- Deck name: The Gaian Tarot
- Author: Joanna Powell Colbert
- Publisher: Schiffer / REDFeather, June 2025
- ISBN: 978-1-64671-245-8
- RRP: US$34.99 / GB£31.99
- Reviewed by: Melissa Stratton-Pandina
The team at Red Feather have outdone themselves with the second release of the Gaian Tarot. I have been following this deck since its creation and limited edition Major’s release through to its first edition, and now to this second edition. This is the best release yet.
The Gaian Tarot is a contemporary themed new-agey deck. Each of the characters look as if they have stepped right out of the Pacific North West. This is one of the great strengths of the deck. It is a deep exploration of a specific time and place. The people in the cards seem like real people, not just avatars. It is authentically diverse. Each character dresses and acts slightly differently, depicting a true community with all its variation. My favorite part about the creator’s depiction is the variety of ages from infant to elder. I can’t think of a deck that so well explores the everyday of a community or sub-culture. While it is grounded in the Rider Waite Smith, it is not a RWS clone. When Colbert needs to shift meaning or recontextualize the card, she does. These shifts make it a little difficult to read with at first, but the deck is so well thought out that with a little work it becomes readable.
The art work is stunning. Each image was hand drawn in color pencil. In a world filled with digital and AI art the perfection and warmth of a deck done by hand sets it apart. Each drawing is stuffed thick with details, but not in an overwhelming way. It is one of the prettiest decks in my collection. My favorite cards are the Elder of Fire and the Five of Fire. The Elder is a Curandera crouched down in front of an offering, with Santa Muerte peaking over her shoulder. It is a powerful look into the power and sacredness of older women. The Five of Fire shows a man breathing fire. This is another favorite just for the difficulty of capturing the Five.
While the artwork of this deck has always been stunning, this edition improves on it. Now, I’m not a huge fan of borders on card, but changing the border to green sets off the colors in the drawings. This is a big improvement on the white borders from the previous edition. Also, the edges are gilded, which set off by the dark green, makes the deck sparkle. The cards are also thicker and bigger. Everything just feels more luxurious. Even the box with its deep greens and two part storage compartment is just a treat for the eye.
The guidebook is better too. The previous was on flimsy paper and the text was really thick. In the new edition, the book is well designed, the corner is green and lets you know if you are on the pips or the majors. The Majors are split out into ‘meaning’, ‘shadow meaning’, ‘exploring deeper and journal prompts’. With the Minors, you just get the ‘meaning’ and ‘shadow meaning.’ The expanded explanation of the collective meaning of the number is in the beginning of each grouping. This layout makes it very easy to look up the meanings and to expand your knowledge of the card in general. I always really appreciate it when the page layout makes it easy for me to get information at a glance.
Honestly the only thing I don’t love about this deck is the back. I think it’s a little too much of an image to fade into the background.
This is not the best deck for a beginner. It is obvious that Colbert is a good reader, and like any good reader the meanings of the cards have grown with her. This is why the intermediate reader will find these cards more juicy, while the beginner may struggle.
The cards are also firmly situated in a new age, Pacific Northwest perspective. So if you want a deck of cards that is not driven by fantasy or escapism, this is the deck for you. With a little bit of work, you will come to appreciate this deck’s loud, and balanced voice. Joanna Powell Colbert is the creator of the Gaian Tarot and the co-creator of the Herbcrafter’s Tarot. She teaches earth-centered spirituality, seasonal contemplative practices, creativity as a devotional path, and Tarot for inner guidance and self-exploration.
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