Tarot of the Celtic Fairies - folklore from Ireland, Scotland and Wales on cards
The Celtic fairy world has little in common with the sweet butterfly beings you find in many modern decks. The Sidhe are older than that, more easily offended, less predictable. This deck gives them back as they appear in the stories.
Mark McElroy wrote the structure, Eldar Minibaev drew the cards. Published by Lo Scarabeo. 78 cards that follow the traditional tarot division, but with imagery from Irish, Scottish and Welsh legends.
What you see on the cards
Minibaev's style is detailed and rich. The backgrounds are filled with forests, lakes, stone circles and beings that sometimes half-hide in the shadows. The colours are saturated but not overdone: lots of green, deep blue, earth tones.
The cards have no titles or numbers on the front, which puts the images centre stage. The format is 66 x 120 mm, standard for tarot. The cardstock has a light gloss finish and feels sturdy enough for frequent use.
Each being carries features from the folklore: green clothing, red caps, unnatural proportions. The scenes are narrative enough to feel a direction without the booklet, but the symbolism deviates from Rider-Waite.
How this deck relates to others
Many fairy tarot cards go for a light or comforting tone. This deck does not. The fairies here also have their dark, unpredictable side. That makes the cards more honest, but sometimes also sharper in what they show.
The structure is classic: 22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana divided across four elements. Anyone used to another tarot deck will recognise the layout immediately. The interpretation is different.
Look at the edges of a card if you are unsure about the meaning. Minibaev sometimes hides an extra being or symbol in the background that shifts the tone of the card.
About Mark McElroy and Eldar Minibaev
Mark McElroy writes about tarot and develops decks that translate mythology into usable systems. His work is characterised by clarity and structure.
Eldar Minibaev illustrates with a preference for fantasy and folklore. His style for this deck is detail-rich and atmospheric, without lapsing into kitsch.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Card size: 66 x 120 mm
- Language: cards without text, multilingual guidebook
- Cardstock quality: sturdy cardstock with light gloss finish
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- Author: Mark McElroy
- Illustrator: Eldar Minibaev
- Contents: 78 cards and guidebook
Questions we often get
Do the cards follow the classic Rider-Waite meanings?
The structure is the same, the images are not. The scenes are narrative enough to work with intuitively, but you will not find all the familiar symbols. The guidebook helps with the translation.
Are these friendly fairies or the older, more capricious versions from folklore?
This deck stays closer to the original stories. The beings are not only helpful, they can also be unpredictable or sharp. That gives more honest readings, but sometimes also more confronting ones.
