About a month ago while talking with my dear friend and mermaid sister Joanna Powell Colbert, she told me that several tarot bloggers were doing reviews of her deck, the Gaian Tarot. I asked if I might also do one. Although my blog is not at all a tarot blog, I wanted a chance to review this deck that I love so much.
I met Joanna first through her articles in The Beltane Papers while my husband Lee and I were living in Seattle. After the birth of our daughter, a move to Boston turned into a move to Bellingham. I met Joanna the spring after we moved here.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so it feels good to me to see this place reflected in these cards. The islands and wildlife. The forests and the mountains that are the backdrop for everything here, and our beloved Mama Ocean.
I know the stories behind many of the cards, and I cannot help but reflect on the lesson from those moments, the places or the person. Summers swimming in a beloved river, a summer solstice celebration on the island, festivals with tribe, saying goodbye to beloved elders, commitment to our individual and collective spiritual paths. A connection and community that has seen each other through . . . so, so much!!!
I modeled for seven of these cards and between myself, Lee and Chloe, our family has collectively modeled for ten of them. As I am writing this I have pulled out the cards that we have modeled for. Each of them holds a special meaning for me and evokes memories and reminders of our connection and commitment to each other.
Of the ones I modeled for, I have a few cards in particular that I would call my favorites. The first one is the Explorer of Fire, and the lesson in this card for me is empowerment. I am embracing the “Aries” in me, that fiery passionate part of me that often struggles to come out.
In the limited edition of this deck, one of my favorite cards is the the Two of Fire. I loved the passion and flow I saw in the fire dancers. I had actually forgotten that Lee and I modeled for this card for the Llewellyn edition. After 26 years together, we have seen each other through so many changes and challenges. And yet we still hold strong in our commitment, love and passion for each other. The day we modeled for this card I remember thinking, how will I ever pull this off . . . but it’s there, that delicate balance of passion, love and trust that sometimes you forget you have. That ego that sometimes stands in the way of truth. It’s a reminder for me that even in the thick of a struggle, to remember to trust.
The Eight of Earth is another favorite. While I did not personally model for this card, it was a moment between father and daughter. A moment that is repeated so many times in so many lives, the passing down of knowledge. A moment of patience, admiration and again trust.
I do also want to say that there are some cards in this deck that I do not particularly like, as is true for any deck I know. But I try to look at those cards deeper and find the lesson it is trying to teach me. Perhaps it is something I don’t want to hear.
To me this deck is tribute to community. Not just our local community, but our global community, too. And our commitment to our collective selves.
In a time when things seem so uncertain, for me this deck is a reminder of something greater . . . our connection to each other, our children, to the animals, the trees, dirt, oceans. This deck is a reflection of our lives — yours, mine and ours. It tells the story of humanity, and reminds us we are all connected to each other.
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Being part of the tribe, I feel the same in many ways–very eloquently put. It is a deck that illustrates my life. It has chronicalled the last 10 years for most of us. Nice blog post!!
Great post!! The deck itself is quite amazing and magical. I have done the 3-part review on this Gaian Tarot set (Llewellyn Edition) on my blog; though, not originally in English, images would be fine