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Gaian Tarot, by Joanna Powell Colbert

Gaian Tarot: Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves, 2nd Edition, Joanna Powell Colbert
REDfeather, 0764368753, 192 pages, 78 cards, April 2025

Gaian Tarot: Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves, 2nd Edition by Joanna Powell Colbert is a beautiful and luminous deck that invites its users to create a deeper connection with the natural world, their own inner landscapes, and humanity. Rooted in the artist’s profound reverence for the earth and her community, this deck is a reimagining of the tarot tradition that speaks to modern sensibilities while honoring the timeless archetypes of the past.

Joanna Powell Colbert is an artist, teacher and retreat host who has been practicing with tarot for more than 40 years. She also created the Pentimento Tarot and co-created the Herbcrafter’s Tarot. Following a path that honors “the four directions as well as the eight-fold sacred wheel of life, death and rebirth”1, Colbert teaches about the natural world. She hosts retreats and teaches workshops on earth-centered spirituality and the tarot as a tool for inspiration and personal growth. She lives near the Salish Sea in Bellingham, Washington. Learn more about Colbert on her website.

In this second edition of the deck, which was originally published in 2010, Colbert changes the main color scheme from the blue of the ocean to the green of the land. The artwork for each card remains the same. The new edition features new borders for the cards, new art for the card backs, and a new box design. The card size has been reduced slightly, and the guidebook has been revised, as well. Colbert also added gold edges to the cards, as well as gold accents to the borders and card titles.

The artwork of Gaian Tarot is its most striking feature. Colbert’s paintings are warm and vibrant with rich colors and intricate details. Colbert shares that each piece of art was created from her own sketches of the natural habitat around her and you can feel the authenticity and vitality. Each card feels like a standalone piece of art, inviting deep contemplation and connection. The images of people celebrate diversity in gender, age, ethnicity, and body types, reflecting inclusivity and balance. You feel a sense of community, both with people and the animal kingdom. The back of the cards features a beautiful painting of the world, accented by a butterfly and a wreath of what Colbert calls “blessing herbs.”2 

This deck remains faithful to the traditional structure of a 78-card deck, with a Major Arcana of 22 cards and a Minor Arcana of four suits. However, Colbert has reinterpreted many of the archetypes and titles to align with her Earth-honoring philosophy. For example, traditional titles like Emperor and Devil are replaced with Builder and Bindweed, offering fresh perspectives that align more with themes of balance, growth, and self-awareness.

The suits of the Minor Arcana—Earth, Water, Air, and Fire—are tied to the natural elements. Each card carries symbols of the natural world, from animals and plants to landscapes and weather patterns. This connection to nature enriches its symbolism, allowing users to draw inspiration from the rhythms and wisdom of the Earth. Colbert also changes the court cards and renames them to “correspond to the stages of life.”3 She presents Children, Explorers, Guardians and Elders, mixing up the genders, as well. She goes on to add:

“Today I honor that sex and gender are not binary, and I invite the reader to interpret the people in the cards as they wish, including as transgender or non-binary.”4

The guidebook is structured into two sections, presenting guidance for the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.  For the Major Arcana, Colbert presents two to three pages of guidance, including general meaning, shadow aspects, themes, symbols and journal questions. She ends with a reminder, which serves as a one sentence recap of the card’s wisdom.  

In the guidance for the Minor Arcana, Colbert sets the cards up in groups of four, based on the number or name of the card. The aces lead the section, followed by all the twos and so on.  This structure makes it easy to find the pip card you seek. Colbert includes one full page of guidance for each card, including the remembrance line that sums up the wisdom.

I really enjoyed the section on symbols for each Major Arcana card, where Colbert lists most of the elements in the artwork and gives a brief explanation of the meaning. For example, on Temperance, she details the meanings behind angel, rainbow, sunset/sunrise, shell, burning herbs, streaming pool and iris. This additional information adds another layer of understanding and nuance to the guidance. 

