Shakespearean Tarot

The Shakespearean Tarot
Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Paul Hardy, 1993

The Shakespearean Tarot was designed by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki (author of The Servants of Light Tarot) and published in 1993 by Aquarian Press. The 78-card deck depicts a wide range of scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, with quotes from the plays shown at the bottom of each card. A detailed 144-page book is also included.

The illustrations by Paul Hardy are beautiful and atmospheric. His paintings are very detailed, although you’ll have to look closely at the cards to fully appreciate the artwork. This is because the publishers have reduced the images smaller than they should have been, in my opinion. The cards themselves are not large to begin with, and the thick white borders further take from the space that the illustrations could have used. The scans I am showing here are enlarged to show detail, so be aware that the actual images are likely to be much smaller than these – the cards themselves are only 2.5 x 4.5 inches.

To decide on the connections she wanted in the deck, Ashcroft-Nowicki spent two years re-aquainting herself with the Shakespearean literature. It is obvious from the book that she is deeply acquainted with the literature, as well as with many of the historical and interpretive viewpoints surrounding the plays. The attention to literary detail is evident throughout the deck. The author writes that “The quotes have been carefully chosen to match up with the picture and its meaning as far as is possible. Costumes, armor and locations have also been carefully researched and hopefully will stand up under scrutiny.”

The Eight of Crowns depicts a conjuration by the three witches from the play Macbeth. The scene takes place after Macbeth finally seeks their aid to divine whether Banquo’s descendants will ever gain the throne. The crowned heads which rise from the cauldron are indeed the future lineage of Banquo. Ashcroft-Nowicki says that this card represents a turning point in our life, causing us to make choices and change directions.

The Seven of Sceptres (Wands) is taken from Two Gentlemen of Verona, which Ashcroft-Nowicki describes as “the English story of Robin Hood and his band, though now set in Milan.” The card shows the character of Valentine, a nobleman who has been banished from Milan by the Duke. Traveling through the forest, he is met by bandits; because of mutual interests, however, they join causes and elect him their leader. Ashcroft-Nowicki says “Although this at first may seem a menacing card it has another side. If faced up to, the situation before you can be turned to your own advantage.”

The deck’s suits have been renamed: Orbs instead of Coins, Crowns instead of Cups, Sceptres instead of Wands, while Swords remain Swords. The Aces display the symbol of their suit against a stage with curtain backdrop, as shown in the Ace of Sceptres above.

One of this deck’s strengths is that the suit card illustrations are as elaborate as the Trumps. One of my favorite paintings is the Six of Orbs. The card shows a fairy who serves the court of Titania, the Fairy Queen from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The glistening lights in the illustration are a combination of stars, fairy sparks, and dewdrops on spider webs. The author says the card speaks of kindness and the bestowal of material blessings.

Another beautiful card from the Minor Arcana is the Seven of Crowns. Cleopatra has just taken her own life; her body is guarded by her leopard and her servants Iris and Charmian. The ghostly forms are the appearance of her royal ancestors, each wearing the various crowns of ancient Egypt. Ashcroft-Nowicki gives the meaning of the card as: considering every angle, making a decision, and committing to it.

The Moon is always a magical card, and this one shows another scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The story involves four young lovers who, during the course of the play, enter into the woods where they become the amusements of the fairy folk who live there. The two figures shown on the card are Queen Titania and King Oberon, their pride and jealousy being the catalysts for much of the play’s mischief. The entire story takes place under the light of the full moon. This is the time when we are more sensitive to inner promptings; it is also the time when we are more susceptible to the magics around us.

These cards are printed with deep, rich colors on a plastic coated cardstock. They come with the book in a medium-sized cardboard package. The book is well written, and includes for each card an overview of the chosen play and a detailed description of the scene depicted. It is rather hard to find, and it is unlikely to be seen on American store shelves. It does appear on occasion at online auction sites.

Review by Mark Filipas, 9/29/00