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Title: Herbarium Oracle Cards
Art by: Elisa Seitzinger
Author: StregadelleMele
Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
Number of cards: 36
Card size: 4.75 x 3 in
Box size: 6.5 x 4.75 x 2 in approx.
Guidebook pages: 176; 47 in english
Purchased or gifted?: Review copy gifted by Llwellyn Publishing
Absolute favorite card: Corpinus Comatus
Other favorites: Paeonia, Syringa Vulgaris, Digitalis Purpurea, Cantharellus Cibarius, Triticum
Notable detail:
Season: fall and winter
Sabbat: Yule
Sign: Scorpio
Element: earth
Tarot Deck compliment: Mind’s Eye Tarot
Collective Pull: Hedra Helix

First Impressions

My first thought when seeing this deck is I’m surprised how much it reminds me of yule. I was looking through it and kept thinking, this deck feels so festive. The stars sprinkled throughout the colors which are what I describe as muted jewel tones feel like the holidays. Now, that could be because it's the holiday season as I write this but I really don’t think so. My second thought is about how lovely the packaging is. A lot of publishers have really stepped it up this past year and I find myself loving this bigger box offering from Lo Scarabeo. So without further ado, let’s dive into the packaging further.

The Packaging

The box is great. First of all, it's much larger than previous offerings from Lo Scarabeo. This box is pretty firm and solid and has gold foil pretty much all the way around. There’s a nice tray inside to hold the cards which includes a ribbon to lift the cards out of the box. And the guidebook sits nicely on top of that. I love the matte finish on the box which really helps to make the gold foil stand out. Inside is a gorgeous navy color although there isn’t anything printed there. I would’ve loved to see a pattern inside or an illustration like one of the hands which feature so heavily on the cards but that’s ok. Overall, I'm pleased with the packaging and even happier to report it seems Lo Scarabeo is trying to make better packaging for all of their offerings.

I almost forgot, the cards have gold gilding on the sides.

The Guidebook

The guidebook is full color and quite a nice size. Just a note though that it is 176 pages but only 47 are in english. The rest are broken up into Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. I will probably say this with every Lo Scarabeo review but it is rather nice to have translations available in one book. I get asked all of the time, when are the Seasons of the Witch oracles going to be translated into one language or another and the answer is always the same: they might not be translated. Translations aren’t automatically done and there are thousands of works that never get translations at all. But Lo Scarabeo fixes this problem at least with Italian, Spanish and Portuguese by offering them right from the beginning. So if these are your languages, then I highly suggest checking out all of this publisher’s offerings as you will almost always find the translations are readily available.

The guidebook contains an introduction, how to use an oracle, two spreads and then the cards themselves which contain the latin name of the plant (also featured on the card face), the common name, a meaning and something called the “In the witch’s mortar.” Now I’ll admit, I’m not actually sure of the difference between the meaning and the witch’s mortar part and there isn’t an explanation in the guidebook about it either. I suppose the first is more of a description whereas the witch’s mortar is more of a meaning but I feel this is a missed opportunity to add some plant magic to the guidebook. Perhaps a simple spell or herbal potion would've been nice.

Which also brings me to the section on how to use an oracle. This section specifically starts with “each oracle deck is unique” which is very true. Therefore, it would’ve been great to have this oracle explain how to use it rather than how to use oracle decks in general.

*Coprinus Comatus (fav) and Viscum Album*

The Artwork

I love the artwork. It's what I call minimal maximalism which I absolutely love. I do notice that many of the hand compositions repeat themselves so a lot of the cards look fairly similar. You can see what I mean in the photos down below. I don’t mind this though so it's not a critique; just something I noticed as I went through the cards.

My favorite card is Corprinus Comatus which by the way, as an herbalist (I was an herbalist and aromatherapist long before a spiritual teacher or even enthusiast), I absolutely love seeing the latin names without the common ones. It's a great way to test your knowledge if you’re interested in working with herbs. The common name for this card is Shaggy Ink Cap in case you’re wondering. I love the color to start with. It’s a beautiful almost brick red and then you have the mushrooms and hands pop against the background. And if you look closely, there are little eyes hidden in the fingers, just like we see on the cover. I think eyes are a great symbol to include in an oracle deck to represent insight and clarity.

“Rediscovering the ancestral way will help you recognize details of your path with unique and reliable images and perceptions.”

You can also see what I mean by the Christmas vibe with this card as well as Amanita Muscaria and Viscum Album to name a couple more. And then you have a stardust feature across pretty much all of the cards which makes everything feel whimsical. Obviously most of these plants aren’t ones you’re going to find during winter and yet, they all have that deep winter earthy quality about them. It could be because the color palette is so soothing even though these are jewel tones. They’re muted which makes everything feel softer and a bit more grounded. If you’ve read my reviews, you’ll know how important it is for me to surround myself with things which reduce stress instead of increase it. Bright colors tend to be more agitating to the nervous system but I don’t find that to be the case here at all.

