Dreams of Gaia Tarot: A Tarot for a New Era (Book & Cards)

This may be the finest tarot deck I've ever worked with in my life. It is absolutely beautiful. The first time I got these cards home, I was absolutely transfixed as I blessed each card, examining each one to take in the stunningly gorgeous artwork. This deck felt so right to me on so many levels, incorporating Earth-based mysticism, the elements, faery elements, fantasy elements such as dragons, a good deal of animal symbolism and several spiritual traditions such as Taoism and the Indian Chakra system. I also really enjoyed the extra Major Arcana cards, offering a different take on most of the cards with similarities to the traditional archetypes. I also really appreciated the deviations in the Minor Arcana, such as the use of elements instead of objects (water, fire, earth and air), as well as replacing the page and knight with an aspect card (like Masculine/Feminine) and a character card (like Counsellor or Scribe). She retains King and Queen, but gives them a more ethereal feel, as if it is more of an aspect, trait or energy rather than conjuring the image of an individual person. This helps me tremendously as I never really connected well with the traditional "court cards." The guide book is more like a bible. It is 308 pages, offering that wonderful, familiar smell like the guide book of a final fantasy video game or a good fantasy novel, it's a very particular smell that you have to know to get what I mean. While the introduction and spreads section is very short, the bulk of the book is dedicated to card meanings, all of which have extensive explanations. Each card's entry contains several key words (like Love, Passion, Communion), key phrases (like "it is time to move on," or "Trust your intuition"), and then a long prose entry that varies in length for each card. The Major Arcana cards contain a general meaning, and specific additional meanings that apply to readings where Past, Present or Future positions are relevant, and then a Potential Blockage section that is like the "reversed" meaning. The minor arcana cards do not offer the Past, Present Future section, just a general meaning and reversed meaning section. The length of the entries may be intimidating to some, although there is a wealth of great wisdom and perspectives here, conveying the artist's lifetime of lessons, studies and experiences, bringing together many esoteric subjects, systems and teachings. The author/artist recommends reading through the book as a whole and then moving toward relying more on the key words and your intuition as you become more familiar with the cards, letting the artwork and the cards themselves to speak to you. This is a sound approach and after reading the whole book, one would have taken in a great deal of wisdom, often facing some frank and hard truths. This definitely has the feeling of being her Magnum Opus in terms of acting as a guide book to life. One thing to be aware of with this deck is that it is a very unique deck and departs a great deal from the traditional structure of Tarot. While there are some overall similarities and a general sense that this is based on the traditional system, the meanings of the minor arcana cards especially deviate a great deal from what you may be used to with the corresponding numbered cards from other decks. In some cases they have no relationship whatsoever, making this a very refreshing journey for one who may have been tired of the old associations or never could connect with certain cards. Still, if one is looking for the standard 78 card deck that can easily translate to established cheat sheets, this is most certainly not it. This is an animal unto itself, yet a beautiful, fantastical and mystical one that is great for Wiccans, Gaia worshipers, Shamans and lovers of fantasy literature or artwork. Some have complained that the card stock is not up to the best standards. I admit, it would have been nice if there was some artwork on the back of the cards, rather than simply being black, and they are a tad thin, but by no means abysmally frail or easily damaged. I am careful with my cards, though, never using hard surfaces that could scratch them or shuffling them in a "poker' fan style. The colors are vibrant and have a "come off the card" dimensionality to them, so they certainly aren't lacking in terms of impact. When I first handled the deck, the cards were stuck together due to the gold borders and the somewhat thin nature of the cards as others mentioned, but this was only when first opening them. Once you carefully separate all the cards, that shouldn't be an issue, and they are perfectly sized for handling, shuffling and doing readings. It would have been nice if they were a bit thicker, but this in no way would deter me from giving these cards the most enthusiastic recommendation. This artwork is some of the most beautiful artwork I've ever seen and spoke to me in a way that went straight to my soul. A most excellent achievement.

