IN REVIEW:
The Greenwood Tarot

© by MichelAngelo, Consultant


Although many of you might not guess this fact by virtue of my "nom de Tarot," I have probably at least as much Celtic blood coursing through my veins as Italian. This Celtic heritage has expressed itself from an early age; initially, in a fascination with all things "Arthurian" -- especially Mary Stewart's wonderful Merlin tetralogy -- and, since I have become an intuitive consultant, in the acquisition of Celtic divination decks. As of November of 1996, I already had in my possession The Celtic Book of the Dead, The Celtic Tarot, The Celtic Tree Oracle, The Beasts of Albion oracle, The Arthurian Tarot (Caitlin and John Matthews), The Merlin Tarot, The Dreampower Tarot, and Legend: The Arthurian Tarot.

So, needless to say, when I read about the publication of The Greenwood Tarot by Mark Ryan and Chesca Potter, I resolved to add it to my continuously-burgeoning collection. I should probably mention that The Greenwood Tarot is the 4th new deck to be published by Harper Collins in the last 2 years. The previous releases, The William Blake Tarot of the Creative Imagination (Ed Buryn), The Alchemical Tarot, and the Angels Tarot (both by Robert M. Place), are each wonderful additions to the Tarot oeuvre, both for artistic and esoteric content, and, in my opinion, The Greenwood Tarot continues to adhere to the established precedent. (In light of the high merit of their Tarot publications, one can only lament the fact that Harper Collins will no longer be publishing Tarot decks, due to their perceived lack of commercial return -- or so it has been reported to me. It is to be hoped that they will reconsider such a choice, or that some other publishing house will be willing to assume the burden.)

Prior to the commercial release of The Greenwood Tarot here in the United States, I was able to attend a workshop, hosted by The Tarot School, and meet both Mark Ryan and Chesca Potter, the deck's co-creators. Some of you may be familiar with Chesca's wonderful artwork from her illustrations of some 10 of John and Caitlin Matthews' books on Celtic shamanism and other subjects, as well as the recently released Celtic Shaman's Pack. Mark enjoys a more commercially visible status as an original cast member and writer of the innovative though short-lived British television series, Robin of Sherwood, and can frequently be encountered in this capacity at various sci-fi conventions.

I found the deck on first glance to be very beautiful and evocative, full of recognizably Celtic and shamanic imagery. Mark and Chesca laid the cards out in the form of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, and then proceeded to give us an overview of their interpretation of the Tarot.

Though the symbolism of the cards can be readily connected with that of more traditional decks, the authors have put their own unique spin on the Major Arcana, renaming several cards. They combined the Hanged Man and Tower cards into one, The Blasted Oak, and added a new Arcanum, Reflection, which embodies qualities both of the High Priestess and that "lost" 4th Virtue, Prudence. Since they have elected to correlate the sequence of the Major Arcana with the 4 seasons and the major divisions of the Celtic year, the cards are not ordered in the customary manner.

Another unexpected (and delightful) innovation is the "zoomorphosis" of the Court Cards, all of which are recast as shamanic totem animals. Both Mark and Chesca clearly share a strong allegiance and identification with the wonders of Nature, beautifully expressed in this deck. Each has contributed a great deal to the overall concept; the accompanying book, although truncated for inclusion in the Harper Collins "standard" pack, is quite informative, and a follow-up, comprehensive volume is currently in the works. The package also contains a foldout diagram of the cards arranged in their appropriate places on the Wheel (which also appears in the book).

I found the pair to be articulate and enjoyable presenters, and the lecture was accompanied by full-color slides of the Major Arcana, which greatly enhanced the overall experience.

While both co-creators emphasize a major focus of the deck to be meditation (with an eye to shamanic journeying), Mark also demonstrated the Bow Spread, one which is definitely geared toward creative problem solving, and which complements the entire Greenwood conception. I had a rather lengthy chat with Chesca on the day after the workshop when I purchased one of her drawings. (It's an original sketch for the Pole Star card, later modified for the final version and thus a real collector's item; it is extremely beautiful, and now hangs on the "Tarot wall" of my living room next to a print of the Dali Tarot 3 of Wands and The World card from The Alchemical Tarot.)

We discussed the possibility of using The Greenwood Tarot for "standard" Tarot readings. I mentioned to her that, in my practice, I customarily "synergize" symbolic content from several decks at one time in the course of a consultation, using primarily Voyager Tarot and Rider-Waite although I am fond of the William Blake Tarot of the Creative Imagination, The Alchemical Tarot and the Light and Shadow Tarot, and use them as well. (My feeling is that the subconscious mind of the Querent is frequently aware of "alternative" shades of meaning from different decks and that there really is no inherent conflict between the 4 of cups/Anger in Voyager and the Rider 4 of Cups, although there are those practitioners who would no doubt dispute me on this. Moreover, the value of this sort of approach is borne out time and again in my practice.)

Chesca said that she thought that someone who could relate to the symbolism of The Greenwood Tarot in this fashion would be able to use it for "ordinary" types of divination, so, with that in mind, I decided to do a reading for this article. I decided to ask about a proposal that I recently submitted to a major consciousness center for a seminar series on men and intuition (which, not coincidentally, will include Mark Ryan, co-creator of The Greenwood Tarot).

