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Sacred Bee – the cards of Kelly Burton, from bees to butterflies

Sacred Bee - Kelly Burton -

It’s early morning in Boulder, Colorado. Sunlight streams through the window of Kelly Burton’s studio, illuminating piles of cards spread across her desk. Hexagon patterns, bold turquoise and gold shapes, and sketches of bees and butterflies fill the room. “I believe that cards can weave stories larger than ourselves,” Burton shares in an interview. (source: lovemagicsparkles.com)

Her work, gathered under the name Sacred Bee, has touched the hearts of tarot and oracle readers worldwide since 2020. The decks are playful yet profound, infused with symbol and intention, created with meticulous care.

From graphic designer to deck creator

Before Burton drew her first card, she worked as a graphic designer. That background still shows: precise lines, strong color palettes, and geometric patterns. Yet Sacred Bee is about more than aesthetics. “For me, it’s about connection,” she says. “Between humans and nature, between intuition and understanding.”

Publishing independently under Sacred Soul Productions / Sacred Bee Tarot, she funds her projects through Kickstarter and BackerKit. Each campaign gathers hundreds of backers, turning Sacred Bee into not just an art project, but a community. (source: BackerKit; kickstarter.com)

The Sacred Bee journey in four chapters

Journey of the Sacred Bee (2020)

The story began in 2020 with Journey of the Sacred Bee Tarot. A 78-card deck rooted in the Rider–Waite–Smith system, enriched with Thoth-inspired keywords. Abstract patterns, hexagons, and bright colors invite readers to see life through the eyes of the bee: as a network of cycles and cooperation.

The Kickstarter campaign gathered 408 backers and raised over $29,000—more than triple its goal. (source: BackerKit) With keywords on each card, the deck is welcoming for beginners, yet layered enough for seasoned readers.

Wisdom of the Sacred Bee (2021, reissued 2025)

Where Journey offered structure, Wisdom of the Sacred Bee Oracle opened the door to intuition. A 68-card oracle working with the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and aether. (source: lovemagicsparkles.com)

Cosmic and circular, the cards look like miniature universes. They encourage introspection and are popular among intuitive readers and coaches. In 2025, Burton released a renewed Second Edition through Kickstarter. (source: kickstarter.com)

Keeper of the Sacred Bee (2022/2023)

With Keeper of the Sacred Bee Tarot, Burton completed her “Bee trilogy.” This 78-card deck is darker, more refined, and carries a deeper mysticism than its predecessors. (source: Kickstarter)

For many, it feels like a culmination: combining themes from Journey and Wisdom, and offering advanced readers a rich symbolic universe.

The Flight of the Butterfly (2025)

In 2025, a new chapter unfolded: The Flight of the Butterfly Tarot. Though outside the bee theme, it resonates with the Sacred Bee ethos of transformation. Inspired by the myth of Psyche and Eros, the deck celebrates metamorphosis, love, and renewal. (source: BackerKit)

Printed with rose-gold gilded edges and accompanied by a 150-page guidebook, it attracted over 250 backers and raised nearly $20,000. Proceeds supported The Xerces Society, an organization dedicated to pollinator conservation. (source: BackerKit)

Why Sacred Bee stands out

The success of Sacred Bee isn’t just about design. Each deck carries the same foundations:

  • Bees and butterflies as symbols of cooperation, cycles, and transformation
  • Sacred geometry connecting the cards through hexagons and circles
  • Accessibility: keywords and correspondences that support both beginners and advanced readers (source: magicalomaha.com)
  • Product quality: 350 gsm cardstock, matte finish, gilded edges, and sturdy magnetic boxes (source: unitedcardists.com)
  • Mission: contributions to organizations protecting bees and pollinators (source: lovemagicsparkles.com; BackerKit)

Sacred Bee as a life’s work

Sacred Bee is more than a set of decks. It’s an evolving artwork, weaving together spirituality, ecology, and design. Each deck opens a different door, yet together they tell one story: of connection, transformation, and our place in the greater whole.

Whether you start with the clarity of Journey, the intuitive messages of Wisdom, the depth of Keeper, or the metamorphosis of Butterfly—every Sacred Bee creation invites you into a world that is as beautiful as it is meaningful.


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