Fréamhacha Éireannacha an Tarot | The Irish Roots of the Tarot

an chros cheilteach lámh cártaí

Tá lámh na Croise Ceiltí ar cheann de na leaganacha amach Tarot is mó toir. Rinneadh an chéad tagairt foilsithe don lámh in 1910 sa leabhar “The Pictorial Key to the Tarot” le Arthur Edward Waite, nuair a thug sé, “An Ancient Celtic Method of Divination” air. Cuireann Waite síos ar an gCrois Cheilteach mar “phróiseas gairid atá á úsáid go príobháideach le blianta fada anuas in Éirinn.”

D’úsáidtí baill d'Ord Heirméiteach Fháinne Gheal an Lae, a raibh Waite ina bhall de, lámh na Croise Ceiltí. Ba ord draíochtúil diamhair é Fáinne Gheal an Lae, bunaithe sa Bhreatain Mhór agus in Éirinn agus bhí sé gníomhach ag deireadh an 19ú hAois agus tosach an 20ú hAois.

Chuaigh William Butler Yeats le hOrd Heirméiteach bhráithreachas Fháinne Gheal an Lae. I measc uirlisí an oird chun léargas spioradálta a fháil bhí draíocht searmanais agus cártaí tarot. Bhí an Tarot chomh tábhachtach ag Yeats, gur dúradh gur choinnigh sé paca cártaí tarot leis i gcónaí.

Pamela Colman Smith

Scríobhadh go leor faoi Pamela Colman Smith, a raibh an leasainm “Pixie” uirthi, maisitheoir an tarot Rider-Waite, ach an raibh a fhios agat faoina naisc láidre le hÉirinn?

Rugadh Pamela i Londain in 1878, agus ba le teaghlach saibhir i Nua Eabhrac í agus bhí gaol aici ar thaobh a máthar le Joel Chandler Harris, údar na scéalta Brer Rabbit.

Sa bhliain 1899, agus gan í ach 21 bliain d’aois, thosaigh sí ag obair ar an dearadh amharclainne don ghrúpa Amharclann Lyceum, faoi stiúir Ellen Terry (a deirtear gurbh í a thug an leasainm ‘Pixie’ uirthi). Ba ansin a bhuail sí le Bram Stoker agus bhí mór lena chéile i gcónaí, agus ba í a mhaisigh a úrscéal deireanach, ‘The Lair of the White Worm’ in 1911.

Ó 1898 go dtí 1904 ar a laghad, chomhoibrigh sí le baill de theaghlach Yeats ar roinnt tionscadal. Bhí an chéad cheann in 1898, nuair a thosaigh Robert Howard Russell, foilsitheoir i Nua Eabhrac, ag taispeáint a gcuid saothair ealaíne i roinnt dá fhoilseacháin. Ba é ceann díobh sin leabhar beag dar dteideal ‘The Illustrated Verses of William Butler Yeats’.

Go luath sa samhradh in 1899, agus í ag tabhairt cuairt ar Nua Eabhrac, d’fhostaigh an t-aisteoir Sasanach Florence Farr Pamela Colman Smith chun radhairc nua a dhearadh do dhráma William Butler Yeats ‘The Countess Cathleen’ nuair a dhéanfaí é a léiriú i Nua Eabhrac.

Níos déanaí an Samhradh céanna sin in 1899, chuaigh Pamela agus a hathair, Charles Edward Smith (1846-1899), ar thuras go Sasana. Le linn dóibh a bheith ansin, thug siad cuairt ar Bedford Park chun cuairt a thabhairt ar an bpéintéir, John Butler Yeats (1839-1922), agus trí aithne a bheith aici air, d’éirigh sí mór lena pháistí.

Chruthaigh sí dearaí stáitse d’Amharclann na Mainistreach do WB Yeats agus chomhoibrigh sí ar thréimhseachán tréimhsiúil “The Broadsheet” le Jack B. chomh maith le dearaí a thabhairt do Dun Emer Industries do Lily agus Elizabeth Yeats.

In 1903, sheol Smith a hiris féin dar teideal ‘The Green Sheaf’, le sleachta ó Jack B. Yeats, agus A. E. (George William Russell),

Ba é an saothar ba cháiliúla de chuid Pamela a cuid grianghraf don phaca Rider-Waite Tarot.

the celtic cross spread

The Celtic Cross spread is one of the most popular Tarot reading layouts. The first published reference to the spread was in 1910 in the book “The Pictorial Key to the Tarot” by Arthur Edward Waite, when he named it, “An Ancient Celtic Method of Divination.” Waite describes the Celtic Cross as “a short process which has been used privately for many years past in Ireland.”

Members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, of which Waite was a member, used the Celtic Cross spread. The Golden Dawn was magical, occult order based in Great Britain and Ireland and was active during the late 19th Century and the early part of the 20th Century.

In 1890, William Butler Yeats joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn fraternity. The order’s tools for attaining spiritual insight included ceremonial magic and tarot cards. The Tarot was so important to Yeats, that it was said that he always kept a deck of Tarot cards with him.

Pamela Colman Smith

Much has been written about Pamela Colman Smith, nicknamed “Pixie,” the illustrator of the Rider-Waite tarot, but did you know about her strong connections to Ireland?

Born in London in 1878, Pamela belonged to a wealthy New York family and was related on her mother’s side to Joel Chandler Harris, author of the Brer Rabbit stories.

In 1899, aged just 21, she began working on the theatrical design for the Lyceum Theatre group, led by Ellen Terry (who is said to have given her the nickname 'Pixie’). There she met Bram Stoker who she remained friends with and illustrated his last novel, ‘The Lair of the White Worm’ in 1911.

From 1898 until at least 1904, she collaborated with members of the Yeats family on a number of projects. The first was in 1898, was when Robert Howard Russell, a New York publisher, began to feature her artwork in several of his publications. One of these was a small book entitled ‘The Illustrated Verses of William Butler Yeats’.

In the early summer of 1899, while on a visit to New York, the English actress Florence Farr had employed Pamela Colman Smith to design new scenes for the William Butler Yeats play ‘The Countess Cathleen’ for its forthcoming performance in New York.

Later in that same Summer of 1899, Pamela and her father, Charles Edward Smith (1846-1899), made a trip to England. While there, they visited Bedford Park to call on the painter, John Butler Yeats (1839-1922), and through his acquaintance, befriended his children.

She created stage designs for the Abbey Theatre for WB Yeats and collaborated on a periodical “A Broadsheet” with Jack B. in addition to contributing designs to the Dun Emer Industries for Lily and Elizabeth Yeats.

In 1903, Smith launched her own magazine named ‘The Green Sheaf’, with contributions by Jack B. Yeats, and A. E. (George William Russell),

Pamela’s most famous work was her illustrations for the Rider-Waite Tarot deck.