Comments
We’d love to hear your comments on the Gaian Tarot!
Joanna, I checked in to see what you were up to, and lo and behold!
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to you on finishing your beautiful majors! What an amazing accomplishment — the art looks just lovely, and your accompanying text evocative and sensitive.
I hope you're savoring this sweet moment. . .
- Kris Waldherr, www.artandwords.com 10/3/04
“Temperance” is so beautiful. She has such poise, such grace, and you can tell that the act she performs is a labor of love. As are your majors Joanna. I know that you put your whole being into each and every card you create. It really shows.
I’m sitting here, looking at all of the cards displayed on your web site and can”t help but feel that they are now old friends of mine. I know each and every one of them intimately, with the exception of “Temperance” . But that is only a matter of time.
Congratulations kiddo, YOU MADE IT! I know it is safe to say that all of us are very proud of you. . .
- Teresa Laing, 9/28/04
I’m most excited about your Majors almost being completed. Your Tower card is vivid and powerfully done! Your Judgment card is beautiful and touching. It gave me goosebumps ... I can feel the energy radiate off of it and the hope for the higher human consciousness to come through here and across the planet... now when we most need it. Really wonderful Joanna. Thanks! I needed that... Love,
- Arnell Ando, www.arnellart.com 9/20/04
I have to say Judgement resonates on a vibrational, rhythmic level. It invokes not merely an awakening of a higher consciousness / understanding, but of the connection to all that is in on Earth — Gaia. I figuratively (or perhaps literally), felt not my own heartbeat, but the pulse of the planet we all share. And in that instant, saw again how inter-connected we all are to each other, to every organism; to the trees, mountains, etc. It moves me to tears, as it also evokes the first meditation I ever attempted & the rush of an otherworldly awareness wherein I was suspended in a celestial orbit (& "high" for hours after). Next found The Hanged Man, a deeply personal card which again evokes that sense of incarnated spirit; of in the world but not of the world (man's world).
Ye have a prodigious talent & voice. I look forward to your deck as I see it as wonderful for the meditative & reading purposes (I am a professional reader, amongst other things). I also hope to see your full deck in print!
God/dess bless ye for thy vision & manifesting it to share. LIGHTLOVEPEACE,
- MeeWah, 9/19/04
Joanna, I just saw “Awakening”. Absolutely beautiful. As I gazed at the card, I remember my own “Awakening”. The tears filled my eyes as I remember just how special that moment was, and still is. Let this card be a reminder to everyone... never forget their “Awakening”. Goddess Bless you Joanna and your incredible gift.
- Harvest aka Teresa, 9/17/04
Kia Ora!
Wow! What a truly inspiring and visionary gift to our world you are doing! A thousand fold blessing to you and your loved ones for sharing this beautiful, enriching and incredible gift! I’m soooo looking forward to caretaking a full deck one day! Am working on me budget to see if I can have a limited edition Major Arcana deck, to keep me going till then! I’m an avid Tarot Practioner and am always excited when a new deck is birthed, especially one that a lot of thought, love and creation has gone into it! I love each card, and though am extremely fussy when it comes to art – I love the work you have created in the medium you have chosen. Well Done! Congratulations for all the hard work and effort you have blessed each card with! So looking forward to seeing the minor arcane as it is continued to be birthed too! May the Goddess and God continue to inspire, create and develop your gift within so you can continue to share with us all….
- Donna, aka HawkT of Aotearoa, New Zealand - 9/17/04
I just now finally got a few moments to peruse your website and see all your Tarot cards. They are fantastic, gorgeous, perfect! I think the World is my favorite at this point, I could hardly tear my eyes away from the expression on the Crone's face as She gazed at the earth. I also loved the Magician with the Djembe! Actually, I loved them all...Thank you for your art!
Love and blessings,
- Judith, www.judithlaxer.com 6/24/04
I have just been shaken to the core of my being while looking at your cards. I'm a native Oregonian and have several friends up in the sound area. Your images spoke to me on a deeply personal level. I’m also an artist, however I work in sculpture for the most part. I’m a practicing wiccan and often do tarot card readings for myself and others. I’m very excited for the deck to be finished so that I can use it in my readings. The deck (so far) resonates for me on several levels. The quality of the images are superb, I enjoy all the joyous faces. Thank you for creating this deck. Have a blessed day.
- Shannon Flint, 6/17/04
The majors are absolutely wonderful. I have been looking forward to the completion of this first section of your deck and cannot wait to begin doing readings with these glorious cards! I have sent so many of your beautiful Solstice greeting cards to friends and family over the years. Your art is always an inspiration to me, as I know it is to many many others. Also, thank you for your support of SageWoman.
- Coyote Foolheart, 6/14/04
I'm very drawn to the images and the thoughtful symbology present in each ... the Death card is particulary striking and carries a strong message to me of a long journey and renewal ... looking forward to more inspiration from this very worthy project..
- Ed Brickell, 6/11/04
Dear Joanna,
Just a quick note to say that I think your images are very beautiful.
I can sympathize with the time involved in creating each card. It’s truly a labour of love. I can’t recall just how many times that I was so into working on an image, that I finally realized it was now the early hours of the morning and my back was killing me.
Best of luck with the rest of the deck.
- Ciro Marchetti, Gilded Tarot, 5/27/04
On Death:
This card brought tears to my eyes. What an incredibly beautiful depiction of death, truly my favorite death card I have ever seen. It is truth embodied in art, no frills, no fantasy, just the gift of death in its most basic form. Life goes on.
- Teresa Woods, 5/25/04
More comments on the Death card can be found here.
On Death:
This card definitely has a drawing attraction — you find yourself drawn as if the card is inviting you to enter and learn. As a person who has an alignment to the Goddess Hecate, I find that this Death Card definitely expresses the dignity of the passage from the World of Solids to the Invisable World of Spirits. You can almost see The Lady walking. Thank you for a very excellent piece.
- SpiritWalker, 5/25/04
I just wanted to say how beautiful the images on your cards are. I've been working with the tarot for about 5 years, and have seen quite a few decks and never have I been moved the way I was when I saw your Moon and Sun cards. They brought tears to my eyes, as I long for the experiences in those images. I love that the women on the cards look like "real" women, it makes me feel so good. I can't wait until the entire deck is finished, I will definitely be purchasing it. Tthank you for creating such beautiful images.
- Rachel A. Reznik, 5/11/04
I found the link to your tarot site via Google, looking for "Gaian", and I am SO HAPPY I did!!! I've already decided I definitely want this deck when you're done, both the Major Arcana and the whole deck when you're done.
I've never had a Tarot card or description bring tears to my eyes as your image of “Sun” just did for me! I so feel your friend's energy in that picture, and I love what you said: “No hidden agendas, no sadness or darkness or stress, just the sheer joy of being alive.”
That says so well how I feel when I'm dancing with Gaia, barefoot and on the rich dirt, something I have not done in way too long, and something I've just been aching to do, but alas, been too caught up in the mundane world of day-to-day existence. Thank you so much for the beauty you've been putting to paper for us!
- Helen Stanford, 4/27/04
I came upon the High Priestess today, a day I am in the doldrums, caught up in the winds of change, of cronehood, of change, the Tower keeps coming up in my personal readings ! ugh!
On my altar I keep the old Rider Waite HIGH PRIESTESS, but it will now be replaced with your image.
Your depiction of the Priestess as both Crone and Maiden gave me the insight, — today, I was searching for.. this transition — I am 50 — from.. one phase to another.. how to navigate this ? I am older, I own my wrinkles and my layer of soft sensual fat on the bone of my hip, which has cradled my young.. yet, my spirit holds the insouciant animation and joy of my maidenhood.. is she lost to me, at this age? Or.. is she an integral piece of this age-ing and wise woman I have become?? Still present, hidden, disguised, .. still accessible, in moments of time..
Your images hold a key for many meditations — thank you. Thank you!!
- Madeline in Chandler, AZ, 4/14/04
The balance of Nature-based influences with theologies from around the world in the Gaian tarot is both inspiring and grounding. You have woven the concept of the oneness of all things into each card beautifully. I look forward to sharing this deck with loved ones in tribal, Wiccan & Buddhist communities alike.
- Rachel Munroe, 4/12/04
I thought I’d write a few words of praise and encouragement to reflect the delight I am finding in your Gaian Tarot. I have found very few decks that pull so many elements together in such a wonderful way; natural world elements such as the plants and animals, us humans, the elements and the cycles of the earth/moon/sun seasons. I see connections and mysteries in the cards, and the people are accessible in ways that other tarot decks only try for. I hope to see the finished deck soon so I can start using it!! Thanks for all your lovely work.
- Betsy Fox Sauther, 4/6/04
Dear Joanna,
My name is Barbara and I just visited your site, which was talked about on the message board I go to every day.
By way of introduction, I am 70 years old and mother of 6, grandmother of 7, and great-grandmother of a precious boy. So I have a stake in womanly matters. I am not a feminist, just interested in the well-being and emergence of Women all over the world.
