*This page may contain affiliate links which may allow us to collect a commission when you click and make a purchase through the links on our site. There is no additional cost to you for doing so.*

Created By: Alexander Ray
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems
Number of cards: 79
Card size: 4.75 x 3 inches
Box size: 6.25 x 4.5 x 1.75 inches
Guidebook pages: 104
Purchased or gifted?: Review copy provided by U.S. Games Systems

Absolute favorite card: Queen of Pentacles
Other favorites: Blank card, nine of pentacles, the Hierophant, ace of pentacles, the Empress, ace of wands, ace of swords
Notable detail: Blank card
Season: Summer
Sabbat: Lammas
Sign: Leo
Oracle Deck compliment: Seasons of the Witch: Lammas Oracle

First Impressions

I saw this deck on Maria the Arcane’s page and just fell in love with it. I love the antique style of the deck and the muted colors. It's still very similar to the Rider-Waite deck in fact, it's pretty much the same except the look is much more vintage inspired. This is really the style I’m most attracted to when getting a new deck so this was a winner for me at first glance. However, after getting it, I do feel as though there are a few things that let me down a bit but more on that later.

The Packaging

Packaging is great. I’ve said this before but it's worth mentioning again, the days of the old little cardboard boxes seem to be over for good. US Games is one of the oldest tarot deck producers in the world and while the little boxes worked for a long time, we have reached a new era where things are much more grand. It took them a while to catch up but when they did, they really made sure to deliver some excellent quality boxes including this one.

It's a two piece box with a platform inside to hold the cards and the guidebook. No printing or clever saying on the inside but it does feature a rather nice shade of dark green. It's not as strong as some other boxes that I have but it will certainly do nicely to keep your cards safe.

In terms of the cards, they are pretty thick and a little bit hard to shuffle right out of the box but will soften with use. What I’m sad about is the lack of gilding. I have a few recent decks from US Games with some pretty incredible gild colors but they don’t seem to want to add it for tarot decks. It is an “old style” tarot so I suppose it's on brand but I would’ve loved to see sides with this one. I think a bright spring green, like the one on the Seasons of the Witch: Lammas Oracle would’ve been amazing.

The Guidebook

The guidebook isn’t full color sadly but does have a decent amount of information. You’ll find an introduction, how to read the cards, two spreads and a section for notes. My favorite part about the book is on page 10: “How to Ask a question.” Alexander then goes on to give a list of what to ask and what not to ask. I think this is so important and something that needs to be talked about more often. The way you ask your questions matter in a reading. There really is no such thing as a yes or no question in tarot, at least not if you want an accurate answer. Sure you’ll find plenty of people telling you that this card means yes and that one means no but reading tarot is about weaving together a story and that cannot be accomplished with a simple yes or no answer.

There are only a few things on this list which is by no means all of the things you shouldn’t ask a deck but at least it's a start. Some of these suggestions may not be popular opinion but I think it's a disservice to people to tell them what they want to hear. Your readings will be far more valuable and impactful when you are given the proper knowledge to read well. You can read all about how to formulate questions in the Spirit Realm member portal.

Each card has an upright meaning, reversed meaning, a warning which I found to be quite useful and a quick answer. I love the idea of the quick answer. It's something I’ve been playing around with in the new series I just started writing. I love the option of a long guidebook entry but sometimes you don’t have the time or desire to read through pages and pages or even paragraphs and paragraphs of meanings. The quick answer is nice when you need to get down to brass tacks and go on about your way.

The Artwork

Let me get this out of the way because I do love the style. There is no diversity. And you’re probably thinking “well yes Lorriane, it is a vintage style deck and diversity wasn’t a thing in the old days.” Sure, I totally get that and it's a fair argument. But if Bridgerton can reinvent the cultural landscape in a period drama then so can a tarot artist. I still love the deck and the style, I just get a little sad when I see no effort being made at all to include different skin tones. I feel different skin tones should be normalized now.

“The Queen represents someone who has gained both inner and outer wealth on her own; self-fulfillment.”

Having said that, I do love the vintage style. I love the look of aged paper and softer colors that look like they’ve faded over time. I love the contrast of what looks like charcoal or pencil marks and the old world charm. My favorite card is the Queen of Pentacles. It's just so lush. This card feels super abundant and I really want to take a photo copy and add it to my vision board because it feels like the energy of wealth and success. I also love the ace cards. Continued below…

Purchase Old Style Tarot

The inclusion of the blank card is quite clever. The book says it represents confusion or that now is not a good time for a reading. There’s more of course but I’ll leave that to you to discover. I expected it to be a blank slate for opportunity but it isn’t about that at all. It reminds me a lot of the seven of cups. Sometimes having too many options can lead to stagnation and indecision. The feeling I got from this card is that when you have too many options, things can become overwhelming and frustrating. Sometimes you need to remove yourself from the chaos, zoom back in, and focus on the smaller picture rather than the bigger one.

All in all, it's a great deck. It's your classic Rider-Waite with a new twist and has everything you could need to have a successful reading.

Season, Sign and Sabbat

The whole deck feels lush like summer. There’s a lot of greenery and bright blue skies and golds that really put me in a summer kind of mood. And looking at my favorite card, the Queen of Pentacles, you can see the abundance of pears hanging from fruit trees. Every card feels full of prosperity, even cards like the five of cups and ten of swords feel positive and bright. Summer feels like the perfect choice.

And for the same reasons, I selected Leo and Lammas for the sign and sabbat. I look at this deck and I see late July and early August. In fact, this reminded me a lot of Seasons of the Witch: Lammas Oracle. While the colors and symbols are different, they both feel like sunshine. They feel positive and bright, even when faced with cards that aren’t traditionally happy. I really liked this energy and I feel like I could be happy to read with this deck for a long time.

Who is this deck for?

Anyone can do well with this deck but especially beginners. It is basically a more aesthetically pleasing version of the Rider-Waite deck so you won’t miss out on any of the traditional symbolism. And if you’re someone who has a more vintage style aesthetic then you’ll like this deck too. It really tones down a lot of the more bright details of the Rider-Waite deck. Everything feels softer and more radiant.

Oracle Deck Companion

I think Seasons of the Witch: Lammas Oracle for sure. I just feel like their energy is well-matched. I started using the Old Style Tarot and it reminded me so much of SOTW Lammas that I knew they had to be companions. Originally I wanted to use the Bee Tarot with Lammas but then I tried it and it just didn’t feel like a match. These however, flowed together effortlessly.

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.

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