So, is this a Tarot deck or isn't it?
The Healing Earth Tarot puts a new twist on a old divination system. The first obvious difference is that this deck contains 106 cards, as opposed to the traditional 78-card deck. The second major difference is the focus of this entire system. It was realized in order to "develop relevant teachings from the traditional tarot to a contemporary global awareness."
Structurally, this system is basically the same as a traditional deck. It consists of Major and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana has been recast to include the concepts of shamanism and multiculturalism. For example, The Hermit has evolved into The Wise Old Woman, still signifying listening to our inner voice of wisdom, but expanded, "beyond the fertility of the Empress to the later years of our lives when male and female merge into a dance of remembering our wholeness. She is the dark womb of grandmother goddess." And we have The Magician transformed into The Shaman: "Aware that to be fully alive means to move with change." Again, this energy is represented by a female figure.
Further, the cards in the Major Arcana carry no numbers to place them in a specific order. The Minor Arcana consists of six instead of four suits. The two new additions are that of Pipes and Feathers. Pipes have been added to represent the concept of healing - not just ourselves or others, but our planet as well. Pipes correspond with the "elements" of herbal lore and wood. Feathers, on the other hand, represent the element of ether. They are specifically aligned with all matters of psychism and spirit. Each suit still contains an ace through 10; however, the structure of the court cards has been altered slightly. Kings and queens who sat on thrones in all of their regal glory have evolved into grandmothers and grandfathers. Knights and pages have been recast into the more easily identifiable concept of men and women.
Now with the introductions of the newest additions to our cast of characters out of the way, we can - finally! - take a look at the overall deck.
The Healing Earth Tarot has some of the most beautiful artwork I have seen on a deck in quite a long time. At first glance, it reminded me of Aboriginal artwork with its shark-tooth, brightly colored border around each card. Upon closer examination, one can clearly see the multicultural elements. What I see, however, is a strong basis in Native American spirituality. My favorite card is The Medicine Wheel which - you guessed it! - takes the place of The Wheel of Fortune. In fact, most of the illustrations are based on a circular motif, sprinkling elements of Native American concepts throughout. Jyoti McKie illustrated all of the cards herself, drawing upon inspiration from her dreams. What she and her subconscious have produced is a deck of vividly colorful, beautifully detailed images. What I love about these cards is that, although there is a great amount of clarity and detail to each image, this deck is also great for those of us who love to scry. There is enough ambiguity present within the structure of the image to allow for some intense meditation and pathworking.
Speaking of the artwork, this would be a good time to address the topic of the two new suits in the Minor Arcana: the Feathers and the Pipes. I think a commentary on the artwork for these cards can sum up their presence in the deck. When I look at the illustrations for the cards in these two suits separately from the others in the deck, what I see is still very beautiful and well thought out. But, at the same time, they are somewhat sterile. It is obvious that these "new suits" don't have the inspiration for their images coming from the massive energy of years in the collective unconscious that the traditional four do.
I have been reading Tarot for 17 years, and at first I was skeptical about adding any new suits to a Tarot deck. However, after examining the deck and its premise as a whole, I found the additional suits on the balance to be helpful rather than a hindrance. This is largely because the entire mission of this divination system is not to tell fortunes, but to enlighten querents about their own healing as well as the healing of our planet.
This deck is accompanied by a 228-page, softcover book suspiciously called The Healing Tarot. As a good companion volume should, it contains black and white illustrations of each card along with the meaning behind the symbolism the artist chose to incorporate into each card and its divinatory meaning. It does not, however, go into lengthy discussions on the care of the cards, proper way to shuffle and so on. Nor does it give any correlation for cards and astrological significance, color, day of the week and so on.
This is where we must get down to brass tacks concerning this system. If you are looking for the specific day when Aunt Millicent will finally find Uncle Harry's long lost will, this is not the deck to use. The Healing Earth Tarot forces its querents to look within themselves to see what could possibly be done from the inside in order to influence what is going on outside. The Major Arcana still, very obviously in fact, contains all of the elements of the spiritual side of life. However, the divinatory meanings for the Minor Arcana do not contain phrases such as, "sudden misfortune, ruin of plans, defeat in a war." In contrast, the corresponding card in The Healing Earth Tarot tells us "In a reading, the Ten of Crystals clearly tells us that what we are hanging on to is truly dead. All we need to do is surrender to that insight for something new to be born." The truly creative and intuitive will see that lack of detail in the meanings of the cards as a springboard for all sorts of insights into one's makeup.
Included in the companion book are six new spreads especially designed for this new system. I chose to experiment with the Six Suits Spread and the Allies Spread for this review.
The Six Suits Spread is based upon the North American Indian Medicine Wheel and is used to clarify any problem or situation needing insight. The six cards are lain in a circle and read according to what each position means: what needs to be done on a material level, guidance from the psychic realm and so on. I found this spread and the cards to be very accurate with what is going on in my life at the present time - and, boy oh boy, is my life ever a test for any deck! Obviously, some cards did come up ill-dignified, but I chose to do this particular test run reading everything dignified. Very, very accurate and insightful. Okay… so they told me things that I don't like to admit to myself. There. I said it.
The Allies Spread is all about defining your totems at this stage in your development. I decided to read ill-dignified in this spread if the situation presented itself as merely a block in the energy of the card. Six cards are chosen from the Minor Arcana and one from the Major. This spread, too, was very accurate. My last card, which was chosen from the Major Arcana to represent the lesson being integrated at present, was The Star - reversed. In my humble opinion, it couldn't better depict what I should be learning and have the ability to accomplish, but have been fighting and ignoring for months now. Excuse me while I shake off a small chill.
Overall, I enjoyed working with this deck. I have to be careful with a recommendation, though. For those who feel that too much talk about "spirit" and "lessons" is just too New Agey, you should pass on this deck. There isn't enough meat to keep you interested. However, if you are intrigued by Native American spirituality and have a yearning to do some heavy introspection, this is the deck for you. It is beautifully presented and well thought out. While it will not provide you with the answers to mundane questions, it just may provide you with the answer to yourself.
Finally, for those who hate to get bogged down with too much direction, The Healing Earth Tarot is something you should own. It is an excellent springboard to enhance a creative reader's approach to the art of insightful divination. If you already have previous Tarot experience, picking up this deck won't be hard at all since it corresponds very closely with the traditional Tarot. Actually, seasoned readers will enjoy the challenge of learning "new" suits and figuring out some "new" correspondences for themselves.
Upon completing my review, I decided to draw one card. What I drew was the Seven of Pipes. It "means for you to trust in the hidden powers of existence to heal and sustain you."
Blessed be!
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