I was very restrained this year, adding just eight tarot and oracle decks to my collection. It’s deck fatigue, plain and simple. Tarot and oracle decks are hitting the market constantly—Kickstarters, indie publishers, major houses all churning out new designs—but much of it doesn’t resonate with me. My taste runs more toward traditional and historical than toward modern, fantasy, or abstract, and it’s become harder to find decks that speak to my sensibilities. There’s wonderful work being created out there, but when your interest lies in classical tarot traditions rather than contemporary reinterpretations, the options feel more limited.
Some of these tarot and oracle decks were impulse buys, clearing out decks I’d been fence-sitting about for years. Others were serendipitous finds or Kickstarter commitments finally fulfilled. A few have become regular companions, whilst others remain beautiful but unused, waiting for the right moment or client.
Here’s what joined my collection in 2025.
The Light Seer's Tarot
The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne was a 2018 Kickstarter, but I bought it during last year’s holiday sales after years of deliberation. I was always on the fence about this deck because the art doesn’t reflect my approach to tarot. This deck leans more toward contemporary wellness aesthetics than esoteric traditions, with its free-spirited characters and relentlessly “boho-sunshine” optimistic imagery.
And yet, I’ve used the Light Seer’s Tarot more than any other deck this year because it became my go-to deck for clients. They really respond well to this deck. They like the contemporary art and the more positive vibe. The imagery is accessible without being simplistic, modern without being alienating. It’s a very approachable RWS-inspired deck.
What’s included: 78-card deck and 184-page guidebook in a lift-top box. An extended book is available in print and audio.
Where to buy: Available through tarot retailers and Hay House.
The Fyodor Pavlov Tarot
The Fyodor Pavlov Tarot is another deck I was on the fence about for ages, but I finally purchased it during last year’s holiday sales. Mostly, I have admired its beautiful, engaging art, which blends historical Renaissance and Baroque artistic sensibilities with explicit queer sexuality.
An RWS clone in structure, I haven’t used this deck yet. I haven’t found the right opportunity to use it. The Fyodor Pavlov Tarot is a deck that demands to be seen, that refuses to sanitise or euphemise the erotic vision of the tarot. I imagine it would be powerful for readings that require unflinching honesty about desire and power.
What’s included: 78-card deck and 175-page colour guidebook in a larger lift-top box.
Where to buy: Available through tarot retailers and U.S. Games.
The Queer Tarot
My husband found this deck at an op shop, which felt wonderfully serendipitous. The Queer Tarot by Ashley Molesso and Chess Needham is a bright, fun RWS clone that celebrates LGBTQ+ identities with joyful, colourful, illustrative artwork. Where the Fyodor Pavlov Tarot approaches queerness through historical art and sensuality, The Queer Tarot is unabashedly contemporary and celebratory. The figures are diverse, the colours are vibrant, and the imagery is playful.
I haven’t used it yet, but I appreciate what it represents: tarot as a space that actively welcomes and centres queer experiences rather than merely tolerating them. I suspect this will become one of my recommendations for younger seekers looking for their first deck, something affirming and joyful rather than arcane and intimidating.
What’s included: 78-card deck in a flip-top box and 178-page fully illustrated guidebook, both in a keepsake magnetic closure box.
Where to buy: Available in select retailers and on the Ash + Chess website.
The Rider-Marseille Tarot Deck
I want to like this deck by Alejandro R Rozan more than I do. The concept is sound, and melding the accessible imagery of RWS with the bold, geometric aesthetic of Marseille should create something special. But the execution doesn’t quite work for me. The cards are darker than I would like, giving everything a murky quality, and the figures look squashed, as though they’ve been compressed to fit the card frames awkwardly.
Still, it’s a unique, artisan deck, and I appreciate the ambition behind it. It may grow on me, or it may remain an interesting experiment in my collection.
What’s included: 78-card deck with an information card and a promotional card in a flip-top box.
Where to buy: Available through Artisan Tarot.
The Mary-El Tarot
This is the 2nd edition by Marie White. I bought this deck on a whim while looking for a little retail therapy, and the experience has been complicated. I was delighted, intrigued, and disappointed all at once. The art is beautiful and fascinating, capturing a lot of complexity in each image. Marie White’s style is painterly and archetypal, drawing on mythology, astrology, Hermetic philosophy, and more. Each card feels like a doorway into the unconscious.
