Scan barcode
A review by laurareads87
Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
At this point, Joanna Powell Colbert's Gaian Tarot is a classic. This review is focused primarily on the guidebook, but I will include first a few comments on the deck. For star rating, I will say I'd give the deck a higher rating than the guidebook, so I'm kind of 'averaging out' here. I will also note that I'm reviewing the Llewellyn Publications edition of the deck/book, which are now out of print; I also have looked at the independently printed deck's guidebook and it's the same as this one. I'm not sure how much, if any, the currently available Schiffer version's book differs.
The deck is fantastic, and one I've frequently suggested to anyone interested in a nature-based deck with Smith-Waite inspired symbolism in a contemporary context. The deck celebrates diversity, and at the time of writing this review (2023) is still one of only a tiny handful of decks that I think really does age diversity well, depicting everyone from infants to elders. The deck does not do particularly well with clear 2slgbtq+ representation, but as a reader who is a part of the 2slgbtq+ community I can find many familiar faces in this deck and feel happy reading with it. I do like that the courts are stages of life, from child to elder, and are not gender-specific, and that the suits are elements. The newest publication, by Schiffer, has unfortunate cardstock, but the artwork is wonderful.
As for the book, there are quite a few things I think are really well done. I like the overall structure: each card gets a general description of the imagery, upright meanings, reversed meanings, and an affirmation; the major arcana also include lists of symbolism in the cards, broader themes, and suggested journal prompts. I also appreciate the author's sharing of specific artistic choices -- knowing for instance that the Justice card features endangered species and that the Star card includes the Pleiades adds something to reading with the deck, and makes the guidebook worth a look even for those of us who are experienced tarot readers. I think the choice to order the cards numerically -- all the aces, then all the twos, and so on -- was a good one, bringing attention to numerological themes. The bibliography is substantial, so an enthusiastic reader will find lots of book suggestions, and there are a nice selection of spreads included. For the most part, card descriptions made sense, but occasionally the card description and meanings provided don't seem to quite align with the tone or feeling of the artwork. In a few places, the author seemed stuck on a single theme in ways that didn't entirely make sense to me as a tarot reader (for instance, way too much of XII: The Tree - traditionally the Hanged Man - was focused on yoga as opposed to the meanings of card XII in the major arcana). In several places, language that is used is less than ideal - language like 'spirit animal' and 'tribe' for instance - and at at one point there is the suggestion that a person of mixed heritage is an "example" that "calls us to integrate all the disparate parts of ourselves," which feels rather tokenizing and reductive. These kinds of comments are few and far between, but I was disappointed to find them in the guidebook accompanying this deck.
The deck is fantastic, and one I've frequently suggested to anyone interested in a nature-based deck with Smith-Waite inspired symbolism in a contemporary context. The deck celebrates diversity, and at the time of writing this review (2023) is still one of only a tiny handful of decks that I think really does age diversity well, depicting everyone from infants to elders. The deck does not do particularly well with clear 2slgbtq+ representation, but as a reader who is a part of the 2slgbtq+ community I can find many familiar faces in this deck and feel happy reading with it. I do like that the courts are stages of life, from child to elder, and are not gender-specific, and that the suits are elements. The newest publication, by Schiffer, has unfortunate cardstock, but the artwork is wonderful.
As for the book, there are quite a few things I think are really well done. I like the overall structure: each card gets a general description of the imagery, upright meanings, reversed meanings, and an affirmation; the major arcana also include lists of symbolism in the cards, broader themes, and suggested journal prompts. I also appreciate the author's sharing of specific artistic choices -- knowing for instance that the Justice card features endangered species and that the Star card includes the Pleiades adds something to reading with the deck, and makes the guidebook worth a look even for those of us who are experienced tarot readers. I think the choice to order the cards numerically -- all the aces, then all the twos, and so on -- was a good one, bringing attention to numerological themes. The bibliography is substantial, so an enthusiastic reader will find lots of book suggestions, and there are a nice selection of spreads included. For the most part, card descriptions made sense, but occasionally the card description and meanings provided don't seem to quite align with the tone or feeling of the artwork. In a few places, the author seemed stuck on a single theme in ways that didn't entirely make sense to me as a tarot reader (for instance, way too much of XII: The Tree - traditionally the Hanged Man - was focused on yoga as opposed to the meanings of card XII in the major arcana). In several places, language that is used is less than ideal - language like 'spirit animal' and 'tribe' for instance - and at at one point there is the suggestion that a person of mixed heritage is an "example" that "calls us to integrate all the disparate parts of ourselves," which feels rather tokenizing and reductive. These kinds of comments are few and far between, but I was disappointed to find them in the guidebook accompanying this deck.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cultural appropriation