The journal questions are also helpful and thought-provoking. I used the journal questions with my daily card pull for three days and was amazed at the new information and wisdom I received from this form of self-reflection.

To further test drive this deck, I utilized one of the spreads Colbert shares in the guidebook.  “Theme, Task, Prayer”, which is attributed to Morgan Glover, is a brilliant spread that supports a glimpse into the next week or month. (Colbert features almost 30 pages of spreads with the deck.)

I drew three cards to learn more about my opportunities or challenges, the best action to take and the assistance I can expect from my angels or ancestors. 

  1. Theme: Eight of Earth – I have an opportunity to pass on my knowledge and skills.
  2. Task: Elder of Fire – Act now to share my wisdom and magic.
  3. Prayer: Ace of Earth – Connect to the path between the seen and unseen worlds and ask for help from angels and ancestors. Support is always available. 

From this reading, I came to know that I am right on track! Put one foot in front of the other and keep going with my sacred work with women. 

The cards are printed on heavy card stock that will hold up well to continued use. The guidebook and cards are housed in a sturdy box with a magnetic closure.  The box showcases more of Colbert’s stunning artwork and raised type in brilliant gold. The back of the box features information about the deck and sample cards in a design that is overlaid with varnish and more raised type.

Whether you’re a seasoned tarot reader or a curious beginner, this deck offers an inviting entry point. The guidebook is a valuable companion. It shares the symbolism of each card with clarity and depth, providing both traditional and intuitive interpretations. Colbert’s intention is clear: to create a deck that nurtures, heals, and empowers its users to engage with the world in a compassionate and mindful way. The deck creator says:

“When used for divination the tarot can be viewed as a spiritual weathervane. It can tell you which way the wind is blowing in your life at a given moment. But only you can set your sail and choose your course. I hope that the Gaian Tarot helps you connect with the divine, in whatever way you can see that to be.”5 

I really enjoy working with Gaian Tarot, utilizing the guidance in the book as well as my own intuitive wisdom from the artwork. I will be using this deck, along with the spreads and journal prompts, for my work with clients and my own personal journey.

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot, by Latisha Guthrie

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot, by Latisha Guthrie with artwork by Joanna Powell Colbert
U.S. Games System Inc., 1572819723, 124 pages, 78 cards, May 2019

The traditional tarot images often grow stale for me. In delving into why this happens, I reached the conclusion it was because they aren’t always relatable. Symbolic? Sure. But sometimes I just want to see images from daily life; I want to see scenes of my day to day. It was my quest for this domestic, homey feeling I was seeking in my readings that led me to The Herbcrafter’s Tarot by Latisha Guthrie.

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot by Latisha Guthrie is a beautifully crafted deck that intertwines the wisdom of the natural world with the mystical art of tarot reading. This 78-card deck, created in collaboration with illustrator Joanna Powell Colbert, is a celebration of the healing power of herbs and plants. Each card is thoughtfully designed to depict a specific plant, along with its symbolic meanings and practical applications, making it a unique blend of botanical knowledge and spiritual insight. And the imagery was spot-on for what I was seeking!

The cards are from the point of view of the reader. The Major Arcana cards depict a natural altar to the herb and its corresponding energy. They represent the gratitude the herbcrafter feels “for the gifts and insights the plants give her.”1 Some of the altars looked planned out, such as the ones in the shape of the mandala, while others are simply the altars that arise during herbcrafting as one is actively engaged in their process.

The Court Cards, which in this deck are called People Cards, all feature hands of the herbcrafter. They show hands doing all sorts of mundane tasks: picking plants, drawing a bath, pouring a tea kettle. She writes:

“Our intention is to highlight the plant as well as to celebrate the slow intentional ritual of handcrafting. With every berry gathered and tincture mixed we enflesh the sacred, making prayer visible.”4

In this deck, the Court Cards are Hijas (Daughters, traditionally Pages), Adelitas (Warriors, Traditionally Knights), Madres (Mothers, traditionally Queens), and Curanderas (Healers, traditionally Kings). Characterizing the Court Cards in this way made me feel extra connected to this deck too because these are the types of people that show up in my life; it’s easier for me to identify a motherly figure than it is a queen.

