The Greenwood Tarot by Mark Ryan and Chesca Potter is subtitled: "Pre-Celtic Shamanism of the Mythic Forest."  That should give you a good idea of the type of symbolism used on the deck.  Then again, it may leave you wondering what the heck that means.

What it means in terms of art work is lush pastel images, most of which are straightforward, even simple, yet evocative.  For those acquainted with Celtic lore and myth, many images will be familiar.

The Major Arcana uses many titles similar to those of the Waite-Smith system, but the sequence differs significantly since it is based on the Celtic Wheel of the Year.  The Minor Arcana suits are Wands, Arrows (Swords), Cups and Stones (Pentacles).  The court cards are represented by various animals.  Some images are very similar to those of the Waite-Smith deck, others not at all, but all have a very definite Greenwood flavor.  It's fascinating stuff for those interested in Celtic and Pre-Celtic history and folklore, and the cards seem entirely comfortable in that context.

The author strongly encourages use of the cards for meditation and pathworking in addition to divination.  The rich imagery would work well for all of these, and Ryan's guided meditation "The Hermit's Cave" is a great starting point.  I highly recommend the use of this visualization "designed to help the reader greet the archetypes found within the pack on a personal level."  I think this is a great deck for anyone familiar with or interested in Celtic or Pre-Celtic mythos and culture.  Those not so interested should probably pass.

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Review Copyright 1998 by Donna Davis
first published in the American Tarot Newsletter, 3-98/4-98
used with permission