Green Witch Tarot Deck
Human life is cyclical like natural processes. The seasons change each other, the child grows up and becomes a mature person – all this is an indisputable truth. Death is perceived as something frightening, although in fact it is a necessity. The Green Witch Tarot deck helps to accept all manifestations of life. The cards gently draw analogies between human existence and the seasons, the play of the elements. However, not everyone can understand this approach. You need to have a pure heart, respect forests and rivers, love animals, birds, plants. For such a person, the Arcana will reveal all the secrets, free from problems and teach the intricacies of life.
History of creation of the Green Witch Tarot Deck
The Green Witch Tarot deck was created in 2015 by Ann Moura. The author practices Wicca herself. This is natural magic, the relationship of the four elements, coupled with the inner strength of man. The idea of balance, harmony of all energies is taken as a basis here. Ann took inspiration from the world itself to create a new mantic instrument. But for the illustrations, the artist Kiri Leonard was responsible. Over the years, the Green Witch Tarot has become very popular. Practitioners from all over the planet appreciated Moura’s creation. After all, this system is international, it is understandable to a person of any religion. The cards speak the language of mother nature.
In the deluxe edition, the Green Witch Tarot deck comes with accompanying literature. The book gives descriptions of all the cards separately, great emphasis is placed on the symbolism of plants, animals and birds. Without this knowledge, there will be no complete understanding of the Arcana. However, if the questioner is close to nature, he draws energy from the elements, then the deck will reveal its secrets without learning additional information. For the author herself, the Green Witch Tarot has become a way to pass on the accumulated experience to other generations. Ann teaches how to interact with natural cycles, the spirits of forests and rivers, and also be grateful to the universe for the very opportunity to live in this world and comprehend its secrets.
Key features of the Green Witch Tarot
The deck belongs to the English school. In general, it repeats the approach of Arthur Waite, however, it has its own characteristics. The standard system has 78 cards. The Major Arcana of the Green Witch Tarot have undergone significant changes in terms of names. Now the Fool has turned into the Greenman, the Magician into the Witch, and the Lovers into the Lady and the Lord. The Strength card does not show a young girl, but an elderly woman. The Arcana itself is referred to as the Crone. The place of the Hermit in the deck is taken by the Holly King. In contrast to this card is the Hanged Man (The Oak King). In Wiccan mythology, these two spirits represent the seasons. So the Oak is responsible for warmth, light, reviving nature. His opponent patronizes winter, cold and darkness.
The Wheel of Fortune has become the Wheel of the Year. The card shows all the turning points: Yule, Beltane, Litha and so on. The place of Justice in the Green Witch Tarot deck was taken by the Standing Stone. An engraved monument is drawn on the Arcana. On the stone, the outlines of scales are guessed – a symbol of justice, balanced decisions. Temperance renamed to the Sidhe. This name of forest creatures is akin to fairies. The Devil has generally turned into Nature. Even such a seemingly dark Arcana becomes less intimidating. It symbolizes the wild power of nature, unbridledness, but, again, retribution according to the merits of a person – on the card the hero sets a trap for a bear, not yet knowing that the beast is already behind him.
Although the names of many Arcana from the minor group have changed, they still reflect some standard archetypes according to Waite. The Green Witch Tarot suits are also classic: Swords, Wands, Chalices and Pentacles. However, in the English edition, the Swords turned into Athames – ritual blades. Interesting visualization of Aces. In the deck, they reflect one or another energy, the root of the element. So, on each Ace a certain color scheme is sustained, various symbols are shown. Wands are decorated with staves resembling magic wands. Chalices are silver bowls. Pentacles are round wooden altars depicting a pentagram. Athames are short bladed daggers.
The Minor Arcana of the Green Witch Tarot for the most part repeat the ideas of Waite. However, the scenes themselves have changed. For example, on the Three of Wands, the ship approached the hero, now it occupies a good part of the whole picture. On the Six of Pentacles, one of the needy holds dice in his hand. The second heroine, on the contrary, holds out a bouquet of white flowers to a rich lady. Dice hint at dishonesty. In general, the card acquires an underlying meaning – the ability to help only those who really need it. The suit of Swords has become less painful. In this deck, it rather denotes the need to defend, to conflict for the sake of some lofty goal. Even Seven of Athames doesn’t have a standard theft scene. Here the protagonist carries prey in his hands. A guy meets a girl – his wife or sister.
Style and symbolism of the deck
The Green Witch Tarot is made in muted colors. Kiri Leonard made Arcana in the style of illustrations for children’s fairy tales. Such a move made it possible to achieve the correct perception of the cards. As a result, a deck that is light in energy came out. It is soft but fair, beautiful in terms of visualization, very talkative. The artist worked on the characters. They have very active facial expressions, body language speaks about the feelings and thoughts experienced. The characters of the Green Witch Tarot deck are dressed in medieval attire. Age can be any – from a child to an elderly person. Such a move is not random. The author, through age, focuses on the cyclical nature of life. You can compare fate with different seasons – spring (childhood), youth (summer), maturity (autumn) and old age (winter). On the Empress, the heroine is pregnant. On the Lord of Shadows (Death), a bony woman looks after a man with a child.