Other cards in the deck depict momentary scenes of what it looks like in the midst of gardening, having a cup of tea in bed with the moon shining above, or simply gazing at nature scenes of gardens, rivers, and trees exuding their beauty. As I browse the cards, I instantly feel at peace, grounded, and connected to the natural world. Yet the imagery takes on a whole additional layer of meaning after reading the guidebook.

Guthrie explains how instead of traditional tarot suits (swords, wands, cups, and pentacles), their corresponding elements are used for the Minor Arcana (air, fire, water, and earth). And the cards for each element have a theme: air shows the observation of nature, fire the transformation of the herbs, water focuses on baths and teas, and earth showcases “baskets and fiber arts”, which are considered “legacy tools.”5

Furthermore, the herbs were chosen for each number within the elemental Minor Arcana based on “how they contribute to an ecosystem”.6 Guthrie provides a list for numbers 1-10 to explain the roles of one. The guidebook also groups the cards by number, so rather than looking through a section on a specific element, one looks to section on that number and then finds their element within.

One of my favorite cards in the deck visually is Strength, which is the Garlic card. This is a Major Arcana card, so I knew it was depicting an altar of sorts, but it is certainly one of those altars that arises naturally from being in the moment. While I could describe it for you myself, a real bonus of the guidebook for this deck is that each entry features a description of the card. This is what the guidebook says about this card:

“A braided cluster of purple garlic rests on a cloth made of natural fibers. Roses from a nearby vase begin to dry, and petals have fallen on the table. Golden liquid seeps from a heart-shaped honeycomb onto a wooden board. Green scrapes fold into their lemniscate shape surrounding a pot of garlic cloves submerged in honey.”7

Guthrie perfectly captures the scene in each card with her vivid descriptions of the imagery. Even though I’m gazing at the card, her words bring the setting to life; I can feel it with my senses, further opening my intuitive understanding of the card.

The guidebook also features the Latin name, three imperative sentences for insight, a paragraph of wise words that speak to the spiritual meaning of the card, and three ways to craft with the energy of the card using the plant. For instance, the Strength card offers wearing a garlic amulet over the heart as a reminder to be bold, cook with garlic to fortify the body, and make “immune-boosting garlic honey”8 to soften intensity or conflict.

One of the standout features of this deck is its ability to connect the reader with the herbs, forming relationships “for medicine, creativity, ritual, and spiritual guidance.”9 The cards are not just tools for divination; they serve as a bridge to deepen one’s understanding and relationship with plants too. Guthrie’s guidebook provides detailed descriptions of each herb, including its traditional uses, folklore, and ways to integrate it into daily life. This makes the deck an educational resource as well as a spiritual tool, ideal for those who have an interest in herbalism or wish to incorporate nature into their spiritual practice.

In terms of usability, this deck is accessible for both beginners and experienced tarot readers. The imagery is rich and cozy, allowing for intuitive readings based on the set scene, while the guidebook is comprehensive yet easy to follow. The deck encourages a hands-on approach, inviting users to engage with the herbs mentioned, whether through gardening, cooking, or crafting.

Overall, The Herbcrafter’s Tarot is a harmonious blend of art, nature, and spirituality, offering a unique and enriching experience for anyone interested in tarot and herbal wisdom. It has become my go-to tarot deck recently. I absolutely love getting to learn more about the plants themselves, from the practical uses to the spiritual messages they have to share. Guthrie and Colbert have done a wonderful job distilling the essence of each plant into the cards both in the imagery and guidebook for readers to truly connect with their natural powers.