You guys know I love my Shadowscapes deck, but it is getting awfully worn and that’s when I start looking at other decks out there. These decks below are the current decks that I am lusting over and would happily start using if I had the chance. My criteria for a deck is that it has to be beautiful and it has to be a joy to use it. I’m not a fan of any deck that does a “modern spin” on tarot. I also don’t like it when they rename the cards. But please enjoy! Many of these are independent decks and so you’ll have to buy them from the creator’s website or etsy shop if you want them. If there are any beautiful decks you think I’m missing, feel free to comment below!
Luna Somnia Deck: This style of occult artwork has been really on trend, and even though I’d like to think I’m immune to trends, I’m not! I would be thrilled if someone did a reading for me using this deck. A lot of indie decks don’t come with guidebooks, but this one comes with a really nice bound guidebook and looks like it also has a premium box. You can buy it on the creator’s etsy shop.
Hush Tarot is a fascinating deck with artwork that reminds me of old school Magic The Gathering cards. The artwork heavily features animals and shamanistic looking characters. There’s a focus on the magic of the day to day world. There’s a certain amount of innocence that comes through as well.
Tarot of the Divine is another gorgeous deck with a great guidebook and premium packaging. Each card is based off of a religious text or folktale from all over the world. Although the images are different than what we are used to, she does a masterful job blending these stories with the original meaning of the card, so you can still easily interpret the card just by looking at the artwork. You can buy the deck from the artist’s website.
Foragers Daughter is another indie deck that I am blown away by. If you like to own things that are unique and most other people are not going to have, you really do need to check out some of the indie decks out there. Now I will admit that many of the indie decks you find wont come with a guidebook and the print quality wont be great, but this deck is simply not one of them. This is another deck you can find on Etsy.
Ostara Tarot is a deck that reminds me of all my favorite childhood storybook illustrations. I could gaze at these images all day. The 10 of Wands depiction is especially masterful in my opinion. My only issue with the deck is that I would not recommend it for beginner readers as the meaning of the cards don’t necessarily come through that well. In fact, after looking at the cards, I could tell that if I were to try to do readings with this deck I would get totally different readings than I typically would. For me that’s a plus, but for others it might not be.
Anima Mundi is an animal themed deck. The deck has a certain moodiness without being negative. This would be a great deck for doing intuitive readings or shadow work. You can find it on the creator’s etsy shop.
I do love a colorful deck and White Numen certainly delivers. This deck is new this year and is already creating some buzz amongst tarot readers. The artwork brings me back to my manga-reading days without being overly anime-inspired. There are also two bonus cards: The White Numen and The Black Numen, which is a nice touch.
True Heart Tarot has a gentle easy style that lends itself to the best intuitive readings. Symbolism on the cards follow the traditional tarot symbolism very well, which is something I always appreciate.
I really love Victorian themed anything and boy does this deck deliver! Tarot of Mystical Moments is a beautifully illustrated and highly detailed deck using Victorian themes and motifs. The deck is also refreshingly “adult”. This is a deck you could use to give your older relative or coworker a reading without having to worry about any artwork that’s risque. At the same time, the deck doesn’t feel dower or like you’re sacrificing anything.
Oak, Ash, & Thorn Tarot is truly a labor of love from the artist. They are also currently working on a Dragon deck that is equally beautiful and you can subscribe to their mailing list if you would like to be kept updated about that. However I’m loving the Secrets of Nim vibe I get from this UK deck. You can find out more from the artist’s website here.
Did I miss anything? Feel free to comment with your favorite deck below!
