Celtic Tarot (Gaudenzi)

Creator(s): Giacinto Gaudenzi, Saverio Tenuta
Date: 2000
Country: Italy
Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-0738700137  
Type: RWS
Reference:  Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV, pp. 267, 268

  




Notes:
The Celtic Tarot is illustrated by two different  artists. The Major Arcana were created by Gaudenzi in a style that is found in book illustrations. His work appears to be pen and ink colored with watercolors. The Minors Arcana are by Tenuto and recalls comic book art. The Majors were originally released in 1994 as an art deck under the name of Tarochi Celtici, and the Minors were added some years later and the deck re-released.

The Major Arcana's images are from Celtic folklore and fairytales. The Minors are based on the Rider Waite symbolism with the suits being attributed to Irish tribes. Wands represent the Fomori, Pentacles are the Tuatha De Danaan, Swords are the Ulaid, and Chalices are the Fianna. The deck attributes Wands to Air and Swords to Fire. The Court Cards follow the traditional pattern- Knave, Knight, Queen King.

The deck comes with a LWB that briefly explains the legends associated with each Major Arcana card.

El Tarot de los Druidas

Creator(s): Pierre Ripert, Severino Baraldi
Date: 2009
Country: Spain
Publisher: De Vecchi
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-84-315-4129-3 
Type: other
Reference: De Vecchi





 


Notes:
Pierre Ripert is a French author and journalist specializing in ancient history magazines. Severino Baraldi is a well known Italian comic illustrator and tarot artist. His true metier is the historical painting.

The numbering of the cards is : Magician to World as 1 to 21, the Fool is 22, Justice is 8 and Strength is 11.  The Minors are numbered 23 to 78 and have no suit signs. The Majors are associated with characters from celtic mythology and have no traditional titles.

The suits are Espadas (Swords) representing winter and the element of air, Copas (Cups) spring and the element of earth,  Bastos(Wands) summer and the element of fire and Oros (Coins) autumn and the element of water.

The cards are larger than usual ( 6 1/4" long and 3 1/4" wide). The packaging is typical De Vecchi, a  robust flip-top cardboard box containing the deck and the mini-book The book is Spanish only, but very informative. Pierre Ripert presents the Celtic society,  the Celtic pantheon and explains the Celtic Tree Alphabet

The Sacred Circle Tarot

Creator(s): Anna Franklin, Paul Mason
Date: 1998
Country: USA
Publisher: Llewellyn
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-1-56718-457-0  
Type: other
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV, pp. 504, 505




Notes:
Anna Franklin, a Priestess in the British Pagan Tradition, and graphic designer Paul Mason created a deck based on the idea (suggested by R. J. Stewart) that the Tarot had its origins with the bards of Celtic culture. Many of the Christian or Kabalistic symbolism has been removed and replaced with symbolism of the ancient Celts.The images on the cards are a composite of photographs taken of various sacred sites around the British Isles, combined with computer generated artwork and traditional drawing assembled in Adobe Photoshop. 

The Major Arcana consists of - The Green Man [Fool], The High Priest [Magician], the High Priestess, The Lady [Empress], The Lord [Emperor], The Druid [Heirophant], the Lovers, the Chariot, the Warrior [Strength], the Shaman [Hermit], The Wheel, the Web [Justice], Sacrifice [the Hanged Man], Death, Initiation [Temperance], the Underworld [the Devil], the Tower, the Star, the Moon, the Sun, Rebirth [Judgement], and the World Tree [the World].

The suit of wands is associated with the season of summer, the wand, arrow or spear, the direction of the south, noonday, the element of fire, the power of transmutation, the spiritual impulse and the energy of creativity. The suit of cups is associated with the season of autumn, the cup, grail or cauldron, the direction of the west, twilight, the element of water, the emotions, intuition, psychic faculties and the growth of the spirit. 



The suit of discs is associated with the season of winter, the disc, shield or stone, the direction of the north, midnight, the element of earth, practical and material matters. The suit of swords is associated with the season of spring, the athame of the magician, the direction of the east, sunrise, the element of air and the power of the mind.

The Sacred Circle Tarot is only available as a boxed set that includes the book The Sacred Circle Tarot: A Celtic Pagan Journey also by Franklin and Mason (336 pages).

Wildwood Tarot

Creator(s): Mark Ryan, John Matthews, Will Worthington
Date: 2011
Country: USA
Publisher: Sterling
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8106-3
Type: RWS
Reference: artist's page 

Notes:
The Wildwood Tarot is a reconception of The Greenwood Tarot, which was published in 1996 by Thorsons. The Wildwood Tarot  draws inspiration from pre-Celtic mythology and shamanic mysteries including the Green Man and Woman.

While the names of the Major Arcana cards differ from those in the RWS, many of the cards images are similar to the RWS Majors:

0 - The Wanderer
1 - The Shaman
2 - The Seer
3 - The Green Woman
4 - The Green Man
5 - The Ancestor
6 - The Forest Lovers
7 - The Archer
8 - The Stag
9 - The Hooded Man
10 - The Wheel
11 - The Woodward
12 - The Mirror
13 - The Journey
14 - Balance
15 - The Guardian
16 - The Blasted Oak
17 - The Pole Star
18 - The Moon on Water
19 - The Sun of Life
20 - The Great Bear
21 - The World Tree

The suits are Arrows (Swords/Air/Spring), Bows (Wands/Fire/Summer), Stones (Pentacles/Earth/Winter) and Vessels (Cups/Water/Autumn). The Court Cards, King, Queen, Knight and Page of each suit are animals.  The subtitle for each Court Card is the name of the animal pictured on the card. The Ace through Ten of each suit are also given subtitles.

The reversible backs of the cards are  forest green with a thin white border and tiny copyright attributions. 

Tarot of the Sidhe

Creator(s): Emily Carding
Date: 2011
Country: USA
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Number of Cards: 78 
ISBN: 978-0-7643-3599-0  
Type: other
Reference:  schiffer

Notes:
This edition of the Tarot of the Sidhe has 78 cards with original, colourful Faerie paintings. There also exists a sold-out  majors-only version from Adam McLean.

The artist claims that the deck is painted through direct inspiration from the Sidhe, (pronounced Shee, the ancient Gaelic name for the Faery race).

The cards use original, non-derivatory symbolism within traditional Tarot structure. The Major Arcana retain their traditional titles, with the following exceptions: Pan replaces the Devil and the Hierophant becomes the Elder. Justice is VIII, Strength is XI. The suits are: Dreamers / Air, Warriors / Fire, Dancers / Water and Makers / Earth. The Court card titles are King, Queen, Prince and Princess. The backs are a solid black, with a non-reversible center image in gray of the Great Glyph of the Sidhe.

The deck and 96 page companion book-with a foreword by John Matthews- come in a sturdy cardboard box with a lift-off top.

Legend : The Arthurian Tarot

Creator(s): Anna-Marie Ferguson
Date: 1995 , second edition 1999
Country: USA
Publisher: Llewellyn
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 9781567182675
Type: RWS
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV, pp. 393, 397





Notes:
The deck is also known as the Avalon Tarot ( but there is another Avalon Tarot by Viglioglia from Lo Scarabeo).

The back design shows the labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral. The suits are swords, spears, cups and shields. All majors have their standard title plus an additional title belonging to the Arthurian Legend except the devil, which has been renamed "The Horned One"

The deck includes an extra card on which is a dragon, totem of Pendragon, Arthurs male lineage. The set also contains a layout sheet and a 304-page book titled "A Keeper of Words