In the Introduction to the guidebook accompanying this deck – which both come in an attractive sturdy box which you will find makes a perfectly suitable permanent home for them – highly respected Celtic scholar and shaman, John Matthews describes the Sidhe (pronounced Shee) as “glorious otherworldly figures of great power, whose connection with our world is deep and lasting and almost certainly predates our own appearance on earth by many aeons”. He goes on to commend Emily Carding’s creation of this deck both for its exquisitely beautiful and inspired artwork and for having – in her guidebook – allowed the Sidhe to “speak for themselves”.
The entry for each card begins with words from the Sidhe, followed by keywords and artist’s notes. As an example of the words the Sidhe speak to us, here is a fragment of what the Hermit says “I am the messenger of your hidden self, my voice is silent ….. I am the stone that whispers, the tree that sings. I am the fire’s runes and the wind’s lament”.
Two of the cards of the Major Arcana, those carrying heavy Christian images, have been renamed: The Hierophant is The Elder (who tells us “I am the ancient tree that speaks. I am the serpent wisdom that seeks the cunning secrets of old in the hidden places”; and The Devil is Pan (who tells us “I am the Spirit of the dance, the Lord of the Wild”). Justice is card VIII and Strength card XI. The suits of the Minor Arcana are Dreamers/Air, Warrior/Fire, Dancers/Water and Makers/Earth. The stunningly beautiful image on the back of these cards is the Great Glyph of the Sidhe, discovered initially by John Matthews, which he has used as a gateway for journeying to otherworlds. There are guidelines in the guidebook on how to use the glyph to connect with the sidhe. If you are interested in pursuing this, I’d also strongly recommend John Matthews’ book “The Sidhe: Wisdom of the Celtic Otherworld”.
This is certainly one of my favourite decks, brilliant both for use in readings and in meditations. I cannot recommend it too highly. Emily Carding is also the creator of two other equally inspired decks: The Transparent Tarot and The Transparent Oracle. |
