First Impressions of The Medicine Woman Tarot Deck & Guidebook by Carol Bridges | Compared with the Rider Wait Smith Tarot
The colours, the 70s vibes (even though it was created in the 80s), the extra layers of meanings behind the cards, how it’s nature-based and has a beautiful connection with Native American tradition... I truly love the Medicine Woman Tarot so much! This themed tarot deck is really beautiful, and I can't wait to use it more!
Thank you so much for joining me today, for this quick overview and a first look at the Medicine Woman Tarot Deck and Guidebook by Carol Bridges. I hope that you find it helpful – if you do, please consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel if you haven’t already!
Hi everyone! Welcome back to my channel, or if you’re just meeting me for the first time, hi! My name is Ebonie and this channel is all about productivity, wellness and spirituality. Thank you so much for joining me today, for this quick review of the Medicine Woman Tarot by Carol Bridges. I hope that you find it helpful – if you do, please consider subscribing if you haven’t already!
Also in today's video above, I compare the Medicine Woman Tarot cards with the more common Rider Waite Smith Tarot. I'll show you the differences for anyone wondering if it's the right deck for them - especially if you're learning. In the Medicine Woman Tarot, Carol Bridges has changed the more traditional system to create her own themed deck, using bowls instead of cups, arrows instead of swords, pipes instead of wands and Stones instead of Pentacles/Coins. She also renames the Major Arcana cards, for instance, Seed instead of The Fool and Dancer instead of The World.
It's a really lovely version of Tarot, that teaches and guides your intuition in a gentle, nurturing way. Especially alongside the Medicine Woman Inner Guidebook! The Guidebook is sold separately and I don't believe that it's necessary, but it does add more depth to learning the Medicine Woman Tarot.
If you've been around here before you'll know how obsessed I am with all forms of divination, and how much I love to combine them! The Medicine Woman adds such a lovely splash of colour alongside my Rider Waite Smith tarot cards, oracle cards, rune stones, and charms too.
~
I’ve only had this deck and the guidebook for about a week, so they’re still very new to me! I’ve used the deck a little bit, to get a feel for it, and found that the guidebook is really helpful so far. I love the lesson it gives you for each card, so far all I’ve read has been so beautiful! The little booklet that comes with the cards gives you a starting point – and in some ways, that might be all you need to stir your intuition or remind you of the card’s equivalent in traditional tarot.
Though it is based on tarot, the energy and the images of this deck are quite different to the most common version of tarot, the Rider Wait Smith system. So, I wanted to see how they compared side by side, so if anyone is either new to tarot, or wants to see what other options are out there, I hope that this helps you decide whether the Medicine Woman tarot is worth it for you!
I also purchased the guidebook at the same time, from the same Australian store – Sacred Source, based in Melbourne, Victoria, though living where I do, I used their online store. Not affiliated at all, but can recommend them if you’re also living in Australia – I don’t know about overseas sorry! But as always, I’ll do my best to link everything down below.
~
The Medicine Woman Tarot vs The Rider Waite Smith Tarot
As I mentioned earlier, the Medicine Woman Tarot is different to the more common Rider Waite Smith system. Carol Bridges has truly created her own version, though each card reflects the original meaning in its own way.
For instance, in the photo here you’ll see just how different the imagery can be - though in some cases, it’s not quite as drastic as it is with the arrow/sword cards! (E.g. The ‘Seed’ card isn’t overly different to the Fool card that it’s based on in Rider Waite Smith).
Straightaway, in terms of appearances, most of the cards look really different! This is definitely a themed deck, and even how the guidebook is written really imbues the sense that each card is a stepping-stone on a greater journey of reflection for the reader.
The meanings do have similarities though, and I believe that you can definitely use your intuition and prior knowledge of the Rider Wait Smith Tarot to read the Medicine Woman Tarot too.The more you read into the meanings though, the more connection you find between what the Medicine Woman Tarot is portraying, vs. the Rider Waite Smith imagery.
In my opinion, if this was your first Tarot deck, you could still learn the overarching main themes of Tarot. Though, if you’re completely new to learning Tarot, I would encourage starting with a Rider Waite Smith classic Tarot deck (I’ll link some suggestions below), simply because it is much easier to find resources, and it is generally what all tarot decks will follow even when they have a theme, such as the Medicine Woman deck.
