Gaian Tarot Advance Copy Celebration
Thoughts on Legacy + A Reading for the Collective
Dear Ones,
Last week I received an advance copy of the forthcoming new edition of the Gaian Tarot from the good folks at REDFeather, along with a bottle of celebratory wine. (Thank you!) I had seen proofs of the cards and book, of course, but seeing the physical copy was something else altogether. It never gets old, feeling the heft and weight in your hands of something that was once just a spark of an idea.
I wrote about the features of the new deck in detail here. The short version is:
The cards, book, and box are beautifully designed by the folks at REDFeather.
The cards are smaller than the first REDFeather/Schiffer deck.
I created a new design for the backs of the cards.
I didn’t rework any of the card images, but I did revise the book. I’m very pleased with the changes we made to it.
For those of you who pre-ordered the deck (thank you!!), the publication date has been pushed back from late February to late April. So we have a bit longer to wait.
While we’re waiting, I have a few photos to share with you.
If you’re new to my work, you may not know that I started creating the Gaian Tarot in 2001 and finished it in 2009. Colored pencil painting is a slow, time-intensive medium. I self-published a small limited edition of the Major Arcana in 2004, followed by a Collector’s Edition (1000 copies) of the whole deck in 2010. A publisher brought out a mass-market version in 2011. After my rights reverted to me, the deck found a home with REDFeather/Schiffer and they published a new edition in 2016. REDFeather calls this one “Second Edition” but I actually think of it as the fifth one!
In some ways, the Gaian is a true legacy deck for me, part of what will remain after I’m long gone. I fondly remember the years I was creating it, when I was constantly on the lookout for the ways that tarot archetypes show up in the world of nature. Creating this deck was one of the best experiences of my life. (I was nearly 50 years old when I started it, BTW, and nearly 60 when it was published. Midlife can be so good.)
After the deck was published, it changed my life by giving me an audience that was big enough to support me modestly as a working artist, teacher, and writer. More than that, it opened doors for me around the world to communities of people like you. I feel so grateful for all the folks I’ve met over the years because of this deck. My life is so rich because of you.
If you’ve been a Gaian Tarot lover for a long time, I’d love to hear a comment about one way the deck has been meaningful to you. If you’re brand new to it, I’d love to hear from you too. Thank you.
You may know that pre-orders are extremely important to authors and publishers. If you know you want the deck, I’d appreciate your pre-order so much. I advocate ordering online from Bookshop.org or your friendly neighborhood independent bookstore.
A Reading for the Collective — Majors, Number Cards, People Cards
One of my favorite three-card spreads begins with dividing a deck into three piles: Majors, Number cards, and People cards. The Majors represent big soul lessons; the Number cards represent the areas of our lives where the soul lesson is at play; and the People cards represent the wisdom of certain character qualities regarding the soul lesson. I learned this spread from Vicki Noble back in the 1980s.
I decided to do a reading with my new Gaian Tarot deck for the collective at this time. I asked for guidance specifically for the overlapping circles and communities of people who will read this post. That’s you!
What do we most need to know at this time regarding the fraught political landscape in the US?
1. (Major card) What’s the big soul lesson at work right now? - I pulled the WHEEL.
2. (Number card) What area of our lives is this showing up in? - I pulled the SIX of FIRE.
3. (People card). What character qualities do we most need regarding this soul lesson? - I pulled the GUARDIAN OF WATER.
I just had to laugh when I saw the Wheel show up. It’s such a good reminder that change is constant, that what is going on now will not last forever. Seasons, lunar cycles, years, and eras all begin, wax, peak, wane, and die, only to return again in another form. (This may be comforting—or not!) We adapt to the changes, often becoming shapeshifters ourselves. When the changes become too chaotic, we can find restoration in practices that keep us centered and grounded, at the heart of the turning Wheel.
The Six of Fire calls our attention to community life. In the midst of constant change, we need our people. The scene on the card shows a group of folks drumming and dancing at a summer festival. Metaphorically, it’s all about the power and joy of community, each person leading from their unique strengths. I’m not surprised that a card of community showed up here, as it’s been a recurring theme over the last few weeks in conversation and in the media. I have a strong pull toward being a Hermit at times, but I’m also part of many overlapping circles, locally and online. This cards reminds us to take pleasure in each other’s company.
