"Midwinter of the Spirit", "True Detective" - depictions of tarot, occult

starburst_au

Ooo ooh! Haven't seen the series that you mentioned... however it sounds pretty awesome.

Have you seen Penny Dreadful? It's AN AMAZING show... Main character is a psychic / tarot reader and bad things want to get her (implied that the bad things are the devil)

Awesome show...
 

danieljuk

@Starburst there is quite a few threads on AT discussing Penny Dreadful and the series even has it's own Tarot Deck but people mostly were not satisfied when they bought it :) I must catch the series sometime though.

@Happy Squirrel, when I watched the series I was confused as well because the Catholic church is normally associated with Exoticisms and dealing with the Occult. However in the Anglican church the dept this Vicar is called to work for really exists! It's Deliverance Ministry. The author of the books seems quite obsessed with it and has researched it well but I never knew about it before. You can search google for loads of stories from Priests who were worked in that area!

The books are a series by the author Phil Rickman and are all labelled under the "Merrily Watkins series". Book 1 is called Wine of Angels and Book 2 which is this adapted tv series is called Midwinter of the Spirit. The 13th book of the series comes out this November and there is also a short story book about Merrily. I definitely want to read this series now and never heard of it before!

We got an extended preview of the series before it was shown here. I hope this youtube ad for it is global and not restricted to the UK but this is an overview of the series and it's tone and style. This is the first 3 mins of the first show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayqFk391nwA

I also took some screen captures of the tarot reading scene in the pub, attached below! Emily you were spot on, it's the Classic Tarot LoScarabeo! :thumbsup:

I really loved the series, something new and different on tv! best thing in ages! loved the characters! The woman doing the tarot reading was the nasty downstairs woman in Downton Abbey a few series ago, the one who was homophobic catching the Butler being gay. I am pretty certain it will be sold internationally and come out on DVD! I just feel sad they rushed the book in 3 episodes! The last episode was so rushed for a thrilling conclusion! I had to think for 2 days about why the series has it's title and it's related to the last episode. I think you could have got at least 6 episodes from this and a slower pace! But I will read it all when I read the actual book :)

If you want to watch this series and you are in the UK, it's on ITV Player for 15 more days after today for episode 1. I wouldn't recommend it to people who are sensitive to dark themes or horror though.
 

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Sulis

I've read quite a few of the Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman and really enjoyed this series on TV - a bit different to the books but more or less there.
I hope they make more and it's made me want to go back to the books as I haven't read one in a while, I think I'm up to number 7 or 8 and I think he's up to something like number 14 or 15.
They're easy to read and the characters are good and it's set in the UK.
 

The Happy Squirrel

@Happy Squirrel, when I watched the series I was confused as well because the Catholic church is normally associated with Exoticisms and dealing with the Occult. However in the Anglican church the dept this Vicar is called to work for really exists! It's Deliverance Ministry. The author of the books seems quite obsessed with it and has researched it well but I never knew about it before. You can search google for loads of stories from Priests who were worked in that area!

The books are a series by the author Phil Rickman and are all labelled under the "Merrily Watkins series". Book 1 is called Wine of Angels and Book 2 which is this adapted tv series is called Midwinter of the Spirit. The 13th book of the series comes out this November and there is also a short story book about Merrily. I definitely want to read this series now and never heard of it before!

We got an extended preview of the series before it was shown here. I hope this youtube ad for it is global and not restricted to the UK but this is an overview of the series and it's tone and style. This is the first 3 mins of the first show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayqFk391nwA

I really loved the series, something new and different on tv! best thing in ages! loved the characters! The woman doing the tarot reading was the nasty downstairs woman in Downton Abbey a few series ago, the one who was homophobic catching the Butler being gay. I am pretty certain it will be sold internationally and come out on DVD! I just feel sad they rushed the book in 3 episodes! The last episode was so rushed for a thrilling conclusion! I had to think for 2 days about why the series has it's title and it's related to the last episode. I think you could have got at least 6 episodes from this and a slower pace! But I will read it all when I read the actual book :)

If you want to watch this series and you are in the UK, it's on ITV Player for 15 more days after today for episode 1. I wouldn't recommend it to people who are sensitive to dark themes or horror though.


As soon as I saw that it is a "vicar" instead of a "priest" and she is a SHE I knew it couldn't have been the Roman Catholic church and must be the Anglican Church :) (Church of England). But this is the first time I heard of "Deliverance Ministry" and I too thought that exorcism is exclusively done by the Roman church.

Fascinating stuff!!
 

The Happy Squirrel

Thanks OP for posting this! I have managed to get my grubby little hands on all 3 episodes and now watching the first one [emoji16]
 

The Happy Squirrel

I've read quite a few of the Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman and really enjoyed this series on TV - a bit different to the books but more or less there.

I hope they make more and it's made me want to go back to the books as I haven't read one in a while, I think I'm up to number 7 or 8 and I think he's up to something like number 14 or 15.

They're easy to read and the characters are good and it's set in the UK.


Wouldn't it be wonderful if we have a book club in AT for books like this?? [emoji2]
 

Emily

Finally watched all three episodes - Really enjoyed them - think I will take a look at the books now. :)
 

littlecat

The TV series was good but the books are amazing. I love how he explores the cross-currents of Christianity and paganism...and I grew up just over the border from where the books are set and he writes the area so well. I live in New Zealand now so it made me a little homesick (in a good way!) to read them.
 

Aunty Anthea


I have neither seen or heard of this series before. But I assure you that the Church of England has exorcists.

Prior to my moving some years ago, I was friends with the local area C of E Exorcist. He did not belong to any strange sect within the C of E. He was a normal vicar with his own parish. A lovely family man with a love for real ale :love:

He was a highly trained and experienced Exorcist. Believe me you would NOT be happy if I told you the reason for a great many of his exorcisms. Suffice it to say there are many cases of hauntings and even possessions, but it is deemed that the general public are better of not knowing })