Caitlín Matthews

Rediscover the forgotten techniques of historical Tarot reading and bring new depth to your practice with ancient tools for modern insight. Untold Tarot by Caitlín Matthews is a groundbreaking guide that revives centuries-old divinatory skills used with historical decks, particularly the Tarot de Marseille. Drawing on cartomantic traditions long overlooked in contemporary Tarot, Matthews teaches methods such as card blending, pairing, line reading, and directional cues—where the characters in the cards are looking—to unlock layered narratives and hidden meanings. Untold Tarot returns to the roots of Tarot reading, offering a historically grounded, yet accessible way to approach pip cards, court personalities, and trumps. It presents detailed explanations of number and suit correspondences and includes traditional spreads drawn from French and Italian sources. • A complete system for reading with the Tarot de Marseille • Techniques for card pairing, directionality, and sight lines • Rich historical context for both trumps and suits • Methods that expand intuitive reading through visual storytelling • Includes examples from historic and modern Marseille decks Written by one of the world’s foremost authorities on Tarot, Untold Tarot is essential reading for those ready to explore Tarot beyond the Rider-Waite tradition—and reclaim the lost art of ancient cartomancy.

What does it mean to write and perform bardic poetry in the twenty-first century? This monumental collection, from the author of The Bardic Handbook and The Way of Awen, brings together 25 years of selected verse to explore that challenge. The diverse range of poems can be enjoyed for their own sake and will also inspire others to craft and voice their own creative responses to identity, ecology, and community, grounded in the body, the land, and conviction. Silver Branch includes an introduction to the author's practice as a performance poet, originally published as Speak Like Rain, along with the Bardic-Chair-winning poem Spring Fall; Bio*Wolf; Green Fire; Dragon Dance; The Taliesin Soliloquies; Thirteen Treasures; poems from the stage shows Arthur's Dream, Robin of the Wildwood, Return to Arcadia, and Song of the Windsmith; plus more recent bardic poems and songs.

This is the classic Lenormand deck for the 21st century, now reissued with a fresh design to showcase the amazing hand-painted card illustrations that guide the diviner in solving problems, learning what the future holds and developing intuition. The traditional deck has been updated to make it as relevant as possible to contemporary readers, including in the LGBT community: the deck offers, for example, an extra Man card and an extra Woman card to allow same-sex relationships to appear in readings. Another extra card, the Divinator, allows the diviner themselves to appear in a spread. Other updates to make the cards feel more relevant today include reducing the original deck's reliance on Christian imagery, for example by changing the name of the Cross card to the Crossing, and replacing its crucifix artwork with a beautiful image of bird wings over a bridge. Much used by the Roma, the Lenormand cards are named after Marie-Anne Lenormand, a famous clairvoyant of the 18th and 19th centuries who read for Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte. Fascinated by this evocative oracle, cartomancer and Lenormand expert Caitlin Matthews commissioned simple yet profound artwork to capture the authentic flavour of the antique decks. The card illustrations are all hand-painted (rather than created as digital montages), allowing each card to express its own character. The accessible guidebook is suitable for a complete beginner to card divination, but also offers new perspectives to existing Lenormand users. There are detailed profiles of each card, as well as practical advice on using layouts to ask for guidance on a specific problem or to look at the bigger picture and discover true purpose in life.

Discover a complete system of magical work based on the myths of Arthur and his knights. With meditations, rituals, visualizations, and pioneering shamanic techniques, Arthurian Magic leads you on a profound soul journey designed to raise consciousness and offer deep levels of wisdom. From Dr. John Dee to the Order of the Golden Dawn to the more recent fascination with the mysteries of the Grail and the Templars, dozens of magical groups and countless individuals have turned to the myths of Arthur and his knights for initiation, inspiration, and instruction. This book is a guide for beginners and more experienced practitioners to incorporate the deep spiritual power of the Grail stories into their lives.

