Books to accompany Arthurian deck?
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Aug 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| Island Dreamer |
30 Aug 2004 |
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Hi All :)
I've been going round in circles with Arthurian themed decks - getting the Arthurian Tarot by Caitlin and John Matthews confused with Legend: The Arthurian Tarot by Anne Marie Ferguson :confused:
I recently snapped up a Buy-it-Now copy of the Arthurian tarot by Caitlin and John Matthews on Ebay UK and the accompanying book is very good, but I gather there is a more advanced handbook to accompany this deck?
I've seen it as:
"Hallowquest: Tarot Magic and the Arthurian Mysteries (pub HarperCollins 1990)
and as
"The Arthurian Tarot Course: A Quest for All Seasons" (pub Acquarian Press 1993)
and even as
"Hallowquest: Arthurian Tarot Course (pub HarperCollins 1997)
All of them seem to be difficult to get hold of, being out-of-print and rather rare, and range in price from 25 GBP to just over £50 GBP from Amazon sellers :(
I need some advice before I shell out that kind of cash for a handbook (the Arthurian deck and book set only cost me 12 GBP including packing). Can anyone recommend one of these books above the others? Do you think it's worth posting a request in the Tarot Trading forum to see if anyone has a copy they would be willing to trade?
The Arthurian tarot is certainly very beautiful - and amazingly substantial ... it's half again as thick as most of my other decks :eek: (makes note to look out for bigger sized tarot bag ...) I certainly see what other members mean by the relative 'goriness' of some of the images (the maiden with the head on a plate and The Wounded King).
I'm looking forward to getting to know the deck but I just thought I'd ask for some advice from the experts :D
Dreamer
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| Island Dreamer |
30 Aug 2004 |
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Thanks Jewel-ry :)
Looks like I am going to have to cultivate some patience here ....
Dreamer
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| darwinia |
30 Aug 2004 |
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Hi,
I have the Hallowquest Arthurian Tarot Course but it is OOP.
However, there is an excellent study group on Yahoo devoted to the Hallowquest and this particular book "The Arthurian Tarot Course." They didn't discuss things, just posted chapters of the study book, so I left. (I like to discuss things)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hallowquest/
The lady who runs it is very nice, and if you join the group, the files area has all the previous lessons and graphics. She also does tie-ins with the Druid Animal Oracle which were very interesting.
Hope that helps get you going .
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| fyreflye |
30 Aug 2004 |
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The Hallowquest and the Arthurian Tarot Course are separate books; the Hallowquest being a much more comprehensive (302pp) version of the book that accompanies the current set and the Course book a smaller (267pp) study guide to the set published a few years later than the Hallowquest book.
I've got them both and as a matter of fact I was just about to sell them along with the deck/book set. Since I'm in California and you're in the UK the postage would cost you a bit, but if it's worth it to you I'd sell you both for $17USD plus the postage. The Hallowquest is in Good condition and the Course book VG. Let me know with a pm if you're interested and we'll work something out. If not, I'll trade it for equivalent credit at Moe's in Berkeley this Saturday.
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| fyreflye |
30 Aug 2004 |
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http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet...;imagefield.y=0
The first two listings are the small handbook that comes with the Arthurian Tarot set when you buy it. The last three are the original "Hallowquest: Tarot Magic and the Arthurian Mysteries," published in conjunction with but not part of the original Aquarian Press set.
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| Cerulean |
30 Aug 2004 |
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I'm glad no one made the mistake of clicking on the first three listings to buy, expecting a separate Hallowquest book.
Thank you Fyreflye.
Regards,
Cerulean
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| Island Dreamer |
31 Aug 2004 |
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Many thanks for all your helpful replies :)
I did trawl Abebooks, Cerulean, and got more than a little confused over all the different versions, dates and publishers. So I decided not to commit myself until I'd gathered more information.
Thanks for the Yahoo group, darwinia :) I've joined but no time to read much at present (preparing for emotional journey to mainland UK on Friday to take autistic teenage daughter to her new school .... 300 miles away ... first time away from home for more than a week).
I cleansed my deck by sitting it on the windowsill in the brilliant light of the full August Moon last night - I feel we shall be ready to get to know each other better when I return.
fyreflye - you have a PM :)
Dreamer
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| magpie9 |
31 Aug 2004 |
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Hi Island Dreamer,
The Hallowquest arthurian has been for years a "can't live without" it deck for me. I have all all the books and have studied them, and have an actual opinion on them.
As follows:
"The Arthurian tarot Course, A quest for all seasons-" is a course, and the hands-on concept is that you are undertaking a grail quest. there are tons of visulizations with the various cards. the divinatory meanings given, and the explanation of the symbolism on the cards are not much more than what you get in the little book that came with the cards. Everything in this text is closly connected to you being on your Grail Quest, and the grail quest is closely linked to our care of the planet. the Arthurian stuff is essentially pre-Mallory, and comes from the 6th century romo-celtic foundation, heavy on the celtic.
The Hallowquest:Tarot Magic and the Arthurian Mysteries- gives pretty much the same stuff on the cards, descriptions, etc., but does not go into your quest much, and does not give you lesson plans and guided meditations with the various cards. It does give you quite a lot more on symbolism, and the arthurian world. there are some guided meditations and such, also some Kabbalistic tie-ins with the deck., with some guided visualization tied into the celtic world and the Kabbalistic tie-ins.It also goes into he importance of ritual.
So which book is better depends on what you're looking for. If you want the lesson plans and guided imagery with the cards, and being on a spiritual earth centered quest, get "Quest for all Seasons"
If you are more interested in learning the arthurian history and background and deeper symbolism, and celtic veiwpoint, then go with "tarot Magic".
for me, I was unable to get a copy of Hallowquest- tarot magic for years and ended up reading and studying every book I could find on the arthurian mythos and everything celtic as well, including most of John and Caitlin Matthews work. this worked out really great for me, I learned so much that I loved, and wanted and needed in my life. I don't really know if that would have happened if I had got hold of a copy of Hallowquest earlier. while I became no great expert, I got far enough below the surface to greatly benefit from the richness of this tradition. I like to think that I would have found my way into all this arthurian and celtic stuff anyway, but who knows?
Anyway, whatever you choose by way of books and paths within the arthurian tarot, I wish you good journeying. :)
Best wishes
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| Island Dreamer |
01 Sep 2004 |
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Many thanks, Magpie :)
I'll try and get back to read more in depth later - panic stations here because we were due to fly from the islands Friday morning but fog is forecast so it's been an emergency switch to tomorrow evening's flight! Guess who is flying round the house frantically gathering and packing?
Dreamer
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The Books to accompany Arthurian deck? thread was originally posted on 30 Aug 2004 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.
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