I chose to do a simple 4 card reading -- Past, Present, Future, Result -- and these were the cards I selected:

1. Past: The Hermit
This is the #15 card of the Major Arcana, and is associated, on the Celtic Wheel of the Year, with the midwinter solstice and the suit of Earth. A description of the card is as follows (from the accompanying guidebook):

"A lone hooded figure stands before an ancient oak. It is midwinter. Thick snow covers the ground and the branches of the tree. The Hermit is garbed in an evergreen holly and berry coat. He holds a stout staff in one hand and a lantern to light the pathway in the other. The flame burns red and gold but its heart is green. In the great tree is a battered and moss-covered wooden doorway. Through the swollen timbers a warm light spills into the evening gloom. The inside of the great tree appears inviting, a haven from the chilling air. Above the doorway is a wheel-like wreath of holly and evergreen foliage. On a cold stone rising from the frozen earth a wren watches and waits."

One can certainly see the similarity between this Hermit and the traditional symbolism associated with the card. We see him bearing his lantern, showing the way to a new wisdom and inner knowing. The doorway in the tree represents the unknown, and is likewise an entrance into the spirit world. In brief, the card indicates a "time of solitude and contemplation."

This card is certainly evocative of the past conditions vis-à-vis the question, a period of gestation and quiet contemplation. The Hermit guide points to an innovative kind of wisdom, indicative of the nature of the project, which has to do with a kind of understanding that is not acquired in an active way in the world, but by an inner quest.

2. Present: 9 of Arrows - Dedication
Arrows correspond to the suit of Swords in traditional decks, with the attendant associations. 9's, according to their position on the Wheel, correspond to the time of the full moon, and the Seer card (like the High Priestess). The card depicts a warrior figure surrounded by 9 arrows in the "woodblock" style which is characteristic of the Minor Arcana in this deck. The text says:

"The spiritual warrior dedicates his arrows of inspiration by playing the bow as an instrument. The inner oath helps keep one on a balanced footing by dedicating skills to a greater good."

This card certainly describes the present situation with respect to my question, as the idea which gestated in the previous card is then communicated to the world with the intention of bringing its wisdom to a wider audience for the benefit of others.

It can, of course, be seen that this card bears no symbolic resemblance to a "standard" 9 of Swords, but the meaning is readily apparent in context, and traditional interpretations of the 9 of Swords would also apply. Moreover, the traditional qualities of "9-ness" would seem to apply, i.e., a focus on universal concerns. Moreover, although The Hermit card is not the 9th Major Arcanum, Hermit-like qualities are likewise relevant.

3. Future: 8 of Wands - Hearthfire
Wands are wands; 8's correspond to the midwinter solstice, and thus the Hermit (again) and Judgment of the Majors. The card shows 8 green wands with a central fire, and the text says,

"Hope leading to the attainment of innermost dreams and desires. Fueling your soul with belief in yourself and natural justice."

I love this concept and image, and it certainly augurs well for my project. Again, no obvious link with our traditional 8 of Wands suggests itself, though the concept of "swiftness" certainly comes into play as I wait for a reply to my proposal! Once again, the energy of the Hermit expresses itself through this card.

4. Result: Balance (Temperance)
The #6 of the Majors, associated with Beltane. It sits on the "cusp" of the elements of Fire and Air, between Spring and Summer.

"The image is based on the Pictish symbols of two entwined horses. The red and white energies represent the basic colors of a primal world -- blood, fire and iron are red; milk, ash and bone are white. These colors are particularly relevant to Beltane as it lies upon the Wheel between Fire (red) and Air (white), and from these interactions comes the creative impulse. The ancient symbol of the caduceus is echoed by the double helix of DNA, the building block of life, where each strand contains the information of the whole. The green mound represents the healthy land and at its centre is the universal egg of creation. The mound is arched over by the spectrum of the creation. The fleur-de-lis of the yellow iris represents the interlacing at the heart of nature and the concept that two energies become one living entity with three separate but co-existing parts. The human face of the Greenwood has both a light and a dark side..."

Strong connections between this Balance card and the traditional Temperance card can be readily discerned. The interweaving and counterpoise between two polarities is an integral part of the creative process, and is seen in the powerful image of the equine caduceus. The red and white dragons also suggest the ida and pingala pathways of the human energetic system, as well as the twin pillars of Boaz and Jachin found in the High Priestess card; thus the middle path, the path of creativity, is signified by the point of contact, and can be seen as analogous to the channel along which kundalini travels, clearing the chakras and bringing enlightenment. The text says:

"The time is right to rest and contemplate all the facets of your existence," as well as "inner harmony, balance of powers, fusion of ideas, blending or merging the inner world with the higher consciousness."

This card perfectly suggests the essentially creative nature of my project, and the condition in which I now find myself, as I must temper my impatience while I wait for an answer from the relevant parties. Moreover, I chose this card from the Voyager Tarot as my "card for the day" earlier today, so it seems entirely appropriate that it should reappear here.

I think that you will agree that one can use The Greenwood Tarot for Tarot divination, and that connections can be made to traditional Tarot elements and interpretation without great difficulty. I would, however, say that the primal energy of these images would be most appropriate for work on the inner planes, and many of the archetypes represented in the deck do present themselves for contemplation comparatively uncontaminated by association with other esoteric systems.

In conclusion, The Greenwood Tarot should be a welcome addition to any collector's "hoard," and I would enthusiastically recommend it to the Tarot practitioner who wishes to utilize its beautiful imagery and profound symbolism in consultations.



About the author:


MichelAngelo has a long established private consultancy in the intuitive arts in Manhattan, Creative Divinations, and specializes in healing applications of Tarot, astrology and numerology. He has sponsored and taught Tarot workshops with Dr. James Wanless, Mary K. Greer and Ed Buryn, as well as creating his own workshops in Manhattan and elsewhere. He has recently been featured as a guest Tarot expert on "Renaissance Radio" on WALE-FM (Providence, RI), and will be co-host of the program with Robert M. Place beginning in June of 1997.



Contact the author at:

creadiv@msn.com




This article appeared in the July / August 1997 issue.