Your beautiful Tarot cards will go a long way in promoting a rise in consciousness about Women. I loved them all, but was drawn most to the High Priestess one. That used to be "my" card, about 20 years ago when I read Tarot cards for friends and myself. I was interested because of the honor paid to the Crone in the depiction of the High Priestess. I am presently very much a manifester of the Crone, especially in appearance (70, remember?!). Your beautiful card gave a real boost to my self-esteem! Today I was really noticing my Crone-like features in the mirror. Then I saw your card, and Crone didn't seem to be all that bad! You are highly blessed with a great gift, not just of your outstanding artistry, but of your spiritual understanding as well.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful work.
Love and Light, Barbara Christy, 3/27/04
I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I love your artwork, and how anxiously I'm awaiting the production of The Gaian Tarot. I'm certain that it's destined to become my favorite deck, because I'm already in love with the imagery. Each time you introduce a new major, I hurry to the site to check it out, and I am never disappointed. I think my favorite (so far!) is The Star for its tranquil, mystical qualities. Keep up the brilliant work you're doing!
- Aurora, 3/20/04
On the Magician:
I don’t want to gush, but your talent amazes me anew with each card you paint. . . Now about the Magician: As you said, he is similar to your Magician for the Patchwork Tarot, so obviously I would like it as I did its predecessor :-) Things I especially like are the way you captured the ecstatic trance and the use of the handprints from the Cueva de las Manos. Your commentaries are magickal, too.
I am looking forward to the next card :-)
- Valerie Sim, Comparative Tarot, 3/5/04
On the Magician:
Beautiful card! Full of energy and magic and erotic energy. Also great that you figured out how to do it so quickly.
Also loved your journal entries — especially the one about the traffic jam in the woods. Nice to get a glimpse of your life on the island. Blessings of the budding time,
- Waverly Fitzgerald, www.schooloftheseasons.com, 3/5/04
Although I am learning tarot and have started collecting decks, I'm not a particularly spiritual person (certainly not religious) so when I followed a link to your Gaian Tarot, I was surprised — even charmed. I expected the Gaian Tarot to be another uninspiring "spiritual" deck: watery, insipid scenes with colourless, lifeless characters that I would never relate to or care to look at. Your deck is a great surprise. The people are delightfully human: the facial expression on the woman on The Sun card is absolutely perfect. You really have a talent for capturing human emotion. The style of the cards is also very appealing — the animal details, the balance of space and detail, the edges of the images pouring over into the white border — and the colours are vivid but not cartoonish. Your vibrant colours really help to capture the dynamic human spirit, unlike most "spiritual" decks with their weak, ethereal pastels. I really love the Star and the Magician, but the Seeker is also charming. Love all of the moons, too, on the Moon card. It will be a pleasure to see the completed deck, and it will be one I will look for to add to my growing collection. Cheers!
- Dingle Starry, 3/4/04
I was really pleased to see that your High Priestess was both Maiden and Crone, because that’s how I see her as well, and that’s not an interpretation that you see in most decks. And a friend of mine is probably going to have to get your deck just because of the Magician card!
- Joan Cole, www.lelandra.com, 3/3/04
On the Magician:
This is beautiful! I love the earthy colors of the card and the handprints in the background. Especially nifty is the play of light: the candle, fire, and halo form a triangle of yellow lights, then there’s also the misty white aura around the Magician.
- Elizabeth Barrette, www.PanGaia.com, 3/3/04
Thank you Elizabeth, for always seeing something I don’t see and didn’t consciously put there! :-)
- Joanna, 3/4/04
On the Canoe:
I have to tell you that I'm totally in love with your work. But there's not enough praise for your take on the Chariot card. You did such a great job transforming it into The Canoe. I would purchase the deck for this card alone. Thanks so much for including orcas!!! Please include more cards with this style [Native American imagery] in your deck!
- Darla, 2/19/04
I have followed your works for the past four years and find the Gaian Tarot among the best representations. I hope that future peices will continue to include a balance of energy of God as well as Goddess, male as well as female. I look forward to future works. Blessings, Light and Peace,
- SpiritWalker, 2/6/04
Hello, I just discovered your site and enjoyed what you have done thus far. The colors and the energy of the art just jumps out. I'm sure the completed work will be spectacular and I am hoping to get the deck as soon as it is available. I will admit that I am not a fan of "majors only" decks, but I think in this case the intent and theme really will be a complete and coherent unit. Perhaps along the way one of them will speak to me and I will get a signed print as a special treat. Keep it up, I can't wait to see more!!
