Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings. Today’s post is going to be another Major Arcana analysis and walkthrough of the Fool’s Journey. This time the focus will be on The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson. Each of these Major Arcana cards is associated with different figures from Welsh myth and folklore, especially from the Mabiongion. Without further ado, here’s the Major Arcana breakdown card by card!
0. The Fool: PEREDUR
~The first unnumbered card of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Peredur. Peredur is the original Welsh version of the Knight known as Percival in the French Romances and Parzifal in the German Romances. He is the original Grail Knight who is known for his naiveté, as he has been sheltered by his mother due to her fear that he may one day become a Knight, as his father was, and die like his father did leaving her alone! His naiveté is the ideal reason to use him as the Fool, ready to go on his quest, full of optimism and hope for the new adventure.
- The Magician: GWYDION
~The card numbered one of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Gwydion. Gwydion is the Uncle of Llew Llaw Gyffes and brother of Arianrhod, who raised Llew. As a great magician, it is Gwydion, with the help of his own Uncle Math who created the Goddess Blodeuwedd from flowers to be the wife of Llew. Given his iconic status as a powerful Mage, he is a great choice for the Magician Card!
2. The Priestess: CERIDWEN
~The card numbered two of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Ceridwen. Ceridwen is a Welsh Goddess of Transformation, often most remembered in the tale of Taliesin and how he gained enlightenment, along with the ire of the Goddess by drinking her magickal brew of Awen! Given her status as a magickal practitioner as well as a Goddess, she is a perfect choice for the Priestess Card.
3. The Empress: RHIANNON
~The card numbered three of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Rhiannon. Rhiannon is the Welsh Goddess of Horses and Sovereignty who is known for her story of perseverance and taking on an unfair punishment with her head held high, finally getting redeemed when her innocence is proven! Given her poise, her status as a mother, and proven fertility, this Faery Queen Goddess is a good choice for the Empress Card.
4. The Emperor: BRAN THE BLESSED
~The card numbered four of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Bran the Blessed. Bran is the High King of the Isle of the Mighty, a God remembered for his association with his namesake Raven and being a Giant God who could use his body to bridge a chasm to help his warriors get from one place to another during the rescue of his sister, Branwen! He is a powerful protective figure who is an ideal choice for the Emperor Card.
5. The Hierophant: TALIESIN
~The card numbered five of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Taliesin. Taliesin is the Great Bard of Wales, who was born twice, the second time by the Goddess Ceridwen after the famed chase. He is the most intelligent and talented of all Bards, gifted with immense knowledge by the Awen portion, Taliesin is the ideal representation of the teacher aspect of the Hierophant Card!
6. The Lovers: THE DREAM OF MACSEN WLEDIG
~The card numbered six of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by the Dream of Macsen Wledig. This is the tale of Macsen Wledig, a Roman Emperor during the Roman occupation of Britain, who had a dream of a lovely woman. This lovely woman is Elen of the Ways, as we call her today, and he finds her eventually with the help of his men, after nearly wasting away from longing for his dream woman (a very common Faery theme). This is a perfect representation of the Lovers Card given the romantic nature of this tale!
7. The Chariot: MANAWYDAN
~The card numbered seven of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Manawydan. Manawydan is a brother of Bran the Blessed and Branwen. He famously is remembered as a seasoned warrior and for being the second husband of the Goddess Rhiannon. His warrior nature gives the energy of forward momentum that the Chariot Card is best known for!
8. Strength: TWRCH TRWYTH
~The card numbered eight of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Twrch Trwyth. Twrch Trwyth is a fierce wild boar that is featured in the tale of Kilhwch and Olwen, which is one of the earliest Arthurian legends found in The Mabinogion. The choice of a wild boar to represent the Strength Card is fitting, as a wild animal and a human girl usually appear to represent different aspects of strength, although in this card the human is a man, not a woman.
9. The Hermit: MYRDDIN
~The card numbered nine of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Myrddin. Myrddin is an old Welsh name for the famed Arthurian figure Merlin! This is the aspect of Merlin who spent years in the Woodland, reeling in Madness, which is a very interesting choice for the Hermit Card. He definitely embodied the solitary and intelligent aspects of the Hermit!
10. Wheel of Fortune: ARIANRHOD
~The card numbered ten of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Arianrhod. Arianrhod is the Goddess of the Silver Wheel, the sister of Gwydion, the niece of Math, and the mother of Llew Llaw Gyffes. She is a great choice for the Wheel of Fortune card due to her association with wheels, cycles, and fate!
