Seven of Cups with the Portland Tarot Study Group

Excerpt from a Portland Study Group session on the Sevens.

One thing that I like to do when the 7 of Cups comes up in a reading is to ask the Querent to pick one of the cups. This may give insight into the situation or advice. Each of the Cups corresponds to a planet/major arcana card.

Play along, and choose one for yourself.

If you know this material or have difficulty selecting a card take out the planetary trumps, shuffle them and draw a card that way.

Planetary Trumps:

• Magician
• Priestess
• Empress
• Wheel of Fortune
• Tower
• Sun
• World

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet - Gaian Tarot

Today I will be discussing one of my favorite Indies - the Gaian Tarot, by Joanna Powell Colbert. I followed the creation process of this deck online, and was impressed not only by the theme (Gaia - Mother Earth), and the artwork (which is stunning!), but by Joanna’s inherent understanding of our personal relationship to Gaia. I do have to admit that it doesn’t hurt that the inspiration for the cards comes from nature scenes on one of the San Juan Islands, here in my very own Pacific Northwest! This deck is mystickal Tarot at its very best!I carried the excitement of a small child as I waited for this deck to arrive in my mailbox. I hurried back to the house to open it, cradling it in my hands - I knew this package would be filled with wonder and magick - and was it ever!

The presentation of this deck was so amazing, it was hard to take in all at once. The cards came in a royal purple velvet Tarot bag (made by Elaine Nichols), lined with a green and purple patterned silk, with a gold drawstring. In the bag with the cards was a small sachet of mixed herbs (sage, sweetgrass, cedar and lavender), as well as a stone, shell and beach glass that were hand picked from local beaches. (I have since added a rose quartz crystal - my personal gift to each deck that I own.) I have not seen a presentation this good since I received my copy of Ellen Lorenzi-Prince’s “Tarot of the Crone”. The quality of the Tarot bag is so breathtaking that I want to take time to note that Elaine offers Tarot bags through the “Gaian Tarot” site. Elaine will soon be offering one of a kind Tarot reading cloths, also through the “Gaian Tarot” site.The “Gaian Tarot” that I purchased was a 22 card, Majors only, Limited Edition deck. Since then there has been an additional printing. Joanna is currently working on the Minor Arcana and Court Cards, which can be found on her site, so that the deck will eventually be a full 78 card deck. The magick grows and grows!

Gaian Tarot

The Gaian Tarot celebrates the living Earth and those who seek to live in harmony with Her. It is an evocative and powerful tool for accessing inner guidance. The imagery of the deck combines multicultural Goddesses and other numinous beings with the mysteries of the natural world. Each image features birds, animals, plants, trees, rocks, constellations and other aspects of nature that amplify the meaning of the card. With its structure rooted in Tarot tradition, the Gaian Tarot is the perfect deck for those who honor Gaia, the earth, as a living, sentient being and who practice an earth-centered spirituality. (from GaianTarot.com)

The Gaian Tarot is a work in progress. The 22 images of the Major Arcana are finished. The Limited (First) Edition of the Majors-Only Deck is sold out, but the Second Edition is now available for purchase.

Music Credits

• Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis
• Closing Music: Seven Promises by William Brooks from Fowl Mouth (Magnatune)

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