The author paid great attention to symbolism in the Green Witch Tarot deck. A totem animal or bird appears on each card, as well as a characteristic plant. For example, marjoram is drawn on the Six of Chalices. It means immersion in happy memories, connection with one’s own family. On the Eight of Athames, the fortuneteller sees a hedgehog – a symbol of self-defense, distrust of others. On the World Tree (the World) card, two iconic creatures are shown at once. The serpent at the bottom signifies death, the completion of the cycle. But the stork at the top, on the contrary, symbolizes a new beginning. Often, various attributes appear on the Arcana – a fortune-telling ball, an easel, various tools. All these details can complement the prediction, make it more “objective”.
In terms of visualization, the Green Witch Tarot deck is very colorful. The artist did not frame the pictures in order to achieve the effect of complete immersion in the context. Only at the bottom there is a small plate in which the name of the Arcana and its written numerical designation are inscribed. The back of the Green Witch Tarot cards shows an old wooden fence. It is decorated with a wreath of fir branches and rose flowers. The symbol is clearly visible here – a pentagram inscribed in a circle. This is a sign of harmony and balance of all the elements, as well as person in nature. If you turn the card over, then the pentagram will mean the destruction of the system, discord, death. The use of opposite meanings also gives new meanings.
Interpretation of the Green Witch Tarot cards
The interpretation of the Green Witch Tarot deck can be made based on Waite. For beginners, this approach will be the easiest. However, the cards offer the querent a whole field of meanings. The scenes here are so worked out that it would be strange not to use it. You can take into account the color scheme, the environment, facial expressions and gestures of the characters. The author of the Green Witch Tarot deck initially shows very eloquent scenes, so the images will be easy to interpret. But the secret meaning of birds, animals and herbs is described in the accompanying literature. Knowledge of the concept of Wicca will also help in the interpretation. In the deck, the three-faced goddess is of great importance – a girl, a woman, an old woman. And in general, Tarot cards put the female image at the forefront. No wonder nature is called mother.
Heroes from the court Arcana should be correlated with specific people, age or stages in business. For example, all Pages will indicate the beginning of some activity, lack of experience. Knights are already a good level, a share of responsibility. A pair of King and Queen denotes any rank, status. Suits can be correlated with the signs of the zodiac. In the Green Witch Tarot, the author also shows various rituals. Such a "magical" approach can be interpreted as specific actions to change one’s own reality. Ann shows all this from the perspective of witchcraft. However, when interpreting the scene, you can start from the main idea, the message that the author laid down. For example, on the Ten of Athames, the heroine tries to revive the mandrake root. The blades here form a magic circle that acts as a defense. Even in a negative situation, the card advises to learn some important lesson and try to get out of problems.
What questions is the deck suitable for?
The Green Witch Tarot spreads cover a whole range of questions. Foremost, this includes situations directly related to mysticism and magic. The cards will help you determine the desired ritual, find out your totem animal, or choose a plant for a particular ritual. The Arcana will show exactly how the magical work will “unwind”, whether there is any danger to the operator. The deck is able to teach the querent, to lead along the right path for him. The Green Witch Tarot itself combines opposites. However, in nature there is not only light, but also darkness, death. This is just another cycle, followed by a rebirth phase again. Spring always comes after a long winter.
Also, the Green Witch Tarot deck is suitable for viewing purely everyday issues. The cards will show the most successful activity for the fortuneteller. Arcana will help you find your calling or choose the right partner for family relationships. Fortune-telling on the Green Witch Tarot is useful for viewing the true feelings of the second half, her intentions. There are a lot of people here along with animals or mystical creatures. This moment helps to draw analogies between the character and a real person – a relative, colleague, or even a potential enemy. The cards will help you choose the right method of protection, give important advice for the future.
Who are the Green Witch Tarot cards for?
The Green Witch Tarot has a soft light energy. Foremost, women will like it. Of course, the cards are suitable for practitioners of Wicca, paganism or shamanism. These are people who are inextricably linked with the cycles of nature, celebrating the transitional moments of the wheel of the year or interacting with the spirits of the elements. This also includes runologists and followers of the Scandinavian magical tradition. However, it is not necessary to delve into some branch of magic. You can simply work with the deck and at the level of psychology. The cards also show ordinary everyday moments, the manifestation of various human emotions, character traits.
Of course, the Green Witch Tarot deck will appeal to fans of Ann Moura’s work. In addition to these cards, the author has created several more tools on a similar topic. Arcana will also be appreciated by those practitioners who love drawing in the style of fairy-tale illustrations and the work of Kiri Leonard. The deck is full of small details, which is useful for predictions. It may also appeal to male practitioners. It all depends on personal preferences and practical experience. Even beginners can take on the Tarot deck, because it is quite easy to read. There are no astrological, cabalistic or other correspondences here. All this allows you to work with the deck intuitively.