The imagery in the Tarot is what drives the process. The Tarot is archetypal in nature – the images and symbols used are meant to make a connection between the Seeker and the nature of the card. I recently began working with a new deck – “The Fairytale Tarot”, by artist/author Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2009).
Lisa is a watercolorist, and the images that she painted carry a gentle, fantasy quality to them. She has followed the traditional structure of the Rider-Waite Tarot system, choosing fairytales from around the world to represent each card. The scene chosen for each card is one that is pivotal to the story being presented.
I like this deck because it can be used by anyone, from any culture or background. The scenes are family oriented, in that there is no nudity or “gory” content. The companion book, entitled “Once Upon A Time”, sets the tone for the deck – that there is a fairytale ending for everyone who looks for it!
The Fool (renamed Innocence) is represented by the story “Little Red Riding Hood”. The scene that is depicted on the card is that of Little Red Riding Hood carrying her basket through the woods on her way to her Grandmothers house, with the “Big Bad Wolf” right behind her. I love this card, because the wolf looks more playful than menacing, and if you look closely, you will see faces in the trees in the woods. It is a magical land, where magical things happen.
The High Priestess (renamed The Sorceress) is represented by the Welsh fable “The Lake Maiden”. The scene that is depicted is that of the Maiden returning to the shore of the lake to instruct her human children in the magical arts. In this card, the maiden appears to be walking on the water. Water represents our unconscious, and the High Priestess/Sorceress is our connection between our conscious and unconscious selves.
While the imagery in this deck is not traditional, it does represent the traditional meaning of the cards. It also shows us that myths and fairytales are universal – they teach us how to face that which is not known to us.
You can learn more about this deck, and see scans, at http://www.thefairytaletarot.com .