I will try to review this deck to the best of my ability. I have always had a hard time with this deck seeing how it is so very different from anything I know. But it is a beautiful deck, very beautiful.

One of the main points brought up in the book by the deck’s creator, Caitlin Matthews, is a strong hold of the Celtic traditions that she hoped to show through this deck. The Celts were referred to by the Greeks as celtoi meaning “concealment”. The oral tradition of these concealed - or hidden - folk were the main sources of passing on tradition. This deck is made up of 22 “Wisdom” cards that make up the traditional Major Arcana. They don’t represent gods or myths but “thresholds of the Celtic Otherworld”. These represent life and all its ways of transformation.

The remaining 56 cards are referred to as “Story” cards and these do follow tales and legends of Celtic storytellers. There is Battle (Sword), Skill (Spear), Art (Cauldron) and Knowledge (Stone).

The Wisdom cards are depicted by different personalities, qualities and powers found throughout the panCeltic tradition. The cards also depict the main 20 trees of the Celtic Oghm tree alphabet. Each card is allied with one of the trees whose Irish names were themselves the title of each letter of the Ogham alphabet. When spoken in old Gælic they become the names of trees. Birch, rowan, yew, willow and so forth.

There is yet another underlying current to this deck: the seven Candles of Life. They are the seven-fold qualities that underlie the Celtic flow of the soul. Will, truth, growth, harmony, lore, devotion and energy. How to use this with the cards I still have yet to understand. But there are three Wisdom cards for each Candle of Life and it somehow gives the readings more meaning combining the Candle, the Tree and the meaning.

There are several spreads at the end of the accompanying book and I have read the book several times, it is just taking me a while to grasp all the concepts. I hope that this working with this group will help clear the fog from before my eyes on it and bring you all a bit closer to the beauty of this strange deck as well.