First, full acknowledgement and credits are given to both Chesca Potter and to Mark Ryan for the contents of their book and in particular, the paintings from which the Greenwood Tarot cards are formed.

The Greenwood Tarot was originally published in 1996, by Thorsons (An Imprint of Harper Collins) - ISBN 1 85538 384 5.

The printers, Caledonian International Book Manufacturing Ltd, Glasgow, are no longer in business. The rights to the book have reverted from Thorsons back to the authors, and currently there are no plans evident to republish the deck, despite (non-commercial) financial support being available for so doing. As at Oct '04, the artist has no plans for the deck to be reissued.

Decks do occassionally come up for auction at Ebay, particularly around Midwinter / Christmas time, but all booksellers and suppliers are out of stock.

Chesca Potter has made her Online Greenwood Tarot Handbook available at http://www.herebedragons.co.uk/chesca/cp/green.htm. The site gives additional information to that contained in the book accompanying the deck, and is an excellent addition to the original publication, giving further insight into the images used. [Contact via the PO Box no., or via the email address given on her main site-address at http://www.herebedragons.co.uk/chesca/ isn't possible]

Mark Ryan's homepage is at http://www.angelfire.com/wizard2/markryan/; a really good relevant interview with Mark is available online at Allen W. Wright's website.

 About the Deck

As is said on Mark's website,
"Tarot are mainly used to give people an insight and guidance of the future, but not everything is 'set in stone'. Cards can have multiple meanings, some use them because they have a good feeling from them, others use them because they simply like the pictures. It is as individual as the person using them."

In the Greenwood Tarot the four suits are; Wands, Arrows, Cups and Stones, and these correspond with the seasons Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter - and also with the Elements and colours: Fire - red/orange, Air - white/yellow/gold, Water - green/blue and Earth - black/indigo.

The following table shows each card's 'position' within the deck as a whole, and its correspondences: it is helpful to look at the table alongside the wheel of the year diagram. The individual cards can be seen on the display page.

	Wands	Arrows	Cups	Stones
Elements colours	Fire red/orange	Air white/yellow/gold	Water green/blue	Earth black/indigo
Cards 1 ~ 10
Aces	Spark of Life	Breath of Life	Waters of Life	Foundation
Twos	Decision	Injustice	Attraction	Challenge
Threes	Fulfilment	Jealousy	Joy	Creativity
Fours	Celebration	Rest	Boredom	Protection
Fives	Power	Frustration	Ecstasy	Endurance
Sixes	Harvest	Transition	Reunion	Transition
Sevens	Clearance	Insecurity	Mourning	Healing
Eights	Hearthfire	Struggle	Rebirth	Skill
Nines	Respect	Dedication	Generosity	Transition
Tens	Responsibility	Instruction	Happiness	Home
Court Cards
Pages	Stoat	Green Woodpecker	Kingfisher	Wren
Knights	Fox	Hawk	Salmon	Wolf
Queens	Hare	Deer	Heron	Bear
Kings	Adder	Lynx	Reindeer	Horse

Major Arcana
	Position on Wheel	Season	Element
Archer	Twos	Spring Equinox	Fire
Justice	Twos	Spring Equinox	Fire
Lovers	Threes	Beltane	Fire / Air
Balance	Threes	Beltane	Fire / Air
Greenwoman	Fours	Midsummer Solstice	Air
Greenman	Fours	Midsummer Solstice	Air
Blasted Oak	Fives	Lammas	Air / Water
Strength	Fives	Lammas	Air / Water
Reflection	sixes	Autumn Equinox	Water
Wheel of Fortune	sixes	Autumn Equinox	Water
Guardian	Sevens	Samhain	Water / Earth
Death	Sevens	Samhain	Water / Earth
Hermit	Eights	Midwinter Solstice	Earth
Judgement	Eights	Midwinter Solstice	Earth
Ancestor	Aces	Imbolc	Earth / Fire
Pole Star	Aces	Imbolc	Earth / Fire
Moon	Lowerworld	Winter
Sun	Upperworld	Summer
Shaman	Tens Guardian and centre	[Outside of time]
Seer	Nines Guardian and centre	[Outside of time]
World Tree	Centre	Encompasses all worlds, Lower, Middle and Upper
Fool	Centre	Encompasses all worlds, Lower, Middle and Upper

"The Pages or Blessings are all small, secretive, heralding new energy. Their ‘coat’ or plumage containing the sacred colours of the wheel, i.e. the rainbow plumage of the Kingfisher and the green, red, white and black of the woodpecker. They are therefore thought of as guardians of the mysteries of their element.

The Knights or Wanderers are independent and far-ranging; perceptive travelers such as the hawk or wolf.

The Queens or Holders placed at the times of stasis, the solstices and equinoxes represent empowered stillness.

The Kings or Empowerers embody the fulfillment of the qualities of their element, enhanced by the power of the cross-quarter festival day they are aligned to, and containing the beginnings of the next element/season. Thus the rising and falling of entwined Adders combine the dynamic passions of fire with the life and love enhancing qualities of Air, fitting in well with their place on the wheel at Beltane, with the cards of the ‘Lovers’ and the combined ‘serpent’ energies of ‘Balance’. The four Kings are also the primary totems of this land; the Horse, the Snake (dragon) the Lynx (lion) and the Reindeer (deer).

The colours of reddish-brown, white and black are the natural camouflage colours of many birds and animals, as well as being the sacred colours of the Upper, Middle and Lower worlds respectively. occasionally a bird such as the green woodpecker or goldcrest will have the green as well as red, white and black; these birds are then the living heart that unifies and awakens all three worlds."

 Greenwood Tarot Readings

When you obtain a reading - if you have requested an interpretation to be given - there will be two areas of text displayed. The top area of text is the interpretation as given in the Greenwood Tarot book, and the bottom area of text, after the divider of the lovers' eyes looking outward, is taken from Chesca's Online Greenwood Tarot Handbook.

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