Review: Gaian Tarot 2nd Edition

Gaian Tarot 2nd Edition 

Author: Joanna Powell Colbert

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2025

Description: 78 cards, 191-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 3 1/4 x 5

A little history: Gaian Tarot first appeared in 2010 as a self-published deck. Its popularity drew Llewellyn into the scene, but then the deck disappeared. Schiffer Publishing brought it back to the scene in 2016. 

"Gaia is the primal Greek goddess who embodies the earth. The ancients saw her as the Mother Goddess who gave birth to the sky, sea, mountains, and the rest of creation. The sense that "the earth is our mother" is not unique to the Greeks but is found in Indigenous cultures worldwide. In modern society, we know her colloquially as "Mother Nature.""

The Gaian Tarot is a tradition 78-card tarot deck, with a few changes in card names and image perspectives.

Within the Major Arcana there are quite a few changes. The Fool becomes The Seeker, The High Priestess - The Priestess, The Empress - The Gardener, The Emperor - The Builder, The Hierophant - The Teacher, The Chariot - The Canoe, Wheel of Fortune - The Wheel, The Hanged Man - The Tree, The Devil - Bindweed, The Tower - Lightening, Judgment - Awakening, and 21-Gaia, the World.

The Court Cards become People cards: the Child, Explorer, Guardian, and Elder, reflecting the four stages of life: childhood, early adult, mid-life and old age. "Children symbolize the qualities of discovery and birth." "Explorers seek challenges and embody the principle of growth." "Guardians represent the time of ripening or fruition." "Elders stand for dissemination and release." This is explored further in the People section of the guidebook.

In the Minors, the suits correspond with their elements: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The representations for these elements vary from card to card. Below, you see three pens for Three of Air, while the Guardian of Air uses a mallet to produce a song from a singing bowl. The Ace of Fire shows sparks from a hidden flame, while the Child of Fire is delighted by the flames of a campfire.

The cards in The Gaian Tarot are gorgeous. I especially love the fact that the card size has reduced with this 2nd edition, and it did not take away from the details of the images. It is still a thick deck because of the cardstock, but much more manageable. The cards have gold edging.

The Guidebook changed slightly, but all improvements. The font is bigger, and the layout is cleaner. The words and descriptions are mostly the same. The affirmations for each card have changed to Remember, with a short sentence of reminder of what the card advises you to take into consideration.

After a short Thank You from the creator, you are Introduced to the Gaian Tarot: the meaning of 'Gaian', the Tarot Structure, and the use of the Deck and Book.

"The new design on the back of the cards shows our planet, a swallowtail butterfly, and blessing herbs from the "Gaia the World" card, set against a birds-eye view of treetops. The wreath of herbs encircles the globe, creating a vortex where healing and transformation can happen."

Entering the Soul Lessons of the Major Arcana, each card is presented by its image, Name, essence, an overview of the card, meanings for a reading, the Shadow side of the card, Themes, Symbols, Journal Questions, and a short sentence to Remember.

The essence of 15-Bindweed (The Devil) is Life Out of Balance. "The Bindweed card depicts a life lived desperately out of balance." 

When you get this card in a reading..."Ask yourself: What holds you in bondage?" 

When you read the Shadow side of the card..."This is either a situation in which addiction and denial are becoming even more deeply entrenched, or you are breaking free."

Themes include Addiction, Limitations, and Oppression.

Symbols focus on the figure's posture, bindweed, starlings, and the dead shrub.

Journal Questions include: "What holds me bondage?", "What gets too much of my time and attention?", and "What trauma is at the root of my malaise?" 

Remember: Break free of that which keeps you bound.

Diving into the Minor Arcana, "The teachings of the Minor Arcana aren't really minor at all.", we look at Elements, Numbers, and People.

The Minor Arcana section is divided into sections by number and person. Each Number or Person has an essence, themes, and an overview. Each card is presented by the image, a description, meaning, shadow side and remember.

The Essence of Tens is Transition. Themes are Transition, Transformation, Endings and Beginnings. Part of the Overview - "The ten in each suit is a card of endings, with an implicit new beginning encoded within."

The Ten of Earth begins, "In the deep forest, we come across a nurse stump or nurse log, a tree that has fallen during a storm or been cut down."

When you get this card in a reading ... "Something you thought had ended in your life is beginning to burst forth with new shoots."

When you read the Shadow side of this card... "Have you allowed overwork and feeling overwhelmed to trap you?"

Remember: Compost cradles new life.

Working with the Cards section goes through the basics of reading the Tarot and shares many spreads. There is a "Gaia and You: A One-Card Awareness Process" by James Wells. Journal Prompts for the Wheel of Year are included. "These prompts are intended to be done in season." The guidebook closes with Endnotes and an Author Bio.

If you don't have this deck, I recommend it to any Tarot reader or collector. The images are gorgeous and intriguing, and the guidebook is exceptional.

