The Herbal Tarot

The Herbal Tarot is another Rider-Waite style deck, except it pictures a different herb that corresponds with each card, such as garlic for the Tower, and a lotus in the Ace of Cups. Some herbal knowledge (or the companion book) would be necessary to read with this deck.

 

The Herbal deck is beautifully illustrated, the backs of the cards have a sea green background with a rosemary border, which there are four eight petal flowers in blue, as well as two red ladybugs and two white flowers a pleasant design. The cards are the perfect size and shape for shuffling, they are printed on good quality card stock which will stand up to repeated use.

 

Many of the Major Arcana cards are beautiful in design, while the Minors tend toward the traditional suits of Cups, Wands, Swords and Pentacles. Knowing the Rider-Waite symbolism is a plus when using the deck. Within the Major Arcana there are several renaming of the cards: The Hierophant is called the High Priest, The Wheel of Fortune is now the Medicine Wheel, the Hanged Man is the Suspended One and the Devil has be renamed as Pan.

 

The court cards are simple figures sitting or standing in a plain but nicely colored landscape. Each card is assigned a herb. The LWB says; As above, so below, as within, so without applies to the order of nature. The illustration of the cards are done with the traditional meaning but also with the herb/plant/flower which attunes to each card. It is helpful in understanding the meaning of a card. For instance take the Ten of Cups, the card of happiness, has the background of the herb marijuana/hemp making this card clearer. The Ace of Wands has yarrow, the Knight of Wands has aconite and the Four of Swords has mullein. Each of these herbs add an additional feel to the cards.