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: Gaian Tarot

Gaian Tarot
Author: Joanna Powell Colbert
Schiffer Publishing, 2016

Description: 78 cards and a 184 page guide book in a sturdy cardboard box, with magnetic closure.

Card Size: 4X5¾ inches

"Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves"

This is not a new deck to the Tarot world. When it first came out, I itched to order, but never got around to it. So many decks!

The 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 has brought it back. I'm not sure if there are any differences between the published versions. Excited to see this deck arrive in the mail, I'm pleased with the product. Not only are the card images intriguing, but the guidebook puts a slightly different light on the Tarot, as the author looks through the perspective of Gaian.

The deck is a traditional 78-card Tarot deck, with a few changes of card names, image perspectives, and a different shade on the interpretations.

In the Major Arcana, the name changes include: the Fool is the Seeker, the High Priestess is the Priestess, the Empress is the Gardener, the Emperor is the Builder, the Hierophant is the Teacher, the Chariot is the Canoe, the Wheel of Fortune is the Wheel, the Hanged Man is the Tree, the Devil is Bindweed, the Tower is Lightening, Judgment is Awakening, and the World is Gaia the World.

In the Court, the Pages become Children, the Knights become Explorers, the Queens become Guardians, and the Kings become Elders. "Instead of reflecting the class-based society of Renaissance Europe, these cards correspond to the stages of life: childhood, early adulthood, mid-life, and old age."

In the Minor Arcana, the suits correspond to their elements and are represented by alternative images. The changes include: Air (Swords) are represented by feathers, clouds, birds, butterflies, flutes, pens, and books; Fire (Wands) are torches, candles, bonfires, and hearths; Water (Cups) are rivers, fish, rain, beaches, shells, boats, and wells; and Earth (Pentacles) are gardens, forests, mammals, crafts, and drums.

"When used for divination, the Tarot can be viewed as a spiritual weather vane. It can tell you which way the wind is blowing in your life at a given moment. But only you can set your sail and choose your course."

The majority of the guidebook covers the cards, divided into two sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana begins with a brief overview and then dives into the cards. Each card is presented by its title, which is followed by the traditional name if the title has been changed. Then, you have the soul lesson or the theme of the card. A brief description of the card is given, along with what the card means in a reading and its shadow side (or reversal meaning). Headlined as Deepen Your Understand, the author covers themes, symbol meanings, journal questions, and an affirmation.

The Minor Arcana begins with a brief overview, which includes Elements, Numbers, and People. The number or court groups are also given brief overviews. Each card is presented by title, a card description, the card in a reading, the shadow side (or reversal meaning), and an affirmation.

The guide closes with a section on Working with the Cards, which includes short sections on reading the cards intuitively, a card a day, the art of asking questions, reading the shadow side of the cards, variations on the three-card reading, and ten unique spreads.

The guidebook alone is worth the purchase of this deck in my opinion.

I loved the sections on symbols, which cover the majority of the items appearing in each card. In the Gaia the World card, a halo surrounds Gaia's head. "Halo: In religious iconography of many cultures, a sacred or holy figure is indicated by a radiant or bright circle around the head and shoulders. Some say it is a depiction of the aura, or energy field that emanates from the being."

The journal questions are also a wonderful part of the Major Arcana section. The Gaia the World includes: How am I blessed?, What cycle is reaching completion in my life?, and more. But, these could also be used as questions for tarot readings, a springboard in the creation of your own spreads, and/or even the beginnings of freewriting or mind mapping activities.

I found the short section on Numbers in the Minor Arcana intriguing. "The Gaian Tarot's number system was inspired by Teresa Michelsen's work. She views the minors as containing three sets of three-card mini dramas, with the 10 as a card of transition." The author goes on to explain these sets and how they correspond with the Seeker's journey as he grows and matures.

As with most guidebooks, this one touches upon many areas, but doesn't necessarily dig deep enough, but there's only so much room in these guidebooks. I would love to see this author put out a book of more in-depth on her views of the Tarot, but there's plenty here to spark your interest and get you going with the Tarot.

The cards in this deck are gorgeous and amazingly detailed. "Many of the scenes in the deck are based on sketches from my nature journals and photos I've taken of local landscapes."

While the cards are almost too large for my hands, I believe smaller would have taken away from the images. If it becomes a huge issue, trimming could be done. As you can see the blue boarder could be taken away to rectify issues of size. But so far, I'm able to manage the cards while shuffling.  And, the energy emitted from the deck is amazing. I'm extremely happy with my overall experience with this deck.

9 The Hermit: He sits at a stone table, journaling by the light of a lantern, while sage burns by his side. He gazes up at the wise owl, while experiencing a vision, which he collects in his journal. The vision almost seems to be produced by his connection with the owl. The image is a wonderful scene of reflection. The author gives this card the Soul Lesson of Sacred Solitude.

Card description: "The Hermit retreats from the company of others to replenish his soul in solitude as he communes with the natural world. He listens to the calls of the birds as he writes and sketches ..."

In a reading: "Your spirit is crying out for a time of sacred solitude. You need to withdraw..."

Shadow side: "Some people are afraid of being alone, fearing what they might do or not do if left to themselves. ..."

Themes include: Solitude, Withdrawal, Silence, Guiding light, etc.

Symbols include: Lantern: Light of wisdom and knowledge; Journal and pen: Reflection, introspection, knowledge, learning, wisdom; Owl: Strength in silence (noiseless flight), night vision, guidance, wisdom; and more.

Journal Questions include: How do I feel about the aging process? What are the elements of a great retreat? What kind of healing does the Hermit offer me? and more.

Affirmation: "I retreat from the world in order to refresh my spirit."

In the Ten of Fire, "a forest fire is raging, the smoke and ashes released into the air. To our "civilized" minds, a fire is terrifying.... But forest fires are a natural part of the cycle of life..."

The ten themes are transitions, transformation, endings and beginnings.

In a reading: "Does it feel like your dreams have gone up in smoke? Are you overwhelmed or burdened by loss? Remember that new seedlings grow and flourish in the ashes of a spent fire. You must release your passions and your energies, whether; or not you want to, worthier or not you think you're ready. It's time."

Shadow side: "You can only focus on the devastation and loss, and see no hope for the future...."

Affirmation: "I release what is finished, and clear the way for rebirth."

The Gaian Tarot is a wonderful deck for any tarot enthusiast, from master to beginner.

Grab your copy at Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)