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Title: Folklore Oracle
Art by: Giada Rose
Author: Hadas Knox
Publisher: Rockpool Publishing
Number of cards: 44
Card size: 5 x 3.5 in
Box size: 5.5 x 4 x 1.25 in approx
Guidebook pages: 105
Purchased or gifted?: Review copy provided by Rockpool Publishing
Absolute favorite card: The Well
Other favorites: (in order from most beloved) Garden, magic words, healing herbs, selkie, will-o-the-wisp, fairy ring, hair
Notable detail: spring green edges
Season: Spring
Sabbat: Ostara/Lammas
Sign: Gemini
Element: Earth
Deck compliment: The Linestrider Tarot and Green Witch Oracle
Collective Pull: Journey

Add to your altar

First Impressions

My first thought is that this is my kind of deck. The aesthetic is really well suited towards my type of photography style. The color palette is soft and earthy, the box is designed well, and who doesn’t like a bit of folklore? Not to mention, it's the same artist from the first three Seasons of the Witch decks (Samhain, Yule and Beltane). Those decks changed so much about my life and career so I couldn’t help but to smile when I received this one to review.

I’ve also noticed how much Giada’s work has grown. Both of us were complete newbies when we made Seasons of the Witch: Samhain Oracle. We were learning our styles: me in writing and her in artwork. After all of these years, I can see how far we’ve both made it and honestly, it makes me pretty emotional. It's quite a wonderful thing to have had this journey with Giada; at times together and at other times apart. And I’m really just so proud of the project she’s made.

So enough with my emotional entrance. Let’s take a look through Folklore Oracle.

The Packaging

The packaging is pretty nice and is your standard two piece box that is one of my favorite box designs from Rockpool. Rockpool has phenomenal packaging but I can’t say that I always like the way they design the boxes. This one though, is beautiful. The insides of the box are especially nice. One thing I didn’t like about the Seasons of the witch series is that it just has a basic moon inside. I would’ve loved to see something more like the moon and vine design you see here. The box itself has a nice matte design which features a very subtle stripped background. I honestly can’t tell if that’s intentional or just a byproduct of the cardboard underneath but it looks great either way. I think it’s intentional but it's so very subtle so if you get one, you’ll have to let me know if you see it too.

The backs of the cards also have a really nice motif that is so appropriate for the deck. And I will say that these cards shuffle so well. They literally glide through my hands. It's the perfect thickness, the cards are wonderfully matte, and they shuffle as if they’re dancing.

The knockout feature on this one is the gilding which is a yellowish-spring green. It really stands out when you take it out of the box against the off-white which has a slight pink tint to it. The colors play so well off of each other being complimentary colors if you’re familiar with the color wheel. And then they come wrapped in a brown band that makes the whole visual experience quite a treat.

The Guidebook

The guidebook is beautiful and subtle. Full color printing on every page with fully designed pages for the background as opposed to just regular white paper. But I expect no less from Rockpool at this point. If you’re unfamiliar with their decks, they always put a design on the background, throughout the whole book. Seems like it’s not that big of a deal but when you consider how many other publishers don’t do anything like this, trust me, it is a big deal. As an author myself, let me explain that little details like this when you’re going through a publishing house are often far and few in between. But Rockpool does this every time so I’m always sure to mention just how special it is.

Inside you will find:

the introduction
how to use the cards and,
three card spreads.

Each individual card comes with a question which makes a wonderful journal prompt. I quite like the idea of a question. It would be so interesting to see how your answer changes over time. For instance, if you pulled Hair four times in one month, and journaled on the same question: “What is the source of your power?” each of those four days, how would your answer vary?

Then imagine looking back on these questions for years, being able to see where you started and how far you’ve come along. Yes, I think including a question rather than a statement is a subtle but brilliant shift. You also get a paragraph of the folklore associated with the card, a card meaning, and then what’s called “diving deeper” which are essentially the divinatory meanings.

Theme

As you might guess, the theme is folklore. All of the cards are named after various symbols, characters or familiar concepts from some of the world’s most famous folklore. You’ll find these archetypes are mostly familiar, featuring things like moons, the forest, prophecy, the spinning wheel, mirrors and journeys. While avoiding the more cliche things like the damsel in distress, the white knight, or the wicked queen. Which I greatly appreciate because at the end of the day, it's always some magic object that facilitates a journey in folklore or changes the tide in a battle. It's nice to see the theme zero in on the little things that still matter but don’t often get enough attention.

The Artwork

I love this style. I’ve always loved Giada’s art but this style is especially gorgeous. It's so soft, whimsical and just a little bit haunting. The color palette is earthy and dreamy. Nothing feels harsh or overwhelmingly bright or chaotic. This deck feels peaceful which I have said many times, a soft, muted deck is so much easier on your nervous system. And in spirituality, it's nice to feel calm and at ease.

“And so we welcome you to our would of eldritch moons, medieval herbiaries, inked-eyed shapeshifters, and journeys long and treacherous.”

Some of my favorites are Magic words, Garden, and Will-o-the-wisp. Magic words specifically reminds me of the growth card from Seasons of the Witch: Beltane Oracle. And garden is just so relaxing. I love this image so much so Giada, if you have a print of this, I absolutely want it. My favorite card of the whole deck is The Well. I love, love the maiden down at the bottom whose hair is slipping into the water. I love that we don’t actually see a well but what’s going on underneath. It's such a beautiful and yet somewhat abstract representation of a well. So much so, I couldn’t imagine how this image could be improved in any way.

Own Folklore Oracle

*With companion deck - Linestrider Tarot*

Reading With this Deck

Hmm, how do I describe my readings? I will say that the first card I pulled was quite literal: sleep. I had been traveling all day and decided to push myself a little further and begin the process of this review. But I was dead tired. So much that I could barely keep my eyelids open and then I pulled sleep and had to laugh. You can’t get much clearer than that.

I’m not sure how I feel about my deck interview. I pulled shapeshifter for the deck’s personality which isn’t necessarily bad but I read something in the guidebook about how not all shapeshifters are good, which is true. It's not like I didn’t know this but something about it really stuck with me. I’m not suggesting the deck is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide kind of situation but, I do believe it's not going to be what it seems. I think I’ll have to work with her a long while before I can truly understand how she wishes to guide me.

So far, my feelings track because sometimes I pull cards that are very supportive and highlight an immediate need as was the case with sleep. But other times, this deck really calls me out. I pulled selkie the other day which is about finding the thing you’ve lost about yourself. The card is spot on but I guess the deck is so soft, I wasn’t expecting the message to be so forceful. I have lost pieces of myself over the years which is a conversation for another time. And it's something I’ve been contemplating a lot lately but to have the card so clearly bring it up shocked me I suppose. Regardless, I can honestly say that so far, the cards are pretty spot on every time, just in different ways.

Collective Pull

I drew Journey for you. This card invites you to have the courage to go on an adventure. It could be taken in the most literal way, as an invitation to physically go somewhere. Perhaps you’d like to book a trip or holiday. Perhaps you’d like to move to a new town or area of your current city. If you’ve been contemplating something of this nature, then know that this card is urging you to begin planning your departure.

But this journey can be internal as well. You might journey from one version of yourself to another. A specific part of you might make a journey from one form of expression to another such as your confidence might develop over time. Taking steps to “become” something else is what’s called for here. Regardless of how your journey unfolds, be it physical or internal, know that you need not do it all at once. This journey will unfold in time with each new leg offering new challenges and victories.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

I chose spring for the season. It’s very soft, the colors and tones are quite floral in nature and the overall mood gives me the Ostara feels which I also chose for the sabbat. However, I went back and forth between Ostara and Lammas then finally settled on both. It does have that soft, ethereal quality of Ostara but there's a lot of imagery which reminds me of Lammas like garden for example or the spinning wheel. I could easily see this one coming out both times of the year or from Ostara through to Lammas if you like.

I went with Gemini for the zodiac sign. I don’t often associate decks with Gemini but at the end of the day, folklore is about sharing stories, passing on wisdom or warnings, and a way to communicate between the generations. And what a very Gemini thing to do. This is the sign of communication and not just talking for conversation's sake but actually sharing news and ideas and things that matter. Folklore is shared through the ages, becoming something that connects people from different times who will never meet. And Gemini is associated with Hermes, the only god who could travel between the upper, middle and lower worlds, sharing messages from people in different realms who might never meet. To me, there is an obvious association, especially when you look beyond the superficial meaning of Gemini being too-faced. And OMG, it just clicked. I pulled shapeshifter as the personality for this deck and Gemini is in fact, the original shapeshifter. Brilliant.

Ok finally, I have earth for the season. I always kind of hesitate when associating earth because there are so, so many decks which fall into this category. I feel so bad for the other elements who don’t get as much attention but this deck is so obviously earth, I just couldn’t place it anywhere else.

Who is this deck for?

First of all, if you were one of the many people who loved the first three Seasons of the Witch decks and miss Giada’s art then get this one. So many of the cards are reminiscent of many cards from the early SOTW decks. I can guarantee that at least one will remind you of something from SOTW.

If you like softer, more whimsical decks then I would recommend this one as well. In fact, it reminds me quite a lot of Green Witch Oracle which had that same soft, earthiness about it.

And finally, if you love folklore but are tired of the same old themes like the damsel, or the villain, then this is a refreshing way to present critical themes without feeling tired and overdone.

→ Check out my Green Witch Oracle review.

Deck Companion

I pulled out an oldie but goodie: the Linestrider Tarot. This is actually one of my favorite tarot decks of all time but it’s a very specific kind of artwork that doesn’t match with some of the more busy decks coming out in recent years. Folklore Oracle is colorful but still pretty minimal which is exactly how I describe the Linestrider tarot. I took a chance, pulling it out just to test and found a resonance between the decks right away. Lindestrider also features many scenes that appear to be folk inspired. And I think reading them together went quite well too. And the author is a PHENOMENAL writer. The guidebook to the Linestrider tarot is just one of my favorite tarot books to reference. Trust me, it’s a good one.

Purchase the Linestrider Tarot

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