Forest Folklore

Forest Folklore Tarot
Kessla Beverley-Smith (U.S. Games Systems, Inc, 2004)

Review
It's the oddest sensation. I know rationally I don't have an aunt that looks like the High Priestess, but I can't shake the feeling she's really familiar.

Actually, to a lesser extent I'm feeling like that with the whole deck. The forest in question is the New Forest over in Hampshire, and all the trees, plants and foliage are so lovingly drawn from life that subconsciously I'm recognising plants from my own local hedgerows.

Standout cards in this deck are the Aces. The Ace of Cups is a gorgeous portrait of a kingfisher, the Ace of Rings (Pentacles) is a Great Horned Owl (an American breed, but never mind!), while Wands has an Exmoor pony and Swords a Red Deer. Yes, the paintings are so true to life that I can recognise the breed of animal!

There's a lot of nudity, male and female, but it shows of that there are people of all shapes and sizes, and gives the deck a healthy-outdoors-freedom theme. And yes, technically all the people are forest fairies, but it's only the odd pointy ear and slightly archiac fashion sense that gives them away, since the artist has obviously used life models and avoided the cheap n' sparkly route.

Much like a forest, the more I look at this deck the more it grows on me. It not a Rider-Waite clone as such, but the meaning is still transparent even for a beginner, and it's a lovely tribute to British spirituality.