Presenting the culmination of more than 40 years’ research, John and Caitlín Matthews examine the historical and mythological evidence for every major theory about the existence of King Arthur. Drawing on modern techniques in archaeology and scholarship, they reconstruct the history of the 6th century in Britain, the period when the first unambiguous references to Arthur appear. They explore the history of every Arthur candidate, the geographical arguments that have placed him in different locations, and the evidence for his life and famous battles fought against the Saxons. Was the greatest British hero of all time not a king but a 2nd-century Roman officer active around Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria? A 5th-century soldier who operated in areas as far apart as Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, or Brittany? Or an entirely mythical fiction that provided a figure of light during a dark period of British history?

Imagine a time when vast helium-fueled airships took the place of aircraft, and where the hunger for adventure and exploration took the human race into stranger places than we ever imagined. The Steampunk Tarot imagines this in an alternate-reality tarot where The Technomage is king, and the Punk Diva is queen. Tumble down the rabbit hole into a construction of technology, machines, retro-art and culture, full of fantastic visions in a time and place that realizes an alternate world to our own. The world of steampunk combines Victoriana, the Gothic, and early invention with a huge dash of imagination and a tremendous sense of style. The Steampunk Tarot is a world apart: a nexus of opulence, innovation and alternate world-views that is reflected in 78 scenes. The 22 major arcana cards are the actors at the heart of the machine, the deos macninae or "the gods of the machine." Acting as mediators of the Gods of the Machine are the 16 court cards who are the Legates of the Omniverse, or ambassadorial representatives of the Four Leagues, comprising all the skills that maintain the Imperium: they are the movers and shakers--the Commander, Lady, Navigator, and Messenger, or King, Queen, Knight and Page. They oversee the other 40 cards of the minor arcana, who are the elemental worlds of Airships, Engines, Submersibles and Gears, or Swords, Wands, Cups and Coins. There are still things to discover and uncover in the Steampunk Imperium. Many new methods of spreading and playing with tarot cards are included, as well as methods of life-navigation by the use of skillful questions. The Steampunk Tarot is an adventurous tarot for the discerning diviner, to be appreciated both by tarot-users and steampunk fans the world over.

From the author of Votan - 'Probably the best book ever done about the Norse,' says Neil Gaiman - comes a gripping new retelling in the Arthurian cycle by a masterful storyteller. Gwenevere, Arthur's Saxon wife, is a problem. As the dynastic cement between the British and the Saxons, her marriage to Arthur will result in a child that will unite both sides. At least, that would have been the plan, had the Great Duke Arthur not died (accidentally and not at all heroically) and left the petty kings of Britain to squabble over his title. Only Morvran, Arthur's chief fixer, has the wit to see that the Fourth Gwenevere is the key to maintaining a crumbling peace. But when she is abducted, it seems that all hopes might disappear with her. For, in a world where swords and horses have names of honour, where poets speak as oracles of a shifting truth and the raiding of Saxon warriors is set to ruin Britain, perhaps it's only the Fourth Gwenevere herself who has the real solution? This edition contains bonus material!

More than 200 years old, the 36 Lenormand cards are an oracle combining standard playing cards with images from the everyday world, such as key, book, animals, and flowers. Their simple, predictive, and non-esoteric nature opens the realm of fortune-telling to all, offering a traditional cartomantic divination where card combinations fuse together to give clear answers. In this complete guide to Lenormand card reading, Caitlín Matthews explains the multiple meanings for each card, providing keywords so the reader can quickly build an interpretive vocabulary for Lenormand fortune-telling. She details how to lay spreads, starting with 3 or 5 cards and building to the Grand Tableau spread, which uses all 36 cards. She explores the significance of the playing card pips and suits on each card and how cards combine to create a variety of meanings. Matthews enables readers to learn the Lenormand card keywords so they can both read for themselves and express their interpretations to clients. Providing real case histories for readers to interpret, she also includes self-tests and practice exercises with answers to check at the end of the book. In addition to her comprehensive practical introduction to the Lenormand oracle, Matthews delves deeply into the history of cartomancy to reveal the mythic blueprint that underlies this simple deck, the key to which lies not in their imagery but in their connection to playing cards.

