The Herbal Tarot

Creator(s): Michael Tierra, Candis Cantin
Date: 1988, reprint 2011
Country: USA
Publisher: US Games
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-0-88079-332-2
Type: RWS
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. III, pp. 587, 592-593






Notes:
The Herbal Tarot follows the general assignments of the Rider-Waite deck, but each card is assigned an individual medicinal herb.

Each suit is associated with a body system. Swords correspond to air and emotions, so all the herbs used in the suit of swords are herbs that affect the respiratory or nervous systems. Wands correspond to fire, energy and blood, herbs used in the suit of wands affect the heart and circulatory system. Cups are water, the herbs on cup cards affect the urinary and reproductive system, including aphrodisiacs. Pentacles represent earth, pentacle herbs affect the digestive system.

Some of the Major Arcana are renamed: The Hierophant is called the High Priest, The Wheel of Fortune is renamed the Medicine Wheel, the Hanged Man is the Suspended One and the Devil has be renamed as Pan.

Each card is labeled at the bottom. Trumps and court cards are labeled in capital letters on a grey background, pip cards are labeled in upper and lower case on a white background. All cards have a white border. The common name of the herb that is used on the card appears in script at the top of the card. When the background is dark, the script is light, when the background is a light color, the script is black.