophy as well as delving into the Orphic Mysteries, Pythagoras, Hermeticism, astrological magic and talismans and a host of other esoteric topics and their relation to Tarot. Full divinatory explanations for each card are also provided.

Truly a glorious deck, full of exquisite and sublime images!

I have been using Nigel Jackson's Medieval Enchantment tarot for a couple of years now. Nigel has stayed true to the traditional deck, following the earlier symbolism before modernism attempted to rework everything. There is no lack of originality here. In faith, it is closer to the original by far than any modern reinterpretation.

The little book accompanying the deck is a trove of information. It is appropriate for beginners, being well referenced and inferring much that cannot be put into words. Folks more familiar with the philosophy will find it enchantingly succinct, yet echoing profundity.

This is a no nonesense presentation. Don't be afraid of the big words.

He has not 'switched' the elementals of Swords and Staves (as a former reveiwer of his mini kit has complained), rather has stayed true to the original designations. While the Golden Dawn receives much attention, it should be remembered that Mathers compiled many systems into one. This undoubtedly led to many changes. (Users of his Enochian tablets should notice this, if they are familiar with Dee to any degree.)

If you're looking for a purer Tarot, unclouded by human ego and the need for reinvention--one that faithfully captures the earliest renderings of the potent symbolism--Nigel Jackson's deck is it.

[..]

This is a truly beautiful deck that clicks instantly for interpetation. I love it. Uses a bit of pre RWS symbolism which is always refreshing nowadays. The book is concise and interesting.

I was attracted to this deck for the same reason I am initially attracted to all the decks in my collection--for the artwork. But beautiful artwork does not necessarily produce good readings! Hence, I don't read with most of the decks I own. To my delight, the Nigel Jackson/Medieval Enchantment Tarot has proved to be an excellent reading deck. So much so, in fact, that I have used it almost exclusively since purchasing it four or five years ago (the only other deck I usually read with is The Druidcraft Tarot).

In addition to their exquisite rendering, I have found the images to be very relevant to the questions asked, clearly illustrating ideas and situations that relate to daily life. The companion booklet is also well done, with the author's articulate and artful interpretations. The only improvement that could be made, I think, would be for the author to write lengthier descriptions for the cards, which I always enjoy reading. Nevertheless, this is a five-star deck that satisfies my desire for aesthetics and utility.

Nigel Jackson's Medieval Enchantment Tarot is simply beautiful and truly enchanting - the watercolour illustrations of each card give this deck a somewhat romantic flair but at the same times present deep insight into the meanings of each card. The backs of the cards are stunning also - coloured in deep blue and white with yellow highlights, a design resembling the sigils of the Goetia, showing the infinity symbol in the centre and stars bordered around the outside.

Even though stunningly beautiful, some pictures are not true to the "original" divinatory meaning of the tarot. One disappointment was 5 of Cups - a card usually associated with loss and the message no longer look at what is lost but to "turn around" and appreciate the good that is still there. This card usually shows a person grieving over 3 cups in front of him or her that have been tipped over and spilled out, whilst 2 cups are still standing behind the person. The Medieval Enchantment Tarot shows a person looking at 5 cups hanging in a cloudy sky. Several other cards are also - let's say - opening the possibility for different interpretation then what could be considered "traditional".

All in all an amazing tarot deck worth having and using!

"Meditation upon the Tarot engages the practitioner in deepening levels of magical enlinkment, each of which has especial value and potency for the seeker of the Mysteries of the Cards, and which are accompanied by unfolding efficacy and power." - Nigel Jackson

According to the back of the Medieval Enchantment box, the Nigel Jackson Tarot deck reflects "the artist's research into the classical, medieval, and Roman occult symbolism" and that the enclosed mini-book features detailed interpretations of each card. However, when I read the mini-book and worked with the cards, I didn't find this to be the case from my perspective.

I had seen the Medieval Enchantment deck, also known as the Nigel Jackson Tarot, in several books about the Tarot. From the lovely illustrations I had seen both in books and online, I knew it was a deck I would buy at some point. Well, I bought it several weeks ago, and after spending time exploring the deck, I admit that I'm disappointed.

There are some decks that are beautiful to look at, but they just don't seem to "speak" to the reader. Unfortunately, the Nigel Jackson Tarot was one of those decks. The gentle watercolor illustrations are quite breathtaking, especially the cards depicting sunsets (6 of Staves) and twilight (4 of Swords), as well as fluid rainbow colorings (such as the banner on The World).

I found the 143-page mini-book a chore to read, especially as the author references many esoteric philosophers, Gnostic notions, Pythagorean numerology, Orphic/Mithraic mystical traditions that were entirely unknown to me. I felt that I was reading a mini-history of medieval occultism, without the benefit of an introduction or frame of reference correlating to the Tarot itself.

In fact, the author rarely connects his esoteric associations with the actual imagery of the Medieval Enchantment deck. For example, who is the nude woman with a hairy, owl-like head, red eyes, and fiery aura in the 9 of Swords--and why is she about to touch the reclining figure on the bed? Why does the man in the 10 of Staves hold a whip made out of chains in one hand and a burning book in the other--and who is the crowd in front of him with their backs to him?

Granted, Jackson explains the Major Arcana imagery, such as the horrific fanged face etched in a lunar disk on the Moon card (a bizarre depiction that, in my opinion, was the deal-breaker with me. I showed my husband and he asked me "Does he hate women?" Interesting...since The Moon has a definite correlation with feminine cycles.) The author does provide upright and reversed meanings, but these are entirely based on established traditional meanings adapted from Italian and French cartomancy.

The Swords are associated with Fire and Staves with Air, but this isn't that problematic considering the Medieval Enchantment Tarot follows RWS imagery for the most part. However, it was startling to see the Queen of Swords decked out in a red gown with a red background and a bowl of fire to the side! (I'm used to the Swords=Air and Staves/Wands=Fire association.)

Tarot beginners could certainly use the Nigel Jackson Tarot, although the companion booklet would likely prove quite confusing--not to mention irrelevant the imagery on most of the cards. The mini-book lacks continuity, and is more about Gnostic esotericism rather than medieval culture or sensibilities. A few interesting factoids and points of reflection *are* presented, but most of it reads like detail-laden, disconnected ramblings.

This box set comes with a black organdy bag and the standard Llewellyn white cardboard box with navy edging. However, the Nigel Jackson Tarot also comes with its OWN illustrated box--which is a nice touch.

I did several short spreads, including a few card-of-the-day draws, and none of them seemed relevant in the least. (I had to ponder the images of the Universal Waite to get a message! That's all well and good, but shouldn't a Tarot deck speak for itself?) The Moon card--usually one of the most ethereal and compelling in the Tarot--is grotesquely rendered, resembling a blood-thirsty Hindu deity more than a Gorgon/Medusa figure. It's rare that one card truly ruins a deck, but The Moon from the Nigel Jackson Tarot did just that for me.

There is no question that the Medieval Enchantment deck is well crafted and lovingly illustrated. The images are compelling (such as the "eye" of God striking The Tower ala Babel and the archer, Nimrod), the Aces absolutely stunning, and the watercolor technique is first-rate. However, it's just not a deck I can relate to beyond an aesthetic level and that leaves me truly disappointed.

Even after reviewing dozens of Tarot decks, I still get surprised when one deck seduces me visually and leaves me cold--as well as when another appears to have mediocre or less-than-stunning artistry, but reads like a dream. Such is the fascinating world of finding a Tarot deck that resonates!

(To see 10 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)