It seems like a lifetime ago when the thought of getting a tarot deck entered my mind. My path up to that point was very different, centered in energetic connections instead of physical “tools.” I was starting to connect with my Guides on a deeper level though and I wanted something outside of my mind as a check for myself. Unlike many I have met, my reasoning for picking up tarot was for conversation, not divining what was to come.
After a lot of looking I found the Dreams of Gaia Tarot. It was the artwork that first caught my attention. As an artist and a visual person, the art was extremely important to me and these cards were amazing. I also liked the fact that they were very different from the standard Rider- Waite tarot, as you will see below.
The Beginning
My approach to tarot has been different.
There was no memorizing the cards. I wrote down every reading and used the guidebook, looking up every card and what the author saw in the card they created. Over time, each card started to take on very specific meanings for me. It developed through how they showed up, the stories The Morrigan was telling through them, and through time.
I started with inspirations from spreads. Most that I ran across had some good ideas but not quite the questions I wanted to ask – So I adjusted. Using them as a template and reworking them for my own uses. It wasn’t long before the spreads started to fall away. Again, I was looking for conversation and the spreads were not able to give me that. I still use some that I developed over the years when doing things such as my yearly Outlook Readings but overall my approach is a question and a story.
Tell Me a Story
This approach literally changed my relationship to my Deities/ Guides and to my cards. Instead of confining my Guides to a spread, to specific positions, I do what I like to call – Tell me a story. I will ask a question or I will say something like “What do you want to tell me right now?” or “What am I not asking?” – shuffle, draw, shuffle draw, until I feel we are done – then flip them all over and see the story They are telling.
This free style of allowing my Guide to take full control shaped my tarot practices. It was the true conversation I was looking for. I was able to use the cards to check the messages and visions I was getting in a channeled space. It allowed me to learn to trust what I was getting through my clairs, trance, and spirit walking states, because the messages matched.
By allowing this kind of “free range” approach, it gives the freedom for a real conversation. Not one being guided and crafted with specific agendas and points, but a true exchange between us. It is not unusual that in one sessions I will draw 4-6 different times – that is a conversation after all. One party says something, the other responds, you respond – back and forth, back and forth.
So Why This Deck?
So right now some may be saying, “You could approach tarot like this with any deck.”
It is true that you can use any tarot, but because the way this deck is structured it brings in a whole new perspective.
Instead of working from a perspective external world to internal, this deck is focused on the self, the Person and Soul. It is an understanding of bringing the whole self to wholeness. Healing and Growing. Learning and advancing. Focusing on the self which will reflect outwards and alter the physical/ societal life of the person.
As the cards themselves are arranged by the elements of nature, the building blocks of nature and magical workings, the Major Arcana are also focused on those elements within us. Each cards shows the Dualities within each theme and how they apply to all aspects of the Self – our Body, mind, soul, and outward life.
The Major Arcana Cards
The first major changes we see are in the Major Arcana.
It starts with the Choice card in stead of the Fool. Everything begins with a Choice. Our Choices determine the Journey we are undertaking or beginning. The Choices are ours – even if we may not like the choices in front of us, there is still a Choice and we have the ability to make it.
Then it goes into the Stages of Life. Those energies and stages of life that a human travels in their lifetime. These stages are not affixed to ages, but energies and where those energies are playing out. The Child – The Maiden – The Youth – The Mother – The Father – The Crone – The Sage – Death/ Rebirth.
The second group of Major Arcana outlines the Reasons for being – the aspects that drive us, drive our path forward, our purpose, the experience of living. Knowledge – Wisdom – Healing – Love – Union – Self – Abundance – Destiny.
The third grouping points towards the things that influence us. That influence the Choices, the journey, and the growth of the Self. Journey – Thought – Emotions – Desire – Perception – Intuition – Integrity – Faith.
