The Arthurian Tarot Deck Review

For today’s post, I have decided to do something a bit different. Instead of doing a review of a book, I have decided to do a review of a specific tarot deck. Now, I will preface this by saying that each of us will have decks that more jive with our energies and ones that do not work as well for us.

In this first tarot deck review, I have decided to review The Arthurian Tarot by John and Caitlin Matthews. The deck is illustrated by Miranda Gray. The whole deck can be taken as a massive Hero’s Journey of the soul. This is what happens if one takes on the Hallowquest. This is a spiritual journey using the cards daily that takes over a year to complete. Throughout the seasons of the year, you deepen into one of the four suits of the deck. In this deck, the suits are slightly altered from the traditional cups, pentacles, swords, and wands. Instead, the deck features grails, stones, swords, and arrows.

The major arcana cards take on the classic fool’s journey, but with a message of the Seeker in the Wasteland. This is especially true with the Fool card being called the Seeker within this deck. The message of each of the cards is much the same as the counterpart in the classic Rider-Waite deck, but with a deeply important Arthurian twist. With Merlin taking on the role of Magician, The Lady of the Lake taking the role of The High Priestess, Guinevere taking the role of Empress, Arthur taking the role of Emperor, Taliesin taking the role of Hierophant, Gawain taking the role of Strength, and The Green Knight taking the role of The Devil to name some of the correlations.

On the long Hallowquest Journey, should the reader choose to take it, they will learn as much about the deck as they will about their own unique abilities and goals. The images on the cards are both lovely for divinatory interpretation and also a great portal to inner knowledge through meditation. I would highly recommend this deck to those who are innately interested in the Arthurian legends and would like to deepen in with the archetypes of the lore. I found very much knowledge on the very evocative Hallowquest. I am so happy that I endeavored to make this journey, as it enabled me to learn more about myself. Since the Hallowquest, I have not missed a day of Tarot workings, which has reaffirmed my connection to Oracular work. Although I do not use this deck daily anymore, it is the one that was so important for daily use for over a year, making it very special to me!

I hope you have enjoyed this analysis of a very special tarot deck. My notes on the specialness of this deck to me will hopefully inspire others to pick it up. Have you used this deck? Do you desire to give this one a try? Would you be interested in reading my thoughts on other decks? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the cover of the box of the most recent issuing of this deck. I found the image on https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Arthurian-Tarot-Classic-Coursebook/dp/1859063888/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_2_1/140-8907060-6937269?pd_rd_w=7R71G&content-id=amzn1.sym.1e7a0ba4-f11f-4432-b7d8-1aaa3945be18&pf_rd_p=1e7a0ba4-f11f-4432-b7d8-1aaa3945be18&pf_rd_r=1JT6562KS7XRGDJ8G6KB&pd_rd_wg=7uvEu&pd_rd_r=0b9c273a-e226-4769-a3b5-e9c2659c9aca&pd_rd_i=1859063888&psc=1. 