The Herbcrafter's Tarot

Herbcrafter's Tarot - every card carries a plant

Most tarot decks depict archetypes. This one does too, but adds a layer: every card stands for a specific plant, tree or herb. The Two of Wands is not only a card about choices, but also a portrait of lavender. The Ace of Swords shows yarrow. The Hermit walks through a pine forest.

Latisha Guthrie wrote the texts. She is a herbalist and her focus lies on what you do with plants: distil, dry, use in tea, salve or ritual. Joanna Powell Colbert illustrated. Her style is calm, with earthy tones and watercolour-like texture. The whole thing breathes craft.

How the link between tarot and plant works

The guidebook describes both the tarot meaning and the plant properties for each card. At the Nine of Pentacles you read about abundance and self-reliance, but also about lady's mantle and how you can use it in tincture. At the Moon it is about intuition and dreams, but at the same time about mugwort and the way that plant works on the nervous system.

That double layer means you can read a card in two ways. You can use it as you would use any tarot card: as a tool for reflection. Or you take the plant itself and make the meaning tangible.

The cards themselves are clear. Each image shows a scene in which someone is working with a plant: harvesting, blending, planting, gathering. No excess of symbols, but enough detail to see a story.

Who this deck is designed for

This deck is made for people who work with herbs or want to learn how. The book contains concrete information about plant use, not vague hints. You read which parts of the plant you can use, how to dry them, what to watch out for.

It also works as a regular tarot deck. The structure is classic: 78 cards, Major and Minor Arcana, four elements. If you leave the plant side alone, you are left with a solid tarot with clear imagery.

Draw a card each month and look up the corresponding herb, fresh or dried. Smell it, taste a leaf, read what it does. That direct experience sticks in a way that a card reading alone never can.

About Latisha Guthrie and Joanna Powell Colbert

Latisha Guthrie works as a herbalist and teaches on plant traditions. Her background is in both western herbalism and folk rituals. She writes practically and without fluff.

Joanna Powell Colbert previously created the Gaian Tarot. Her illustrations are hand-painted, with a soft colour palette. She draws people and plants as they are, without idealisation but with respect.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78
• Card size: 70 x 120 mm
• Language: English (cards and guidebook)
• Guidebook: 124 pages
• Finish: Matte cards
• Author: Latisha Guthrie
• Illustrator: Joanna Powell Colbert

Questions we often get

Does the guidebook include practical recipes?
No, no recipes. But there are descriptions of how a plant is used: as tea, tincture, salve or ritual. The focus is on the action, not on precise dosages.

Are the cards usable if I have no interest in herbs?
Yes. It is a classically structured tarot deck. The plant side adds a layer, but you can also simply ignore it and read the cards as you would read any tarot.