At about 7 x 11.5 cm (2.75″ x 4.5″), the borderless cards are smaller than the average tarot card, and they fit nicely in my hands, but, for once, I wish the cards were bigger so I could see more of the art. Unfortunately, the cardstock is flimsy, which feels like a betrayal for such extraordinary artwork. This deck deserves high-quality materials, but it feels like it might not survive regular use.
The Mary-El tarot draws from the Marseille, RWS, and Thoth traditions to create a unique experience. This tarot demands contemplation. It’s for going deep, even if the physical deck doesn’t quite match the profundity of its imagery.
What’s included: 78-card deck and 192-page fully illustrated companion book.
Where to buy: Available through some tarot retailers and Schiffer Publishing/Red Feather.
Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery (Second Edition)
I was thrilled to finally acquire this deck by Robert M. Place through a Facebook group after months of searching for an affordable copy in Australia.
Place is one of the most knowledgeable tarot historians working today. The Sevenfold Mystery is rooted in Western mystical traditions, Neoplatonism, and Renaissance philosophy. The art is elegant and symbolic without being cluttered, drawing on historical sources whilst remaining accessible to modern readers.
I’ve been using this one in my morning practice as part of my daily reflections, and it’s become a meditative companion that rewards slow, thoughtful engagement. This isn’t a deck for quick readings before you rush out the door; it’s for when you have time to sit with the cards and let them unfold their mysteries.
What’s included: 78-card deck and 23-page booklet in a cloth-covered slipcase box. A companion book, The Tarot, Magic, Alchemy, Hermeticism, and Neoplatonism, is available separately.
Where to buy: Available through Robert M. Place’s website.
The Matronua Tarot
I backed this Kickstarter by Valentina De Luca for a “Marseille-style tarot deck with Italian artistic flair,” and when it finally arrived, it exceeded my expectations. It is a gorgeous deck inspired by Soprafino styles—those delicate, refined Italian tarot designs from the 18th century that emphasised elegance and artistry.
The Matruona Tarot is one of those decks that is almost too beautiful to use for fear of spoiling it. Each card feels like a miniature work of art that belongs in a gallery or archive. The craftsmanship is exceptional, and you can sense the care that went into every detail. At 14.3 x 8.5 cm (5.6″ x 3.3″), the cards are larger than your average tarot card and printed on uncoated 350 GSM cardstock, with square corners and no plastic lamination.
What’s included: 82-card deck in a tuck box. A free PDF titled “The Art of Seeing the Marseille Way” is available.
Where to buy: I don’t know if this deck is still available, but you can follow Valentina De Luca on Instagram.
Floridian Mythos Oracle Deck
A Kickstarter by Amber Malott, this oracle deck features hand-painted watercolour art exploring the untamed magic of Florida’s flora and fauna. This is the only new oracle deck I acquired this year, which isn’t surprising—I don’t really use oracles very much. I’m a tarot reader at heart, and oracle decks often feel too loose, too undefined for my practice.
And this deck’s art isn’t even really my style, but being a Floridian, I loved the theme, and it has a certain charm that won me over. There’s something endearing about seeing my home state’s ecosystems—Spanish moss, alligators, mangroves—rendered with such devotion and mysticism. Florida is often treated as a joke, a cultural punchline, but this deck takes its wild beauty seriously. I expect I’ll reach for it when I need something gentle and grounding, a reminder of place and home.
What’s included: 40 cards and a 100-page, fully illustrated little white book in a sturdy lift-top box.
Where to buy: Available through the artist’s website.
Looking ahead
Speaking of Kickstarters, I’ve backed three more projects this year, though they won’t likely arrive until next year. The WonderStruck Tarot caught my eye with its bold, contemporary illustrations. Hekate: Queen of the Witches Oracle Grimoire appeals to my devotion to Hekate. And the Tarot of Leela, inspired by the concept of divine play. Whether these will join my regular rotation or become beautiful shelf pieces remains to be seen.
So that’s 2025 in tarot and oracle decks. Eight acquisitions, varying degrees of use, and three more on the way.