Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses

For starters, not many decks would feature XVI The Tower as its front of packaging image but Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses does. It is definitely up front about what it is all about. It is an RWS inspired deck ‘created to celebrate the fearless spirit of women.’ This image of Kali serves as a reminder that we can decide what we preserve, destroy, or create. The creator, Cecilia Lattari, believes that ‘reflecting on the symbolism connected to the goddesses means reawakening their power.’ What I discovered is that this is a deck that talks to you as a friend. It shows you what you need to see and trusts that you will come up with your own solutions. This creates a very different reading experience.

The Cards

Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses feels like the Mystic Mondays Tarot met the Modern Witch Tarot and the Tarot of the Divine and together they decided to combine their various approaches and art styles to create something with its own messages to share. Working with these cards has been a really pleasant surprise. When I bought them I never thought I would consider using them as my go to deck for ancestral work but that is where I feel they are taking me. In one sense I should not be surprised.

Lattari writes, that the ‘goddesses are so timeless that each of them evokes references to a woman from our time whose unique characteristics can be a source of inspiration for us.’ Therefore, this deck is all about connecting the past with the present and encouraging us to tap into the energy available to us. Just like the Tarot of the Divine, the Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses does not limit itself to only one culture’s mythology. I enjoy the learning opportunities this provides.

Each of the Major Arcana cards links a classical goddess with a present day woman that the creators find inspirational. The associations are as follows:

0 The Fool	Persephone	Amelia Earhart
I The Magician	Morgan	Pamela Coleman Smith
II The High Priestess	Isis	Marina Abramovic
III The Empress	Tara	Beyonce Knowles-Carter
IV The Emperor	Pele	Rosa Parks
V The Hierophant	Hera	Zaha Hadid
VI The Lovers	Aphrodite	Grace Jones
VII The Chariot	Cybele	Sue Austin
VIII Strength	Oya	Simona Kossak
IX The Hermit	Hecate	Vivian Maier
X Wheel of Fortune	The Three Fates	The Bronte sisters
XI Justice	Athena	Frances Glessner Lee
XII The Hanged Man	Medusa	Helen Keller
XIII Death	Matangi	Martha Graham
XIV Temperance	Inanna	Coco Chanel
XV The Devil	Baubo	Louise Veronica Ciccone – Madonna
XVI The Tower	Kali	Frida Kahlo
XVII The Star	Nut	Margherita Hack
XVIII The Moon	Artemis	Margaret Atwood
XIX The Sun	Freya	Oprah
XX Judgment	Lilith	Angela Davis
XXI The World	Gaea	Greta Thunberg

Whether or not you agree with the choices for the modern goddesses is besides the point. It is about acknowledging what various women have achieved. I lost a few hours sleep last night Googling those whose stories I am not familiar with. They each had so much to share. But, since none of the goddesses’ names, either classical or modern, have been printed on the cards you are free to attribute whoever you like to the cards. For me the Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses approach inspires you to take the meanings from “out there” and ground them. This deck wants you to find ways to turn your goals and ambitions into real world manifestations.

I find it interesting that they retained the original nominations for the Major Arcana though. The Hanged Man and to a lesser extent The Emperor seem a little out of place. I understand it may have been difficult to come up with a new name for The Emperor that did not appear totally random. But, The Hanged Man could easily have become The Hanged Woman. Even though the deck is suitable for both genders, Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses does not hide that it is a goddess deck.

The only name change, which is what makes the others retaining their usual titles stand out, is that the Kings have been renamed Crones. Apart from that, the Minor Arcana suits are standard as well – Pentacles, Swords, Wands and Cups.

The Minor Arcana cards are readily familiar albeit with subtle clever changes. Take the 6 and 7 of Swords pictured above. On the 6 of Swords I love that, just like in the Black Cats Tarot, the swords have been left behind on the shore. She is making a conscious decision to move away from the thoughts and situations that no longer serve her. I like the swords positioning too. Rather than wallowing in the indecision of the 2 of Swords, she has laid that energy to rest. She took the time to quieten her mind, (the four upright swords), to ensure this was a thought out action and not a hasty reaction.

The 7 of Swords has a positive feel too. She is stepping out of the darkness and onto her path. It shows she is willing to do whatever is necessary. Again I feel this card shows that she is leaving the indecision behind but here I feel she is trusting her path and taking people’s comments and opinions, (the five swords), out of the equation.

The 6 and 7 of Pentacles, shown above, provide another set of examples. The 6 of Pentacles still implies giving and receiving but the two different presents suggest that what is given needs to be appropriate for the individual and/or the circumstances. The different presents also shows that giving comes in many forms. Plus, the gifts could be to say thank you for something the others have already done. It also highlights that even though giving is not all about “I’ll do this if you do this,” ultimately, in some way, there should be a sense of balance between giving and receiving.

The 7 of Pentacles says to me that what you give attention to is more likely to grow. It also shows that you should take time to reflect on any choices you have made. Are you putting energy into something that is giving you appropriate returns on your physical or energetic expenditure? Or do you need to make some changes? Also, sometimes, probably way more often than we do, we need to take a step back and see how far we have come.