11. Justice: LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN
~The card numbered eleven of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by the Lady of the Fountain. The Lady of the Fountain is the lady love of Owaine, son of Uriens and nephew of King Arthur. He finds her after completing a quest and she is known to tend her fountain in her regal elegance, a true Faery Priestess and Faery Queen task. She must be won over not once but twice by Owaine, which shows her as a Faery who tests worthiness, and the role of testing the Knight does lead her to dispense Justice. That makes her a lovely choice for the Justice Card!
12. The Hanged Man: ENCHANTMENT OF DYFED
~The card numbered twelve of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Enchantment of Dyfed. The Enchantment of Dyfed is a story that takes place in the Third Branch of The Mabinogion. It is the story of Pryderi becoming trapped in an Enchanted land of Dyfed, and this trapped Enchantment makes for a good choice for the energy of the Hanged Man Card!
13. Death: ARAWN
~The card numbered thirteen of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Arawn. Arawn is a Faery King of Death in the Otherworld of Annwn who famously switched places with Pwyll Prince of Dyfed. Arawn is a great choice for the Death Card, given that he is a God of Death!
14. Temperance: KEEPER OF THE WELL
~The card numbered fourteen of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by the Keeper of the Well. The Keeper of the Well is one of the Well Maidens, who were famous for the story of how the land became a Wasteland, with the tragic rape of the Well Maidens. The title of the tale alone will tell you that the Well Keepers are defiled by the King’s men and that affront to nature and the horrors suffered by the Faery women ravage the land! The Keeper of the Well is a great choice for the Temperance Card because she is the one who tends the Well and had the King and his men showed control, had tempered their desires, the horrors would never have happened!
15. The Horned One: THE WILD HERDSMAN
~The card numbered fifteen of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by the Wild Herdsman. The Wild Herdsman is an ideal representation of the Devil Card, as this card is normally called, because it is shown as the traditional and iconic Horned God! Interestingly this is not just one single Horned God being represented, but many are mentioned in the guidebook. Personally, I see this card as featuring Gwyn Ap Nudd, Faery God, and Lord of the Wild Hunt of Welsh lore!
16. The Tower: BALA LAKE
~The card numbered sixteen of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Bala Lake. Bala Lake is a lake in Welsh legend known for signaling when negative omens were coming. This is a great choice for the Tower Card, as the Tower is all about shocking change and cleansing destruction!
17. The Star: BRANWEN
~The card numbered seventeen of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Branwen. Branwen is the Princess of the Isle of the Mighty who was married to the High King of Ireland. She endured horrible treatment and was rescued by her brother Bran and his men in a great war but with much loss. Branwen is an interesting choice to represent the eternal hope of the Star Card, however, she did endure all of her pains without ever giving up hope of being saved, up until crumbling under the loss of so many of her loved ones, so I do understand that her desire to keep the hope alive does make sense for this card!
18. The Moon: LAKE OF MAIDENS
~The card numbered eighteen of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by the Lake of Maidens. The Lake of Maidens is an important part of the tale of Blodeuwedd. It is called the Lake of Maidens because it is the Lake where all of her Ladies drown while being chased by an angry Gwydion after Blodeuwedd and Gronw had made an attempt on the life of Llew Llaw Gyffes. Having a lake represent the Moon is ideal, and I love the tragedy of the tale, as the Moon is a dual card of both intuition (like the water of the lake) and madness (like the unfair deaths)!
19. The Sun: LLEW LLAW GYFFES
~The card numbered nineteen of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Llew Llaw Gyffes. Llew Llaw Gyffes is the son of Arianrhod and he is seen as a Solar God, making him the perfect choice for the Sun Card!
20. Judgement: THE SLEEPERS
~The card numbered twenty of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by the Sleepers. The Sleepers are legendary heroes and Kings who were said to be sleeping awaiting to wake again to fulfill a destiny. The Sleepers are a great choice for the Judgement Card because this is a card all about rest and renewal!
21. The Universe: CADAIR IDRIS
~The card numbered twenty-one of the Major Arcana of this deck is represented by Cadair Idris. Cadair Idris is a mountain in North Wales long believed to be haunted. It is also sometimes stated as the place where Gwyn Ap Nudd comes forth from the Otherworld to lead the Wild Hunt, instead of Glastonbury Tor (which is also often said to be the location he bursts forth from). I love this mountain as the Universe Card, as it represents the ascension and culmination of a cycle and this place really represents that energy well!
~I hope you have enjoyed this Tarot Tuesday tour through the Major Arcana of The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson. What is your favorite story associated with one of the cards? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the Enchantment of Dyfed Card. I found the image on https://www.dragonspace.ca/products/llewellyn-tarot?variant=11835745735.
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/
Further Reading
- The Llewellyn Tarot Companion by Anna-Marie Ferguson
- The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies
- Vita Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth
- The Book of Taliesin