illustrated by Nadia TurnerThrough these cards it is hoped that a deeper and more meaningful connection to the ancient Goddess
and the Otherworld realm will be formed. Here it it said that this Otherworld place
is Avalon, combining the realm of the Divine, the enchanted Faerie
realm and the Isle of Avalon itself. But whether you agree that all
three realms are one and the same or three separate realms, all have
strong links to Glastonbury, "our modern-day Avalon".
It is
here in Glastonbury and its surrounding sacred sites that we are able
to pierce the veil of the mists that separate our earthly realm from
that of myth, legend and the beyond. Weaving together the stories of
King Arthur and Avalon, the tales of the faerie folk as well as
sacred Divine entities, in order to bring you closer to the great
Mother Goddess.
The 36
cards in this deck are separated in the guidebook into three
sections, the Landscapes of Avalon, the Mysteries of Avalon and the
Guides of Avalon. Although the Landscapes and Mysteries may not be your typical advisors, the guidebook does well to offers just as much
insightful information and thoughtful messages for these Landscapes
and Mysteries cards as it does for the Guides found in this deck.
 |
| Landscapes of Avalon |
Of the
nine Landscapes of Avalon offered within the deck there are only two
that are beyond the reach of our earthly realm, 'Camelot' and 'The
Isle of Avalon'. There are also another two that are more abstract in
location, 'The Holy Thorn', which can be found in any one of the
Glastonbury thorn trees, and 'The Sacred Grove', also found in any
grove of sacred trees. The remaining five cards are well known
landmarks of Glastonbury steeped in myth and legend.
 |
| Mysteries of Avalon |
The
Mysteries of Avalon consist of six cards, two of these are the
revered objects of legend, 'Excalibur' and 'The Holy Grail'. Another
two of these are concept cards, 'The Dragon' as order through
strength and power, and the 'Sacred Union' as joy through growth and
vitality. With the last two cards being those intangible places of
'The Mists of Avalon' and 'The Otherworld'.
 |
| Guides of Avalon |
It is,
however, the Guides of Avalon that make up the majority of this deck
with twenty-one cards featuring the individuals of King Arthur's
court along with a handful of goddesses. Also included are the
mysterious characters of 'The Lady of the Lake' and 'The Priestess of
Avalon' alongside the elusive 'Faerie', the otherworldly 'King of the
Faerie Realm' and the mystical 'White Hart'.
 |
| goddess cards |
Being
a deck devoted to the Goddess there are six goddess cards, five of
which are said to be the revered goddesses of Avalonian tradition,
Cerridwen, Rhiannon, Arianrhod, Branwen, and Blodeuwedd. The sixth
goddess card in this deck is for Brigid, who is linked to Glastonbury
through Bride's Mound, a place in Glastonbury considered to be a
liminal space and said to have been visited by Brigid in her aspect
as a Saint.
 |
| The Chalice Well & The White Spring, The Holy Grail & Excalibur |
While
there is a heavy emphasis on the Goddess within this deck, there are
included a number of cards that carry masculine energies to help
provide a more balanced feel to this feminine focused deck. The
complementary cards of 'The Chalice Well' and 'The White Spring' as
well as 'Excalibur' and 'The Holy Grail', unite both masculine and
feminine energies within each pair. 'The Dragon', 'The White Hart'
and 'The King of the Faerie Realm', along with 'Merlin', 'King
Arthur' and his knights round out this deck nicely.
 |
| masculine cards |
The
guidebook offers a guiding quote for each card, a message capturing
each cards essence, a couple of pages of information about each card
and an affirmation for each card. There are also three spreads in the
guidebook, as well as a bit of information about how to use these
cards. Also included is a short sentence about number allocations for
the cards having further meanings and a mention on reversal cards,
but nothing about these are further explained in the guidebook.
 |
| three-card spread |
While
the messages and quotes are well thought out, inspiring and
contemplative, and the affirmations empowering, I found that the
general information provided in some cases felt not quite enough. In
reading the guidebook I did wish for a little more about the cards
inclusion in this deck, more specifically in their connection to the
Goddess as stated in the introduction. Possibly a page of reference
materials for further reading about this would have a nice touch.
 |
Guinevere & Igraine share keywords Beauty & Feminine Power
The Lady of the Lake has keyword Otherworld, and card The Otherworld |
The
keywords on the cards fit the style and appearance, with each keyword
being relevant and connected to each cards energies, but there are
the same keywords repeated for several cards. Of the 36 cards in this
deck only eight have keywords that are unique, all other cards shared
one or more keywords. With several cards having similar energies, it
would have been nice to have highlighted their individual traits with
keywords of their own, or possibly synonyms could have been used to
reduce the repetitiveness.
However
the true magic of this deck is found within the cards themselves, for
it is within these images we experience the guidance and wisdom of
this enchanting deck. Whether you return to the guidebook again and
again, use it as a starting point for additional study or just read
it once and put it aside, it is within the images that you will
further your understand and develop your relationship with this deck
and, despite my skills with a camera, in person the beautiful artwork
does not disappoint.
The
artwork brings the Landscapes of Avalon to life, portraying a feel of
wonder and enchantment about them, that I imagine would be present at
their real world locations in Glastonbury. The Mysteries of Avalon
has beautifully rich artwork that conveys a depth of feeling and
magical influence. But it is within the artwork of the Guides of
Avalon that we are able to observe the unique characteristics of each
individual so subtly and skilfully presented, revealing their wisdom
to those ready to listen.
Created
by Rose Inserra, with illustrations by Nadia Turner, this deck is a
walk-through of the many sacred sites, myths and legends associated
with Glastonbury and its surrounding areas. The vibrant colours of
this deck are enhanced by the smooth, easy to shuffle cards that are housed in
a quality two piece sturdy box. With cards measuring about 5in x
3.5in, and at AU$29.99, this Rockpool Publishing deck is a powerful link to a place rich in history and
lore, creating a keen experience within these cards of the magic of
Glastonbury itself, for those unable to visit in person.
This item was sent to me for review from the publisher. This review reflects my personal thoughts and opinions. Your opinions and experiences may differ to my own.
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