The Herbcrafter's Tarot

To be honest, I bought The Herbcrafter’s Tarot because I noticed it appeared on several people’s “decks they would not part with” and “top mass market decks” lists and I was curious as to why. I had no idea how I would work with it though. Then, as bad as it sounds, since it arrived with a batch of other decks I just put it on my shelf with the intention of getting to it later. Later took a while. There were a few false starts between then and now, but this time I was ready to dive in. This is such a soothing deck. Artist, Joanna Powell Colbert, creator of the Gaian Tarot, has created spaces I am comfortable to spend time in. More importantly, what I have discovered is that now I am ready to do so.

The Cards

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot evokes so many memories that I doubt I was ready to connect with earlier. It isn’t that they are bad memories. But they bring to mind notions of lost opportunities and loss in general that I rarely let myself feel. Normally, fear kicks in so I wrap the present around me and move on. This deck has allowed me to connect with aspects of my heritage and allowed me to see my parents, myself, and what is truly important to me in a whole new light.

Nasturtiums and echinacea both remind me of my Mum. She used to grow nasturtiums and she liked to put the leaves and the flowers in salads. My husband to this day has such a block on them because he just could not come to grips with the idea of eating flowers. Apparently leaves are okay but not flowers. Although, he will eat stuffed zucchini flowers so go figure.

What has this got to do with tarot and the Six of Fire? For me – everything. Mum and my husband had a special bond. Mum was not one for hugs and physical affection but my husband would pick her up and spin her around and she would giggle like a school girl. They clicked. She would bake him cakes and he would do anything she asked – except eat nasturtiums. They brought out the best in each other and apart from when she was taking his side in our arguments, it was great to see. Latisha Guthrie opens the keyword phrases for this card with, ‘Celebrate yourself and others’ which it is but it is also the joyous feeling that comes with it.

Mum was into herbal medicines and the idea of food to heal before these ideas were fashionable. Cold or compromised immune system? In August it will be twenty five years since she passed, yet I can still hear her so clearly telling me to “Take some echinacea Lissa”. Mum was my first thought when I saw the echinacea. That was even before I registered it was on the Three of Swords.

I was hit by the need to sit with my grief and give myself time to understand what I have lost so I can work through it. How else can you heal? Too often the fact that this is an Air (Swords) card, not a Water (Cups) card is overlooked. There is a need to understand the loss and its impact so we can learn, heal and grow. I was forced to acknowledge that this painful but necessary catharsis was long overdue. Looking at the Six of Fire and the Three of Swords side by side, as they are pictured above, has had a profound impact on me.

A good tarot deck taps us into our Higher Self; a great tarot deck grounds us in our everyday lived experience.
Melissa-Jane

This is a great deck. The memories and thoughts invoked when looking at the cards are rooted in my day to day life. One of my grandsons was sitting on my lap while I flicked through the cards and he was quick to spot the raspberries on the Three of Earth. He loves them. They all do. When I see this card I think about how excited the kids are when I give them bowls of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. It is the simple pleasures. But this card says more to me than that.

My grandson was sitting on my lap because I was minding him while my daughter took one of her other children to the specialist. Later that day, I knew I would be going up to the school to pick up my granddaughter while my daughter’s best friend went to pick up her other son from preschool. This really drove the message of the card home for me. It really does take a village to raise a child – or four aged between two and six – and it is lovely to be a part of it. In easing the load it brings everyone together and so everyone benefits. We all learn a lot along the way too. It feels like the Three of Earth was drawn just for me. So many cards in The Herbcrafter’s Tarot feel that way.

When I flicked through the deck to select which cards to photograph, fourteen of the first twenty were in my to-be-photographed pile. Of the six in that pile, three I had wanted to choose. I knew I had to be more selective but it was difficult. In the end I went back through and looked for the cards that I felt had something they wanted me to discover and/or share as I wrote this post. I like that this deck so often reminds us to be aware and to be present. The two cards pictured above, Five of Air White Sage and 3 The Empress Rose resonated because I burn one of two incenses in my office. You guessed it White Sage or Red Rose and pretty much for the reasons the cards are suggesting.

For 3 The Empress, the message ‘Be vulnerable, yet strong’ is the first line printed under the title. That is what I try and do every time I sit down at my desk to write or to work with my cards. With the Five of Air White Sage it is not so much about the idea of smudging my space to clear away negative energy. Nothing on its own can do that. It is all about intention.

I consciously burn white sage when I realise some of my thoughts and/or my self-talk are having a detrimental effect. Because I do this with the intention of addressing my mindset, it raises my awareness so I can change the behaviour. Sometimes I do not succeed. Nevertheless, I understand what these cards are saying to me. It is so much more powerful when we interpret cards through our own experiences rather than purely through the words and teachings of others.

Others cards in The Herbcrafter’s Tarot just invoke thoughts that make sense to me. Take the Eight of Air Licorice as an example. My first thought was, some people love licorice, others don’t. And, sometimes what we like changes. When I saw this card it served as a reminder to embrace our right to choose. Often times when we are feeling trapped it is because we feel we do not have a choice. Rarely is that the case. Sometimes it is purely because we are scared to speak our truth.

We may have changed our mind about something and fear how others will react or maybe we feel that what we want is out of alignment with what others want or expect from us. Regardless of the situation, even though it is not easy, it does not change the fact that in most cases we have a choice. We are not nearly as stuck and in need of saving as we might think or act. The Pastoral Tarot is another deck that illustrated this idea so well, albeit in a completely different way.

I like the way the they present the Four of Earth in The Herbcrafter’s Tarot too. The miser is not present here. Instead it is a message of preparation and tending to your resources in a responsible yet flexible manner. It isn’t about hoarding. Rather, it is easy to imagine that having too many baskets or trying to make overly large baskets would become just as burdensome. Plus, that way of thinking is not in keeping with the over all message of the deck – to think and act in sustainable, ethical, and practical ways that nurture ourselves and the planet. This deck is about empowering yourself. It does not support fear-based thinking. I love that.

I also love the fact that the sunflower was not the automatic choice for The Sun. It would have been such an easy choice to make. Choosing it for The Magician indicates the thought that has gone into The Herbcrafter’s Tarot. In the book Guthrie writes, ‘The power of manifestation lies within. All the information necessary to create life is contained in the seed; yet it is the elements that makes the sunflower grow.’ This is the case with manifestation as well. She adds, ‘Receive divine light from the unseen realms, shape it into form, then give it all away,’ as the sunflower does with its seeds.

St John’s Wort for The Sun is also an inspired choice. When I think of St John’s Wort I think of its recommendation as treatment for depression and anxiety. Latisha Guthrie words it differently. She writes, ‘St John’s Wort is best known as a mood lifting plant’ and she wraps the entry with, ‘The leaves of St John’s Wort shimmer life diamonds when held up to the sun. Step into the light and show your sparkle.’ Plus I learned that the flowers and buds peak at the height of summer which is considered the best time for herbcrafting. It all ties in so well.

I find The Herbcrafter’s Tarot ties in with other decks I own as well. Some are obvious. For example, the Nature Spirit Tarot, the Gaian Tarot, and The Green Witch Tarot are logical choices. In a different way, I connect The Tarot of Trees and the aforementioned Pastoral Tarot as well. Then there are the less obvious, yet no less powerful, connections.

When I see Garlic used as the plant for strength, probably because I have just written a post about it admittedly, but my mind goes straight to the Tarot of Vampyres. I did Google to see what the perceived connection between garlic and vampires is and I came across a paragraph on the Toronto Garlic Festival’s website which sought to explain both vampires and their aversion to garlic. Another tongue-in-cheek article appeared in the Medical Journal of Australia.

What has all this got to do with the link between decks? Well, for me, The Tarot of Vampyres encourages us to embrace the shadow which takes courage and a willingness to sit comfortably with all aspects of our being. Amongst other things, the Strength card asks us to do the same. Therefore they align very well. The presence of the honey on The Herbcrafter’s Tarot encourages us to sweeten our approach and lead with a compassionate heart yet overall the message is to step into our power by embracing ‘the gentle and the wild within’.

For others it is that one card uses an element I relate to, albeit for different cards. Once such example is the bath on the Curandera of Water and The Star card from The Cook’s Tarot. Curanderas are healers so the link with The Star card is apt. Add that to the fact that in the early evening of each Friday I run myself a bath, light candles, and unplug from the world for an hour or so and the connection for me is clear. It is my little personal self-care ritual that I am very reluctant to give up. It is my time to relax, unwind, dream, let go and surrender. The drive behind this practice aligns with both cards and strengthens the meaning of each for me.

As is the case with all my decks I could talk about each for days, weeks, months – you get the picture I am sure. But, I will rein it in because I realise this post is already quite long. Since I have just mentioned the curandera it seems appropriate to talk about the people that make up The Herbcrafter’s Tarot court. Above you will see the Hija (page), the Adelita (knight), the Madre (queen), and the Curandera (King) of Fire. Firstly you will notice that each court card features the hands of the herbcrafter. I love this inclusion. I have a thing for hands. They can say so much. Latisha Guthrie agrees. She quotes cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien:

Hands were humans’ first magical tool. Hands give. Hands receive. Your ancestors live in your hands. Hands are symbols of initiation. They have the power to love, create, move, and change. They are associated with giving, receiving, and serving. They teach us about reciprocity. Hands bridge the profane and sacred worlds.
Angeles Arrien

Their use in the court cards is perfect. Learning the different names was easy enough but I did have to think about it a bit. I was already familiar with hija meaning daughter and madre for mother. My husband and his family speak Spanish so these words were familiar. Adelita and curandera however were not. Adelita means “warrior” and ‘the cards feature plants that are controversial in some way…. The herbs of the Adelitas drive the herbcrafter to experiences that challenge her resilience. They prove her loyalty to the plants and this ancient wisdom. They invite her to explore the world with passion and creativity.’ Such an apt choice.

