Celestial Tarot Deck
Distant stars have always attracted people’s attention. They seem to radiate some kind of secret radiance. Astrology has attempted to link together the outer world with the personality of man. So the planets and signs of the zodiac became a reflection of consciousness. The Celestial Tarot deck is a synthesis of two predictive systems. Stars and ancient archetypes are designed to help you find yourself, find talents and overcome weaknesses. And myths will help in this, after which cosmic bodies are named. Even the most distant planets and constellations make sense only in the context of a single individual. If you remove the observer, then the world does not exist. The authors also offer to create their own universe, focusing on tips from above.
History of creation of the Celestial Tarot Deck
The Celestial Tarot is a project by artist Kay Steventon and lecturer Brian Clark. In his past works, the illustrator showed a love for the myths of Ancient Greece. He resurrected old legends in this deck as well. Moreover, the author combined wonderful stories with astrology and Kabbalah. Brian Clark helped Steventon draw analogies with the constellations, planets and signs of the zodiac. As a result, this tandem turned out to be a new mantic instrument, radically different from all its predecessors. He simultaneously combines several teachings at once, continues the traditions of Crowley, but at the same time is based on Waite. Cards are the key to many doors to the other world. It all depends on the practical skills of the questioner.
The Celestial Tarot deck was first published in 2004. This time, like the end of the 90s, was marked by experiments with predictive systems. Kay Steventon impressed the audience with his approach to Tarot in principle. He tried to create a kind of synthesis of knowledge and myths, so that practitioners could get the most accurate answers to their questions. At the same time, the celestial deck speaks its own eloquent language. Tarot conveys information through symbols and images. It is not for nothing that the system includes the decades of the Golden Dawn and contains cabalistic signs. But behind all this abundance lies an attempt to understand life itself. After all, the legends themselves were invented by people who were also looking for their destiny, wishing for love and recognition.
Key features of the Celestial Tarot
The deck belongs to the English school. There are 78 cards in the system, the Fool without a number, Justice is the 11th. The cards have many correspondences with Waite, despite their veiled approach. If we consider the Major Arcana of the Celestial Tarot, then everything becomes clear. Each card of the major group has an additional name – in honor of the planet or zodiac sign. For example, the Empress is called Venus. The card depicts a beautiful lady surrounded by an angel and a dove. According to legend, the goddess Venus emerged from the sea foam. She personified carnal love, beauty, and fertility. In general, the main message of the Tarot card is no different from Waite’s classics. The same can be said about the Lovers. The second name of the Arcana is Gemini. Moreover, in the original, this couple consisted of two brothers. Here, the authors chose the classic approach, showing a girl and a guy.
The Minor Arcana of the Celestial Tarot deck show various constellations. Let’s take a look at some of them as an example. Thus, the constellation Hydra is shown on the Four of Wands. According to Waite, the card means success in business, recognition, reliable rear. The original shows a fragment of a certain holiday. Here, the legend of the Hydra tells about the brave Hercules, who saved his people from the monster. And the brave Iolaus helped him in this. The constellation Auriga is drawn on the Six of Pentacles. The main character, Erichthonius, holds two goats in his hands, sitting in a heavenly chariot. The card represents the movement of financial flows, spending and purchases. But on the Three of Swords it is still more understandable and familiar. The constellation Corona is depicted here. The legend tells of the beautiful Ariadne, who suffered alone among the rocks. Dionysus took pity on the girl and took her with him. God threw a wreath from her head into heaven. He immediately crumbled into stars, which began to symbolize the suffering of Ariadne.
The suits of the Celestial Tarot deck remained familiar – Cups, Swords, Wands and Pentacles. All Aces also have a certain image, coupled with symbolism and astronomical correspondence. But the court group has changed a bit. Now instead of Pages, Princesses appeared in the deck, instead of Knights – Princes. The Queens began to personify the constancy of energy, while the Kings – its power, the highest degree. Each of the Princesses corresponds to the season: Spring (Pentacles), Summer (Wands), Autumn (Cups), Winter (Swords). But the Princes show the variability of the elements or its movement. In general, such an innovation is simple and understandable. Partly it refers to Crowley. It is important to transfer all the images to real life, so as not to get confused in the interpretation. Interestingly, all Tens are also named according to the element of the suit. Such a move is dictated by the desire to show the strength and power of this or that element.