The Guardian of Water (Queen of Cups) is a Mother of Mercy like Tara, Kwan Yin, or the Blessed Virgin. She’s not the Queen of Swords who’s ready for battle. She’s more likely to be a healer, binding up wounds. She asks us to do whatever we can to ease the suffering of others — a kind word, a hug, a prayer, a donation of resources, a commitment to making calls to our representatives. When it all gets to be too much, she reminds us to cleanse ourselves in holy waters, like the seashore, river, lake, or bathtub. “Keep your heart open,” she whispers to us. “I’ll look after you while you take care of others.”
I always like to sum up my readings with “pithy wisdom statements” for each card, like this:
Remember:
Center yourself at the still point of the turning Wheel.
Celebrate your people and the power of community.
Pour out the waters of mercy on a suffering world.
And so it is.
Please share your thoughts on this reading, if you like.
Resist!
I spent too much time on an emotional roller coaster last week in response to various news stories. Like you, perhaps, I am constantly seeking the sweet spot where I neither look away nor allow the bad news to overwhelm me.
A friend sent this post by astrologer Rob Brezsny, which lifted my spirits in a big way. Thank you, Lauren! It begins:
a blessing on the meals you cook
as democracy collapsesa blessing on your healing hands
that mend what empire breaksa blessing on your quiet mornings
when you choose to rise againa blessing on the stories you preserve
when others would erase them …
This is a litany worth reciting often, as we light our prayer candles, honoring our small acts of resistance.
Calm News
I find “Calm News” with Jessica Yellin on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast to be incredibly helpful. It’s designed to help folks stay both “sane and informed.” Plus, it’s always a pleasure to feel like you’re sitting around a kitchen table with Abby, Amanda, and Glennon, having a juicy conversation.
Jessica Yellin is a former mainstream political correspondent who now writes News Not Noise. You can find “Calm News” wherever you listen to podcasts. It’s a feature of We Can Do Hard Things. There are two episodes so far; on Spotify, they are here and here.
Small Acts Count
I’m still making calls to my representatives and I’ll be participating in the national economic boycott taking place on February 28th. The idea is to either buy nothing at all that day (except for emergencies) or buy only from local businesses. I think I’ll make a point of visiting my favorite local bookstore and cafe on February 28th and paying in cash. I’m also looking into the #50501 protests (50 protests, 50 states, 1 day). More info is here.
This Week’s Song: “The Returner” by Allison Russell
I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this song before, but I just couldn’t resist sharing it again because of all the tarot cards in the video. Plus, I could not be a bigger Allison Russell fan. And … the lyrics definitely honor the Guardian of Water.
Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know you are never alone?
Thank you for reading and listening, and for being part of my extended community. I’m grateful for every one of you.
May we each stay centered at the still point of the turning Wheel,
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links to Bookshop.org or my website shop.
About me: I’m Joanna Powell Colbert, creator of the Gaian Tarot and the Pentimento Tarot, and co-creator of the Herbcrafter’s Tarot. I write and teach about tarot, earth-centered spirituality, seasonal & lunar lore, and creativity as a spiritual practice. You can also connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, or BlueSky.
We’re so excited for your upcoming new edition Joanna!! 😍 🌎✨
Gaian Tarot has in so many ways been my "first". It was not my first tarot deck. But in so many other ways: It is the first deck I truly feel comfortable with. It is the first deck I actually owned every single edition of - from the very first edition (I chose the larger version) that was printed as well as the two other ones when they were brought to mass-market. It was the very first deck I deep dived into. It was the very first one that I joined a specific forum for. Up to date, it has been the first and the only deck I have bought to be gifted to someone. So in total (but not at the same time) I have owned FOUR decks. The new edition will be my 5th deck! ;-) It truly is the first deck that has resonated so fully to who I am in my core and my own world view.
My possibilities to pre-order is a bit limited right now. But I will for sure keep an eye out in the end of April!
PS Oh and I love, love, love that they choose to keep the metalic silver side! LOVE IT!