The Nigel Jackson Tarot
Lewellyn Publications first published the Nigel Jackson Tarot in 2000. It was repackaged as Medieval Enchantment: The Nigel Jackson Tarot in the fall of 2004. It received an enthusiastic response from the tarot community because of its striking colors and evocative images. The Medieval images of the Nigel Jackson Tarot are a perfect blend with the Greco-Roman philosophy that influences the deck.
The Nigel Jackson Tarot bears similarity to the world’s most popular deck, the Rider-Waite-Smith, in that each card is illustrated with simple but understandable pictures. It bears similarity to the ancient Tarot De Marseilles in the structure of the Major Arcana, and in that each Minor Arcana card has a clear depiction of the correct number of icons for its rank. It bears similarity to many modern Pagan decks in that Swords represent the element of Fire and Staves represent the element of Air.
Nigel Jackson associates the Pythagorean numerology system to both the Major and Minor Arcana, which adds to the understanding of each card. The Nigel Jackson Tarot book also offers a special tarot reading method based on the Pythagorean system.
The four suits of the Nigel Jackson Tarot Minor Arcana are Cups (Water), Coins (Earth), Swords (Fire) and Staves (Air). Staves are pictured as arrows, just are they are in ancient tarot decks.
The Major Arcana of the Nigel Jackson Tarot uses some older Tarot traditions for naming and ordering the cards. Major Arcana 1is called the Juggler. Major Arcana 2 is the Popess, and Major Arcana 5 is the Pope. The Strength card is given the ancient name of Fortitude, and is ordered as Major Arcana 11, while Justice is Major Arcana 8.
The recent thinking of the Tarot community is that there is no proof that occult knowledge was intentionally included in Tarot design in the Fifteenth Century. In his book, Nigel Jackson draws a convincing argument that the occult knowledge is clearly present, and that the Tarot is strong tool for magick, ritual, mediation and spiritual growth as well as divination.
The divinatory meanings listed in the book are extremely traditional. As he discusses the spiritual meanings, however, he does so from a Gnostic perspective. This helps to explain the concept of Gnosticism, and gives a clear and spiritual explanation of the Path of the Tarot.
The Nigel Jackson Tarot, now known as Medieval Enchantment, is an all-around terrific deck. While the artwork is neither detailed nor striking, the colors and images work perfectly to present the meaning of each card.
This is a must-have for any student of numerology, Tarot history, or medieval occult thought. It is also a great deck for Tarot enthusiasts at any level of study, from beginner to professional.