Imagine a time when vast helium-fueled airships took the place of aircraft, and where the hunger for adventure and exploration took the human race into stranger places than we ever imagined. The Steampunk Tarot imagines this in an alternate-reality tarot where The Technomage is king, and the Punk Diva is queen. Tumble down the rabbit hole into a construction of technology, machines, retro-art and culture, full of fantastic visions in a time and place that realizes an alternate world to our own. The world of steampunk combines Victoriana, the Gothic, and early invention with a huge dash of imagination and a tremendous sense of style. The Steampunk Tarot is a world apart: a nexus of opulence, innovation and alternate world-views that is reflected in 78 scenes. The 22 major arcana cards are the actors at the heart of the machine, the deos macninae or "the gods of the machine." Acting as mediators of the Gods of the Machine are the 16 court cards who are the Legates of the Omniverse, or ambassadorial representatives of the Four Leagues, comprising all the skills that maintain the Imperium: they are the movers and shakers--the Commander, Lady, Navigator, and Messenger, or King, Queen, Knight and Page. They oversee the other 40 cards of the minor arcana, who are the elemental worlds of Airships, Engines, Submersibles and Gears, or Swords, Wands, Cups and Coins. There are still things to discover and uncover in the Steampunk Imperium. Many new methods of spreading and playing with tarot cards are included, as well as methods of life-navigation by the use of skillful questions. The Steampunk Tarot is an adventurous tarot for the discerning diviner, to be appreciated both by tarot-users and steampunk fans the world over.

Powerful protection for uncertain times.

From unicorns and trolls to werewolves and griffins, this comprehensive guide is the key to discovering every magical creature from myth, folklore and legend around the world. This compendium of magical creatures explores the history, folklore and mythology of fascinating beasts throughout all the magical worlds. Including stories, celebrations, traditions, and amazing facts, the book spans every major culture across the globe. Many of the fantastic creatures described in the book have appeared in the fictitious worlds of the Brothers Grimm, Lewis Carroll, J. K. Rowling, Tolkien and countless other writers who have stirred our imaginations since childhood fairytales. From unicorns, giants, fairies, elves, goblins, dwarves and trolls to nymphs, mermaids, sphinxes, ogres, cyclops, dragons, salamanders, basilisks, banshees, werewolves, griffins, centaurs, satyrs and gremlins – this is the ultimate reference book on creatures from the magical world. Organized from A to Z for easy reference, the cross–cultural focus spans from the most ancient of creatures to those which have come to prominence more recent ly. Discover everything from obscure magical beings to everyday animals that carry magical symbolism. Find out more in The Fantastic World of Magical Creatures.

The Mysteries of Mithraspresents a revival of the magical practices and initiatory system of Mithraism, the ancient Roman mystery religion that was immensely popular in the Roman Legions from the late second century B. C. until A. D. 400 and was taken to every corner of the Roman Empire. As the last pagan state religion in Europe, it was the most important competitor to early Christianity and heavily influenced Christian doctrine and symbolism. The parallels between Christianity and ancient Mithraism are striking--for example, the god Mithra was born of a virgin in a cave on December 25. Payam Nabarz reveals the history, origins, and spiritual and philosophical tenets of Mithraism and its connections to Christianity, Islam, and Freemasonry. He also describes the modern neo-pagan practice of Mithraism in evidence today and for readers who wish to adopt the Mithraic path, he includes seven of its initiatory rituals and meditations, as well as orations and teaching tales, that open the door to the seven Mithraic grades of passage.

