Sample Reading: Celtic Tarot

What am I not focusing on in my life now
 that I really should be paying more attention to?

Celtic Tarot, Davis 1990

Two aspects of the self need to be released from their captivity, two aspects of hidden or long-suppressed desire. The figures in both the flanking cards orient themselves toward the middle card, Judgement. The Page of Cups points his arms and holds his harp toward Judgement, while the Knight of Wands charges his horse toward it. Both figures are yearning to rise up. Rebirth is what both of these aspects of self really long for. 

Another Rocky Horror Picture Show Reading

Here is a sample reading using the Rocky Horror Spread I created, with feedback from the recipient:

Davis Celtic Tarot 

1) Science Fiction Double Feature -- What influence from your past colours the way you see and experience everything to this day? (In the way that science fiction B movies did for the narrator of this song) -- 4 of Cups
2) Dammit Janet -- What do you feel passionate about in the here and now? --9 of Cups
3) Over at the Frankenstein Place (There's a Light) -- What has suddenly emerged that might be of help to you? (Or does it just seem helpful? Could it be harmful?) -- Page of Pentacles
4) Sweet Transvestite -- Who is the real you? -- Queen of Wands
5) I Can Make You a Man -- What is your greatest strength/skill? -- 5 of Cups 
6) Sword of Damocles -- What is your biggest fear? -- 10 of Wands
7) Rose Tint My World -- What is your greatest desire, ie, what you like to not dream, but be? -- 4 of Swords 
8) I'm Going Home -- What outcome would be the most deeply satisfying to you? -- 10 of Cups

All those cups in your reading make me believe you are led by your emotions and that relationships and feelings are very important in your life. Also, the lack of majors suggests to me that things are going pretty good for you right now, on an even keel, and you've got no big 'life changing' moments or decisions upon you any time soon.

Your past suggests to me that you don't want to feel bored or unfulfilled in life. Perhaps there were examples in your past of people who let life slip by them and you don't want that to happen to you. (4 of cups)

So this has led you to passionately pursue a feeling of deep self-satisfaction and confidence in yourself. Material success isn't the goal for you, but feeling that your life has been a happy one is what matters to you. (9 of cups)

What's coming for me in the next quarter?

It seems like a good time of year to do a reading taking stock of things. So I drew cards for a Celtic Cross this morning, just asking in general what the state of things are in my life and what general trends I can expect in the next three months or so, from Ostara onwards. (I like to celebrate Ostara at the nearest full moon after the Vernal Equinox.) 

Celtic Tarot Davis, Aquarian 1990

Overall, the spread contains a lot of majors, which surprises me as I thought the next few months would be a quieter time in 'grand scheme' of my life, given all I've been through in the last year with my job being in jeopardy. But we have here four major cards! And four court cards suggest both some important interactions with other people and also some character development within myself. 

The draw shows my recent past very clearly indeed. The thing that has been foremost in my mind has been my source of income (Ace of Coins), and after a long, drawn-out process, I have finally received the news that I will be keeping my job (Judgement). Yes, I have been deemed suitable by the powers that be, to continue doing the job I've done for the last seven years. 

It's true as well, that my highest aspiration in recent times (and still today) is to strike a balance in all areas of my life, to find some Temperance in my habits and my thoughts and my approach to my life. I have the tools to achieve this available to me in the Knight of Coins aspect of my character, as I do like to take things slowly, think things over, make informed decisions, develop some good reasons for following through on something. So while it may take me longer to accomplish a goal, it generally stays accomplished. That's true. 

Celtic Tarot: King of Swords

The King of Swords from the Celtic Tarot (Courtney Davis, Aquarian 1990) is probably my favourite depiction of this court character. He is unlike any court card in the deck, and the best King of Swords I've seen in any deck so far. Obviously the first thing that strikes is the penetrating gaze of his huge blue eyes. They beam right out of the card straight into you. There is no doubt at all that he is looking right at you, that he sees you, that he understands what you are about, and that he is already at least three steps ahead of you. 


His chin is down slightly toward his chest, eyes raised. It is a steady gaze, with the slightest hint of a squint from beneath the eyes. He's studying you. Yet his brow is smooth and eyebrows relaxed. He is not afraid of you, and even curious about what behaviour you may display next. His hair,with its straight parting, accompanied by the beard, raises the inevitable comparison to the Shroud of Turin/Jesus image. There is a solemnity, a dignity, a purity and an authority associated with this image that is inescapable here. The purple mantle denotes his regal status and his authority. He holds his sword easily and familiarly. It is like an extension of himself; he is one with it, as he is one with his own mind and his own being. 


The King of Swords is a passionate man, but he is a man in control of himself. He believes:

Is Joey in your tarot?

'In your own favourite deck, does the Knight's horse reflect the Knight's personality? Does the horse's livery reflect the suit's qualities?  Not all Knights are on horses - other creatures are used - do the other animals chosen reflect the Knight's suit, or has it been chosen arbitrarily?'

Alison at This Game of Thrones asks this question, so let's listen to the Knights in Courtney Davis's Celtic Tarot:

Knight of Cups

The Queen of Cups? You're kidding, right?

Celtic Tarot, Davis 1990

I asked for advice on how to deal with work next week, and I drew Queen of Cups. My draw (based on a technique described by Espearite) suggests that before I can deal with anything else, I must start with this. Queen of Cups? Really? This is not how I want to deal with the issue that I had in mind. For one thing, I'm not the Queen of Cups--normally. Usually, I am Queen of Swords. (More on her later). But the draw advises me, the first thing I need to do to deal with this issue next week is to address the Queen of Cups. So, who is this woman, and why should I start with her?

