Motherpeace Round Tarot

Many ancient cultures embraced feminine energy through the worship of goddesses and the divine feminine. They sustained life. For example in ancient Egypt Isis was revered for her roles as a mother, healer and protector. She embodied fertility, magic and rebirth. In ancient Greece Aphrodite (love and beauty), Athena (wisdom) and Demeter (agriculture and fertility) were central to their mythology. And Minoan civilization on the island of Crete is believed to have been matriarchal, with women playing significant roles in society and governance. Even further back in time, the earliest evidence of goddess worship predates both the Sumerians and Babylonians: goddess religion can be traced back to the Neolithic period, around 10,000 BCE.

The 1980s saw an increase of women's participation across various fields, especially women's rights and representation. Because traditional tarot packs tended to be designed from a male point of view, “Motherpeace Round Tarot emerged from a need for positive female images” - Karen Vogel and Vicki Noble, 1981

This tarot deck reclaims a time of peaceful matriarchal consciousness when the ‘Old Religion’ prevailed. It draws inspiration from various matriarchal cultures with neo-pagan and feminist ideas; thus it has no specific doctrine. The deck comes with Witchcraft's “Charge of the Goddess ” printed on an extra card and we find women as teachers, healers and communicators throughout the deck. As the cards are round there isn't a clear upright or reversed position, instead nuances such as tilting towards the left or right are possible readings • See the box

Tarot is a series of visual images which might be described as a form of sacred play, where one suspends critical judgement and trusts one’s intuition. The circle is a feminine form, and the back design is composed of circles. The ‘hidden’ teaching can be deciphered by using the right-brain intuitive mind to ‘read’ the images on the cards. This becomes apparent even while shuffling through the deck, one feels drawn to the nurturing, healing power of the visual symbols. See the box

Major Arcana

The major arcana cards have mainly the same titles and numbers as usual with one or two changes. The imagery, however, is quite different. As Vicki Noble writes in the booklet “Motherpeace Round Tarot assumes an early origin, reaching back into prehistory, before the onset of patriarchal culture.”

Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana are the “little cards” of the tarot, defining and describing the microcosm or personality in relation to the macrocosm or universe. The court cards in each suit are Shaman, Priestess, Son & Daughter. The scenes on the cards suggest something is happening, perhaps in a dream world...

Above: Motherpeace Round Tarot with illustrations by Karen Vogel and Vicki Noble. Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stanford, CT. (C) 1981, 1983 by Motherpeace. Printed in Belgium. Primitive-looking line art, 78 cards + LWB + 2 extra cards in cardboard tuckbox.

References and Links

Motherpeace.com: About the Motherpeace Tarot►

Youtube: The Ancient Minoans: The First Civilization in Western Europe • https://youtu.be/ysnzl5fdtMI - Section on Minoan Snake Goddess and her attendant priestesses starts at 22:26.