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. 

It's been a very long time, but here I am again!  I just received a new Tarot deck from Ireland and will be reviewing it in the next few days. Stay tuned for photos and review.  Also I've started creating and designing my own line of jewelry. You can find it on Facebook at The Prudence Collection.