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Coins

All I can say about the suit of Coins in Celtic Tarot is -- you better have your meanings memorized, because you won't be getting much help from these card images! Having looked at them very closely, I can't say I see much to go on intuitively, or many cues to traditional meanings. Do you?? They're very pleasing to look at, but not much to go on.

In each card you get a golden Celtic knot as the 'coin', surrounded by blue knot work borders. Sometimes this border encircles each coin separately, sometimes in groups or clusters. In most cards, these circle borders are either anchored to the outer border by straight lines, or are interwoven into the outer border, like in knitting. A few of the cards have half-moon 'bites' taken out of the sides, but these do not seem to have any symbolic meaning. All meanings given in the companion book by Helena Patterson follow traditional RWS meanings, but I can't find many hints at them in these cards. Just as well as I have them memorised, then!

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Swords

Suit of Swords--Celtic Tarot, Davis  

The first thing I notice about this suit is the arcing of lightning or electricity and its various manifestations throughout. You can see the first stirrings of it on the tip of the sword in the Ace, then the big spark jumping between sword tips in the Two. It's gone in the Three, but beginning to whirl up again behind the swords in the Four, goes a little crazy in the Five, shoots a clear steady beam in the Six, becomes a full on power storm in the Seven, then is pretty much gone in Eight, Nine and Ten. The background of those cards also appears a deeper red. Why? Looking closer, you can see that there is a ball of energy in Eight, a few glimmering pinpoints in Nine, and a few even smaller ones in Ten. Curious...what could it mean?

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Cups

Cups suit from Celtic Tarot, Davis, 3rd edition 2002

The Cups do not lend themselves immediately to a continuous story, as the Wands suit does. There is a thread that runs through them, though. Each card features cups suffused in a kind of effervescent glow, suspended in front of a circular pattern reminiscent of a rose window. The groupings of the Cups and a few subtle cues in the rose window are all the clues you get, really, to help you interpret these cards.

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Wands

Celtic Tarot, Aquarian 1990

I received my second copy of the Celtic Tarot (Courtney Davis) the other day, and have been admiring it since. I believe this is the most beautiful pips-only deck that I have seen yet. In the photo above, I have arranged them so that the bottom row is Wands, next up Cups, then Swords, and the top row is Coins, with courts in a pile at the end of each row. You can see that the suits are linked by colour, inner border style, and in the case of the Coins, by shape of the design. The Wands all feature the Sun, Cups are contained in circles on a blue background, the Swords are red and feature diamond patterns, and the Coins have a green background with Celtic knot discs in gold. Unlike some pip decks, there are many cues to meaning in the design and coloring of each pip card, so it seems like a good idea to have a closer look at them.

Imbolc Spread: How to be a better candle

1) Purify: what I need to wash away, let go of, or make right

2) Prepare: what I can focus on and re-establish (or strengthen) in my life and that will serve me in months ahead

3) Shine: how I can gently shine in my everyday life and that will be of service or inspiration to others 

This spread is featured on Chloe's blog at Inner Whispers, and I liked it so I thought I'd try it out for myself. Apologies for a stream-of-consciousness commentary...

                                 

Hmm. The cards suggest that I need to stop seeing myself in an overly critical light and to be more objective and fair. I also need to stop looking so much at myself, and remember there are other people in the world, all just as 'important' as me. The three cards together seem to point in that same direction, even that last card, which is a whopper.

'Blu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-e! ' (with apologies to LeeAnn Rimes)

And here's the deck. It's not finished yet, but I think it's going to look okay. I feel the need to serenade it.

Celtic Tarot, with super slow drying royal blue pigment ink

(Cue the music...)

'Three o'clock in the mornin'...
You're still not dry
I started this project
Now I'm wonderin' why
ohhhhh
Blu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ue! Oh so inky from you
Why did you get bluuuue...all over...meeee?'

Colouring the Edges of my Celtic Tarot

I don't feel I need to go any further with the Gaian, as I've decided against trimming the borders. To me, it's a tarot. I'm also learning not to be too quick to take a whack at a deck. I have at least one trimmed deck that I truly regret trimming, Roots of Asia. Bless its little heart.

Now, about that Celtic Tarot, the one with the very grubby edges. I finally decided to have a go at colouring the edges to cover up the disgusting grunge (previous owner must have handled that deck a LOT).

The Celtic Tarot by Courtney Davis & Helena Patterson

On a whim (I blame it on Nisaba at Aeclectic Tarot), I have purchased the somewhat hard-to-find deck, The Celtic Tarot (Element, 3rd Edition, 2002).

It arrived today, which was a real surprise as I only just ordered it from ABE Books a couple of days a go. Kudos to them for getting it into the post so quickly. The set I bought includes a sturdy slip case, the deck in its own lightweight box, a softcover guidebook, and a hardcover 'journal', which is entirely blank. I don't know why I didn't realise this deck was coming to me secondhand, considering I paid much less for it than I found it on Amazon. So I was surprised when I opened it to find the edges of the card deck quite grubby, and the 9 of Wands is badly creased, almost like it had been folded over. I think it was most likely an attempted riffle shuffle gone wrong.

As I held the deck, I began to get three very strong impressions. One, this deck needs to be cleansed and consecrated to my own use. Two, there is a lot of pent up energy in this deck, which seems to be coming from its previous owner rather than the cards themselves. Three, the person who used these cards was deeply devoted to them.

Even though just handling the cards made my hands feel grotty, I decided to shuffle and do an impromptu reading on the previous owner. Who was she? (or he?) What did he use the cards for? Why did she get rid of the deck? And I drew: