Customer Reviews

The Sacred Circle Tarot: A Celtic Pagan Journey

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a Tarot beginner. I purchased this as my first deck and, to be completely honest, the reason for my choice was that I saw images from the deck on aeclectic.net and thought that the cards were "pretty."

I love the deck for a lot of reasons. The artwork is beautiful (though the photography doesn't blend well with the computer-gen art on several of the cards). The cards are large, so the details and symbolism are not lost. The choice of landscapes and plantlife depicted on the cards is always appropriate and, well, just lovely in general.

What I do NOT like about this deck is the book. This is not a deck geared to beginners and, though it has its merits, the book is confusing at times. The deck is not a traditional tarot deck, and several broad liberties have been taken in renaming and redefining parts of the Major Arcana. Only the barest descriptions and explanations of spreads are given (though quite a few are shown). More time is spent on the meditative qualities of the cards than on their use and/or meaning in divination. The divination paragraphs regarding each card are often wordy and full of "fluff" that goes with the lore and symbolism that the author put into the imagery. There is no discussion of the placement of different cards in the spread or the relationships between cards. In short, it is a book written with the idea that its reader will already know quite a bit about Tarot.

This deck is nicely done. I've truly enjoyed it. I feel connected to the deck, and I'm glad it was my first choice. My advice, however, to any other beginners, is that you start elsewhere (like the Rider deck which has SO many books and tutorials written about it) before diving into a "different" deck like this one.

The Sacred Circle tarot is a lovely deck with beautiful, rich colours and a decidedly British Neo-Pagan slant. I would not recommend it for beginners, either beginning Tarot readers or those just starting on a Pagan path.

Five stars for the Major Arcana! There has been some re-ordering with which I do not necessarily agree, and some of the image substitution is difficult to integrate, but generally these cards are easy to understand and welcoming as well as beautiful. Easy to understand, that is, if you've been a practicing pagan for a while and have a good grounding in the underlying mythology. Oherwise you might have trouble.

The minor arcana is not so well done. Although they purport to show full images, many of the numbered suit cards are little better than pip cards and very hard to read. There are little one-word definitions on each card, but I find this annoying rather than helpful. There are inconsistencies in the imagery -- e.g., wands might appear as spears or arrows or wands depending on the card. Sometmes this is explained in the book, but I'm a firm believer in internal card logic, so I found the necessity of explanation irritating.

Throughout the deck the imagery and symbology is extremely personal to the makers. In most cases their actualy interpretations haven't changed so, once again, an experienced reader will be able to get it fairly easily but a beginner may not get the connections. There are also places where the main symbol of the card is either practically invisible or pretty much unintelligible without recourse to the book. This is something I really don't like. You can read these cards intuitively, but it takes some doing.

The book is a thick one and it gives detailed descriptions of every card, as well as an overview of the fool's journey and several new spreads you might want to try.

I probably would not have bought these cards if I had been able to examine a full deck in advance, but they are turning out to be quite popular with clients. Readings with them so far have stressed personal responsibility and introspection rather than outward action, and they tend to have a gentler feel than readings with some other decks. This is a good addition to a Pagan reader's toolkit -- not a starting point, but a deck with which to explore a particular focus more deeply.

It's funny how every tarot deck works a little different, with a somewhat different character & personality about it... My Sacred Circle tarot readings seem to have a certain economy, brevity, & succinct quality about them. I seem to get complete answers in much fewer cards, sometimes only one, which manages to speak volumes... It's hard to explain why this is (maybe it's because it's generally a "swordsy" deck containing crisp yet surreal imagery?), but this doesn't often happen with the other decks I own (eg. The Mythic Tarot) though I like using them for different reasons. Also, though I have small hands, I *like*, prefer, & seek big tarot cards like these, and the non-symmetrical beautiful imagery on the backs of the cards doesn't distract or influence my readings in any way whatsoever. Expect to get the truth & a reality check from your readings with this deck, and not to be filled full of a lot of new age/pop-psych. fluffy stuff. If you're looking for a powerful oracle that will cut to the chase & "get real" with you & your querents, unafraid to bring seekers up short on occasion, this is it. I could feel a potent metaphysical energy about this deck while it was still wrapped in the box. Anna Franklin & Paul Mason, you've made this seeker a very happy customer... : )

At 11:30pm I am suddenly wakened by a loud crashing outside my window. My first thought was "What, did the balcony collapse?" Going to the balcony I see it's fine, I look below. There, on my neighbor's patio is a large branch off the tree not 10 feet away.

