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By: Fez Inkwright
Publisher: Sterling Ethos
Number of cards: 55
Card size: 4.75 (just under) in x 2.75 in
Box size: 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.75 in
Guidebook pages: two guidebooks
Purchased or gifted?: Purchased myself

Absolute favorite card: Lily of the Valley/ Apple
My favorite cards: Lavender, Mustard, Datura, Oleander, Elder, Ivy, Chickweed, Dandelion, Pimpernel, Feverfew
Notable Detail: two separate guidebooks
Season: Spring
Sabbat: Ostara
Sign: Libra
Tarot Deck compliment: La Flora Tarot

First Impressions: This was a reader request and I’m happy it was mentioned because I love it so much. It’s sweet and charming and feels so soft and supportive. I hadn’t even heard of it which is why I appreciate reader requests so much because there are some truly amazing decks I might’ve missed otherwise. I suspected the cards were broken up into seasons and I was right. You can clearly see the colors changing with the seasons of the cards. And the box is really unique so let’s go ahead and dive into packaging.

I’ve never seen a box quite like this. I’ve definitely seen boxes that you pull upwards but I’ve never seen it with the magnetic closure on the bottom to make it really contained. And every inch of this box is covered in really beautiful illustrations. Even the insides of both pieces have this beautiful burst of flowers although I’m sure many people will miss that completely. Be sure to turn the bottom part of the box upside down because there’s a little phrase underneath. The box itself is super sturdy. It’s so thick so I knocked on it and it sounds like wood to be honest. And the magnetic closure has a very audible sound when you close it. It's so well contained but the quality is sooooo yummy. This might be my favorite box ever.

The cards themselves are great; not too thick and not too thin. I’d say they’re more on the thick side but certainly not difficult to shuffle. They have a beautiful motif of yellow flowers (perhaps poppies) on the back with a lovely warm sun and a crescent moon in the center. No gilding and I’m on the fence about that. If you’ve read these reviews for a while then you know how I feel about a lack of gilding. I’m being picky to be honest because the different color gilt edges are my favorite things about the Seasons of the Witch Series so I get a little sad when I don’t see them on other decks. But, there are some that I really don’t mind the lack of gilding. I just can’t decide if this one falls in the category. I want to say I don’t miss it but I kind of do.

Before I get into the artwork, I want to talk about the most notable feature which are the two guidebooks. There is a foreword by Yoshi Yoshitani (author of Tarot of the Divine, also a reader request and review coming on that soon) which is unusual. You don’t see that too often with decks. The forward is exactly the same in both except for the last paragraph. The first book is called Dawn which is for growth and active energy while the second is called dusk and is for self-care and rest. There’s a meaning for each of the 55 cards in both books which is so interesting. Fez could’ve easily made Dawn the upright meaning and Dusk the reversal and there is a page about using them as reversals for each other, but I really appreciated the separate books. You can choose the book that best aligns with your current energy. Well done!

Each book has seven spreads but they are exactly the same with the exception of the solstice spreads in the Dawn and the equinox spreads in the Dusk book. I would’ve loved to see completely different spreads in each book just because there’s so much care to separate what the author calls the “rise and resting” energy. Spreads seem like an obvious way to dig deeper into those concepts so not a big deal at all but I think it would’ve been cool to see. Continued below…

Purchase Seed & Sickle Oracle

I love the Apple card which is a surprise because I absolutely hate apples. They are like my least favorite food but I was drawn to this one right away. Funny enough, the guidebook suggests having patience for this card which is something I’m always actively trying to work on because I have zero patience. Which is why I have a theory that your favorite cards out of a new deck are the ones you need the most. I find this to be true with each new deck I receive. I’ve written an article about this for members of the Spirit Realm. You can find it in the member portal.

I also really love Lily of the Valley. It’s so sweet and soft which is what I love about the deck overall. This deck feels very gentle. I love the colors and especially the tones. I love these softer, more muted color palettes I’m seeing in a lot of decks these days.

My readings have felt quite accurate both for the rise and rest versions. If you do a deck interview which I recommend you do every time, I would suggest doing one for the rise version and one for the rest version. I did them together at first and I kind of felt like that was cheating. I like the idea of this deck offering too distinct pathways based on which book you feel called to work with. Humans are complex with different aspects to their personality so why can’t a deck be the same?

Overall, I found this deck to be quite good. There are a lot of really interesting and unique features. I love innovation so things like this really get me excited. But aside from the fun details, it feels pretty spot on. I like it just a little more for the Dawn version. I feel a lot of self-care with this deck but more active self-care for example, when you need a gentle kick in the but. Sometimes you just need a sweet helping hand and that’s what I think you’ll get out of this deck.

Season, Sign and Sabbat

Spring was the clear choice for the season even though all seasons are represented. Even the darker tones feel very spring like. There’s so much pastel and so many floral elements and to me, that’s spring all day. But I would say it’s early spring for sure. Maybe even late winter and that transitional period between the too. This deck feels like it represents the time of year when the earth is just waking up, still a little bit sleepy, and slowing unraveling after a long winter’s rest.

Which lead me to choose Ostara for the sabbat. I know this review came just a bit after Ostara but I can easily see this deck taking you well into Beltane so now (at the time of posting) is really a good time to work with it.

As for the sign, I’m going to go with Libra. The presence of two decks instantly screams balance which of course is a Libra quality. But also, the softness, the artistry of it, the connection of different components all represent Libra energy. Plus, pastels always come to mind for me when I think of Libra for some reason. The Datura card for example feels like a classic Libra imagine, at least in my mind.

Who is this deck for?

This is a great deck if you’re on a limited budget or if you’re someone who really only likes to work with a small amount of tools because you’re really getting two decks in one. You can choose your adventure by selecting the guidebook you feel you need most so you can really get a lot of bang for your buck here. Besides that, it’s a beautiful deck if you love the spiritual nature of flowers and plants.

Tarot Deck Companion

I decided to pair it with La Flora Tarot because it’s so colorful. I think a minimal deck will help the colors shine without competition with it. I have other minimal decks but La Flora is full of flowers as its name suggests so the pairing feels right.

This is an indie deck and I don’t think the creator is selling decks anymore so if you want it, I would recommend getting it sooner rather than later. I found it here and I think there are a few on Ebay but that appears to be the last of them, at least for now.

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