If you have the first edition through Schiffer Publishing, you may want this version. The cards are smaller, easier to handle. The size does not affect the image, nothing is lost. The box is bigger, as is the guidebook. The guidebook is written in a different layout and fonts. It's much more appealing to the eye.

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: The Unifying Consciousness Tarot

The Unifying Consciousness Tarot

Author: Lori Lytle

Artist: Leo Scopacasa

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, June 2025

Description: 79 Cards, 173-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 2 3/4 by 4 3/4

"I see the Tarot as a source of inspiration, a means of connection with the divine, as well as a tool that we can use every day to make our lives happier in the here and now."

You begin your journey into The Unifying Consciousness Tarot with a Meeting with the creators. A brief section called The Anatomy Of goes over some details of the cards and shares a meditation into the portal on the back of the cards. 

"You're about to meet a cosmic crew of otherworldly and divine beings, animals, humans, and free-form entities, all living in a universe based on the Waite-Smith Tarot structure."

The Unifying Consciousness includes a new trump, Arcana 22, Activation, bringing the Major Arcana to a full circle. The Court Cards have been renamed Soul, Spirit, Heart, and Mind.

"All the cards have sacred geometry woven through their images and backgrounds to remind us that we're all part of the same Source energy."

The Major Arcana's "ultimate purpose is to guide us toward a rich and meaningful existence and to help us reach the highest vibration of love."

Each Major Arcana Card is covered in two pages and includes the name, card image, description, interpretation, and a blessing.

The Descriptions are more of a deep dive into each Major Arcana Card. The Hermit begins, "The Hermit is at home in lonely places. His purpose in life is the pursuit of the wisdom that comes from deep introspection, and he needs solitude and seclusion."

The Interpretations are enlightening. The Hermit begins, "The one person that you can't escape is yourself, so it's important to enjoy your own company."

A Blessing From The Hermit - "May you grow wise in your own company."

The Minor Arcana "represent the beauty and challenges of daily life, and the small joys that make every day worth living."

After a brief overview of the Minor Arcana, you explore The Suits and Their Elements. In this section you are also introduced to the shapes and their energies. "The progression of the numbers is a story.", which is shared in The Numbers, along with keywords for each number. 

"After the difficulties of the Fives, the Sixes bring a return to harmony and balance. You're wiser, you know your capabilities. You celebrate victory."

You are then introduced to the new Court Cards, names, and reasoning behind the change.

"Each character in the Court Cards has its unique, necessity, and beautiful function."

Each Minor Arcana card is covered in one page and includes name, image, interpretation, and activation. The activation "is an invitation to connect with the card's unique energy, and to act on the information and inspiration that it offers you."

Activation for the Six of Swords, "I'm ready to move on."

"You can use that phrase as a mantra or affirmation throughout your day, in your meditation practice, or as a prompt for journaling."

I am loving the interpretations in this guidebook. There are no keywords to remember, but practical, straight-forward meaning. A scenario easy to relate to and bring to mind later. The Seven of Swords begins, "You're good at getting in and out of tricky situations and can boast your share of shenanigans."

The Court Cards are presented by name, image, interpretation (you), interpretation (someone else), and activation.

Another Fox shows up as the Soul of Wands representing you or someone else in your life as a fun-loving youth, whether in body or mind. There may be some mischief stirring, but it will be fun and adventurous. 

Activation - "A little mischief is good for my soul."

How to Read Tarot encourages you to create your own ritual, but also shares a ritual from Setting the Scene to Closing the Reading.

There are four Tarot spreads especially designed for The Unifying Consciousness Tarot: The Blue Rose Spread, All-Seeing Eye Spread, Activation Spread, and Heart-Centered Action Spread.

A short section About The Creators closes the guidebook.

The cards are made of excellent card stock. They are edged in blue. The deck is a little thick, but not too thick at 1 3/8 thick.

The images in this deck are beyond amazing. The 3-D aspect gives each card a sense of movement, of reality. The Unifying Consciousness Tarot would be a great deck for meditations. 

"In the Unifying Consciousness Tarot, The Major Arcana are connected with the element of Aether, which is represented by the dodecahedron, the 12-sided Platonic solid. It's the fifth element, the quintessence, spirit, and the shape of the universe as a whole."

No deck is fully explored until you visit with Death. Description -"Death sees the world beyond the illusion of the physical with his all-seeing third eye. He appreciates the sunrise and the sunset and asks that you take the time to stop and smell the white rose." Interpretation "With this card, you can expect a significant change in your life."

"You'll notice that each suit of The Unifying Consciousness Tarot's Minors also includes a 3-D shape that's floating somewhere in the card's scene. These shapes are Plato's solids. Each solid relates to one of the four elements, and they're thought to be the harmonious and symmetrical building blocks of our reality."

The Three of Pentacles brought the words 'busy as a bee' to mind as soon as I saw the card. As we know, this card is all about team work, participating, and giving your best effort to be part of that team and give your all as an individual. The Activation - "I enjoy being a part of the team."

