The Sacred She Tarot
Introduction
The Sacred She Tarot is Ma Deva Padma’s second tarot deck. Her first was the Osho Zen Tarot. If you are familiar with, and like the eclectic mix of art styles in that deck, then you are bound to like the artwork in this one. Two things drew me to this deck: the 1 Roots card pictured below and the title. To be honest, it wasn’t a lot to justify pre-ordering a deck.
But, when I opened the book and read Ma Deva Padma’s motivation for creating the cards, the urge made sense. She wrote, “I began the art for this deck in the hopes that it would serve others in their quest for self awareness and in ultimately realizing the treasure of their own being.” This aligns with my belief that tarot is a perfect tool for self-reflection, self-improvement and self-expression.
The Sacred She Tarot Deck
The 5 Perseverance card gives you a feel for the approach of this entire deck. That is something I doubt I will ever say again since this is the 5 of Pentacles card equivalent. Generally, that is not an energy most people intentionally aspire to. Yet here in The Sacred She Tarot we see the flip side. We are being shown a way forward. When things are difficult, hang in there. You will get through. This too shall pass. Don’t let circumstances dim your shine. Focus on your options.
That is not to say that this deck glosses over the things. It’s not a Pollyanna deck. Not at all. Rather, it reminds us that we all have agency and it urges us to see beyond surface appearances. Consider the 9 of Cups equivalent 9 Indulgence and the 10 of Pentacles presented as 10 Privilege. They shine a light on aspects of the cards that are always there but often glossed over. In The Sacred She Tarot it isn’t. This deck is about raising our awareness and encouraging us to look at situations, our experiences, our position and ourselves from various angles in order to uncover the various truths. I say truths because I don’t believe in single stories or black and white distinctions.
The band Live wrote a song, The Beauty of Gray. The chorus is:
This is not a black and white world
You can’t afford to believe in your side
This is not a black and white world
To be alive I say the colours must swirl
And I believe that maybe today
We will all get to appreciate
The beauty of gray!
Songwriters: Chad Alan Gracey / Chad David Taylor / Edward Joel Kowalczyk / Patrick Dahlheimer
This deck serves as a reminder of this sentiment. It is in the spaces in between that we find greater understanding about ourselves, about others, and about the reality and existence of multiple truths. Not one of us could summarise ourselves in a word, or a sentence or two, yet it can be scary to consider how often we judge situations and others on that basis.
General Information about The Sacred She Tarot Cards
The Sacred She Tarot doesn’t present the same as most decks. For example, as you can see above and below the court cards have been renamed. Or more specifically, they are numbered. So the Court is 11, 12, 13, 14. Each has their own keyword rather than a title. Ma Deva Padma writes that there are “no court cards in The Sacred She Tarot because all cards share equal significance.” Even with their regular appellations I believe that to be the case. Besides, the numbers still suggest a progression.
Whether the approach works as was intended doesn’t diminish the fact that the “court cards” are stunning and they share their message more clearly than many more traditional depictions.
Rather than a Major and Minor Arcana, the deck is divided into five elemental suits: Earth (Pentacles), Air (Swords), Fire (Wands), Water (Cups), and Ether (Major Arcana). Each suit is distinguishable by the title band at the bottom of the card. Spirit, the name she has ascribed to the Major Arcana, is purple. Earth is green, Fire is red, Air is grey, and Water is blue.
Even though this is a standard tarot deck in that it has seventy-eight cards, divided into five suits, (four Minor Arcana suits of fourteen cards and twenty-two Major Arcana), something about The Sacred She Tarot gives off an oracle energy to me. I struggled to pinpoint what it was that made me feel that way but I believe it comes down to four things.
Firstly, in many decks, because the suit is integrated into the artwork, (eg 3 Harmony (3 of Cups) would have three cups contained somewhere in the image), you can remove the titles and still identify the card. Unless you are intimately connected with this deck I don’t believe that to be the case with The Sacred She Tarot. There are no identifying markers within the artwork at all. Secondly, there’s the aforementioned lack of an obvious court. Thirdly, there is something in the artwork that gives me that vibe. And finally, there’s the complete renaming of everything.
The Major Arcana is presented as follows:
0 Beginning (The Fool)
1 Alchemy (The Magician)
2 Unknowable (The High Priestess)
3 Mother Nature (The Empress)
4 Order (The Emperor)
5 Wisdom Keeper (The Hierophant)
6 Love (The Lovers)
7 Turning Point (The Chariot)
8 Compassion (Strength)
9 Solitude (The Hermit)
10 Change (The Wheel of Fortune)
11 Balancing (Justice)
12 Waking Up (The Hanged Man)
13 Transitioning (Death)
14 Karma (Temperance)
15 Repression (The Devil)
16 Crisis (The Tower)
17 Understanding (The Star)
18 Anxiety (The Moon)
19 Joy (The Sun)
20 Liberation (Judgement)
21 Wisdom (The World)
Each of these elements on their own would not put the oracle idea into my head. It’s when they are taken together that I get that sense. It’s a feel rather than an experience based on how I use the deck. When I read with it, I read it very much as I would any other tarot deck and honestly, I don’t have an issue with the approach she has taken. I really like it. Although, I do find some of the Major Arcana titles, such as Love, a little restrictive.
The matt card stock is good, the card backs are reversible, and it shuffles well in any fashion. Although, it is a bit clumpy to fan. It has a waxy finish that I don’t mind, but I know it would make my husband’s skin crawl. So, if wax paper isn’t your thing this cardstock might be a bit of an issue.
Discussion on some individual cards
VII Turning Point & IX Solitude
Renaming VII The Chariot as Turning Point initially seemed like an unusual choice but soon it came to make complete sense to me. The choices we make create many different turning points in our lives and, as is shown by the path, the true turning point is when we strike out in our chosen direction. It feels so positive and inspirational. After finding your way through the dark, the path becomes clear and the way opens up for us. There’s an element of persistence indicated here.
I like the pairing with IX Solitude because together they suggest a cycle. On IX Solitude I see the return to the forest, to the quiet, to contemplate our actions in peace. It’s a balancing act. A constant process of action and movement followed by stillness and solitude. The trick is not to stay too long in solitude nor to keep pushing on without taking the time to contemplate where our choices are leading us.
2 Restraint & 6 Departure
The theme running through this deck for me is that our lives are about the choices we make, which makes sense since the aim of The Sacred She Tarot is to increase self-awareness. Realising it is our choices that have created our life to this point and it’s our choices that influence our future is a powerful message. One that is often hard to hear, but true nonetheless.
When I looked at 2 Restraint for the first time, and indeed still now, I can’t quite work out what I’m looking at. I think I’m looking at a young face, maybe a shawl, a coil of rope and metal pipes. But to be honest I keep seeing a young face, maybe a doll, wool and knitting needles, and shrouded arms. The more sense I try to make of it as a card on its own, the more confused I become.
Then I twigged. That’s the point. You can’t make an accurate decision if you look at things in isolation. Every decision impacts something else. It is basic cause and effect. Also it made me think about my personal experience with wool. When I was much younger knitting was a no-go for me but later I clicked with crochet. Sometimes you just need to look for an alternative. Being closed minded can be the restraint we need to overcome.
Other times, as is represented by 6 Departure, you need to know when to let go and move on. I love the simplicity of this card. The detail in the tree bark contrasting the starkness and almost incomplete feel of the inner wood suggests shallowness. So does the slender trunk. Holding on to the leaf isn’t going to bring the tree back to life, no matter how much the bird might wish it to be so.
XIX Joy & 13 Support
Finally, I didn’t realise the Australian connection when I bought the deck. But as soon as I saw the wallaby and the koala I reached for the guidebook to see if one existed. It does. Ma Deva Padma now lives in Australia. It is rare to see Australian animals featured in a deck that isn’t animal based so it really stood out to me. I love seeing fauna that is so familiar to me. Kangaroos don’t go hopping down the main road but they do bound through the bush at the end of my suburban street.
Their presence on these two cards means that, in this deck, I associate these cards with aspects of home. On XIX Joy I see abundance as being surrounded by the people and things that you love. It’s about being loyal to yourself, your values, and those you care about. This is such a fun and joyful card for me.
It reminds me of seeing dolphins swimming past the point, or cruising down a river and the horse reminds me of my mother’s horse. This isn’t about personal power, the symbolic meaning I normally attach to white horses. It’s about being connected to home and family and nature. The white cockatoo could be one of many that sit on my deck or tap on my kitchen window or sliding door. It makes the cards so relatable and full of meaning. Like many of the cards, it provides a meaning that is somewhat unique to this deck.
13 Support is the equivalent of the Queen of Pentacles so equating her with home life is natural for me in many decks. The Queen of Pentacles in Forest of Enchantment Tarot comes straight to mind. She is “Earth Mother” nurturing her children and those that need her support. The energy is beautiful but personally I would prefer to see her as part of the landscape rather than separated by a border. As I just looked again, I heard the message that we need to not see ourselves as separate from nature. That should be obvious but all too often it isn’t.
The Sacred She Tarot Guidebook
The 216-paged, black and white, guidebook has a landscape orientation. Due to the size of the book this works well and fits with the overall different presentation of the deck. The content’s page is also slightly unusual for a guidebook. The Sacred She Tarot Guidebook, subtitled A universal guide to the heart of being, has an initial Contents page that gives an overview of what you’ll find in the book. Then, on the following pages it goes into more detail. It lists the card name, its keyword and the page number for each individual card.
I haven’t seen this approach before in a tarot guidebook – a text book yes – but not in a book accompanying a tarot deck. Even Phantasmagoria, the incredibly detailed, 301-paged guide for The Tarot of Vampyres doesn’t do that.
Preamble
In the Introduction, Ma Deva Padma shares the different approach she took to the guidebook. She sent out one or two art images along with a few keywords to friends and asked them to share their impressions. Their responses are printed in italics beneath the text she has written for the card. After the card section there is a paragraph about each contributor. Here you can see which card they wrote about. Since the contributors are not credited in the card entry section this is a great addition. Also, in sharing a bit about them you get a feel for where they are coming from in their interpretations.
The card meanings
I’ll share the card text below for XV Repression as an example of how the cards are described by Ma Deva Padma. There are no keywords, or in-a-reading type headings. Instead, the text opens up a dialogue between the card and the reader. It talks about possibilities and potentials and it encourages you to consider what may lie within.
For XV Repression her section reads:
Many of us have been taught from childhood that anger is bad and expressing it improper. “Life isn’t fair,” we are told. “That’s just the way it is.” We should just suck it up and move on. So when anger or a sense of injustice arises, we stuff it down, repress it. Often, we condemn and blame ourselves for having those horrible feelings in the first place.
However, it’s precisely our untamed, fierce nature that empowers our capacity to endure against all odds by expressing an intense focus or response that doesn’t back down when confronted. Anger festers when repressed. Then gnawing discomfort rises from our “unacceptable” thoughts and feelings that need to escape the tight lid we’ve kept on them.
The image encourages you to unearth and befriend the unruly, visceral aspect of your nature. Living in fear of this quality keeps you fragmented, afraid to stand up for yourself and set yourself free. This inner alchemy transforms damaged goods into treasure. Acknowledging the good, the bad, and the ugly unshackles the power or your wild and primitive heart and transforms fear into courage.
Ma Deva Padma
At the end of each card write up, in the footer section, she gives both the RWS and Thoth tarot card equivalent. This removes any potential confusion for those new to tarot. As always I am going to suggest reading the book because it provides insights into the creator’s ideas and viewpoint and it can help you recognise elements in the artwork.
Take the X Change card as an example. When I first looked at this card I wasn’t sure what she was holding. But, when I read, “If your self-confidence solely depends on the constancy of your environment, your relationships, your body, then you are depending on a soap bubble,” I understood. And so much about the card made sense.
9 Fear gave me what I can only describe as a “mike drop” moment.
But as in ordinary nightmares, the story line is real only if we remain asleep.
Boom. That line hit me.
For XVIII Anxiety, pictured earlier, she poses questions and to be honest I’m surprised she didn’t take this approach more often throughout the book. For me it’s the questions that hold the key. One such question she asks is, “Is it really anxiety that hurts, or is it your reluctance to depart from the cozy security of trumped-up fantasises, imagined storylines, paranoid projections?
That’s something we might not naturally ask ourselves. It’s more common to wonder what is causing the anxiety and how can we overcome it. Although I do find this is another title that is a tad limiting. Although I don’t find the artwork is.
I know this has been a long post but the final thing I want to say about the guidebook is that I appreciate the addition of the “Glossary of Symbolism” and “Splendid Books”. I have only read two books on the list, but several others have caught my eye. With the exception of Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, these are not tarot books.
Wrapping it all up
The Sacred She Tarot isn’t the deck you reach for if you’re looking to predict the future. It’s the deck you reach for to help you create a future that aligns with who you truly are. If you are wanting to learn tarot I wouldn’t suggest this is the deck to get you started. However, if you are looking for a deck that helps you to get to know yourself better then beginner or seasoned professional, this serves that purpose well.
Summaries
The Sacred She Tarot Cards
| Artist | Ma Deva Padma |
| Card Size | Approx. 7cm x 12 cm |
| Card Stock | Matt finish, waxy feel |
| Shuffle | Easy to shuffle in any manner |
| Fan & Flip Through | Bit clumpy to fan and flip through |
| Suits | Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit |
| Court | 11, 12, 13, 14 |
| Strength / Justice | Strength (Compassion) is 8 & Justice (Balancing) is XI |
| Miscellaneous | Box with magnetic closure with separate tuck box inside. |
The Sacred She Tarot Guidebook
| Written by | Ma Deva Padma with multiple contributors |
| Pages | 216 pages |
| Appearance | Perfect bound, black and white, landscape orientation |
| Contents | Special Acknowledgements Introduction — About the Contributors — Working with The Sacred She The Cards — Suit of Spirit — Suit of Earth — Suit of Fire — Suit of Air — Suit of Water A Selection of Spreads About the Creator: Padma, from Then to Now Contributors, Sources and Permissions Glossary of Symbolism Splendid Books |
| Spreads | Be Here Now (1 card) Me and You (2 cards) Heaven and Earth Balancing Harmony (3 cards) Diamond Clarity (4 cards) The Elemental Star of Well-being (5 cards) The Sacred She Variation of the Celtic Cross (10 cards) |
Publishing Details
Deck Creator:
Ma Deva Padma
Pictured Version:
Published by Atria Books/Beyond Words November 2023.
Website:
