- Author/Artist: Celine Gordon (Off Grid Studio)
- Publisher: self-published (Earthbound Tarot – Off Grid Studio)
- Publication Date: August 2025
- RRP: $60.00 USD
- Reviewer: Cadence (IG: @temperanceandtruth)
Earthbound Tarot, a deck self-published by creator and artist, Celine Gordon, is unlike any deck found today. The artist gathers rocks, soil, and dirt from the landscape around her home of New Mexico in the US to create the pigments that were used to paint the deck images. The limited color palette, a reflection of the canyons in the Southwestern US, results in a beautifully-cohesive deck. The deck began as a Kickstarter campaign and is now available for purchase on the creator’s website, along with her other self-published deck, The Burning Shadow (The Burning Shadow Tarot Deck – Off Grid Studio).
The artist explains that pigments derived from organic materials have been used for thousands of years in art, from cave paintings to pottery designs. On the creator’s Instagram site (Instagram offgridstudionm), you can watch videos of the process of crushing the pigments and adding water to create the paints. She also provides videos of the creation of the paintings themselves. If you have read any of my prior reviews, you know how vocal I am about the unsettling proliferation of AI “created” tarot decks; using a deck that is created by hand with such an earthy technique feels like a gift. You can feel the warmth when looking at the imagery.
Let’s look at a few of my favorite images. We’ll start with Death, featuring a woman who, “gazes into a still pool of water and sees not her reflection, but Death staring back. There is no fear in her face—only recognition.” What a powerful statement of memento mori: ‘remember you must die’. The guidebook doesn’t imply that Death is forthcoming when the card is pulled; instead, we are reminded to release whatever is stagnant or outdated to allow for renewal and transformation. The guidebook offers questions at the end of each entry to encourage reflection, perhaps as a journal prompt. For the Death entry, the questions include: “What part of your identity is ready to be released? How has facing an ending in your life created space for something new to grow? What would it mean to live more fully aware of your own mortality?”. Not to be morbid, but the last question reminds me of the famous Molière quote: “We die only once, and for such a long time.”
Another favorite image is the Three of Wands, with a woman standing at the edge of a large chasm with magma flowing within. The guidebook notes, “the crack is a rupture in her reality—an invitation to step beyond what is known and into a realm of possibility”. And at the end of the entry: “Cracks in the earth—like cracks in our habits, assumptions, or comfort zones—can lead us toward deeper discovery”. What a fantastic take on the Three of Wands, emphasizing our ability to open up to experiences that push our boundaries, our personal vision, and our values.
Usually my least favorite of the court images, I love the Knights in the Earthbound deck. All feature the Knights riding on wildlife indigenous to the Southwestern US region: a coyote for the Knight of Wands; a Mountain Goat for the Knight of Cups; a hawk for the Knight of Swords; and a black bear for the Knight of Coins.
The deck is a dream to shuffle, with a flexible, linen finish that can easily be riffle-shuffled and pops right back into shape with no bending. The edges are left bare, but frankly, I think it would have been overkill to edge the decks, as the gorgeous Rorschach-like card backs provide more than enough visual interest. The deck comes in a soft matte-finish tuck box, also hand-painted with a gradient design that mimics the earth’s layers. Whether or not you’ve had an opportunity to visit the magical desert of the Southwestern US, the Earthbound Tarot would make a fantastic addition to any collection.
Author bio: Celine Gordon is an artist and illustrator based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She owns Off Grid Studio, where she prints most of her work using silkscreen, block printing and earth pigments. Her designs are inspired by the rhythms, patterns and connections found in the surrounding landscape, and is heavily grounded in a sense of place in the American Southwest.
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