For my last examples, taken from the many I have listed in my notes, I will use the 4 of Swords and the 7 of Wands pictured above. I like that in the 4 of Swords, she has taken the steps, (they are right there on the card), to quieten her mind. Unlike in many versions of this card, she is not holding on to any one sword “just in case.” She is there to rest, recuperate, reflect and ultimately re-energise for whatever lies ahead.

Finally, I love the positive vibe of the 7 of Wands. So, whilst like most versions we see her protecting something, here, the star behind her head tells me she is protecting her vision. I find the position of the wands changes how their presence is perceived too. I like that some of them show growth. It suggests to me that in holding true to her vision she is inspiring others to do the same. They are the 6 wands that cheered her on previously. But now, they are picking up on what she is putting out, (the three wands on either side of her), and using it to motivate themselves to strive for their own success.

Each of the suit court cards, as shown above, follows the transition from child to crone of a particular goddess. The goddesses for each suit are as follows:

Cups – ‘Yemaya, Orisha from the Afro-Caribbean Yoruba tradition. [She is] a goddess of the ocean and sea.’
Wands – ‘Brigid, Celtic healer goddess associated in general with the arts and protector of blacksmiths who work with iron and [f]ire.’
Swords – ‘Artemis, the Greek goddess of untamed spirit, the forests, the moon and archery.’ Hence the presence of bows on these court cards.
Pentacles – ‘Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest, crops and the land.’

At approximately 7.5 x 13cm, the Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses are big cards so they can be a bit of a handful. If you can get your hands around them, these low sheen cards with non-reversible backs, riffle and bridge okay straight out of the box. While I do look forward to them softening up a bit, unlike the girl on the 4 of Cups below, I do still appreciate what I have. These are wonderful cards to work with.

The Guidebook

Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses comes with a 124-paged, full-colour guidebook. It opens with a basic Table of Contents and a brief introduction to the deck, its philosophy, and its layout. Another section covers reading and interpreting the cards. I love the suggestion to ask open-ended questions. While I acknowledge that many people like them, I am not a fan of asking the tarot yes/no questions so I like that this section suggests how to rephrase those type of questions. Here they also offer suggestions for ways to get to know your cards such as calculating your birth card or using either a single card or several to create a story.

Next, the book moves on to the card meanings. This is well presented both aesthetically and information wise. For the Major Arcana a large card image appears on the right hand page with its title at the top and the goddesses’ name printed at the bottom. The page background is white. The information about the card cleverly weaves the stories of both the classical and the modern goddess with the card meaning in a seamless manner. It wraps up with three questions you may like to consider.

When I first went to write this post I flicked open the book and I landed on the Strength card. Seeing mention of Maya Angelou’s poem And Still I Rise felt perfect and I was excited by the idea of sharing her poem here. (To see her perform it live click here).

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

However I was soon to discover that the card actually couples ‘Oya, a Yaruba Goddess from Nigeria, an Orisha, a divinity that rules the wind and the powerful manifestations of nature,’ with Simona Kossak, a journalist, documentarian, naturalist and scientist,’ who spent thirty years living with wild animals. Simona was the first person I Googled. I was already familiar with Orishas from writing my post about the Secrets of Paradise Tarot recently. Tarot decks really have taught me so much.

The Minor Arcana card meanings are printed on green pages with a small card image bordered in white at the top. A paragraph gives a clear meaning for the card. No mention of any individual goddesses is included. These are more straight up familiar tarot card meanings.

The book wraps up with information about the author and the illustrator. I have referred to Cecilia Lattari as editor down below in the publishing information because that is how she has represented herself on the packaging.

I have to comment quickly on the packaging. When I first opened the deck I loved the packaging right up until I tried to stand it up on my shelf. The Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses comes packaged in a solid outer cover with a pull out draw. Unfortunately the drawer slides out at the bottom and it slides really, really well. Some may not be a fan of the box within a box that sits beneath the book and holds the cards, but I like having the flexibility to take just the cards with me. I understand both sides of the argument though. Anyhow, I love the pull out drawer but I would love, love, love it if it pulled out from the side.

Spreads

The book comes with three spreads:

Card a Day
The Message of the Goddess (3 cards)
The Triple Goddess Spread (4 cards)

The Message of the Goddess is a fairly standard three card spread, useful but nothing new. I did like the way the Triple Goddess Spread is put together though.

All in all, this is a deck that has surprised me. I thought it would be fun, fairly light, and a break away from what I am used to working with. Well it is definitely different, so in that sense I was right. However, it is the way that it is different that I never expected. As I mentioned in the opening, this is not a deck I find gives you advice. Rather it encourages you to come up with your own solutions based upon the information it brings to light. More surprising though is that this very contemporary looking deck connected me so powerfully to ancestral energies. The Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses encourages you to acknowledge who you are and what you are capable of and I look forward to integrating it into my day to day practice.