The English Magic Tarot 

Paperback – October 1, 2016

by Andy Letcher (Author), Rex Van Ryn (Illustrator), Steve Dooley (Illustrator), Philip Carr-Gomm (Foreword)

This captivating new tarot deck draws us into the vibrant but often hidden world of English magic, evoking a golden age of mysticism when John Dee was Queen Elizabeth’s Court Astrologer, antiquarian John Aubrey rediscovered ancient sacred sites, and the great physicist Isaac Newton studied alchemy.

The English Magic Tarot places the cards in the colorful yet turbulent period of English history that stretches from the time of Henry VIII to the Restoration. During this time of upheaval archetypal forces were very much at play, making this a perfect setting for the cards. Brought to you by renowned artist Rex Van Ryn, colorist Steve Dooley, and writer Andy Letcher, this deck has a dynamic, graphic style. There are unique twists to some of the traditional images, with riddles, references, and lore buried within them that will draw users ever deeper into the mystery and meaning of the cards.

The first deck of its kind to draw explicitly on the English magical tradition, The English Magic Tarotopens up a rich new pathway into the cards that will delight novice and experienced tarot users alike. Learn more by visiting www.englishmagictarot.com.

Review

"What we have here is the auspicious release of a new deck of tarot cards based in the mysticism, mysteries, rituals, and lore of Elizabethan-era England, perhaps history’s most fervent period and place for the magic arts. Think knights and fools, monarchs and highwaymen, in the animate land of Stonehenge and druids. These are tarot cards with the dynamism of a graphic novel. Not the stuff of mere fortune telling, they hint at a world rife with forces and cause-and-effect connections, where “change occurs in accordance with will.”" --Foreword Reviews, Fall 2017

“Here’s a unique formula: pacy graphic art plus history and mysticism in the era of Isaac Newton, Henry VIII and Jon Dee (who features as The Magician, naturally). The illustrations are so narrative you can almost hear the characters’ thoughts, but there are hidden messages here, too - and you’ll have to figure them out for yourself. Translate the Ogham and Runes, mirror-writing and Enochian script and, much like magic itself, you’ll find a truth beneath the surface.

The guidebook is witty, practical and wise, with some quirky card interpretations (an embittered Queen of Swords, a procrastinating Knight of Coins); and, while this deck is not for the faint-hearted, it’s a great adventure if you’re up for the ride.” –Kindred Spirit, November 10, 2016

“The English Magic Tarot is the result of a brilliant collaboration between three uniquely talented and original individuals – painters, visual and oral storytellers and musicians – who understand that English magic and the English imagination, are essentially the same thing. They have produced a Tarot which connects us with the past and with the buried mycelium of shared stories and ideas which still erupt into and nourish contemporary culture.” –Alan Lee, book illustrator and movie conceptual designer

About the Author

Rex Van Ryn is an "English Magician" who has worked as a story board and comic book artist on numerous films and publications. He is best known for the graphic novel John Barleycorn Must Die.

Product details

• Paperback: 160 pages

• Publisher: Weiser Books; Tcr Crds/P edition (October 1, 2016)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 1578636000

• ISBN-13: 9781578636006

• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches

• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds