Triple Godess Tarot [Paperback]

Those of you who are familiar with her 'Inner Child Cards' know her healing technique, of opening the doors of childhood to the adult we have become, is unique and special.

'The Triple Goddess Tarot' presents us with 33 cards illustrated by Mara Friedman and includes a Major Arcana of 22 cards, 4 Alchemy Cards, and 7 Chakra Cards. The deck focuses on the feminine and Goddess spirituality. It approaches from a "What Would the Goddess Do Now" aspect.

The Major Arcana cards may be familiar to tarot users, but this version is Goddess focused and feminine in it's aspects. Correspondences are included in the accompanying book for easy reference and transition. The Fool becomes the Fairy Queen, The Chariot is now the Bird Woman. Ms. Lerner explains each card in its traditional meaning and associates it with its transformation and finally her vision of 'Awakening to the Archetype'. She then applies the card to everyday life and how it can be interpreted when drawn in conjunction to her "What Would the Goddess Do Now" readings.

The graphics are lovely. Mara Freidman's comment in A Note from the Artist: "Color is Healing! May we awaken to the dream of Love, Harmony, and Beauty!" is expressed throughout the deck.

Both of these women have a good grasp of what they wanted to express in these cards and it comes across in both the deck and the book. Ms. Lerner explains very well in her book what she wanted to achieve with this deck and also gives some very good background about where she is coming from in respect to her ideas and designs of this deck.

The actual use of this deck is what really matters. Ms. Lerner has several layouts she suggests for use with these cards, and each of them is easy to understand and work with. The Chakra layout is unique in its idea of associating the cards to the individual's Chakra. I did try several of them myself and found they work well and are easy to read. The cards themselves are easy to interpret and can be mastered by both beginners and experienced readers.

These cards focus on positive affirmations for your journey through life. It is a very feminine approach to spirituality. They are tools that can confirm life experiences on a personal level and provide possible paths in instances where advice is sought. These are the benchmarks of any good tarot deck.

author: Isha Lerner (with) Tara McKinney, PhD
illustrator: Mara Firedman
Bear & Company (Inner Traditions)
2002
ISBN #1-879181-94-0

Major Arcana Only
Additional Major Arcana cards: Infinite Bliss, Infinite
Truth, Infinite Potential, Trinity

Additional Chakra Cards: color coded to the seven
major chakras: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Aqua,
Blue, Purple

The Triple Goddess Tarot is best defined by the three
ladies that collaborated on this project: they have
named it the Triple Goddess Tarot: The Power Of The
Major Arcana, Chakra Healing and the Divine Feminine.

In her forward, Tarot author/teacher Vicki Noble terms
the Triple Goddess Tarot a "synergistic oracle". She
acknowledges Isha Lerner as more storyteller than
academic in her presentation of history, mythology
and Goddess spirituality. I find it a combination of both
- one that works for me.

The gist of this book/deck may be well represented by
this line from Isha Lerner: "What would life be like if I
lived each day as if I were the Goddess?" From there
she has gone on to do some serious self work that
resulted in a wonderful sharing of information through
this deck.

The following are the titles (energies) that this deck
assignes to the 22 Alchemical cards:

0 Fool - Flying Into Spring
1 Magician - The Song Of Creation
2 High Priestess - Sanctuary
3 Empress - Fullness Of Life
4 Emperor - Path of Balance
5 Hierophant - Blosomming Spirit
6 The Lovers - Open Heart
7 The Chariot - The Journey Home
8 Strength - Strength
9 Hermit - Ancestors
10 Wheel Of Fortune - Womb of Potential
11 Justice - Tree Of Life
12 The Hanged Man - Flame Of Surrender
13 Death - Passage
14 Temperance - Seated Angel Flying
15 The Devil - Karmic Imprints
16 The Tower - Kundalini Rising
17 The Star - Initiation
18 The Moon - Birth Of The Moon
19 The Sun - Dancing With The Sun
20 Judgment - Alchemy
21 The World - Awakened Aphrodite

The aim of the Triple Goddess Tarot is integration of
body and soul through the use of archetypal
consciousness of the 26 major arcana cards
(representing spirit) and the 7 chakra cards
(representing the physical self). One of the things that
was most impressive about this book was the manner
in which the archetypal cards and the chakra cards are
used - which is in combination. They are acknowledged
as separate systems that work well together.

One of the suggestions given was to draw the chakra
cards at random, and place them on the body of the
Seeker. In this manner, a wonderful color chart is
created showing the chakra system, any blocks and
where the blocks may be. As an addendem, it is
suggested that random cards be drawn from the 26
archteypal cards and placed along side the chakra
cards. A very nice way to allow the Seeker to see this
is to take a picture that they may take away with
them.

There are several spreads presented that facilitate
specific work with these cards:

1. Trinity Rainbow Layout (Alchemical and Chakra
cards)
2. The Moon Goddess Layout (Alchemcial cards only)
3. Body, Soul and Spirit Layout (Alchemical and Chakra
cards)
4. Seven Chakra Body Mapping (Chakra and Alchemical
cards)
5. Soul Message (One card layout)
6. Body Message (One card layout)
7. Earth Attunement (Alchemical cards and Chakra
cards)

There is something very special related to a couple of
these spreads: the use of the alchemical triangle. Most
of us have some understanding of the metaphyscial
properties of the triangle. The first inkling that I had
that there was a very exciting depth to this was when
I got the Wheel of Change Tarot (book and deck by
Alexandra Genetti).

It is probably time to actually talk about the cards, eh!
OK The cards are 3 1/2" by 5 1/4" - a fairly easy size to handle. The
backs are lavender in color, depicting a lotus opening,
with the triple Goddess in the center. The illustration is
wonderfull well done - but will show the card in
reversed position before it is turned over. The 26
alchemical cards show a lavender border, with an inner
border of gold leaf, and the Goddess depicted in the
center. The title and the card number are in small print
at the bottom of the deck.

The seven Chakra cards are color coded to each chakra,
and show wonderful depictions of the Goddess in
relation to the energy depicted. These last seven cards
were an addition to the original 26 cards, and work well
with them.

One of my favorite cards is The Chariot, in this deck
titled "The Journey Home". The colors used are a muted
blue and white. We see a white full moon in the upper
left hand side of the card. In the center of the card we
see the Goddess depocted flying towards the moon,
with hands outstretched. She is accompanied by a dove
to her left and to her right, as well as a dove overlaid
on her body. The very first thing that I wanted to do
was to meditate with this card!

I recommend this deck to anyone that wants to work
with Goddess energy, anyone who wants to work with
Tarot and the chakra system, any woman who wants
to explore her own spiritual path or any reader that
wants to have something very special to offer to their
clients.