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Written By: Nitasia Roland
Publisher: Weiser Books
Number of cards: 56
Card size: 4.75 x 2.75 in
Box size: 7.25 x 5.25 x 1.5 in
Guidebook pages: 128
Purchased or gifted?: Gifted for review by Weiser Books
Absolute favorite card: Capricornus
Other favorites: Scorpius, Ursa Major, Lupus, Crater, Pegasus & Equuleus, Cygnus, Libra, Leo
Notable detail: remastered images from 1717
Season: winter
Sabbat: yule
Sign: Sagittarius and Capricorn

Element: Earth and Aether

First Impressions

I loved the look of this deck right from the start and knew I would enjoy taking photos of it. It’s a deck I’m very much looking forward to incorporating into my astrology practice. I don’t know a lot about constellations although I always seem to end up with publications concerning them. I actually have a few constellation decks now but haven’t sat down to learn how to use them. My journey with astrology was much the same. I was so overwhelmed at first but with time, I truly feel in love with its magic. I keep getting constellation products which is spirit’s way of telling me I need to work with this energy. So while I’m a little overwhelmed by this deck, I’m also very excited.

The Packaging

The packaging is quite nice. I have all sorts of different packages from Weiser books but this is the type I’ve enjoyed the most. It’s very similar to the box from the Ofrenda Oracle, which is also by Weiser. You can find that review here. It’s a two piece rigid box that’s fully printed. The bottom has a nice platform to hold the cards and a ribbon to pull the cards out. The only trouble with this boxes is that the platform that holds the cards is always ripped. The bottom of mine is torn and while it doesn’t affect the use of the cards at all, it doesn’t look too nice either. Aside from that though, the box is lovely.

The cards are what I consider to be the perfect thickness. If you’ve read my reviews for a while, you’ll know I prefer my cards to be on the thinner side which makes them a lot easier to shuffle. These are just a tad bit stiff but have already started to soften up and will continue to do so over time. The sides are gold gilded which I love. I just feel like most cards need to have gilding these days and Weiser has put out some nice gilding recently. I think the color matches perfectly and they’re quite nice to look at. I have them sitting on my desk and they’re the types of cards I really don’t mind keeping out.

The guidebook is really nice and in full color. It’s a larger sized book so you get a larger image of the cards inside of the book which is something I always appreciate. Speaking of guidebooks, let’s take a deeper dive inside.

The Guidebook

The guidebook is so nice and very detailed. Each card has the constellations location, folklore a cartomancy meaning, a tarot meaning, and a divination meaning. Then the astrology cards have zodiac meanings as well so you have plenty of information to interpret the cards. Add them all together or pick and choose the option that fits your specific reading style. I love this. I can’t tell you how many guidebooks I have with a sentence or two that doesn’t give you much of anything. Or the language is so overly “poetic” that it leaves you wondering if you’re reading the right language. These meanings are detailed, well written and offer all you could possibly need to give a really Steller interpretation, even as a very beginner.

You’ll also find a foreword written by Sasha Ravitch, an introduction which has a lot of valuable information you won’t want to miss, some basic tarot information about the meaning of each suit, numerology, and the court cards, and finally, a small section on consecrating your deck. I especially loved the section called “Invite your deck to get to know your DNA.” What this guidebook doesn’t have are spreads which is a shame. I always feel like a spread is a great way for the creator to share how they envision using the deck, especially for something like this that feels a little more obscure. It can also be a great way to sneak in more about the deck’s energy. But unfortunately, no spreads were provided here. I’m a little sad about it but a solid guidebook nevertheless.

By the way, these cards correspond to the minor arcana in tarot. There are no major arcana cards but the meanings for the minor arcana translate pretty much one to one. So if you are an avid tarot reader, you can easily pick these up without needing to use the guidebook.

The Artwork

I’m rather fond of this ayrtstlye. I really like the sharp line work and the minimal tones. This deck photographed really well despite having a shiny coat and I believe it’s because of the earthy tones. The backdrop is a peachy beige color which I love. It feels warm but also subdued. The images all look like playing cards and you can actually use these as playing cards. Each card corresponds to something like the ace of clubs or two of hearts which is a nice unexpected feature.

Something I found to be really cool is that these are remastered images taken from a deck called Astronomical Playing Cards (1717) by John Lenthall. Which means these images are more than 300 years old and feels like it connects one to the earlier days of reading cards. It’s a fun and unique way to use a “vintage” style deck that feels deep, mysterious and somewhat ancient. While the artwork may seem a little crude for modern times, it is absolutely accurate for the 1700s and it made me appreciate the work so much more. The creator went through each card and restored them, making them available for digital use. That’s a lot of work. It’s one thing to create a deck from scratch but it’s something else entirely to take someone’s work and recolor it without loosing the integrity of the original. I have a soft spot for colorist, especially when it comes to restoring the movie classics (I have family who work in the film industry) and I know just how tedious the work can be. All this to say, I’m so impressed by how much went into creating this deck. Bravo.