I honestly can't express how much I'm impressed by this deck. Between the captivating images and the depth of the guidebook, I'm definitely making a home on my shelf for the Unifying Consciousness Tarot.

I would recommend The Unifying Consciousness Tarot for many applications, beyond Tarot reading. This deck could be used for meditations, daily affirmations, and journaling. 

When I used them for some tarot reading, the results were amazing, very detailed and in depth. I look forward to sharing more time with The Unifying Consciousness Tarot. 

Grab your copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: The Butterfly Wisdom Tarot

The Butterfly Wisdom Tarot

Author: Starla Yilmaz

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, June 2025

Description: 78 Cards, 144-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 2 7/8 by 4 1/2

"Soon after an intense healing phase of my life, I had a vision. Butterflies cross-stitched onto white canvas, each one the focus of a Tarot card, forming one giant tapestry. Once my eyes cleared and the real world returned, I laughed."

Starla Yilmaz's deck, The Butterfly Wisdom Tarot, includes my three favorite things, cross-stitching, the Tarot, and writing. In the Introduction, she shares her own healing as she moved from vision to the reality of creation. I found her words moving and inspiring. I've struggled for years attempting to find time for my creative writing and Tarot reading, and of course cross-stitching. I heard a whisper, "Your road is similar, a combination of your skills would lead you in the right direction." No, there's no plan for cross-stitching such a huge project, but it gave me something to think about.

~~~~~~~

The Butterfly Wisdom Tarot, in just one quick reading, gave me a direction to head in. I can't wait to dig deeper into this deck and find more inspiration.

Spread: Situation, Action, Outcome

Question: How can I find a peaceful medium/balance in my life?

The 9 of Swords revealed that my current situation is one of pushing forward through the pain, the stress, and the unbalance I am experiencing at this time. The 9 of Cups suggested to keep working toward my goals no matter how hard it may feel in the moment. The 2 of Cups showed by continuing to move forward I will find the healthy balance in my relationships that is needed for my success.

~~~~~~~

The Cards are made of good quality, thick card stock making the deck a little too thick for riffle shuffling. But, hand over hand shuffling works just fine. To be honest, I usually use the hand over hand with all my decks now, for consistency, but also to avoid deck damage.

The Butterfly Wisdom Tarot tickles my soul. I can't think of any other way to say this. 

The card backs are a beautiful blue and white background, with two butterflies facing each other. The individual cards are ringed in the colors of their suits: Majors - a dark blue, Wands - red, Cups - a light blue, Disks - yellow, and Swords - grey. The colorful, detailed butterflies stand out on a black and white background. 

The only issue I had with this deck is the card holder in the box holds onto a few cards. I've managed to pry them out a couple of times without damage, but I fear eventually I will bend the end of one. I plan to insert a ribbon to avoid destroying the stuck cards. 

In the Introduction, Starla Yilmaz, goes over details of how she came about producing this deck. She mentions the guidebook, "I tried multiple different ways of structuring the guidebook before I settled on micro fictions."

After the Introduction, Using this Deck shares some thoughts on getting to know the deck, including a method of shuffling sure to give you a "sufficient randomized" deck to do your first reading. This section also has many suggested spreads, including an intriguing technique for Yes/No questions.

The Major Arcana section covers each card in two pages: the name, card image, key ideas, micro fiction, and thoughts for deeper interpretation.

I absolutely love the micro fiction, but I would have liked to have seen some card description. 

The Wheel of Fortune features the Peacock Pansy. Starla did a great job with the stitching of these butterflies, and each one is identified in her micro fiction.

Deeper Interpretations present you with writing prompts and/or a question to ask the Tarot. "What cycle could be coming to an end in your situation?"

The Minor Arcana, separated into suits, includes the name, key ideas, micro fiction and thoughts for deeper interpretation.

The 9 of Wands micro fiction begins, "An American copper butterfly wanted to build a fence to protect its favorite flower. Things went fine until a human caught sight of the butterfly. Possibly entranced by the butterfly's orange shine, the human grabbed hold of her wings."

The short piece is one of resilience, persistence, and working against all odds to complete your project/job. 

And then when you think the guidebook is done, Starla introduces a wonderful additional section: Healing Patterns and Prompts. "Included here are several healing patterns for you to stitch if you feel called to do so." Cross-stitching instructions are not included, but she refers to her YouTube channel for newbies. Also, she has added a stitch called the overstitch, which you can find demonstrated on her YouTube channel (@starlayilmaz)

Each Healing is presented with images of the completed patterns (Beginner and Advanced), information about the design, a writing prompt, and thoughts while stitching. Detailed patterns follow, with color keys. Three healing patterns are included: Finding Balance, Showing Yourself Love, and You are Strong and Powerful.

The guide closes with Recommended Resources and a short Author Bio.

I'd recommend The Butterfly Wisdom Tarot to cross-stitchers for the beauty of the stitches, writers for the prompts, and any tarot reader from beginner to experienced. This deck is sure to touch a special place in many hearts. 

Grab your copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)