Amazing! The artwork is so powerful, using words to describe it seems futile. The rich color saturation, depth, detail, and black background draws you in to the images. You can actually feel the intensity of the pictures as you gaze at them while your mind and soul absorb the energy through your eyes. As a work of art this deck is unmatched, completely unique, and penetrating. This is not your mothers Tarot! While this completely innovative system does not follow the traditional Tarot, there is a logic that follows a path of progression that is very easy to understand. Although the system is different and will require some study, I was able yield an accurate and insightful reading right away. With a 308 page accompanying book you have plenty of guidance to help you understand the intention behind each card. There are notes on how to interpret the majors from a past, present, and future perspective while the minors have an additional note on potential blockages. What the artist has not done is tell you exactly what the imagery itself means, giving you the reader an opportunity to experience your own intuitive guidance. I've not seen many deck creators who are also the artist, and that in itself sets this one apart from other decks. The cards are the perfect size in order to show the detail of the art while still being manageable for even my small hands. The stock is pretty sturdy with a glossy finish and gilded edges. I find myself wishing, however, that there was an image on the back rather than just the black background with a gold border. While this looks fine as a "less is more" contemporary style, I find it picks up finger prints that are noticeable on the glossy finish. I can't say enough good things about this deck. It's already my favorite in my collection, and I look forward to getting to know it more and having a long, deep, trusting, beneficial relationship. Many thanks to Ravynne Phelan for bringing this deck forward. I thank her for having the courage to create something different and hold to her vision for the project. I know this deck will touch many people in a deeply profound way.

Gorgeous! I'm so glad I finally added this to my collection. I have been eyeing this deck for years, but hesitated because it diverged from traditional tarot within that structure. The real game changer is the update in card stock quality. Previous editions reminded me most of cardboard sandwiched between shiny cellophane layers. This one has a slightly satin feel that is part of the card itself. Finally the materials match the beauty of the art! And, the book is practically a stand alone work itself! The deck size is indeed bigger that standard tarot, more along an oracle deck size, but it's totally worth it to also get the full size book along side. I'm already considering getting the travel size, since the box, also sturdy and well made, is oversized to accommodate the book, with a built up cavity in the bottom for the deck. Even though, like fictional Elsbeth Tascioni, I have lots of big bags and tend to over pack for even the grocery store, the full box is too clunky and heavy for daily just-in-case travel. That said, I still love it, and am brainstorming ways to have the deck with me always! Totally recommend!!

Tarot is a pretty strong classic. It is useful and enduring. This deck's strength however is that it is geared at healing in practical but spiritual ways that feel very soulful and timely. You gain an understanding of yourself, your interpersonal relationships and the broader essence of who we are. The guidebook is of course well talked about because it is amazing. Not too long and not too short. A lot of work went into the writing and I can see even more went into the artwork. The artwork is not my general style of choice but it is still undeniably beautiful and very magical. The publisher has supported that by using great card stock and packaging. This is definitely a system to learn but if you are up for it the rewards are great. I bought this two weeks ago and have been pulling one or two cards to help me think through a couple issues. It has always given me something direct to think about and really become more mindful of. Working through this deck could help with truly understanding yourself on a higher level. It acts as a wise friend and guide. I bought this at the same time as the Osho Zen tarot. They make a great pair of decks to have on hand for consultation with depending on your mood and concern. Osho Zen is clear, sharp shooting and direct which may sometimes shock you. Dreams of Gaia is practical, well considered and thoughtful. The overall quality and usability of Dreams of Gaia however is nicer and more luxurious. If you wished to splurge it could be worth getting the pocket version too to carry around more easily.

I was excited to have received this today. I was nervous I wouldn't connect with the deck as I'd only seen it in video reviews online. (Sidenote: I've started acquiring both Tarot & Oracle decks as of April 2019. So I have not studied Rider-Waite in depth. They are for my personal use only.) Anyway, with that said, I find it will be easier for me to learn this new tarot system as the artist intended. I like that the guidebook reads like an Oracle book as I heavily rely on them, at least until I can fully tune into the card's energy & read on my own. It includes keywords and key phrases as well as an in-depth meaning of each card. The book is 307 pages cover to cover. The artwork is so beautifully done, I can go on & on about it. The cardstock is a bit thinner than most but shuffles nice. The card size is slightly larger than standard Tarot but shuffles and handles well. The box is thick & well designed. This second edition is the 2019 print so it doesn't have the all-black & bordered backing nor the gold edging of the 2016 print. I was disappointed about the plain edging but not enough for it to detract from the beauty of this deck. This was on my wishlist for the last 4 months due to the price being high at the time so I couldn't resist the deal I got during Prime Day. I am very happy & it's already becoming my beloved Tarot deck. The only small issue I have is that to get the book & cards out easily you have to flip the box over in your hand. I was able to resolve that by hot-gluing a wide ribbon onto the inside of the box.

