Inner Child Cards: A Journey into Fairy Tales, Myths & Nature
Written by Isha Lerner & Mark Lerner
Illustrated by Christopher Guilfoil
Like Little Red Riding Hood, we are familiar with the tales of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Hansel and Gretel and many others. Sharing an Euro-American heritage, they are the myths of our American culture.
For many of us, it is only when we have our own children, do we revisit these tales that shaped us in ways we aren't always aware of. Some of them have become popular movies and are rarely read. But the archetypes- the fairy godmother, the wizard, the wicked witch, or the big bad wolf resides in our hearts and our souls. Like no other literature, they help us define and understand who we are.
Isha Lerner and Mark Lerner, author of the Inner Child Cards, write, "The education that is brought forward in myth is a seeding that prepares a fruitful foundation toward inner strength, security, and self-realization. Experiencing a myth internally encourages the four stages of development: the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual."
Their cards, based on the traditional tarot deck, provide a deeper awareness of the symbolism we experience through myth and fairy tales. I introduced them to my children and they immediately were drawn to the beautifully illustrated images of their favorite fairy tales. My eldest chose The Big Bad Wolf and Peter Pan. He wanted me to read their descriptions in the accompanying book. Written for adults, I knew he would tune out if I read it to him. Instead, I asked him why he chose those cards. "I like the Big Bad Wolf because he's scary and eats meat. I like Peter Pan because he can fly," he told me. "Yes, the Wolf is scary," I replied. "And sometimes we feel like we have a Big Bad Wolf inside of us who likes to be naughty and do bad things." I realized we had found a way to understand that energy inside of us that misbehaves. By making it the Big Bad Wolf, part of us but not all of who we are, it allows us to see that when we do bad things, we are not bad just what we do. In just minutes, the cards had given me a magical gift.
"The child's mind is full of creative pictures," write Lerner and Lerner. "These images probe the soul, unveil the power of light and dark, and unleash the impulse to understand desire, love and conflict. From the deep perception of "storyhood" archetypes comes the awakening of subconscious forces that, in time, heal the spirit."
The cards, while a great way to engage our children in fantasy and imagination, are written for adults. Tarot cards, used since the late 1300s, are a gentle tool to give us insight and clarity in our lives. It really doesn't matter whether you "believe in them" for they are a vehicle for self-awareness.
The book that comes with the Inner Child Cards explains how to use them, a brief history of the tarot and how their four suites; Magic Wands, Swords of Truth, Winged Hearts and Earth Crystals relate to the traditional deck. Each of the 78 cards is explained- what the images represent as well as the spiritual metaphors.
I have used various tarot decks for over 20 years now. I am excited to welcome this new addition to my children's lives and mine.