Shaken, now unable to sleep, I turn to the Tarot. The Sacred Circle Tarot has been my constant companion for not quire a month now. I shuffle, cut and draw a card. Page of Cups, keyword given by the author is Reflection. The image; a young man on one knee beside a small creek, trees and nature all around. He holds a silver cup. A fish jumps before him. He is deep in thought and reflection.

To me this is a card of emotional and intuitive perceptions, a cleansing and awakening. The author describes it on a personal level as being a time of reflecting on the experiences you've recently been through and beginning to see the great value within. It is a time of going within to examine the true self.

This is something I have very much been going through. I have recently been through some tough things and am beginning to pull myself back together. I woke tonight for a reason. Now as I sit here, I think that a bit of a shake me up was something I needed. The Page of Cups is telling me it's time to go within, see the truth of who I really am, re-asses things, and begin to truly move forward.

I think that just over the short period since the Sacred Circle Tarot arrived I have learned so much. This is a deck that has truly spoken to me. When the day cam that I expected the deck to be in my box, I drew a card; Four of Pentacles - Insecurity, Fear of not accomplishing goals. Wow, right on target! It was there!

When I first drew a card it was like magic. Key 15 - The Tower - Release, Move On, The way forward is clear. I set the rest of the deck down on the bed in front of me and began a close examination of the card. As I glanced up I saw that I had laid the deck down with the bottom card showing. Six of Cups - Memories, Innocence, Desire for change. The image was a distant view of that same tower.

The cards are truly beautiful! The deck combines photography of Ireland and the British Isles with images of people and computer imagery. The borders have plants and animals that apply to each card and the actual border frame representing the appropriate elemental correspondence. All together they give a vibrance and essence that makes me feel as though I really could walk right into the card. Meditating with this deck is amazing! Never before have I had such a feeling of oneness from Tarot Meditations.

Most books on a specific deck can tend to be rather dry and often either just restating the obvious or so into the background that interest is lost. Anna Franklin has done a great job of finding the happy middle point. Each card is described, symbolism and a brief introduction to the location shown, its myths and legends is discussed and the divinatory meaning is given. The Major Arcana discusses additional items such as what the Totem Animals present represent and the Fools Journey.

There are several changes to the Majors that I feel are quite appropriate and are well suited to this deck. The fool is changed to the Green Man as a symbol of primal energy. The High Priest is the Magician; The Lady, The Empress; The Lord, The Emperor; The Druid, The Heirophant; The Warrior, Strength; The Shaman, The Hermit; The Web, Justice; Sacrifice, The Hanged Man; Initiation, Temperance; The Underworld, The Devil; Rebirth, Judgement; and The World Tree, is The World. I wish I could describe each card, although the names are different the imagery and symbolism speaks clearly and true to the more traditional versions.

The author describes the Sacred Circle as a Celtic Pagan Journey. As a Pagan I do find this deck connects strongly with my very earth based beliefs. I also feel that it is something that anyone who chooses to pick up this deck and begin the dance of the Sacred Circle, Panag, Celtic or not, will find a well spring of spiritual growth and light.

May the Tarot speak to us all, and through the blessings of the God and Goddess may our spirits soar!

Closing Card - The Wheel - Ebb and Flow, Change, Growth, Intuition, Enlightenment.

Not only is this deck visually stunning, but it is easy to use and accurate as well, and amply conveys the spirit of the Celtic tradition, though in a new and evocative way. Some digital decks suffer in that they are overly surreal, but that is not the case here, where the full spiritual import of the card meanings and the atmosphere of the sacred has been portrayed wonderfully. The order of the Major Arcana has been altered slightly to fit in with the authors' interpretation of the journey of the Fool through the major cards, but that doesn't cause problems as the archetypes are still recognisable (besides, many other tarot artists have played around with the ordering sequence, including Crowley). The images on the cards are beautiful, vibrant and mysterious...absolutely gorgeous!

