And here’s my final 2025 in review post.
I bought and/or received just four new tarot decks in 2025. I phrase it that way because I’ve kickstarted other decks, but they won’t be with me until well into the new year. I also obtained a few oracle decks, starting with…
Call of the Morrigan
Preordered in the summer of 2024, this oracle deck arrived in January 2025, so it makes this list. I already knew and appreciated the artist, Naomi Cornock, from her self-published Old Ways Magick Oracle, which had terrible cardstock but glorious art. This deck has much better cardstock, but is still too large for easy shuffling. It’s worth persevering with nonetheless, especially in shadow or emotion-based readings as befits the Morrigan. I admit I haven’t read the deck’s book yet, but I will whenever life permits the time and focus necessary.
The Druid Oracles
I already had the Druid Animal Oracle, but never used it as there were too few cards, and they were way too large to handle, but then I watched a review of the Druid Plant Oracle online and was struck how well it would work with my Wild Wood Tarot deck, which is, if i have such a thing, my soul deck. Well, same artist, so of course they match.
I had an idea. In March, I ordered the plant oracle straight from the Order Of Bards Ovates & Druids. The backs of the two decks are almost identical except that the background of the Animal cards is dark blue whereas the Plants’ is dark green. Close enough and the front of the cards is exactly same in terms of format and sizing. So I carefully trimmed away everything that wasn’t ‘picture’, making the cards much easier to handle, and I shuffled the two decks together.
Now I have a deck that’s a decent number of cards and a joy to shuffle and place. It does indeed work brilliantly with the Wild Wood Tarot, and I’m really rather happy about it.
The Forest of Enchantment Oracle
I really wanted this deck as I’m very fond of the tarot it springs from, but unfortunately I’ve yet to use it since receiving it in September. I dislike the sticky gloss coating on the cards. I really thought publishers had got the message about how many readers hate such finishes, but apparently not. The original tarot had it too to a lesser extent, but I’ve grown used to much more pleasant finishes. The art is still lovely, however.
The Endless Tarot
The Endless Oracle is one of my ‘must save in case of fire’ decks, so of course I was delighted to read on Eric Maille’s instagram that a matching tarot was coming. I backed it as soon as the Kickstarter page opened up. Experience has proven that kickstarting from Eric is always a smooth and comparatively fast process, and somehow he makes sure the postage is always as reasonable as possible across the Atlantic, regardless of tariffs. Shame I can’t say that about everything I kickstart or order from the US.
The signature feature about both these decks is that they’re designed so that when any of the cards are placed next to each other, the image continues smoothly from one card to the next, hence ‘endless’. Using the two decks together is rather lovely – dreamy, nocturnal and very relaxing on my eye. Blues and blacks together are my favourite colours; they make me feel like I’m coming in from the sun and can finally stop squinting. (That might just be a me-thing. I have genetically faulty irises that don’t contract much.)
Three’s A Charm
This is a set of three mini oracles by Athene Noctua: Moonlight Pocket, Supreme’s Small City and Tiny Teacup. I kickstarted them earlier in the year, and they arrived in September, nice and quick and with no postage worries as she’s in the UK. They work a lot like her divinatory coins, giving far more direct answers than a standard oracle or tarot. I haven’t used them much as I tend to reach for her coins when I want such succinct responses, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like them. They’re adorable.
Seasons of the Witch: Winter
In October, I received this preordered deck, the first in a new series from the people behind the many Seasons of the Witch oracle decks. I really wanted to like the oracles as the idea of having eight different decks, one for each point on the neo-pagan wheel of year, is a great one. Unfortunately, I found the cards too wordy, and the first artist wasn’t to my taste. However, I like this winter tarot and its folk art style well enough. I’m looking forward to getting the other three seasonal decks when they release.
The Verdance Tarot
Released in November, I was very pleased by the presentation of this deck and accompanying book. I really enjoy Stephanie Law’s art, but I’ve never been able to use her past deck, Shadowscapes, even in the larger print size, because my eyes simply aren’t good enough to understand many of the complex images at such a small scale. I had hoped Verdance would be different, but sadly all the pretty pastel colours just blur together in my useless old vision. I don’t regret buying the deck; I can still look at it with my big magnifying glass, but I’m a little sad I can’t easily read it.
Bonestone and Earthflesh Tarot
I missed out on the independently published first edition of the Bonestone and Earthflesh deck, but I have to say I’m all right with that as I’m so pleased with the new Rockpool mass market edition – it’s beautiful. The colours are vibrant, almost luminous. I haven’t had it long, it arrived at the start of December, but already I can say that it works well with the Earth, Moon & Shadow oracle, almost like they were made to work together. I am certain this is going to become one of my mainstay decks, the ones I give their own bag and hang above my reading table rather than leave in their boxes on my shelves.
Garden of Enchanted Creatures
Finally in 2025, after a very long wait, I received the Garden of Enchanted Creatures. It’s been so long since I signed up for it on Indiegogo that I’m not sure I can still connect with it, especially because I’m bonding so tightly to Bonestone and Earthflesh right now, but hopefully I’ll find time to work on that next year.
Coming next year:
- The Earth Moon and Shadow expansion pack – I preordered this expansion for one of my most beloved oracles back in September 2024, and it seems I may now receive it by early summer 2026. Rue and Vervain seem to be struggling with the tariffs and their choices of printers as well as with unpleasant sounding personal issues and other aspects of US politics. They have my sympathy for all of it. Until the deck arrives, I won’t know how well the new cards match the original, but I have hope.
- Sam Guay’s Bloodmoon Tarot is one of profound importance to me, and I would have been tempted to preorder this mass market edition just so I had back-up in case of disaster, but the thing that really made my decision easy was that it comes with a book. I could never justify the expense of ordering the independently published book all the way from the States, but now I will have it, or at least a version of it.
- I keep worrying that the Secret Garden Renaissance Tarot involves AI art, but the creators are very emphatic in their denials, and if it does, it’s been exceptionally well curated considering how bad AI is at maintaining a style.
- In retrospect, I’m not sure why I kickstarted the Wild Providence Oracle. Not that it’s not lovely, because it is, but because with its close focus on human figures I know it will just end up languishing on my shelves like Julia Jeffrey’s lovely decks (Hidden Realms and Witch Sister) – they are lovely to look at, but I need more than a pretty person to connect to a tarot or oracle card.
- Seeing how much I love the first edition Tarot of Her (kickstarted in 2023), of course I had to order the Tarot of Her Majors Expansion when it was offered on Kickstarter. I’m not sure how I will approach using it, but I’ll like having the choice.
APOPHENY 
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