The Goddess Tarot is a celebration of the Divine Feminine. Drawing inspiration from the many goddesses honored through history and over the globe, The Goddess Tarot uses goddess myths and imagery to update traditional tarot symbolism; it acknowledges women's contemporary needs as well as her mythic past. It is meant as an easily accessible alternative deck for tarot readers already familiar with the popular Rider-Waite or Aquarian decks who seek a deeper experience of the Divine Feminine in their readings. For newcomers to the tarot, I hope the inclusion of goddess myths and symbolism will add relevance and depth.
Through my own personal experiences with tarot cards over the past fifteen years, I've come to think of the tarot as a potent archive of what I call "soul pictures"--pictures that reveal what Swiss psychiatrist C. G. Jung called the "collective unconscious", those subconscious rivers of mythic, archetypal experiences all humans possess within our psyches. To an observant eye, these soul pictures, through the use of symbols and images drawn from many cultures and spiritual traditions, possess layers of stories within stories. While the history of the tarot is unclear and mysterious, the stories told by these images still speak to our condition, addressing our common experiences as humans attempting to make sense of our lives and the world around us.
From the earliest times, humans have used stories and myths to understand the world around us and heal the soul. When we feel overwhelmed by life's sometimes confusing demands, these stories allow a larger view of life that is generous, wise, and accepting of the human condition.
As ancient and rich in stories and symbolism as the tarot may be, goddess myths are perhaps even more so-for these myths are the original women's stories. They show us the myriad ways women have been portrayed since ancient times. They reveal our collective feminine past, showing what cultures all around the world have revered, valued-and in some cases even feared-about women and our mysterious powers. These goddess stories speak to us through history's veils, telling us of women's innate divinity, dignity, and potency, showing the powers and talents all women possess: our abilities to create life from our bodies, our cycles of fertility that mirror the moon's, our strengths and beauties, our magic. They connect us to the celestial realm of the mystical as well as to the earthly realm of physical creation.
Creating the Goddess Tarot
Having been a tarot enthusiast for many years, I'd always dreamt of creating a deck of my own, one that would showcase women and their powers in a new light. Indeed, early in my professional career as an artist, I had created several pencil drawings of major arcana cards, but at that time felt too overwhelmed by the amount of work involved in a tarot deck to continue.
Years later, I was surprised to feel those old aspirations surface again. In a sense, the creation of The Goddess Tarot began with the research, writing, and painting of my book The Book of Goddesses . It continued with the work on The Book of Goddesses' follow-up volumn, Embracing the Goddess Within: A Creative Guide for Women. As I worked on these books, I noticed the stories and art I was creating mirrored in many ways the structure of the tarot's major arcana, but from a Divinely Feminine perspective: I began to see how the art from The Book of Goddesses could lend itself to the creation of a tarot deck that could offer women a uniquely feminist way of examining their lives.
And so The Goddess Tarot began. While I worked on the deck, I felt strongly that I wanted to emphasize the values of creative agency and psychological understanding--in other words, personal empowerment--over any divinatory qualities usually associated with the tarot. I also decided it was important to me that my deck be easily understood by those already comfortable with the symbolism of that warhorse of tarot divination, the Rider Waite, which so many other decks use as their touchstone. As I proceeded onto the minor arcana, I looked to the Rider-Waite's imagery for inspiration for mine but added a feminine twist: by recasting many of the figures of power within the minor arcana as women, I hope to have created a sense of psychological identification and empowerment for female tarot readers. For men interested in exploring their anima, or archetypal feminine side, who chose to work with The Goddess Tarot I hope this rings true as well.
Ultimately, my intention in creating The Goddess Tarot was to create a tarot deck that would speak directly to women using our stories and archetypes, while incorporating the powerful symbolism of the tarot. Whether you are experiencing your first exposure to the tarot, enthralled with goddesses, or an experienced reader, I hope you will find The Goddess Tarot an essential instrument for your personal growth--as well as the reclamation of the Divine Feminine.
The Structure of the Goddess Tarot
Like most tarot decks, The Goddess Tarot contains seventy-eight cards. These seventy-eight cards are divided into 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. The word "arcana" is related to the word "arcane", meaning containing esoteric information-information available to those knowledgeable enough to understand the secret language of tarot symbolism. So that secret knowledge may become wisdom shared, each card and its imagery are explained in greater depth within this book.
In The Goddess Tarot, each major arcana card is related to a goddess and her story as well as representing an important aspect of life. The minor arcana of The Goddess Tarot is divided into four suits. Each suit is related to one of the four elements -earth, air, water, fire-as well as to a particular goddess and her myth. Each suit features a different border depicting the colors and qualities of the element it is associated with. The suit of cups is associated with Venus, the Roman goddess of love; swords, Isis, the great Egyptian goddess who represents the journey of loss and redemption; pentacles, Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity; and staves, Freyja, the Norse goddess of creativity and beauty.
This book is set up in three parts, each one exploring a crucial area of The Goddess Tarot. Part One, The Major Arcana, explains each card and the goddess associated with it in greater depth. Part Two, The Minor Arcana, examines the energies, or paths, offered by each of the four suits and the goddesses who represent them. Finally, Part Three, Using The Goddess Tarot, gives the information necessary so you may use this original form of goddess wisdom.
As you work with The Goddess Tarot, I hope you find it to be a source of inspiration and empowerment that enables you to honor the divinity within yourself-and within all women throughout all history.
This introduction from The Goddess Tarot book is written by Kris Waldherr, published by US Games Systems. Copyright © 1999. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is forbidden without express written permission from the author.
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