- Terry, 2/3/04
Joanna, I am stunned & moved by the beauty of your cards!! Your images are so in tune with what I have imagined could be created of the Tarot in the hands of a truly visionary artist. I can't wait until they are completed but will savour each one as you add them to your site.
I have never written to someone I don't know personally ~ however, through your images I feel as if I do know you.
I will be ordering some limited edition prints for friends and family. Since I do custom picture framing (now as a hobby) I look forward to enhancing & preserving your soulful work.
Blessed Be,
- Debbie Yost-Heuring, Missoula, Montana 12/5/03
I just opened your package containing the print of the Sun card. It is GLORIOUS! So vibrant and alive, my heart fills with joy every time I look at it. The image on the web page simply does not do it justice. I am so glad I decided to treat myself to this beautiful print.
- Karen Brighton, Seattle 11/24/03
An exquisite site, Joanna, and a beautiful tarot, one which is perfect for those of us on Mother Gaia's spiritual path - it will make me very happy to work with this tarot when it is published. In working with it, the feeling of being interconnected, of being rooted, of being one with the earth, will be validated, renewed and reinforced. A truly magical undertaking...........
- Catherine Kerr, Beyond the Fields We Know 10/19/03
Joanna, I think your artwork is rich and beautiful — but why only one woman of color? There are so many different peoples on this earth — I would so love to see our diversity reflected in your tarot ... The power and depth of your vision sings to my spirit. Thank you.
- Kim B., 9/30/03
Kim, you are absolutely right, and my intention all along has been to show more diversity of race and culture. So far I have used good friends for my models, and I live in an area where there is not a lot of diversity — at least not in my circles, so that is the reason you haven’t seen too much so far. My Empress is actually half Hawaiian and my Star is half Hispanic, but they do look more Anglo than ethnic in these images, I agree. So it is now my challenge to actively seek out more people of color for my models, which I am sure I can do through networking. For me, it’s not just a matter of getting a stock photo or magazine photo and drawing from that — I try to find models who not only have some kind of spiritual practice in their lives, but who also have some kind of an affinity for the card or archetype they are modeling. The photo shoot itself is an integral part of the whole creative process for me. Thanks so much for letting me know your thoughts on this. I appreciate it!
- Joanna, 10/1/03
Joanna, this is wonderful! As always with your artwork, the images feel so alive! I can't wait to see more. And I really can’t wait to hold this deck in my hands, whenever its time comes.
- Linda Ledbetter, 9/26/03
Your deck is amazing !!! Well done, can't wait to see the whole thing ...
You have Grandfather Merlin to a 't' in the Hermit.
Beautiful!
- Tira of the Groves, www.faeryshaman.org, 9/26/03
On the World:
I really love this image. I like the colors and composition and how I feel looking at it. The duality, reminiscent of a playing card (eg a Queen), is wonderful. And I can’t tell if her eyes are partly or fully closed — works well for me either way, but I love the ambiguity. I like ‘Gaia's Laundry’ (prayer flags) in the background.
- Paul Bingman, 9/17/03
On the Gardener (Empress):
Wow, what a rich image! The colors are particularly vivid in this picture, the reds and yellows, purples and greens. You did a great job of combining them without clashing — something that Nature does easily and most artists find difficult. The symbolism is also lovely: the apple bough, the swallows, the rabbit, the wheat. I especially like the split fruits at the bottom, with their hint of sensuality ...
I just spotted the Venus figure tucked in the basket! And the mating monarchs! You should post this one as a ‘Goddess Hide-and-Find’ game ... you know, the kind where you say ‘Can you find these objects?’ and give a list. Every time I look, I see something new.
- Elizabeth Barrette, editor, PanGaia 7/28/03
On the Gardener (Empress):
The mirror shows a peek of the mother’s red sarong — I swear that if I tip my head just right I could get a peek of the baby in the mirror. I think that the mirror symbolizes a peek into the future — the future is what the Empress gives us, doesn't she? With all that she creates, she is creating the future. The mirror is in the front — the mother is like a dividing line in the card with the planting and the past behind, the full fruits now, the final fruit and end of the harvest ahead of her. Nice touch to include the wheat which is Demeter’s gift to us.
On a last look at the picture, I noticed how the apple tree is nestling and supporting the mother almost identically to how she is supporting and nestling her baby. We are Gaia’s children as surely as the babe is his mother’s child.
Wonderful! (sigh)
— DragonSong, 8/2/03
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