The Sacred Web Tarot Guidebook

Yoga teacher Jannie and her son James Brown debut with a sensitive update to tarot. Jannie posits that “tarot can be utilized as a tool for growth,” and to that end she and James detail an original tarot deck, “Sacred Web Tarot,” and use it to imagine a “world without separation, where everyone and everything is a silken thread in the great weaving of the Cosmos.” Aiming to “honor all beings and remove any bias,” James largely omits human figures from his ethereal designs, replacing, for example, the angel on the judgment card with a hummingbird and renaming it the “awakening” card. Card descriptions highlight cosmic interconnectedness, such as the lovers card’s representation of the “connection of one being to all beings.” Jannie emphasizes how readers can use the cards to nurture personal development and improve one’s environment, positing that the bind card denotes freeing oneself from the “chains that have bound you” and the justice card calls readers to “create more equity in your world.” She outlines 11 spreads, but James’s images stray so far from the standard tarot that even experienced readers will need to work with the text when deciphering the cards’ meanings. However, the originality makes this volume refreshing and offers a thoughtful overhaul sure to intrigue tarot practitioners looking for a new take. A willingness to buck tradition sets this apart. (Oct.)