Dwina Murphy-Gibb’s Vedic Tarot is a bold and ambitious attempt to integrate two rich traditions: the esoteric symbolism of the tarot and the spiritual depth of the Vedic mysteries. With its tagline, “East Meets West,” the deck promises a cross-cultural exploration that bridges divides and celebrates parallels between Eastern spirituality and Western occult wisdom. The result is a visually striking and thought-provoking tool for divination and self-reflection.

The artist and creator Dwina Murphy-Gibb draws parallels between tarot archetypes and Vedic teachings, incorporating Sanskrit, the Irish Ogham Tree alphabet, and Hebrew into the symbolic framework. The inclusion of musical notes and instruments tied to chakras adds a holistic dimension, encouraging users to engage multiple senses in their journey with the deck.

However, the deck opts to go with the Western musical scale system rather than the Indian classical scale, i.e., the Saptak (scale of seven notes) that come in three primary registers or octaves (which could then be connected to the three septenaries). Or work with the 12 swaras in an octave and find a way to correspond them with the 12 zodiac signs and astrological attributions in the Majors. Given that this is called the Vedic Tarot and music is being tied to the concept of chakras, this oversight seems to be a missed opportunity.

Notwithstanding, the visual language of this deck is beautiful, evocative, and there’s something intuitively healing from the vibrancy of color. The surrealist imagery rendered in bold and deliberate lines is mesmerizing. Also, it’s a very well thought out deck architecture and design.

The Fool card is the First Traveller, a personification of the Alpha state, and signifying the immortal one. The power of the First Traveller is the Arbor Vitae (the Tree of Life), a bonus card to the deck. A third bonus card is Oogenesis, appearing before the Third Septenary, which is the Cosmic Embryo. The left-most column of the above photo shows the First Traveller, Arbor Vitae, and Oogenesis cards.

In the Minor Arcana, the suit of Cups expresses the emotional field and radial awareness, corresponding with water that is pulled gravitationally by the sun and moon. Notably, the four court cards of the Cups in this deck are the messengers between the material world of the Minors and the etheric world of the Majors. This is due to the suit’s theme of the Soul thirsting for higher knowledge (the Majors).

Just to pull up one card for note, take a look at the Five of Cups, which the guidebook attributes to the keyword Shout. This is the Sramana’s or Shaman’s Shout, which parallels the Hebrew correspondence of Shin (Sheen), for Tooth or Fang — “the letter resembles three tongues of flame, three worlds, and three sales,” notes Murphy-Gibb.

Wands express the directive force, which is “Fire through Air,” notes the guidebook. The Vedic correspondence to Wands, per Murphy-Gibb, is the Vajra, considered the most powerful weapon in the universe. The Wands pips denote various aspects of Willpower. The Ace of Wands denotes Primal Willpower; Two of Wands to Binding Willpower; Three of Wands to Established Will, and so on.

The 8 of Wands in this deck is “The Seer’s card.” This is “traveling with purpose through all the highs and lows fueled by accuracy and urgency. The elevated mind sees a beginning, middle, and end of a path.” The 9 of Wands features Kali as a nature goddess who nurtures but also devours. The Queen of Wands card brings the power of Magnetism, and she is the Ruler of Speech. She is Kundalini, the Serpent Power and Astral Light.

Swords designate the intellectual field and directive awareness (in contrast to the Cups, for the emotional field and radial awareness). This is the piercing through Air with Metal forced with Fire.

There’s a lot to love about how the guidebook is written. For instance, the Six of Swords divinatory message is: Shedding karma from difficult situations and going toward successful resolutions. When this card comes up, it indicates the need to find sacred space to recover (that has a bit of a Four of Swords vibe to it doesn’t it?). The Sanskrit correspondence to the Six of Swords is the Holy River, the Crossing Place to a Sacred Site.

And finally the Shields, corresponding to the traditional suit of Coins or Pentacles, for the material world and matter. Shields symbolizes the elements of wood and metal being fashioned for protection. It’s also the suit designating spiritual shielding against destructive forces. The Ace of Shields is the mandala and Srivatsa, or Shield of Vishnu.

I love what the guidebook says about the 10 of Shields: this is Mastery of Lineage. “The child within looks back to the future within the cycle. . . . True wealth comes from the Mastery of all conditions and circumstances that could create obstacles.”

The guidebook offers a wealth of information. Card entries for the Majors include a detailed description of what is pictured on the card, the power that card designates, spiritual path it represents, divinatory meaning, and then Sanskrit, Hebrew, Ogham, and musical note correspondences. Entries for the Minors cover keywords that lean into the spiritual and mystical, divinatory message, and then the Sanskrit, Hebrew, Ogham, and instrumental correspondences. There are multiple glossaries of terms categorized by cultural tradition. And overall it was a wonderful read.

There’s a bonus card in this tarot deck for Silence, noting that “Silence is the secret Science of the Soul.” This card depicts the Incorporeal Ancestral Supreme Seed Soul of the Human World Tree, and can be used as a mirror during open-eyed meditation. It’s a cool concept, though for me personally, red doesn’t invoke silence. This particular red card feels invigorating and energizing.

I should at some point address the deck’s tagline, “East Meets West.” Here’s my thinking on it. If it’s part of your personal lived experience so you know, all too well, how reductive that phrase is, thus you are using it in a tongue-in-cheek tone, then you’re using the phrase knowing it’s essentializing. So there’s almost a pass for using the term glibly. But when it’s not your lived experience, and you’re going to be using that tagline, it may be helpful to devote a section in the guidebook to explain what you mean by “East Meets West.” And apart from repeated use of that tagline unironically, I didn’t see anything anywhere that indicated critical reflection.

Moreover, the act of integrating these systems raises questions about cultural context and appropriation. Is the fusion one that honors the integrity of both traditions, or does it risk flattening their nuances for the sake of thematic syncretism? In fairness to Murphy-Gibb, her work demonstrates genuine respect and admiration for the traditions she draws from. I really appreciate how much thought and research went into this deck.

The Vedic Tarot offers vast potential for both divination and meditation. This deck will likely appeal to practitioners who enjoy digging deeply into correspondences and layered systems, as well as those who are drawn to Expressionist and Fauvist art style.

The creator, Dwina Murphy-Gibb, is a Patroness of the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, and in her Druid scholarship, focuses on the intersection of Druidry and the ancient religions of India. Ultimately, Vedic Tarot is a vibrant and ambitious deck that invites us to into a layered exploration of diverse spiritual systems.

This deck will undoubtedly find its place among collectors, seasoned tarot practitioners, and those drawn to syncretic spiritual practices. For those ready to immerse themselves in its layers, the Vedic Tarot offers a transformative and enlightening experience.

FTC Disclosure: In accordance with Title 16 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 255, “Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” I received the deck and guidebook set from the publisher for prospective review. Everything I’ve said here is sincere and accurately reflects my opinion of the deck.