“This is the animist belief system, and we humans have the art of stargazing fused into our DNA from our prehistoric ancestral roots.”

I want to say my favorite card is Scorpius because I am a Scorpio but my favorite is actually Capricornus. But that’s alright since I’m a Capricorn rising. In truth, the zodiac cards are my favorite in general and probably my favorite things about the whole deck. I can already imagine how much I’m going to use them going forward. While my other favorites are primarily because of my love of various mythology. You’ll probably recognize some of figures or constellations such as Andromeda, Hercules, and Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom to see loads of photos. I might have gone a little overboard with this one.

Purchase Starlore Arcana

Reading With this Deck

I have enjoyed reading with this deck. Usually I don’t like a tarot deck that only comes with the major arcana or only comes with the minor arcana but I really don’t mind in this case. It may be a minor arcana deck but it feels like an oracle. I don’t get the feeling of missing anything at all. There’s also something so grounding about reading with these cards. It’s very rare when I feel like a deck is just for me. 99% of the time, I use my decks to read for everything from family and friends to clients. But this one really spoke to me and feels like it’s just mine. It feels very personal and every reading has felt intimate. The cards also came across as very encouraging.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure I would like this deck when I first opened it. I loved the look of it online when it was first presented to me but when I got it in person, I didn’t really resonate with it. Until I started using it. It’s funny how often the decks I resist the most are often the ones that have the biggest impact on me. Reading with it felt almost like getting my first tarot reading. I feel like I’m falling back in love with this craft after feeling a bit bored and stagnant as of late. I’m really enjoying the work with this deck and I hope you get it and enjoy its energy as well.

Collective Pull

I pulled Aquarius for you, also known as the six of hearts or six of cups. This card often represents nostalgia and connecting back to your roots. In a sense, it’s about going back to the last place that felt like “home.” That can be a person, a place, a feeling or a memory that reminds you there is still love, kindness and support in the word. Aquarius is the sign of friendship and adds a layer of spreading kindness wherever you can. But also, it can mean reaching out to those who you consider your community. The people who make you laugh or know just how to pull you out of a bad mood. Ultimately, this card is telling you that all hope is not lost. That there is light around you and available to you. You just have to remember where you left it.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

Right away, the two elements that come to mind are earth and aether. The cards are so neutral and earthy that I had to include earth. But also, I have always felt astrology is where the earth and sky meet. After all, we are looking at the stars from our perspective here on earth. But of course, it can’t be the stars without a connection to the cosmos so aether needed to have a place in this post as well.

As for the season, I went back and forth between summer and winter but ultimately landed on winter. I kind of associate stargazing with summer (there is a stargazing card in Seasons of the With: Litha Oracle) but then I started thinking about the very northern hemisphere where it can be night as much as 24 hours a day for long periods of time. And the more I contemplated that energy, the more I felt as thought stargazing is something to do in stillness. Winter and nighttime are kindred spirits. In the dead of the night when the earth is still, you can truly hear spirit sharing its wisdom. So it’s no surprise that’s the best time to view stars as well. Winter is often challenging which feels well matched to constellations, many of which have some sadder stories. But where there is darkness there is also light and isn’t that the moral of winter’s story as well?

It would be unfair to assign just one zodiac sign to this deck so I’m choosing not to. But I am going to assign the Winter Solstice or Yule as the sabbat. Mostly because that is the point where Sagittarius and Capricorn meet. Sagittarius is always the sign I think of first when it comes to anything having to do with science and yes astrology is a science seeing as we wouldn’t have astronomy without first having astrology. And Capricorn makes me think of stars because of the association with the mountain and reaching towards the sky. So I guess I did pick two zodiac signs after all.

Who is this deck for?

For sure this deck is for you if you’re into astrology or constellations. While it is technically a tarot deck, there’s a lot of extra layer thanks to the astrological meanings included in the guidebook. I think it would bring a lot of richness to your astrology readings, especially if you are someone who has clients. If you’re a fan of very old artwork from the 16 and 1700s then you will appreciate this deck. It has such an old soul and it’s so lovely to see something from centuries ago being given a new life.

Tarot Deck Companion

This is kind of an oracle deck but kind of a tarot and ultimately feels like a hybrid. So for this one, I’m not doing a companion.

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