The book which accompanies the deck is clear and informative, and the part devoted to explaining British paganism is absorbing.

Elen Hawke (In The Circle, The Sacred Round)

I first saw this deck online at a tarot review website, and fell in love with the design and graphics. I was thrilled when I got it, and the graphics were everything I'd hoped for. It's beautiful, the mix of photography, digital art and colouring is well blended and I really love the historic landmarks they used.

However.

The book, quite frankly, sucks. While I appreciated the explanations of the revised Major Arcana, it's interpretations leave a great deal to be desired. Instead of the traditional idea that a card reversed is opposite in it's original meaning, here reversed is almost universally negative. Trust me, you do *not* want to get the 9 of swords reversed with this book! Instead of a normal 50/50 chance of a negative result, it's increased to something like a 75 % chance of a negative result. Ick. I dislike the stacking of the odds.

I still love the deck, but the book's been gathering dust for years.

I have had my Sacred Circle set since this past mid-October, and am still wondering if I know it well enough to review it! It is a complex deck, and a beautiful one. The cohesive details that enrich each card, the border symbols, the associated herbs, etc. are enchanting and add to the magic of each card. As a Celtic Pagan of Celtic ancestry, I can't help but feel touched by ancestral bonds each time I am using this deck, reminded of a past that lives still in both people and places. So why then, am I still feeling a touch uncomfortable with a deck that seems "right down my alley" as the old saying goes? Perhaps I am so conditioned by having learned Tarot on the RWS deck, with it's Christian influences, that I can't quite totally embrace SC yet. Perhaps it is not that at all, but the difference in a deck that is not all drawn art. I do know I wish the pip cards were either not abstract or had no "key words" on them. Beginners like this sort of thing, but eventually one finds it limiting. One reviewer said he "enhanced" the deck by going over all those reminders with a black marker... I still haven't ruled that out! Also, the cards are large, and not comfortable for use in my hands, but that is a minor quibble and in fact, I'd rather be able to see the details so well. I totally agree with another reviewer here who wrote of the wonderul earth connection this deck inspires. Overall, I have to say I love more of it than I dislike, and would not hesitate to recommend it, but for those I feel it would be right for.

It is a visually beautiful, even stunning deck, yet without undue extravagance. It is obviously the end product of a great amount of work and artistry. While the Major Arcana has had some changes in name and order, it still retains pretty much the traditional meanings, with a few subtle differences. The minor arcana, done in pip fashion, has had a lot of changes to the meanings. On top of each card there is a one-word descriptive meaning of each card. I personally find this annoying, but extend the charge to all decks which have such descriptions. First of all, it doesn't describe or allow for the change in meaning that inevitably occurs depending on the position and surrounding cards in the spread. Secondly, I and presumably many others do not use some of the meanings given. I felt so strongly about it that I took a black, magic marker and blacked out all the meanings. My readings are much better now. I prefer not to think of it as defacing tarot cards, but personalizing them! Despite this criticism, I am now using the deck to great advantage, and heartily recommend the deck to others.

I must begin by saying that this is my deck of choice when reading for others or performing a serious reading for myself. I normally work with three decks, each for specific situations, but this is my favorite. The references to place apparent on the cards, and the significance applied to them, coupled with the divinatory meaning and standard symbology make reading this deck simple, and simply delightful. The ability to ascertain the reversed position of a card is inconsequential, as no card has an impact until it is turned. I think all of the "much ado about nothing" has more to do with habit than divination. It matters not that some of the cards are changed, either by name or place or divinatory significance; nowadays, it seems that unless you use the "traditional tarot deck" there will always be discrepancies. The book is an excellent read and very informative, the fool's journey is an excellent meditation and bonding tool with the deck, all in all these will remain, hands down, my favorite cards.

I want to say that it is a beautiful deck with one problem I found.

The pictures were NOT what I expected. They are scanned pictures of real people in costume merged over an artistic background. I would have preferred all art and not real people pictures.

I would suggest looking at the deck in person if you can before you decide to own a set, just to make sure you are getting what you want.