The Gentle Tarot is a hand-drawn tarot deck that was birthed from a 2020 Kickstarter inspired by decolonizing the practice of tarot, compassion for mental health, and connection to our natural environment as a source of support and meaningful relation. The Gentle Tarot was created by Mariza Ryce Aparicio-Tovar and is published by her independent publishing house Mari in the Sky. Mari's indigenous roots are Chichimeca and Wixárika from Zacatecas, Central México. She is an Anchorage Museum Residency Fellow and a Rasmuson Foundation grant recipient. Her art has been featured by the Alaska Humanities Forum. She is currently based in Homer, Alaska.
The Gentle Tarot is a classic 78-card deck with the addition of a bonus Major Arcana card. While some cards are based on the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, many of the illustrations and renditions of card meanings surfaced through intuitive creative processes. Swords have been replaced with Thunder and Pentacles with Stones. Similarly, the court cards are Seed, Root, Flower, and Harvest instead of Page, Knight, Queen, and King. This renaming represents internal stages of growth with a direct connection to nature and a conscious distancing from colonial symbols.
Mari in the Sky creations have been embraced by individuals, counseling professionals, and community centers in 56 countries and retail partners in 14 countries, with over 21,000 Gentle Tarot decks and guidebooks having been sold worldwide. This colorful dream would not be what it is today without the incredible love and support of Patreon members as well as Kickstarter backers from around the world who raised over $186,000 over the course of two campaigns.
The art in the Gentle Tarot and My Friend Fire was created on and inspired by the lands of indigenous nations in three regions of Alaska: the lands of the Unangax̂ in Iluulux̂ (Unalaska) in the Aleutian Islands, the lands of the Sun’aq on Kodiak Island; and the Sugpiaq, Dena’ina, and the Ninilchik Village Tribe between the Kenai peninsula and Anchorage. Mari got to know these remote regions of Alaska over the course of eight years, while working for the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska island and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Kodiak, Sand Point, and Dutch Harbor. She plans to eventually return to Mexico and release a completely new Gentle Tarot based on her homeland.
Mari has turned down several offers from large publishing houses, whose terms and
conditions feel like an echo of colonization. Despite the challenges of running a small business, Mari is determined that the Gentle Tarot remain independent so that she can maintain control of her creations while also keeping her donation program running and paying her staff a living wage. Mari in the Sky has donated $20,055 to environmental advocacy and protection causes since 2020. Please see the bottom of this page for more details. Our retail partners are everything to us and what makes this small business thrive. If you’d like to join our growing international community, please use our contact form or sign up for our wholesale newsletter. The Gentle Tarot is a labor of love created through resilience and hope. Thank you for supporting independent art and shopping small!
Articles
Deck Review: The Gentle Tarot, Tarot Cake
An homage to nōpalli, Oxford Public Philosophy
Sanando con el arte de la mano de ‘Mari in the Sky,’ Sol de Medianoche
"Mariza Ryce Aparicio-Tovar: Heal yourself, Heal the Earth," The Little Red Tarot
"On Art, Healing, and the Natural World," Anchorage Museum
"The Gentle Tarot: Unalaska Artist Creates Uniquely Alaskan Tarot Deck," Alaska Public Media, PBS, NPR, KUCB
"Behind The Deck: The Gentle Tarot," Mystic Rose
Interview - Incandescent Tarot
Interview - Asali Earthwork Tarot
YouTube Reviews
Os enseño THE GENTLE TAROT - Anna Camps Tarot
Unboxing Song of the Grandmother - Tarot Cósmico
The Gentle Tarot: Linen Edition - Project Refined Life
Sneak peak at the Gentle Tarot Pocket Edition - Dawn Michelle Tarot
Gentle Tarot, Salon des Arcanes
A month with the Gentle Tarot - Lisa Papez
The Gentle Tarot Walkthrough - A Deep Dive, Lisa Papez
Tarot in Practice with the Gentle Tarot - Katey Flowers Tarot
The Gentle Tarot, un tarot tout en douceur - Claire de La Lune
The Gentle Tarot Walkthrough - Shuffle Tarot
First Impressions - Dawn Michelle Tarot
Unboxing en español - Tarot Cósmico
The Gentle Tarot : un tarot doux chamanique - Arcana Éducation
YouTube Interviews
The Gentle Tarot walkthrough, White Feather Tarot
Launching a Tarot Deck on Kickstarter, Shauni Redfearn
Deck Creator Corner, Cosmic Wheel Mystic
Podcast Appearances
Kismet Berlin Conversations for the Mystically Curious
Kickstarter Campaigns
2020 - First Edition of The Gentle Tarot - $74,708
2021 - The Gentle Tarot Pocket Deck and Full-Size Guidebook - $111,589
"I'm super fussy with Tarot and not keen on gimmicky decks, but was drawn to these in part because I love nature but also always draw wands and swords for myself and wanted the serious messaging without the harsh imagery. This deck is absolutely perfect for this - the meaning is preserved for each card but allows more intuitive readings."
-Victoria
"I am extremely thankful that the full-size guidebook is here to accompany my Gentle Tarot readings. It is worth every single cent as it is amazingly illustrated with detailed descriptions as well as lots of questions for self-reflection. I’ve learnt so much about the world, creatures, and other ways of looking at the meanings of tarot with it."
In 2023 we donated $5,609, increasing our donations to 18% instead of our 5-10% goal. Our goals are met directly by your purchases.
This year our donations went to Honor the Earth, Opposition to MN Fossil Fuel Infrastructure (i.e., Enbridge Line 3), Land Back, The Ocean Foundation, Amazon Frontlines, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Each Step Home, One Tree Planted, Protect the Orca/Salmon project, Earth Justice, The Cook Inlet Keeper.
Due to the record breaking number of Benefit Totes purchased in 2023, we were also able to donate $792 to the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center 🎉
In 2022, we donated $5,658 to Honor the Earth, The Ocean Foundation, The Orca Project by One Tree Planted (to plant 1000 trees), The Cook Inletkeeper, Amazon Frontlines, EarthJustice, Border Kindness, The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center (NIWRC), and One Percent for the Planet.
Sales of our Benefit Tote allowed us to donate $468 to The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center.
In 2021 we donated $5,288 to Honor the Earth, The Ocean Foundation, One Tree Planted, the Cook Inlet Keeper (an Alaskan community-based nonprofit that combines science, advocacy, and education for habitat protection and transitioning away from fossil fuels), Border Kindness (dedicated to providing displaced individuals with comprehensive services, including supporting children who are separated from their families), and EarthJustice.
We donated $788 to The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, due to sales of our Benefit Tote, and $400 worth of products to the Museum of the Aleutians.
In 2020, we donated $3,500 (10% of profits) to The Ocean Foundation, Honor the Earth, and One Tree Planted.
Thank you for joining us in giving back!