Review: “79-CARD - TEMPLAR TAROT”, by Allen Chester, Artist and Daria Kelleher, Author of LWB or, Tarot Booklet - ISBN 0-9715867-0-5                                                             

The first important thing to know about this provocative Tarot deck is its historical theme of the Knights Templar who were historically represented as monks, warrior knights and guardians of the travelling faithful of their day. The records, or stories, of their defense of Christian pilgrims from Muslim attackers in the early twelfth century and their ultimate demise on a Friday the 13th, paint a picture of the strong, loyal and courageous, counter-balanced by the tender and the terrible, side by side.

Various accounts depict the original knights as extremely poor and unsupported, but who evolved to become wealthier than their counterparts and even the royal and papal leadership of their era. This was their undoing. Jealousy, hatred and even greed became their enemy cloaked in the cloth of the royal and papal leadership. When one understands these basic points about the Templar Knights, reading the Templar Tarot cards, provided by artist Allen Chester, gives the reader interpretive insight. His card depictions and intended Tarot meanings seem to unfold before the sensitive eyes of the reader.

Allen Chester has used colors and form to express the portrait that so often emerges from the various legends and stories about these knights. Their brilliant and extremely bright flame holds the touch of blue in the middle. The slightly oversized and heavy card-board cards are a perfect canvas for his bold and energetic paintings. At first, I was slightly put off by the intentional garishness of color and shaped images. Yet, as reminded of the artist Van Gough, when we consider the story and the wisdom of these mystical knights, it becomes easier to “understand” the cards’ depictions, color and texture.

One of the many persistent beliefs is that the Tarot was the invention of the Knights Templar. Supposedly, these warrior monks hid secret knowledge brought to Europe from the far mystical lands of the Middle East, which was considered heretical by the church and ruling royalty. And with the help of the well-written and substantive “LWB”, by Daria Kelleher, the student and reader do have ample information about the history of the Templar Knights, as well as the Tarot structure, to begin reading Chester’s seventy-nine Tarot cards.

This intriguing deck begins with the first card of the Major Arcana, titled “The Pilgrim”, which represents the “Fool” in traditional Tarot decks. It ends with an extra card, the 79th card, “The Magic Flute”; arriving after the #21 (traditionally “The World”) titled – “Ein Sof.” The “LWB” says: “This (last) card is not explained but its meaning can be revealed through meditation.”

Before you buy this deck understand this! These special Tarot cards do not suffer lazy readership. As an example, the Major Arcana #6-The Lovers (www.templartarot.com) shows many options and details to think about. Its depiction of a maiden who is surrounded by books, angels and a skeleton of the past or future could confuse a novice, and at the same time encourage study and evolve reading ability. In fact, this is a challenging deck for any reader, advanced or beginner.

If we do the work the borderless and vibrantly-colored cards seem to meet us where we are in our Tarot knowledge - as they should - and invite us to remain limitless while traveling through the images so beautifully painted by Allen Chester. What most stands out in my mind as I use this deck, is that there just might be a Templar treasure hidden within the symbolism of the Templar Tarot deck.

Tarot Deck Review By:  Kristin Lee-Gray, CTI - Certified Tarot Master and Instructor, President - Canadian Tarot Network, Intl. www.tarotcanada.com