The Tarot of the Sidhe is my study deck for April, so you’ll see it pop up a lot here and on my Instagram this month.
Created by Emily Carding, the Tarot of the Sidhe is a beautiful Otherworldly deck. From the box:
Open the Gated to the Truth of the Celtic Otherworld!
An inspiring new Tarot has arrived! A vivid and powerful 78-card deck painted through direct inspiration from the Sidhe, (promounced Shee), the ancient Gaelic name for the noblest order of the Faery race. Including a deeply personal and poetic guidebook, this deck brings us a series of deeply magickal gateways which can be used for divination, meditation, enhancing intuition and for strengthening a two-way connection with living Otherworld energies.
Emily Carding
Warrior Eight – Dragonflight
Swifter than an arrow, I!
Racing fearless through the sky,
Fire runs in my noble veins,
Who else could hold the dragon’s reins?
Warrior Eight is definitely my favourite card in this deck, and that is totally down to my deep love of anything dragon. This card speaks of rapid progress, messages and news arriving quickly, and spontaneity.
VII – The Chariot
Behind me, the dark sun’s crowns burns brightly, before me lies the song of victory. From the stars I come, to show you that anything is possible when you deny defeat. The power of will is absolute and the Chariot’s flight will come to all who trust their vision. Doubt not, and follow dreams with action from the heart. Power must be wielded, raging forces brought together in forward motion.
I am the sacred law of will and trust, I am the winged horse and the rider. I am the glorious sun and shaded moon. Within me two paths unite and forge a clear road to unity.
I am compelled to strive and always will succeed. I fly beyond limits, I traverse all boundaries. I am progress, I am the indestructible nature of the dual soul. Take my path if you would reach your goals…
The Chariot is a card of victory, and the rider of this winged horse of duality, has their arms stretched wide in triumph. Their steed is half black and half white, but its two sides are unified into one being, galloping towards the reader.
Maker King – Gift of Skill
All he has he makes his own,
The carpenter of his own throne,
The smith who forges his own crown,
And earns his status and renown…
The Maker King is a hardworking creator, respected by their friends and family, but still humble with their accomplishments.
Warrior Princess – Gift of Courage
She stands in the centre of the flame,
Yet courage holds her steady aim,
She is daring, free and bold of will,
She thrives on danger’s exquisite thrill.
The Warrior princess is a true free spirit, standing in the flames, while drawing back a flaming arrow. She is bold and seeks out thrills, but is sometimes reckless.
XVIII – The Moon
I close my eyes and see more clearly, I visit you in dreams. I am the silver path of reflection and I am the land that dwells beyond the mirror’s face. To me you return always, as you wake to sleep, drawn to the other side of what is real. I am your hopes and fears, I am triumph and illusion. You know me well, through my face is ever-changing, for I am the landscape of your own shifting self. Always reaching, delving deeper as the other reaches back.
I am the vision of two worlds meeting, I am the knowledge of things to come and all that’s passed, things that are, things that were and things that may or never be.
I am my own demise and my own birth, I know well the cycle’s sting. Dreams may promise and dreams may take. Mind your Moon path with great care and you may find a truer self with hand outstretched…
This is a card of dreams and illusions. The human priestess sees herself as a fae in the moonlit pool’s reflection. But is this a reflection of her true self, or the self she wishes to see? The multiple moons in the night’s sky gives us the feeling that she is in a dream, where anything can be possible.
Dancer Eight – Escaping Stagnation
From out of murky monochrome,
He strives to reach a brighter home,
Leaving behind the grasping hands,
To climb the path to golden lands…
This Dancer is leaving behind the monochrome and stagnant pool they’ve been existing in, and moving towards the sun. where colour and life await them. This is a card of separation and shedding your skin, leading to renewal.
Dreamer Ten – Desolation
So all must bleed and melt away,
Before the dawning of the day,
The tree must fall in land forlorn,
The Dream must die to be reborn…
Dreamer Ten is a card of endings and closure, exhaustion and depression. While it does appear to be a negative card, its verse reminds us that death comes to us all, and this is a necessary step in the cycle of life.
Maker Four – The Greedy Tree
When one great tree keeps all the light,
And rain to feed its greedy might,
Then no new life may grow around,
Leaving sad and empty ground…
Maker Four warns us against being greedy and selfish. By being over protective, or oppressive, we prevent the growth of those around us, thus becoming The Greedy Tree ourselves.
The Divination Dragon 