Goddess Tarot Deck by Kris Waldherr, 78 Cards

A goddess on every trump. The 22 Major Arcana are each given to a goddess from a different culture, so a daily draw doubles as an introduction to the world's goddess traditions, one story at a time.

Familiar structure, gentle voice. The four Minor Arcana suits follow standard tarot, which means beginners can lean on any tarot book and experienced readers can bring their whole practice with them.

Booklet included. The instructional booklet pairs each card meaning with its goddess's story, so you can read without a second reference open beside you.

• Cards: 78-card tarot deck (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana)
• Included: instructional booklet
• Creator: Kris Waldherr (art and text)
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems
• ISBN: 9781572810662
• Weight: about 12.8 oz

The Goddess Tarot is used for divination and goddess devotion in eclectic and Goddess-centered Pagan practice. Kris Waldherr created it in 1997 for U.S. Games Systems, at a moment when Goddess spirituality was moving from the scholarly fringe into everyday Pagan practice, and the deck reads like that movement in card form: reverent, cross-cultural, and built for personal use rather than academic study.

You can use it three ways. As a straight tarot, it reads exactly as any Rider-Waite-based deck. As a devotional tool, you can pull the card of a goddess you work with and set it on your altar during a working. As a study deck, each Major Arcana card opens a door into a mythology you may not have met yet. Whichever way you come to it, the invitation is the same: to see the great archetypes of tarot through the faces of the divine feminine, and to notice which of those faces looks back at you.

1. Start with the Majors. Lay out all 22 goddess cards face up and read the booklet entry for the ones that pull your eye. Meeting the goddesses first makes every later reading warmer.
2. Cleanse the deck the way you cleanse anything new to your altar: a pass through incense smoke, a night beside a selenite wand, or a slow shuffle with your intention spoken aloud.
3. Draw one card each morning and read both layers: the tarot meaning and the goddess's story. Ask what she would do in your situation.
4. For a fuller reading, try a three-card spread (situation, challenge, guidance) and let the goddesses in the spread talk to each other.
5. Keep a reading journal. The goddess who keeps showing up is telling you something.

The booklet gives you the map, but your intuition is the reader. Trust what you notice.

• The Witches' Goddess by Janet Farrar, Stewart Farrar: the Farrars' classic survey of goddess figures gives you the wider mythology behind the faces on these cards.
• Goddess Leather Journal with Latch, 4.5x6.5in: a dedicated journal for tracking which goddesses keep arriving in your readings.
• Moon Goddess Amulet, 1.5": carry a goddess with you between readings, especially on the days Diana's card turns up.
• White Selenite Wand: rest the deck beside it overnight for a gentle, smoke-free cleanse.
• Moon Goddess Incense Cones by Escential Essences, 16 Cones: a lunar, goddess-themed incense to burn while you shuffle and lay the cards.

Is the Goddess Tarot deck a good first tarot deck?

Yes, the Goddess Tarot deck is a good first deck. Its Minor Arcana follow the standard four-suit structure, so any beginner tarot book applies, and the goddess stories give the Major Arcana a memorable hook. The included booklet covers every card, which means you can start reading the day it arrives.

How many cards are in the Goddess Tarot deck?

There are 78 cards in the Goddess Tarot deck: 22 Major Arcana, each paired with a goddess, and 56 Minor Arcana across four suits. That is the same count as a Rider-Waite tarot deck, so spreads written for standard tarot work here without any adjustment.

Which goddesses appear in the Goddess Tarot?

Goddesses from many cultures appear in the Goddess Tarot, one for each Major Arcana card. Isis holds the place of Magic, Venus carries Love, Athena stands for Justice, Diana rules the Moon, and Gaia closes the cycle as the World. The booklet tells each goddess's story beside her card's meaning.

How do I cleanse a tarot deck like this one?

Cleanse a tarot deck by passing it through incense smoke, resting it overnight beside selenite, or shuffling slowly while you speak your intention aloud. Any of these works for the Goddess Tarot. Repeat whenever the deck feels heavy, after reading for someone else, or when it has sat unused for a while.

Do I need to work with a goddess tradition to read with this deck?

No, you do not need a goddess tradition to read with this deck. It works as a standard tarot for anyone, and the goddess stories are context rather than a requirement. If you do keep a devotional practice, the deck slips into it easily: pull your goddess's card and set it on the altar during a working.

What comes in the box?

The box holds the 78-card Goddess Tarot deck and Kris Waldherr's instructional booklet, which gives the meaning of every card alongside its goddess's story. Card dimensions and box size are not listed on this page; if you need them for a bag or box, ask us and we will measure a copy for you.