The new guidebook is almost ready to ship and we’re so excited to introduce you to this special hardcover book. ✨
Mari added the guidebook to the July 2025 Dream Deck Kickstarter, a campaign that was originally designed to fund a new edition of the Gentle Tarot conceived as her dream version due to an updated color scheme, new art that feels more aligned with the current energy, and white borders that make the art pop. This edition is now called the Seed Edition. After receiving many requests for the sold-out full-size Guidebook, we realized what an important role it has played in many peoples’ experience of the Gentle Tarot, as well as the ability of this work to continue reaching new hands and new communities, including those who aren’t yet familiar with this work. For this reason, Steph encouraged Mari to add a reprinting of the book to the Kickstarter. Running a campaign with two separate creations resulted in extra delays, but we’re so glad we did it (and so grateful for our backers’ patience)!
While Steph (the person writing this post) encouraged Mari to reprint the guidebook without making changes – for the sake of ease and because the First Edition was clearly so loved (8,000 copies were sold in three years!) – anyone who has followed Mari’s work will know that it is impossible for her to reprint anything without significantly transforming it. In my opinion, this is due to the wiring of her artist brain that is constantly seeking out growth and experimentation, in addition to her powerhouse of Sagittarius planets, a cardinal fire sign that naturally prioritizes starting new things, innovation, and taking risks.
What came next was a careful process of editing the card descriptions with the incredible help of editor Tatiana Lakalo to make the text more aligned with Mari’s current vision. Next Mari wrote new introductory content and a new chapter on card spreads, and the creation of brand new backdrop art for each card suite. In terms of changes to the physical design, Mari chose a hard cover for long-term durability as well as added protection during shipping. We ship books all over the world and now all guidebooks come in a custom shipping box to prevent damage! The book also has three ribbon bookmarks, designed for three-card readings, and large-format art included with every card description, meaning that the guidebook is now also an art book! Many of these decisions were finalized collaboratively, both through polls published in Kickstarter and conversations with Mari’s Patreon community.
While these changes extended our production process, in the end they are what in my opinion makes this work art – to the degree that it reflects loyalty to creative impulses and a willingness to embrace change. The idea behind this guidebook is that the user has everything they need in order to feel supported as they dive into their tarot practice – whatever that means for you. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner, new to the world of tarot, or appreciate the healing potential of art, Mari wants you to get the most out of the Gentle Tarot.
One of the things I find most exciting about this guidebook is the updated introduction, which gives a more in-depth description of the process of distancing from colonial imagery, including side-by-side comparisons between the Gentle Tarot and RWS. This is information that Mari has never shared in any previous Gentle Tarot publication, partly for lack of time but also because articulating a highly personal artistic process is always challenging. Special thanks to one of the book’s editors, Morgane, for helping us organize this! Given the large-format art, we are also excited to see how users may choose to work with the guidebook with bibliomancy practices – i.e. using the book itself in order to draw “cards” or create readings. In case you can’t tell by now, I’m personally really excited to have this book back in stock. We’ve received so many testimonies over the years about how the Full-Size Guidebook changed peoples’ understanding of the cards and contributed to them feeling supported by their readings. We can't wait to hear what you think of this new version!
And now for some frequent questions...
Can I use the new guidebook with my older Gentle Tarot?
Yes, absolutely! We experimented with different names but eventually decided on the Second Edition in order to make it clear that this book is meant to replace the previous full-size Guidebook and be the definitive guide for all Gentle Tarot decks. While the guidebook was designed to match the Seed Edition; the art has the same gentle yet powerful intention, the same rejection of colonial symbology, and the same connection to the natural world. It is not an inherently different beast, it has just evolved.
How different is the card artwork?
We encourage you to check out the Seed Edition and the Kickstarter for pictures. Most cards are immediately recognizable, and include changes to the color scheme and minor tweaks to the imagery. Four cards feature completely new artwork. However, even in terms of these cards, the message or interpretation remains compatible with the older art.
What is the difference between the Second Edition Guidebook and the Gentle Tarot booklet?
The Gentle Tarot booklet is tiny! Seriously, it fits in the palm of your hand. At 106 tiny pages, the booklet is the printed version of the PDF guidebook that comes with the Linen and Pocket editions. There is a condensed introduction and a short description for every card, but no reversed descriptions, no art descriptions and no card spread chapter.
When will the guidebook be available?
The guidebook is available for pre-order now. We will start shipping orders in mid September.
A Recap...
What has changed?
- Hardcover with textured finish and spot UV gloss details
- Large-format art
- Art matches the Gentle Tarot Seed Edition
- New introductory pages
- New backdrop art specific to each suite
- Supplemental card spread with every card description
- Additional Card Spread Chapter
- 3 Bookmark ribbons
- New front and back cover design
- New end-page design with foil stamping
What has stayed the same?
- The main card description text is mostly the same, with some descriptions more edited than others
- Snippets of First Edition art were added in order to make the book visually cohesive
- Similar size
- Similar page length (20 new pages added!)
- Same colored page edges
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