Fresh year, fresh edition of the Bad Bitches Tarot by Ethony. You can read my review of the first edition here. I’ll be comparing the new second edition of the deck, published in late 2019, with the first edition, side by side.

By the way, if you order the deck from ethony.com, you’ll get the platinum bonus, which includes a complimentary 10-module online course, “How to Read Tarot Like a Bad Bitch.”

“The Bad Bitches Tarot is a Modern spiritual tool for enchantresses, CEO’s, mothers, moon daughters, witches and sages that brings the classic archetypes of the Tarot to a new generation of empowered women.” I love that mission statement and the deck really does deliver on those counts. For sure.

Already I’m loving the new box specs. It’s now got a velvety rose petal textured feel to it compared to the first, though Ethony kept with the clamshell magnetized keepsake box, which I love. Notice how in the first edition, the seamless tiling lining the interior of the box stops at the bottom lid, whereas for the new one, it now covers everything.

The first edition, which you see in the background, was edged in rose gold. This new edition has a rose matte finish. The card back design is embossed and gilded with more of that rose gold. Could the Bad Bitches deck get any more luxe?

I also like the subtle revision to the guidebook background, adding more of an ombre to the background color. This gives better contrast for the text and logo.

Ooh! We have an ISBN bar code now!

I laid out the first edition and second edition side by side, in two rows, for comparison. Up near the top, I’ve set them out in rows of seven for the Three Septenaries of the Major Arcana. Then you’ve got the Aces to Kings of the Minor Arcana: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, in that order. Now let’s take a closer look.

Here’s the First Septenary from the Major Arcana plus The Fool card. We see the revision of Key III: The Empress card, now a figure in a yellow maxi A-line summer dress and holding an infant.

In the Second Septenary, we don’t see any major changes, other than the Santa Muerte reference on the collar in Key XIII: Death. Since this new edition’s card finish is matte, the colors are a little more muted compared to the first edition, but it works for me.

And no significant changes here, though it looks like the contrast of the digital files have been lightened in the second edition deck to clarify the details.

The girly-femme vibes of Bad Bitches is so much fun. The guidebook that comes with it is also one of the sassiest set of card meanings you’ll come across.

But it’s much more than that. It’s Fourth Wave Feminism in a box. It’s intersectional. It’s empowering to groups that have been historically marginalized. It gives visibility to those who often otherwise feel invisible.

Bad Bitches tells the stories of Millennial and Gen Z women. It’s fashion inspired tarot (where Ethony designed these outfits herself; how cool is that) and has enough elements of the classic Rider-Waite-Smith for the deck to be easily readable. They also make fantastic modern tarot talismans. Tuck one into your handbag before you head out for a little extra positive juju.

This deck gives crystal clear, straightforward readings, by the way. If you’ve got practical-minded inquiries, trying to make sense of your career goals or love life, this really is the deck to reach for.

Here you see a change in the figure featured in the Four of Swords. I like the revision to the woman meditating, though the change now gives it just a touch of RWS Four of Cups vibes.

Femininity-inspired empaths, lightworkers, and spirituality-minded women who lead, who are equal parts wise and wild are going to resonate with this deck. There’s electrifying strength in these cards. It moves you, pushes you, inspires you. Bad Bitches is about personal ritual. It’s a modern goddess deck where each and every card is a call to action. Guided by Ethony’s voice, the companion book nurtures your intuition, your self-confidence, and steers you toward empowerment.

Now back to the card by card comparisons. I’m liking the outfit change in the Three of Pentacles. The way the hands are posed has also changed in the Five of Pentacles, and we have new Seven and Eight of Pentacles cards. Looking at the illustrations on these cards makes me happy. Don’t they spark joy in you?

Adding the office desk and executive chair to the King of Pentacles gives it so much more context for interpreting the card. I love it!

Oh, and did you know you get this amazing online course on how to work with the Bad Bitches Tarot when you order the second edition. I contributed a little video clip to that course, which you can check out below.

Doh. You can see I still had long hair in this video, so it was recorded a while back. =) [Video is closed captioned.]

Buy the Bad Bitches Tarot from Ethony