In Encyclopedia of Celtic Myth and Legend, authors John and Caitlin Matthews have compiled one of the most comprehensive collections of Celtic lore ever, drawing from every known source from the Celts' well-known classics, to neglected sources and forgotten archives. Their fresh translations and lucid commentary make this an essential text for students, researchers, and indeed, for anyone who has ever felt drawn to the Celtic spirit. The tales and poems are arranged thematically in keeping with the bardic traditions from which they come, and transport the reader to the shores of distant lands, populated by heroes and heroines, gods and kings, fairy folk, maidens and magicians. Here the ancient legends unfold, telling of battles and births, voyages and visions, love and longing, wooings and wisdom, dreams and vengeance. This collection of Celtic lore represents the lifetime's work of two internationally acclaimed writers. It is their hope that it will inspire those who wish to inherit the "bright knowledge"-the glefisa-of the ancestors, that they may illumine their own lives with this wisdom and, in turn, pass it on to their descendants.

In Walkers Between the Worlds, the authors reveal the development of both these traditions that were never far beneath the surface of Western culture and how they complement each other. As the orthodox structures of the West appear increasingly hollow and irrelevant, the Western way trod by the shaman and the magus remains vital, with many practical methods for reawakening awareness and reconnecting with the earth. In addition to its in-depth theoretical analysis, Walkers Between the Worldscontains practical exercises drawn from traditional teaching methods used by both native and hermetic traditions to help the reader explore these mysteries.

The ancient Celtic stories of the Mabinogion have received universal recognition from scholars as both sources of the Arthurian legend and keys to insights into the ancient magic of the Celtic Otherworld. Now renowned Celtic scholar Caitlin Matthews, drawing on a full range of medieaval texts and ancient Welsh writings, provides a fully revised and updated reader's guide to these rich and far-reaching tales. In KING ARTHUR AND THE GODDESS OF THE LAND, Matthews sheds particular light on Sovereignty, the Goddess of the sacred land of Britain and the spiritual principle of the Divine Feminine. Clearly revealed are the many alternate forms taken by the Goddess of the Land - including her incarnation as Morgan of Avalon, who plays a dominant role in the Arthurian cycle. Also established are links between the legendary characters of the Mabinogion and their counterparts in other living myths of the Western world. Through the marriage of the Celtic kings to the Goddess of the Land, the sacred contract between political rulership and responsibility for the land's well-being is dramatically revealed. In King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land, Matthews once again articulates definitively the continuing relevance of ancient Celtic thought and belief as illustrated in the powerful myths and legends of ancient Britain. - Revised edition of Arthur and the Sovereignty of Britain published by Arcana that includes the author's latest research and insights. - A comprehensive reader's companion with synopsis of stories and full commentary.

Since first publication in 1995, Caitlin Matthews's primer on practical, everyday spirituality as practised through shamanism, has become a sought-after classic. For those trapped in a material society, shamanic wisdom offers new purpose and vitality in life, and a re-connection to the natural world. Caitlin Matthews shows how you can harness your creative imagination and innate healing powers as you explore your inner space, and journey between the everyday world and the spiritual realm of the shaman.

This book takes the reader on a journey from pre-Christian spirituality to the present day, seeking out the presence of the Goddess--the divine feminine power of wisdom.

Discover the Living Wisdom of the Ancient Celts The ancient Celts and their spiritual mediators, the Druids believed in the communion of all living things and sought harmony between nature and the human soul. Now, with this inspiring book of day-by-day mediations, renowned Celtic scholar Caitl n Matthews shows you how to reawaken the power of this age-old spiritual inheritance. Using poetry, myths, reflections, rituals, and visualizations, Matthews leads you on a yearlong pilgrimage that will help connect the cycles of your soul to the circle of the seasons. From the winter months of Samhain the summer months of Beltant, from mediations on the gifts and blessings of life to the insights and promises of the soul, she enables you to complete your own sacred circuit of the turning year. Brimming with the legends and lore of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and Britain, The Celtic Spirit is a brilliant introduction to the sacred wisdom of the Celtic path--and a potent resource for daily spiritual renewal.