A King’s Journey Tarot
The bordered edition.
A review by Prudence J.M.
Theriault
Certified Tarot
Master/Instructor
Illustrated
by James Battersby
Interpretations
by Christine Aguiar
I’d
like to start out by discussing the cards themselves then get into the
illustration, colors and interpretations.
I
like the way these cards feel in my hands. They are from good stock and are of
a decent size. I feel my clients will not have a problem shuffling them. The backs of the cards have images of
stones (almost looked like bones at first glance). The design is such that when
the card is face down you cannot tell if it is upright or reversed. This is
great if you read reversed cards. Reading reversed cards is totally optional
and something I do not do.
The
Major Arcana and the four suits are all framed in beautiful Celtic knot work
with colors that correspond to their suites. The colors used on the cards and for the accompanying guide
brochure are attractive and easy on the eyes. The interpretations of the cards are
short and in my mind I could almost hear them being spoken to me as if I were
having a discussion with Christine. The guide brochure goes back and forth with
interpretations by Christine and then at times Chanel Bayless’s. I found this
confusing. I feel the
interpretations should come from one voice. The Magician card is described as
an untraditional depiction. This
may not be helpful to a new reader if they have not yet studied the traditional
depiction. In the guide brochure
I’d like to have seen a brief description of each suit and it’s qualities. This
is most likely just the teacher in me coming out.
In
the Major Arcana I really enjoyed The Star card. James’s depiction of this card set at night and the deep
colors of the night sky allow the candles of her creative path to illuminate and
inspire. I found the non-traditional
depiction of Temperance disturbing and the interpretation unsettling.
Moving on to the Minor Arcana I will
touch on each suit. In the suit
of Cups I found the Five of Cups very interesting. We see a man on the land
gazing into the water in front of him. What we see and what he sees are very
different. Excellent symbolism was utilized in this card. The Ace of Wands
contains many wonderful symbols to convey it’s meaning. We have the fire that
is symbolic of creative energy, the standing stones that form a gateway to path
where your creativity is encouraged and will lead you in a new direction. I feel the use of the eagles in the suite
of Swords an excellent choice. With Swords we are talking about the element of
air and the eagle cuts through the air with accuracy and confidence symbolizing
clear thinking and taking action. I found the interpretation of the Ten of Swords using the
colors of the chakras dripping out from the wounds to be very creative. The intensity of the Knight of Swords screams,
“Get out of my way”! The suite of
Coins is green and lush. I feel some tension in the suit Coins. The message I
get from the way this suit is depicted is struggle between the haves and the
have not’s.
A
King’s Journey Tarot is full of Celtic symbols, standing stones, fairies, and a
few pixies. Enjoy James
Battersby’s artwork and listen to your intuition to interpret the cards.
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