These Inspiring Tarot Cards Include Cher, Dolly Parton, Toni Morrison and More

Tarot cards have risen in popularity, but not all of them inspire in the ways that Rachael McKee’s deck does. McKee just launched Messages From Her, a tarot deck with cards that showcase a wide range of modern, well-known women including Frida Kahlo, Toni Morrison, Serena and Venus Williams and Dolly Parton. It also includes women who aren’t well known but have made just as much of an impact on the world. When she released her cards on Kickstarter on March 8, McKee reached her goal in 24 hours.

Each woman depicted on the cards has different qualities, and McKee says the hardest part of the project was picking out the 44 women who would be included in the deck. She says she listened to music, read books and listened to her intuition to find the women who made her “feel excited, powerful and intelligent.”

McKee, who runs a business of her own working with ethically made clothing companies, spends her free time writing and creating art. She began the tarot project three years ago, and found herself stepping outside her comfort zone.

“I really threw myself into it fully once the pandemic started and I had more time on my hands,” she recalls. McKee remembers seeing oracle decks around her everywhere, and decided to make her own to highlight female figures.

“One day I had the idea that for me, personally, [the cards] might be powerful if I had one that featured real-life women, since I am a woman,” McKee adds.

The tarot cards are meant to serve as motivation for women, for guidance or simply for fun. “We all need empowering role models, no matter what our race, age, gender or beliefs,” McKee says in her promotional Kickstarter video.

McKee was not sure where this project would take her, but she felt the call to create, so she did. “I’ve gained a huge appreciation for being a woman through learning about all the lives of the women in the deck,” she says.

The tarot cards will be shipped out in August, but buyers are also able to pledge and receive their order in April. With those pledges, McKee will be able to pay for the first print run of Messages From Her. McKee has also chosen to partner with Step Up, a nonprofit that introduces social-emotional learning skills, connection to community and opportunities for career practice. For pledges of $350 or more, ten tarot decks will be donated to girls at the nonprofit. Ideally, McKee would love to have the decks in the stores.

“I can’t wait to get the first full print run and get it into stores and in people’s hands,” she says. “I’d love to feature future volumes, because there are so many women to keep writing about.”

To learn more about Messages From Her and purchase a deck, visit McKee's Kickstarter.