Universal Goddess Tarot Deck
The Universal Goddess Tarot – a deck that glorifies all women. Only a very "thin" person is able to understand their mysterious soul. After all, they can warm, give tenderness, and sometimes – kill with one glance. All the ladies gathered in the same deck – from fatal beauties to meek concubines. And each of them has its own secret, which is to be discovered by practice.
History of creation of the Universal Goddess Tarot Deck
The idea of creating the Universal Goddess Tarot deck belongs to Maria Caretti. But the idea was embodied by Antonella Platano, a well-known Italian artist working in the comics genre. The tandem of these two bright women gave the world a new vision of magic cards. The deck went on sale not so long ago – in 2006. But it managed to become a favorite mantic instrument, mainly among the fair sex. And all because here the woman comes first. It is as if she is coming out of a millennial suppression, the oppression of male society. The viewer is invited to look into another world – mysterious and attractive.
Before the advent of the Universal Goddess Tarot, most decks were dominated by male figures. The system itself rested on these images, as if singing odes to the stronger sex. However, times are changing and in the 21st century, a woman has become equal to a man. She took on those social roles that were not even dreamed of even a century ago. Now any girl, if she wants, can go to study, open a business, build a career. The world of mysticism is no exception. The Goddess Tarot appeared under the "request", which means that it is most welcome.
Key features of the Universal Goddess Tarot
Oddly enough, but this deck continues the traditions of the English school, as well as Waite’s motifs. There are 22 Major Arcana, Strength at number 8, Justice – 11. But a distinctive feature is the absence of male characters on the cards, except for only a few positions. All the Arcana of the Universal Goddess Tarot are purely female archetypes. Maria Caretti decided to create a new system that is ideal for any representative of the nominally weaker sex. The suits of the Goddess Tarot deck remained the same, the court Arcana bear the same names. But instead of the traditional Pages, Knights and Kings, the viewer sees beautiful ladies. Although men appear on some cards, everywhere they are assigned only secondary roles.
The heroines of this deck reflect different ages, the presence or absence of children, and have their own character traits. And although the Universal Goddess Tarot can be interpreted in the classic version, you should not deprive attention of the details. It is best not to "mix" the interpretation, to perceive female figures as pointing to real ladies. The deck seems to hint that everything is in the hands of the girl – you should take advantage of it. The patroness is a collective image, an egregor of a certain culture. The real prototype was ordinary women with their own strengths and weaknesses.
An interesting Arcana here is the Jester. It is illustrated by an androgyne – a person who has signs of both sexes. Thus, the authors of the Universal Goddess Tarot found a way out of a difficult situation without changing the basic idea of the deck. The same character is on the World card in other well-known divination systems. The Devil is depicted here in the person of Lilith, the Sumerian goddess of the night. On the Death card, the Indian Kali flaunts, and on the Tower, the Celtic Morrigan. These Arcana are the best way to show the dark side. Beauty here goes hand in hand with danger. After all, a woman is not always a mother and a loving companion.
Style and symbolism of the deck
The artist Antonella Platano is also known for her works – Young Witch Tarot, Wheel of the Year and 78 Doors. The peculiarity of her style is bright colorful images. Most of all, they resemble illustrations for fairy tales or myths. The images themselves seem to be covered with a veil, slightly faded. Thus, the Universal Goddess Tarot resembles a tome with the knowledge of the ancients. The heroines are skillfully inscribed in the setting, different times and places of action. But all this can easily be transferred to the present day. For example, the Egyptian Bastet on the Knight of Pentacles will show a working trip, and the Aztec Coatlicue on the King of Swords will show an organization involved in programming or online education.
As in other decks, the Major Arcana of the Universal Goddess Tarot are responsible for important events, key moments. The difference is only in personification. But, in general, you can interpret the cards in the traditional way. The Minor Arcana of the Universal Goddess Tarot are also well-developed. Even Aces has its own heroines, although usually the “root of the element” does not show the character. It should also be remembered that the Arcana under consideration do not have an astrological correspondence – there are no accompanying signs on the cards. However, you can resort to the classical method and draw parallels with the stars.
Interpretation of the Universal Goddess Tarot cards
To fully understand the basic idea of Universal Goddess Tarot, one should study mythology well. Although the cards are similar in meaning to those from the Waite deck, they still carry an additional layer of information. For example, the Ten of Swords is revealed to the questioner in a completely new way. The heroine – Shakuntala is mutually in love with King Dushyanta. However, the evil god Durvas sends a curse on the poor maiden. Now the beloved will not accept it until he sees the ring on his finger. But here’s the bad luck – the unfortunate woman herself does not know about the essence of the curse. Beloved time after time pushes her away, not seeing the coveted ring. In this interpretation, the Ten of Swords still shows the bitterness of loss. However, now there is a specific reason for what is happening, which in theory can be changed.
Fortune-telling on the Universal Goddess Tarot deck can be equated with working with other cards of the English school. After all, without knowing the base, it is impossible to understand what the same Kali with beads made of skulls means or Hel in his dark kingdom. Therefore, you can resort to a proven interpretation, especially since the deck in this regard is not very different from Rider-Waite. It is also worth paying special attention to the people depicted on the Arcana. Sometimes they will denote phenomena or organizations, rather than specific individuals. In some cases, the nymph will show the character of the man.
What questions is the deck suitable for?
The Universal Goddess Tarot deck is suitable for viewing situations predominantly related to women. It will show the true motives of behavior, priorities. Also, the cards well describe the appearance, character, innate traits. After all, all the Arcana under consideration are archetypes, different hypostases of female nature. There are both young girls and respected ladies in years. Although all the heroines are "inscribed" in their era, it is still possible to build an associative array. The boss is guessed in Juno on the Queen of Pentacles or in the Empress (Maat), and the wise grandmother – in Hekate on the Hermit.
Also, through the Universal Goddess Tarot, you can get a prediction regarding the correction of your behavior. It will show you how to behave in order to get what you want. Sometimes the questioner needs to make just a couple of strokes in order to get a completely different picture of events at the output. It is important to thoroughly study the stories of the mythical maidens. This should be done in order not to make a mistake in the received answer.
Who are the Universal Goddess Tarot cards for?
The Universal Goddess Tarot deck is suitable primarily for female tarot readers. It will allow you to plunge into a completely different world, so different from the patriarchal society. Other laws apply here, and everything is ruled only by love, not hatred. The spreads of the Universal Goddess Tarot will help you see your reflection in the characters of the cards, find your own archetype. And if you master this art to the fullest, then you can begin to change in accordance with the card that has fallen out. After all, the same questioner combines several roles at once. Somewhere she is caring, like a mother, but somewhere she is militant and purposeful, for example, in the workplace.
That is why Universal Goddess Tarot can be an excellent tool for a psychoanalyst. The cards will be revealed for men as well. They will show them the influence of the female gender on the formation of personality. After all, in any person there are two parts – the one from the mother, and the one that came from the father. This deck focuses on Yin energy – mysterious and beautiful, without which there would be nothing. After all, whatever one may say, only a woman can give life. All understanding of its essence is built around this fact.