Curanderas are healers. These cards ‘feature ancient herbs that have been used by humans for centuries … The plants themselves are established and well known.’ Although, I have to admit I was not familiar with Damiana at all. Google has begun to change that.

Finally in The Herbcrafter’s Tarot the suits are elementally based – Water (cups), Air (swords), Fire (wands), and Earth (pentacles). Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The cards measure approximately 7.5 x 12.5cm and are on the thicker side which makes them a bit of a challenge to riffle but still okay. They fan beautifully and they are also really easy to flick through, two attributes I really appreciate. Being easy to riffle straight out of the box comes in at a distant third. The card backs remind me of an I Spy book and somehow I feel I will utilise this idea in some way with my grandkids. Decks have so many uses.

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot Guide Book

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot comes with a slightly larger than A6, 124-paged guide book. It opens with a contents page that shows the book is divided by card number rather than suit. I like this approach because it makes it easier to flick through to find the card you are looking for. In the introduction that follows, Latisha Guthrie writes:

Each card of The Herbcrafter’s Tarot captures an encounter between humans and plants that highlights the ways our stories are inextricably linked.

Even though that is not what I expected when I bought this deck, I have definitely found that to be the case. She goes on to add, ‘The cards do not simply depict plants and their properties; rather they acknowledge the partnership between humans’.

I love this sense of connection. Following the introduction she defines what a herbcrafter is and offers insights into the deck structure. In most of the cards we see what the herbcrafter is doing or has done. This is reminiscent of Tarot of Oneness and I find this approach really draws you in to the card. It gives the sense that you are present in the card rather than observing others.

In this section, we also discover what drove the plant choices. In the Minor Arcana, each herb was chosen according to how the creators considered their contribution to an ecosystem. For example, All Aces are “dooryard herbs” and weeds that we are invited to view differently. Twos are plants that attract pollinators or feed animals. Threes are plants that are easy to grow. There is a list providing this information with each expanded upon at the beginning of the individual numbers sections.

The layout for both the Major and Minor Arcana is the same. As you can see below, the title, the plant and its scientific name and short keyword phrases open the account. Then, having described the card image, an explanation of the card meaning is interwoven with information about the plant featured. The ‘Crafting with …….’ section is a valuable inclusion because it encourages you to connect with and see the plants as something that exists outside of images on a card. That idea is so obvious and yet it is easy to get caught up just reading cards and miss the potential to connect with the message of the deck on a deeper level.

At the end of the book there is a section titled ‘Using the Deck’. I love one of the subheadings here, ‘Build the Story’. Here they encourage you to consider ‘What is happening before and after the moment in the card.’ I love this because it brings the cards to life. Rather than just a snapshot, it is reminder that every card has a story. This applies to everyone we meet too. All too often we see people and situations as they are in the moment we see or experience them and we don’t consider how they came to be or where they will end up. This can be hard to do when confronted with a difficult person or situation but when we can do it, we are afforded so many wonderful opportunities for growth and understanding. Plus a little empathy never goes astray.

There is also a section called ‘Connect with the Herbs’ which invites you to interact with the plant, learn about its ecology, create with the plant in some way, and to honour the stories associated with the plant. As I said, this deck wants to ground you in lived experiences. It got me out working in my garden on the weekend.

Another section offers a selection of craft activities complete with basic instructions. Here you’ll find basic herbcrafting methods to make elixers/cordials, flower essences, honey, incense, kombucha, oil, oxymel, a palm tent, pesto, salves, scrubs, steams, syrups, various teas, tinctures and vinegars. It all wraps up with information about the creators, a substantial bibliography (always a fan of these), and a few additional resources. The book is not big, nor is it long, but as you can see, it has a lot to offer.

Spreads

The book includes five spreads:

Three-card Spread (current situation – challenge – potential outcome)
Who, What, Where Spread (3 cards)
Five-card Spread
Joanna’s Four Directions Spread (5 cards)
Year Ahead Spread (9 cards)

I am not generally a fan of spreads that require me to divide my deck into its components but I did gain valuable insights from the two spreads, (Who, What, Where and Joanna’s Four Directions Spread), that required me to do so. Now to give my deck a good shuffle to get them all thoroughly mixed again.

For a deck I bought through curiosity more so than anything else, I have to say it has really surprised me. Ancestral work has been an interest of mine for a while now. The Herbcrafter’s Tarot helped me tap into forgotten memories which in turn has strengthened my resolve to follow this path further. I feel it eases me into that type of work because it has such a soothing and comforting energy. My daughter, who, to be honest I didn’t think this deck would appeal to, said it felt really peaceful as she sat pointing out the cards she loved. It is a magical moment when we both connect with a deck. Many that I love get a, ‘I can see why you like it but …’ reaction.

Therefore, this deck has appealed to three generations. For that reason alone I believe it is a deck worth taking a chance on. There seems to be something in it for everyone.