These days there are a zillion tarot decks out there ranging from the traditional Rider-Waite deck to pop-culture, trendy versions such as Star Wars and Game of Thrones. So why review this particular set of tarot cards? Well, if you’ve been following my blog you know that I have a passion for medical herbalism and have studied the subject for several years. I also have a love of tarot cards so this deck immediately caught my attention when I stepped into Asheville Raven & Crone, our local metaphysical bookstore.

Perhaps the biggest strength of The Herbcrafter’s Tarot are the illustrations. WOW! They are breathtakingly beautiful and cover every aspect of an herbalists’ journey, including all the tools we use to make plant medicine. While the plants are those grown in the Pacific Northwest where the author and illustrator reside, most of them are ones I grow and use in the mountains of North Carolina. These are not exotic herbs that can only be found on a mountaintop in Nepal. They are the tools of my trade and it’s nice to see a deck that focuses on plants that grow on our continent.

The second strength of The Herbcrafter’s Tarot is the tremendous amount of thought that went into selecting the herbs for each card. The accompanying booklet contains detailed explanations for each card and will give those who use it plenty of thought regarding the medical and magical uses of these herbs.

I’m not sure yet how much I will use this deck for doing readings. However, it will be a wonderful visual aid for meditation and magical intentions. I’m certain these cards will make regular appearances on my home altar in the future.

So, if you have an interest in herbology, then this deck is for you. I’ve seen other herbal tarot decks before but this one is far superior to anything else I’ve ever seen on the subject. Blessed be!

Copyright ©2019 by David Taliesin, http://www.sabbatsandsabbaths.com