The Gentle Elemental Tarot
COMING SOON TO
A gender-neutral tarot deck with a focus on the elements that represent the qualities defining our shared human experience.
The Gentle Elemental Tarot is a full 78-card deck. It is designed to be gentle and hopeful yet still honest and clear in its messaging. It will come with a full-color guidebook and a two-piece rigid box. No AI was used in the making of this deck.
Welcome to The Gentle Elemental Tarot—a project three years in the making, and I am so excited to share it with you!
Before we start looking at the deck, I'd like to tell you how it came to be. This deck is a result of my return to tarot and spirituality after drifting away for a bit. Life threw some challenges my way, as it does for all of us, and for a while, I lost my connection with this part of myself. However, these struggles also ignited my passion to create something that is deeply personal and can be healing for everyone.
My vision was to design a deck that embodies a gentle energy, acting as a warm hug for the inner child in each of us, providing comfort and healing. Yet, this deck isn’t about sugarcoating messages; it’s designed to deliver truth with kindness, maintaining a balance between softness and honesty.
I fell in love with the idea of the elements, I saw them as mirrors of our inner selves, with each suit reflecting a different facet of our being. And then, the idea for creating a gender-neutral deck became clear after my daughter became friends with someone who is non-binary. Her natural open-hearted acceptance and the broader societal shift towards embracing diverse gender identities led me to reconsider traditional gender roles in tarot. Instead of seeing "feminine" and "masculine" as fixed labels, I understood them as fluid qualities present in all of us, irrespective of gender. "Feminine" aspects like intuition, emotion, and creativity, and "masculine" traits such as intellect, logic, and drive, are not confined by gender but are energies we all navigate.
So, The Gentle Elemental Tarot is not just a deck; it's a declaration that healing, understanding, and balance are accessible to everyone, transcending gender and embracing the full spectrum of human experience. It's a deck for anyone seeking a touchstone for comfort, a tool for exploration, or a companion for growth. Because no matter our identity, we all have these qualities to varying degrees. And we all need a healthy balance of each of them to help us become our best selves.
I digitally illustrated all of the artwork using a tablet. After that, I moved to Photoshop for color corrections and adjustments. All of the artwork is finished, so once the campaign is completed, we can move straight to production! No AI was used in the making of this deck.
The cards are standard tarot size, 2.75" x 4.75", with a balanced finish of glossiness for protection while not being full gloss to minimize light reflection. The cards shuffle excellently!
The Gentle Elemental Tarot takes inspiration from the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck. While honoring the original meanings, I've added my insights and interpretations. I've also made some changes, such as avoiding religious imagery and using gender-neutral names. The Major Arcana cards have been renamed as follows:
• The High Priestess = The Seer
• The Empress = The Nurturer
• The Emperor = The Leader
• The Hierophant = The Teacher
• The Hanged Man = The Hanged One
• The Devil = The Shadow
The Minor Arcana also has some changes. Notably, the Pentacles are now named the Gems. As well as the following name changes:
• Page = Novice
• Knight = Warrior
• Queen = Sage
• King = Elder
Check out these review videos for a full flip through of the deck! These videos also showcase the Zodiac cards (more information on those below!)
The guidebook has 180 pages, with vibrant full-color images. The pages are thoughtfully color-coded and have the card's name on the corner of each page (left and right), making it incredibly easy to find the meanings you're looking for. Additionally, the guidebook provides detailed descriptions of the cards and includes both upright and reverse keywords. I've also included a unique spread to help you on your journey to wholeness. If we reach the Zodiac cards stretch goal, pages will be added to feature them, making the book 192 pages!
The deck comes in a custom two-piece rigid box with a glossy finish, ensuring your cards are well protected. The guidebook also fits inside the box with the cards.
Meet the Elementals!
Curious about which element you need more of in your life?
There are plenty of stretch goals planned for the campaign, among them are the Zodiac cards! If we reach the stretch goal for the Zodiac cards during the campaign, 12 cards will be added to the deck. They will also have their own pages in the guidebook showing key information associated with each sign. Each zodiac card features a cosmic elemental that embodies the element associated with its respective sign. Each card also features the birthstone linked to the sign, showcases the ruling planetary body, and has the zodiac constellation placed on the head of the elemental.
These cards can be used as a significator card in your readings. Using a significator card in your tarot readings can personalize and enhance the experience for you and your querent. By integrating an astrological significator card into your tarot readings, you not only add a unique and personal touch but also enhance the overall depth and relevance of the reading. It becomes a special way to connect with and focus on the individual, making the insights gained from the tarot even more impactful.
Want to see these cards become a part of this deck? Your share can make all the difference! Join in on bringing this vision to life by spreading the word about The Gentle Elemental Tarot. Together, we can create something truly magical!
How you can use the Zodiac cards:
Selection: Begin by choosing a card that corresponds to the astrological sign of either yourself (if the reading is for you) or your querent. This card will serve as the significator.
Focal Point: Place the significator card near your spread before you start the reading. This serves as a focal point, helping to direct the energy and intention of the reading towards the person represented.
Shuffled Significator: Shuffle the significator card into the deck. Once shuffled, find the significator card. When you encounter the significator card in the deck, use the cards that appear directly before and after it. These cards offer insight into the immediate environment or influences surrounding the querent.
Layered Readings: To add more depth to your readings, shuffle the Zodiac cards into the deck and interpret them as an additional layer alongside the other cards in the spread. This means considering the energy and attributes of the astrological sign as you interpret each card in the spread.