For a complete flip through of the entire deck, and more comparisons of the Medicine Woman Tarot vs. the Rider Waite Smith Tarot, check out the video linked above on YouTube!
You’ll also notice that the back of the cards has a lovely pattern, which does likely mean that you wouldn’t necessarily read these cards in reverse. It doesn’t seem to be intended for reverse readings, either way – as none of the cards in the guidebook have reversed meanings. As I said, I haven’t read the whole guidebook yet, so she might talk about it there!
~
The Medicine Woman Inner Guidebook
The Medicine Woman Inner Guidebook contains so much information on each card – particularly those of the Major Arcana! There are pages upon pages for the Major Arcana cards, told in a way that asks you to really reflect and take on her guidance. There’s still so much for me to read and learn from the guidebook alone! The minor arcana cards have at least a page to a page and a half each too, featuring a lesson. The Fool card, or ‘Seed’ as its known in the Medicine Woman, has so much information in the book as it’s the beginning of the journey inward, mapped out for you in the guidebook.
I’ve also featured a quick flick-through of the guidebook in today’s video above, to give you an idea what to expect if you’re considering it yourself.
In comparison, the little white booklet that comes with the cards themselves, has basic information to give you a quick summary of each card. I do like referencing this as a little reminder of what the card is about – in particular, it’s meaning in terms of the Medicine Woman Tarot. But the guidebook definitely goes much, much deeper!
It’s also worth mentioning the two extra cards that come in the deck, with a little prayer or intention for the cards. I really love that they’re included! Reading them before shuffling the cards really is lovely and helps set the mood as I use them!
~
The Medicine Woman Tarot is a truly beautifully themed deck of cards, which I love! It takes the idea of the traditional Tarot, displays lovely, nature-based illustrations and creates meanings that ask you to delve deeper, to connect with yourself following the guidance of the inner guidebook, and by listening to your intuition.
Using The Medicine Woman Tarot alongside regular Tarot cards, Oracle Cards, charm casting, and rune stones, adds yet another layer of depth – and colour – to my readings which I really enjoy. I’ve mentioned on this channel before how I love using various divination methods and decks at once, because each version lends its own voice. Each tells its own story, its own view, to the meanings coming through the reading.
Whatever deck you have, the wonderful thing about Tarot is how it always seems to ask us to reflect, to philosophize, and to connect with ourselves. To put our egos aside and delve deeper. The Medicine Woman Tarot takes that idea and combines it with a feminine spin that aims to heal and support you along the way. It depicts a world where we are all connected and powerful, regardless of gender. It really is such a beautiful creation by Carol Bridges — and it still very much resonates today, even though she created it in the 80s.
~
So what to do you think of the Medicine Woman Tarot? Have you used the Medicine Woman Tarot before, or any other themed Tarot decks? I'd love to know your experiences in the comments below! And as always, if you have any questions don't hesitate to message me on Instagram @eboniehyland, or leave a comment below!
If you have any questions, feel free to drop them below too, or find me on Instagram @eboniehyland. I’d love to see you over there, where I do Tarot readings in my stories most days. I also do a more in-depth reading each week on my newsletter, so if you’d like some free guidance in your inbox each week, scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up – it’s totally free and tonnes of fun!
I hope that you’ve enjoyed taking a look at the Medicine Woman Tarot with me today and found it helpful! If you did, please consider subscribing if you haven’t already, and ring the little bell, it means the absolute world to me! I hope you’re having an awesome day or night, wherever you are in the world! Thank you so much for reading/watching, and I’ll see you next week!
So much love,
Ebonie xx
Resources and Recommendations
✧ ‘Medicine Woman Tarot Deck’ by Carol Bridges. Available from Sacred Source Australia or through Amazon.
✧ 'The Medicine Woman Tarot Inner Guidebook' by Carol Bridges. Available from Sacred Source Australia or through Amazon.
✧ ‘The Golden Universal Tarot Deck.’ Available from Amazon.
✧ ‘Everyday Tarot Mini Tarot Deck’ by Brigit Esselmont. Available from Amazon.
✧ ‘The Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck.’ Available from Amazon https://amzn.to/2YRv1vp
✧ For totally FREE weekly tarot readings, plus a Rune Stone PDF Guide (and so much more to come!) scroll down to sign up for my weekly newsletter!