A Keeper of Words: 'Legend: The Arthurian Tarot' [Paperback]

This 250 page book is the companion for the Arthurian Tarot Deck. For those who own the deck I am sure this is a long-awaited book. The charm of the legend is undeniable as it retells the history of the goddess in a romantic fashion. Ms. Ferguson relates the legends of Arthur as she details the meanings of each card which is why this book is so detailed. Incredibly she does this with the entire deck. It represents allot of hard work and thought on her part as she extends to the reader her visions of the legend taking them well beyond the ordinary meaning of the tarot cards, into the realm of fantasy and mythos. Ms. Ferguson is an incredible storyteller!

It was because of this book that I was inspired to purchase the Legend: Arthurian Tarot Deck. I have just ordered the Tarot deck, and the only way that it was available without having to resort to getting a used deck was as a boxed set. Even without the cards, I have gained a great deal of insight and value to the Arthurian legends and folklore that I didn't know about. This particular book makes these 1500 year old legends that are so integral to Western culture much more accessible than the accompanying book that was provided by the Arthurian Tarot created by John and Caitlin Matthews. Without their book "Hallowquest Complete Tarot Course" which is completely seperate from the deck and it's accompanying book in that boxed set, these legends seem distant and honestly, rather boring.

This is definitely not the case with Ms. Ferguson's book, "A Keeper of Words". She has successfully overlaid the Tarot's symbolism onto the Arthurian legends and folklore and made them resonate to the reader - both of the book and the cards. I was very impressed with her knowledge about the folklore surrounding Avalon, the Fortunate Island and the myths of Morgan le Fay, the Lady of the Lake and the transitions between the old pre-existing Pagan Celtic culture toward England and the Isles going toward Christianity. Anna-Marie Ferguson does not bash Christianity, nor does she overglorify Pagan / Goddess tradition to the point where the history gets lost or convoluted into something that those who think that Spirituality and history can coexist without one excluding the other. It's a very balanced perspective, which is decidedly rather rare in a Llewllyn book.

The Tarot descriptions, though brief are fairly good and are geared more toward beginning readers of the Tarot. The real value comes in the mythologies and the backstories for the illustrations on each of the cards - which were painted by the author herself. These are absolutely stunning. The card on the cover is the "Judgement" card and show the Four Queens bearing Arthur to his rest on the Isle of Avalon. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Tarot or Arthurian lore. Of course it is better when you own the Legend deck, however, it is just fine as a stand-alone product.

The cards as well as the book are artistic, and strike the imagination. You can compare the meanings to the cards as well as the story lines of the Arthurian Legend for further insights along with the Tarot. While I think that the author should have been a bit more accurate with the elements relating to the cards, I still think that one can certainly begin to appreciate the art, imagination, and accuracy of the Tarot.