The Mythic Tarot

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These cards have been with me since I began tarot card readings in my teens, twenty years ago. Recently a new version has arrived and you can only get the print I have reviewed here second hand. The older version is still my favourite. Personally, I prefer the originals for style and design. It is interesting to note that his symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull and oak, meaning that the eagle depicted on this card, could be symbolic of Zeus the father overseeing the actions of his son. When looking at the history of Dionysus, it is easy to see why, when in the upward position, this card means: Each of the stories is a lesson in itself, and the cards and the description in the book really makes the whole story come alive. Cards That I Liked

Is he about to walk off this cliff because he young and foolhardy, inexperienced, takes action without thinking things through and is just plain naïve so doesn’t know what the consequences of his actions could be? Is that necessarily a bad thing? The Fool is represented by the Greek God Dionysus, wearing an ivy crown and leopard skin, which are particular symbols of this God.A red cheeked Dionysus is on the edge of a cliff, and looks like he is about to take a flying leap. Behind him you see a dark cave, and directly above, an eagle is sitting and watching on a tree branch.

The symbolism has kept the original suits of wands, pentacles, cups and swords. Tricia Newell, the artist has maintained wands as fire and swords as air. All the higher arcana keep their original titles such as ‘the Devil’ ‘Judgement’ ‘Hierophant’ but the imagery is replaced with illustrated versions of the Greek gods.

Thyrsus – wand or staff of giant fennel covered with ivy vines and leaves. A symbol of prosperity, fertility, hedonism, and pleasure / enjoyment When reading with this card, it is important to take into consideration whether it has come out upright (positive association) or reverse (warning), and how that relates with the other cards that have been dealt in the particular spread you are reading. I love how the Empress (Demeter) has been rendered in this card – pregnant, and standing among her growing crops. Also, love the way that her crown looks a lot like a fort. The way I see it, this seems to symbolize the fact that growth on all levels is essentially linked to her, and to Nature Herself. Any kind of growth that goes against the laws of Nature will not sustain itself. Greek myth, like Tarot, forms its own imagined world of powerful archetypes. In The Mythic Tarot, the intersection of the two worlds is mutually rich and satisfying, and skillfully aligned with the familiar RWS imagery. First published in 1989, here you will find the journey of the Tarot cast from the characters of ancient Greek myth. With charmingly naïve art by Tricia Newell, the original Mythic Tarot illuminates these deceptively simple tales of Greek gods and heroes once again.