Pages and Knights
The two most obvious changes at first glance is the Page and Knight aspect of traditional tarot decks. In the Dreams of Gaia deck these are replaced with a Duality card and an archetype aligned with the element it is representing.
For Earth you have the Duality between Heaven and Earth – the seen and unseen – that which is within us and that outside of ourselves. The archetype is The Seneschal. The one who controls and governs a household – that household is ourselves and that which consider sacred. The Seneschal guards, protects, and manages those connections/ bonds, as well as governs the self.
For Air you have the Duality between Body and Mind – what we experience and how we process it – what we see vs what we know. The archetype is The Scribe. The one who keeps record of the journey, what is learned, gained, and the transformations through it. Seeing with objectivity, discernment, yet knowing the experience is just as true.
For Water you have the Duality of Emotion and Intellect – what we feel and what we learn – emotion and critical thought. The archetype is The Councilor. The one who can find the balance between the two sides. Who is able to reconcile both sides to keep flowing through the experience of life.
In Fire we have the Duality of Masculine and Feminine – the energies of both sides, that are contained within us – aspects that guide in how we carry out our actions. The archetype is The Hero. The one who contains both sides of the Duality and uses it to move their actions in true and honorable ways for the self.
Of course these are just an high overview and in the depths you will find much more – but it a starting place.
The Other Minor Cards
I find that the others are also very different from other traditional deck, because each is deeply connected to their element, as an element. Water is very focused on emotions, memory, and fluid movement. Earth is focused on the physical body and our interactions with the physical world. Fire is all about action and movement. Air is focused on the mind and the Voice. Similarities yes, but in my opinion the cards themselves are very different from any other deck I have worked with. Their focuses, the perspectives they hit on are very Self directed.
When I say self directed, I am talking about things such as shadow work. Do you need to dive into yourself, reconnect to parts of your self, heal parts of yourself, discover what is hiding deep within you? This deck brings it all to the surface in a way that is very directed at that.
Do you need to bring forth and strengthen the connection to your Soul/Higher Self? We will go deeper into this in the next article, but there are many tings built into our current society, the one humans have built, that separate us farther and farther from that connection. This deck is a great way to start strengthening that and truly listening to your Soul. It is designed and geared for this kind of work.
One of the cards that always sticks out for me that shows the stark differences I see is the Queen of Air – which equates to the Queen of Swords in other decks. In other tarot decks I see people talk about the Queen of Swords being that take-no-nonsense type of leader – Aggressive and wielding her sword to cut down or sever from. In other decks I see the swords suit being focused on the Voice. Which gives this Queen the feel of one who has one hand held out to welcome you in, yet the other is ready to strike if you get out of hand or cross the boundaries set. In the Dreams of Gaia Deck though, She is The Weaver. The one who sees and understands all threads of a pattern/ cycle and how to shift and alter them. Using the Power of Vibration and Voice to do so. This is just one example of all of them from my perspective.
Ending Thoughts
I think this is the best deck out there for things such as conversation with the Soul/ Higher Self, Inner work, shadow work, Ancestral Soul work, communicating with the unseen/ spirits, and building deep bonds and exchange with our Guides/ Deities. Yes, you can use other decks – but it is just not the same. It is like this deck was specially designed for this type of work, growth, and transformation.
We all go about things in our own ways and have our own preferences. Without this deck though, I do not think I would have gotten so far, and developed as quickly, in my communication and growth of myself and with my Guides. It also gave me different perspectives and understandings of the elements themselves, giving me different approaches and understandings of them, not just in nature but within my self and my magical work.
If this type of work interests you, I would recommend you checking the Dreams of Gaia deck. For those who are going to take this year’s Spirit Walking and Death Doula Course it will be a required tool because it is perfect for the Spirit work and Spirit Walking aspects you will be learning.
Tarot is a tool. Finding the right one, for the right purpose can make all the difference in the conversation. I am just sharing my experiences and what tools I have found to be extremely useful that produced real results.
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