The Sacred Rose Tarot
The Sacred Rose Tarot is “inspired by the artistry of medieval stained glass windows” and Byzantine artwork with the symbolism in the cards being nature oriented. The book says that the masculine attributes are physical and linked to the Sun and the feminine are spiritual and linked to the Moon but when I look at the cards that doesn’t stand out to me personally. Maybe because that’s not what I’m focusing on. As the name suggests, this deck revolves around the attributes given to the various rose colours. This is an interesting approach that opens up new ways of viewing certain cards and as you may know, I love it when decks do that.
The Sacred Rose Tarot Deck
The Aces pictured above encapsulate the ideas associated with each rose colour. White roses suggest purity, blue roses are said to align with the impossible, gold with absolute achievement, and the red rose she attributes with sacrifice and endurance. At first I baulked at the red rose because that’s not generally how I see the Wands suit. But when I stopped and considered that any decision we make, or action we take, has an element of sacrifice I could see the relevance. It’s just not how I have thought about it in the past even though it’s something I definitely need to heed. That’s probably why I didn’t connect at first – I didn’t want to.
The Sacred Rose Tarot is visually different to most. That may well be because it was originally published in 1982. So no, it’s not a new deck but I like that. It feels a little less sanitised. I would say it’s more an accountable deck. With every deck I conduct a deck interview and what came out with this deck was that its strength is that it makes people conscious of their actions and encourages them to make choices that produce the positive results they aspire to. That definitely aligns with my experiences with it.
I like the different way many cards are depicted. For example the ones pictured above. It’s the first time I’ve seen them this way. The 8 of Pentacles shows him replanting the fruits of his labour which still showcases the idea of ongoing work to produce better results. But what I like is that it directly follows on from the 7 of Pentacles which shows him planting the original seeds. I find this is one deck where the accompanying book definitely helps with understanding what the image is showing. Once I understood the 7 of Pentacles picture, the 8 felt like a clever natural progression.
I feel the 2 of Wands is wide open to multiple interpretations, especially considering the presence of the man and the woman and the colour of the roses. Are they two aspects of the one self or two people and how do the two roses add to the reading? This isn’t a deck whereby you just flip a few cards, glance down and tell a quick story. That’s its power. It demands you take your time. It’s true that every deck benefits from that and every reading should be given the appropriate time but I’m also a realist. How we should approach the readings we do for ourselves and how we may do them sometimes can be two very different things.
There are a few things I found curious with The Sacred Rose Tarot. The clothing of the Kings and Queens match their partners except for the King and Queen of Swords. The style aligns but not the direct colouring. Is that deliberate? In my mind it is because it suggests she is very much her own person. Is that just my perception – yes – but for me that’s very much a part of reading tarot. What do the cards bring up for the person reading them?
I noticed something unusual in the numbering of the Major Arcana too. Roman numerals are used to signify the cards position in the Major Arcana – here Justice is VIII and Strength is XI – but with a twist. The Hermit is VIIII (not IX), Temperance is XIIII (not XIV), and The Sun is XVIIII (not XIX). It works. You can still tell what the number is without any trouble and I think it makes adding the cards much easier but it made me wonder what the idea behind it was. Maybe it was a simple mistake that somehow nobody along the way picked up on? Or, maybe there is an underlying message that just because things are always done a particular way doesn’t mean they have to be. Who knows? It’s open to individual interpretation or no interpretation at all.
Apart from what I’ve already mentioned the cards follow Rider Waite Smith nominations. The suits are Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles and the Court is made up of Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages. The card stock is thin yet durable and easy to shuffle and fan straight out of the box. I know some people, I used to be one of them, don’t like thin card stock but now I love it as long as it feels that it will hold up over time and handle being shuffled in multiple different ways. The cards measure 7 x 12cm making them a comfortable size for everyone.
The Sacred Rose Tarot Book
With The Sacred Rose Tarot, the little white book is an asset. For the Major Arcana the book describes the card then provides an explanation of all the symbolism and the relevance of the dominant colours choices. Reading this really drew my attention to the finer details. It highlighted that nothing on these cards is merely there to fill space. Rather, everything serves a purpose.
To be honest, I didn’t feel an instant connection to this deck like I have with many others but in taking the time to understand the intention behind the creator’s choices and becoming aware of the complexity of the artwork I was soon drawn in. I don’t normally do this but I thought it might help if I shared just the card description for 0 The Fool pictured below. So, here it is:
The earthly figure of The Fool, dressed in peasant shirt and knee-length mountain pants, strides into timeless space, a half-smile on his lips. The rocks and earth blend in stained glass imagery while around him multi-coloured flowers burst through the rock crevices.
The white rose in The Fool’s right hand represents physical purity and initiation. The purple bag over his right shoulder suggests Karmic lessons and their influence over his life. the butterfly symbolises the power of divine metamorphosis. The white dog biting at his leg represents The Fool’s basic nature that tries to hold him back; the animalistic nature of humanity might prove to be its downfall on the journey to spiritual enlightenment and development.
Beyond The Fool, the landscape, both fertile and barren, indicates the range of opportunities as well as dangers that lie ahead. The ladder pattern of the red straps on his legs suggests personal sacrifice; each strap represents one of the seven steps to universal consciousness, similar to the seven chakras of the Hindus. The zodiac belt bearing the sign of the balance, Libra, suggests the need for harmony, especially when viewed against the green background of productivity.
The Fool’s hat with its red and purple balls suggest the power that results from the combination of creative passion and spiritual development. The red shirt reveals his love of adventure and the purple britches indicate power inherent in movement. The Fool passes through the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and he is our guide into the eternal mysteries of the Major Arcana.
Now you might not agree with how she attributes colour meanings etc but I like that the book tells you what her intention was. With the information at hand you’re free to then take whatever resonates and contemplate what doesn’t and why. I believe this process really adds to our understanding of how we see things and provides an opportunity to examine our own reactions to various colours and symbols.
Every Major Arcana card is given this level of attention which I believe offers a lot of opportunities to learn something new about the cards and ourselves. Following the detailed explanations of the imagery divinatory meanings for both the upright and reversed positions are given.
The Minor Arcana is organised by number rather than suit. Each number is briefly described in its own right. A planetary association is included however these go against much of what I’ve come across. So, make of that what you will. The artwork on the Minors is only briefly discussed but it provides enough information to make the meaning clear from the image.
For example, the 6 of Pentacles pictured alongside The Fool above reads, “the world is seen as the balance or centre of six pentacles. Two hands place and adjust the pentacles in their positions.” It leaves the way open for multiple interpretations. As for the Majors, card meanings are given for both upright and reversed presentations.
From the attention I’ve given this book you’d think it was much more substantial. It’s not. It just goes to show what you can pack into a 55 page book.
Spreads
There is however only one spread included:
- 10 card spread
This is a version of the Celtic Cross. Some of the positions have been allocated different meanings to those I’m personally used to which made for an interesting reading. I have to say, this deck looks absolutely beautiful laid out in a spread.
When I first flicked through the cards I found the faces a little odd but when I looked at them in place in a spread I saw them so much more clearly. Maybe my glasses helped but I think as I tuned into the deck as I started to interpret the spread I began to see them in a very different light. When I focused on their faces I connected with their emotions and I noticed the subtlety in their expressions. You can gain a lot from looking closely at the cards but for me they come to life in a spread when we are creating a story and the cards become more than just beautiful images on some pieces of cardboard.
Publishing Details
Deck Creator:
Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman
Pictured Version:
Published by U.S. Games Inc, 1982
