The Celtic Tarot 1990 Courtney Davis Clamshell

MizGrace

The Celtic Tarot 1990 Aquarian Press.

Clamshell is plastic hard exterior, beautiful deep blue and grainy goddess on front with flowing blonde locks staring directly at you to draw you in to her world! very similar to the olympus oracle. Very nicely made and chunky, the downside is trying to fit this onto a bookshelf. This looks like an amstrad game should be hiding in this box somewhere! deep black edging and easy to close, wipe clean to.

I was surprised to find the deck contains 80 cards yet the cards are for showing 2 extra decks to the reader as a surprise. The extra cards show the arthurian tarot and the norse tarot.

The braiding effect across the cards is quite beautiful and I love the grainy effect running throughout the artwork. Each card is created in a way as not to be offensive, private parts are hidden and overall it is a gentle way into the tarot world which will suit many as it, made the Devil and Death card much more easy for me to approach.I often find myself the same with lovers ready to cover my eyes at the best of times. There is a nod to the 70s here and has a older vintage feel which you can see has been pulled from the past.

The downside for me is the minor cards as lovely and kaleidoscopic as they are, I have a thing about cards needing a world where I can sit and explore the senses. I want to feel as if I can run around that card and see what the people are doing. I want that area I can put my feet into the lush grass or go on a boat and travel somewhere new!

This deck doesnt have that on the minor cards. They are very ornate with the colours and patterns which as simple as they are, they are rich and vibrant too. I found after placing the cards down the purple was really hitting home for me. If you are beginner and dont know the minor cards and are only seeing the swords, cups, pentacle, wands for the first time then you will struggle. They would be difficult in a workshop to use as you would struggle to explore the minors.

The court cards page, knight king queen are more detailed and easier to look at and study as they are similar to the major arcana and have been painted with people and objects on those.

The other part that some many struggle with is roman numerals all across the cards! I admit this doesn't affect me at all as I can read them just fine.

I just wish that the cards 1-10 in each of the minors sets were richer in detail, that is my only dislike.


How I found the deck was by chance! For me I like older vintage decks.I am complete hippy! I love anything old floaty and nothing better than spraying my hair rainbow shades at festivals and wearing flower headbands. I am drawn to the past and I am not a modern person at all. I hope in time to purchase one tarot modern and oracle each year so, I can move forwards with tarot into the future. Yet right now, I am looking to test these out at a spiritualist church and see how it goes.

The book inside was in mint condition as are cards and box. I didnt expect this as they cost me 3.00. I grabbed these last minute and I have the book I was upset as I sent for the box set to receive the book as the seller had listed it as a box set. Too far away to return the book to.I was surprised to see this deck not in a slide cardboard box, as that is what I have seen on search engines. I have no idea if this is the normal way the deck is presented or not.
 

G6

Celtic (Davis) is a great deck! Yes, the minors are not illustrated with narrative scenes. I had the clamshell one, but traded it away in a trade train awhile back. I have another older set, but it's the cream colored box set. I can look at it later. Was there a question you had or just wanted to share your find?

Hippies/gypsies are AWESOME! Rock on!

✌🏻🌻🌈🌞

G6
 

MizGrace

Thank you Rock on indeed!
id just love to see how it compares, if the cardstock is the same please?.if the images are brighter or if there are any new updates, extra symbols in the deck that the clamshell doesn't have. I am really thrilled to bits with my find. I cant wait to try this out and see feedback from it. Yet I am not adept at tarot, I am studying intuitively and I am constantly reading books to push the real meanings of the cards home. I find the cardstock is average but lovely and glossy all the same. I dont know but I came across a Llewellyn deck with no book once and the cardstock was so thin I didnt buy it.I like chunky cards but I am not a fan of smaller cards. These are larger cards which I find nicer to shuffle.