I also really like the backs of the cards. The background looks like diamond weaved fabric which is then layered with stars and a motif in the center with an eye in the center of that. It kind of reminds me of a canceled show called the Watchful eye which I can’t say is a good show but the introduction was beautiful and this is quite similar to that. The background really gives me the Christmas vibe too. In fact, I feel like this is the perfect deck if you’re someone who loves both Yule and Christmas, like me. The background feels like it belongs in a Scottish castle and then you have these esoteric symbols on top which blend beautifully together.

Purchase Herbarium Oracle

*With Tarot Companion - Mind’s Eye Tarot*

Reading With this Deck

Ok so these cards called me out in a big way. I wasn’t really ready for it to be honest and I have found this deck is a bit on the aggressive side, at least for me. When I asked about its personality, it may or may not have said it isn’t always truthful and to be honest with you, I’m still struggling to figure out what that means. This is definitely going to be one of my more challenging decks to work with it seems.

Having said that, it did call me out in a way that made me take notice. It referenced something I really haven’t wanted to deal with but seeing it right there in my face obviously brought it to my attention. Everyone’s experience with a deck is different. I’ve had people tell me the Seasons of the Witch: Mabon Oracle is the most supportive deck they’ve ever had while others tell me it's cruel and mean. And both of these things are true. A deck only mirrors back to you so the energy you give is the energy you’ll receive. Sometimes you don’t know what energy you’re sending out and that’s the point of oracle decks anyway: they show you what you’re unable to see for yourself.

So while I was surprised to be called out in this way, clearly I was ready for it and the cards became the vehicle my soul used to help me get it together. I don’t mind an aggressive deck as I’m much more of a tough love kind of person anyway. So I’m looking forward to more readings in the future.

Collective Pull

I pulled Hedera Helix for you, otherwise known as ivy. The description reminded me a lot of a friend of mine who did something recently which I felt was overly aggressive. She said she was trying to assert herself but there’s a difference between asserting yourself in a healthy way and doing it in a way which is rude and disrespectful to others; a line I feel she had crossed. This card advises you to be true to yourself but not in a way that puts others down. Being confident doesn’t mean being unkind. You don’t need to call out someone’s flaws just to prove your value. Or smother someone else’s joy just because you feel you aren’t being heard. Instead, turn your gaze inward and work on building your value from the inside out so that it doesn’t matter what’s going on with someone else, you always feel worthy.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, I have designated the season as winter and the sabbat as yule. I just can’t unsee it now for all of the reasons I’ve mentioned before. The colors, the desaturated nature of said colors, the festive stardust and the earthy quality feel right at home around the holiday season. And then because it's so earthy with so many plants and the little eyes give it an esoteric yule vibe. Not to mention the other symbols like bats on Hedera Helix, little devils on Rubroboletus Satanas, or the skull on Hyoscyamus Niger. It's like there are little pagan details hidden among the Christmas festivities.

It's not a surprise that a herb based deck is assigned earth for the element. What I appreciate in this deck especially is that even though you have the basics like dandelion and chamomile, it doesn’t feel like just your standard deck full of the same old herbs nor is it illustrated that way. It's probably the desaturated colors but everything feels a bit more neutral and earthy toned. When I look at the earth itself, yes it's vibrant but still soft. For instance, when you look at the earth on a tv, everything feels a little too sharp, and too bright. But when you look at the earth around you, it feels lush more so than bright. The colors are rich but still soft and grounded. That’s what I pick up here as well.

And I went with Scorpio for the zodiac sign for two reasons. The first being the presence of poisonous plants which as a grouping of herbs are associated with Scorpio. But also because of the colors. I think people tend to think of black and deep reds when it comes to this sign but what comes to my mind as a Scorpio sun sign are those deep fall tones like deep purple, dark green, moody blues and marigolds. Powerful and yet subdued and mysterious shades which to me, sounds just like Scorpio energy.

Who is this deck for?

For one, herbalists. I don’t care too much for most herbal decks really except on the rare occasion and this is one of those times. The style and subtle esoteric symbols really speak to me and I think esoteric herbalist will love this deck.

This is also a great deck for you if you don’t mind a little tough love energy. It seems to be a tell it like it is deck and if that’s something you can appreciate, then give this one a shot.

Tarot Deck Companion

I chose the Mind’s Eye Tarot for this deck. I wasn’t sure at first because they’re both so unique but as soon as I used them together, I knew I’d gotten right. They have the same dark, mystical/esoteric energy that really plays together beautifully. I didn’t think they would look that great aesthetically but to my surprise, they pair quite well in this regard too. In fact, I was surprised by how much I loved the pairing. You can see photos of these two together along with many other photos of the deck down below. And don’t forget to check out my review of Mind’s Eye Tarot here as well.

Thanks for reading all the way through. If you found this review to be helpful, informative or entertaining in any way, please be sure to leave a comment down below. It really helps me know what you’re enjoying so that I can provide more content based on what you love. In the meantime, please enjoy a variety of photos from this deck.

And of course, if there is something you’d like me to consider reviewing, please comment below or email me at hello@spiritelement.co