Style and symbolism of the deck
The Celestial Tarot deck is rich in symbolism. There are totem animals and birds, fish, mythical creatures and characters of ancient legends. The background is a dark sky, expanses of space. You can also see signs of the zodiac and planets scattered around the perimeter. Among other things, each card of the minor group has a suit symbol. This allows you not to get confused when interpreting. The drawing style is reminiscent of pencil illustrations. The artist chose bright, but at the same time fitting into the context of the tone. The sky canopy plays with colors – pink, blue, purple. The symbols are also depicted in different colors – yellow, red, blue. All images are translucent, ghostly, as if floating in the air. The exception is the Princesses, which show the earthly seasons.
All people in the deck are dressed in antique dresses, which is typical for Ancient Greece. Each card is like a mini-tour through the myths and legends of bygone times. The figurative language of the Tarot deck itself introduces the fortuneteller to wonderful stories about love, struggle and fundamental discoveries. Each image in the Celestial Tarot deck is enclosed in a blue frame. At the bottom is the classical name, at the top – the constellation, planet or zodiac sign. For the court Arcana of the Tarot there is a correspondence with the quality of energy. The shirt is decorated with the image of dark heavenly expanses. In this case, the stars are mirrored, which makes it easy to work with reversed positions.
Interpretation of the Celestial Tarot cards
The interpretation of the Celestial Tarot deck requires considerable experience. At the same time, Waite’s work should still be taken as a basis. For example, the Seven of Swords with its constellation of the Lepus also represents deceit. Only here the hero himself is the victim of cunning. The deceiver is the Moon, who promised people eternal life. On the Arcana of the Tower is depicted Mars – the god of war. It has the power to create and destroy, to cause the death of crops and the loss of livestock. It is the destructive side of God that is shown on the 16th Arcana. In general, knowledge of legends and myths gives a field of new meanings. Such savvy helps to better understand the meaning of the cards, imbue with energy and give a more accurate prediction.
Divination on the Celestial Tarot deck also involves reading symbolism. The cabalistic tree of life in the major group, the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the signs of the planets can provide a whole layer of information for a savvy practitioner. In this case, it will not be superfluous to take into account the color palette. So, bright saturated shades will indicate raging energy, and cold gamma, translucent tones will hint at coldness and alienation. The heroes of the court group can be correlated with real people. The key point will be belonging to a particular zodiac sign. In addition, these cards can show the manifestation of pronounced character traits.
What questions is the deck suitable for?
The Celestial Tarot deck is ideal for drawing up a characterization of a person, his behavioral portrait. With the help of cards, you can get a complete analysis of any zodiac sign with all its features. Moreover, people born under the auspices of one planet will often have different interests, aspirations and talents. The spreads on the Celestial Tarot deck can be compared to drawing up a natal chart. The Arcana will help you find your calling, most fully realized in the chosen field. They are also able to show the characteristics of a suitable partner. It is important not to limit yourself to the positives. The deck is able to point out weaknesses that would be nice to work out.
At the same time, the Celestial Tarot is a mystical instrument. Cards can show the presence of magical abilities, methods of inducing and removing various programs. However, only experienced practitioners can understand the language of the deck. In order to better understand the system, you can study the accompanying book by Brian Clark. If you become a virtuoso, then it is quite possible to work with cards on absolutely any topic. Health, career, personal life, abilities – the Tarot deck will easily lift the veil of secrecy over every aspect of life. No wonder it is based on Waite. Such a detail allows you to have ground under your feet, from which it is easy to push forward to the endless expanses of space.
Who are the Celestial Tarot cards for?
The Celestial Tarot deck will appeal to all those who are fond of astrology and at the same time want to master a new predictive system for themselves. Well, or vice versa. Cards combine two approaches at once. Also, the deck will be appreciated by those who are close to the atmosphere of Ancient Greece with all its legends. You can consider the Celestial Tarot as illustrations on the theme of myths. This booklet will help you navigate through old stories and discover new facets of them. In addition, the deck will appeal to just fans of Kay Steventon’s work. His mystical works will inspire you to find yourself, discover and develop your own talents. Drawing, singing, science, trade – all this and display the various planets and constellations.
However, the Celestial Tarot deck is not suitable for beginners. Neophytes can get confused in symbolism, mythical images. It is better to study Waite, the basics of astrology, as well as the accompanying literature from one of the authors in advance. At the same time, the Celestial Tarot will complement the collection of lovers of spiritual decks. Beautiful unusual images will conquer the true fans of symbolism, as well as the followers of Crowley. More cards will undoubtedly appeal to those who are in spiritual search. The Celestial Arcana will lead you along the right path, help you bypass all the obstacles on the way to yourself. After all, the cosmos itself, together with the universe, is both outside and inside a person. If the individual knows himself, he will understand the rest of the world.