These are the most beautiful cards I have ever seen. The art work is amazing. The cards are on the thinner side, flexible and easy to shuffle, and the box they come in is very protective and worth keeping. The book included with the deck is comprehensive; but it needs to be because this is not a typical tarot deck. This deck has a significant learning curve that comes along with it, but if these cards and their artwork resonate with you then the work is well worth it. This deck contains extra cards not found in the traditional tarot deck, but these cards add clarity to readings. If you are considering this deck I would encourage you to look over the reviews (I did), look at the cards online (there are many sites that show you cards), and if the artwork resonates with you then I would purchase them. Those who are not willing to put the time and energy into learning this deck are not going to like them unless they are for looks only.

I got this deck as my first tarot deck ever in 2018 back then I didn’t think anything was wrong with the cards and was just excited to start learning tarot but as I learn more and more about tarot and used the deck I realized this isn’t the traditional raider Waite tarot it had all the cards the raider Waite does but out of order and there’s just more cards this to me seems more like a oracle deck that I would use alongside a regular raider Waite deck if I needed more clarification this deck is like it’s own separate thing like a oracle deck and the book has looonng descriptions for each card and depending on what part of the spread it ended up on its cool in the beginning but becomes too much and I can’t remember all these card meanings tbh and the book is so big it takes forever to find each card if you do one of the bigger spreads in the book the spreads and artwork of the cards is great but the cards are flimsy and when you first get them they’re like stuck together and it’s hard to shuffle them kinda and they’re huge compared to a regular rider Waite I rarely use this deck anymore because it’s heavy and confusing tarot just is easier with any other deck but it is cute and a good oracle deck

Beautiful Tarot!!!!

Arrivate con un giorno di anticipo in buone condizioni. Il packaging è davvero bello e ordinato. il libro è scritto bene e di una dimensione ottima per essere portato anche in giro comodamente. I tarocchi sono davvero stupendi e grandi, non hanno la bordatura dorata come nelle foto ma sono comunque di buona qualità ( o perlomeno è questa l’idea che mi hanno dato visto che non sono un esperto ). Sono molto lisce e scorrono bene tra loro, anche troppo forse ahaha ma almeno così non dovrebbero rovinarsi mentre si mischiano.

There's so much about this deck that's great! The quality of cards themselves is great I found! Some reviews say the cards are very flimsy. This may be true, they're thinner than most of my oracle cards, however there are 81 cards in this deck? So they're hard enough to shuffle - I think the card thickness is just right for this reason, any thicker and I wouldn't be able to shuffle. I love the golden edging - it's kind of sparkly gold which is nicer than other gold edging I've seen. The book - its super extensive! Each card has 2-6 pages of description per card, all of the major arcana cards have a general meaning, and past, present, future, and reversed meanings, along with keywords and phrases for quick reference. While I thought I would appreciate the long in depth descriptions, I actually find that they give too much variation of what the card can mean, that all the cards start to sound like they mean the same thing - the maiden, the emotion card, the intuition card...eventually each description says "look within yourself to find the answer" "follow your heart" kind of thing. One thing to know - which I did when I bought this deck, so it didn't surprise me...is that this does not follow your typical "rider tarot" structure...not at all, the meanings are almost all different and the major arcana is a complete restructured theory in itself. I'm still studying it and trying to align myself with the energy, it's very unique. Overall, it's worth buying. I wouldn't recommend for someone trying to learn tarot, although maybe without prior perception of tarot it might be easier to grasp the unique theory.

Love it!

The Artwork is just wow, and it's a very intuitive deck to work with. Definitely this deck is a powerful one to work with for shadow work, for writers, artists, due to the intuitive images on each card. The guidebook is in depth covering past, present, future and also Potential blockages. It's a we'll penned guidebook and certainly different from the traditional tarot, as Ravynne puts her own symbolism. It has rich elemental energies and symbols which is my favourite 💜

Super rápido el envío, las compré porque me llamaron y la ilustración es divina, son grandotes las cartas y viene todo incluido el libro en inglés, aunque merece realmente la pena. Esta es la primera edición y la parte de atrás es preciosa, se pegan mucho las cartas pero sólo al principio porque hay que usarlas.La recomiendo aún así si quieres trabajar con los elementos.