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Title: Green Codex Tarot
Author: Alexander Kopytin
Art by: Alexandra Dvornikova
Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
Number of cards: 78
Card size: 4.75 x 2.75 in
Box size: 8.25 x 5.25 x 2 in approx
Guidebook pages: 160
Purchased or gifted?: Review copy provided by Llewellyn Books
Absolute favorite card: Two of Cups
Other favorites: (in order from most beloved): The Lovers, The Devil, The High Priestess, Two of Wands, Four of Swords, King of Wands, The Hermit, Judgement, Nine of Cups
Notable detail: Mirror on The Devil Card
Season: Autumn or spring and summer during night time
Sabbat: Summer Solstice
Sign: Sagittarius
Element: Earth
Deck compliment: The Maiden Oracle
Collective Pull: Seven of Cups

Indulge Yourself

First Impressions

I’m a super fan of Alexandra Dvornikova. In fact for a while, I had wanted to do a seasonal deck series with her but Tijana is such a lovely artist and human being, I decided to stay with her. But I kept my eye on Alexandra so when this tarot deck came up, there was no doubt I would review it. It’s pretty consistent with her style and mood. It has that dark, mystical energy about it. I always think of the night of summer solstice when I look at her artwork. It’s lush and has a folkloric, Slavic energy about it which makes sense of course seeing as the artist is from Russia I believe. I have always had a thing for Slavic culture, ever since I was a kid. Something about the dark, fairytale nature of Slavic folklore has resonated with me for as long as I can remember and I continue to love that style today. I’m absolutely in love with the style but there are definitely a few things that are unusual for this Lo Scarabeo deck and some things I’d like to point out so let’s dive in.

The Packaging

The packaging is definitely an upgrade for a Lo Scarabeo deck. This is the first time I’ve gotten a deck of this size from them. It’s more like a Llewellyn box and in truth, I thought this was a Llewellyn product when I first saw it. I never would have thought, Lo Scarabeo made it. To be honest, he overall design does seem to be a clear of a copy of Llewellyn’s style. I’m super happy to see an upgrade on the packaging but I think they could’ve been a little more original. All the publishers copy each other, to be fair so this isn’t unusual. But it doesn’t have to be that way nor should it.

The box features small gold foiling throughout. It's quite minimal but enough to make a splash. It’s printed in full color inside and out. You also have a platform to hold the cards that has a ribbon to lift them out as well as space to hold the rather nice sized guidebook. This is also a departure from Lo Scarabeo who typically features pocket sized guidebooks.

There isn’t anything in the bottom half of the box but there is a very nice scene printed right inside of the cover which also has gold foil detail. And by the way, this box opens with a magnetic book fold top. It’s a sturdy box and should hold up quite well.

The Guidebook

Perhaps I’m most surprised about the guidebook. For one, it's in all English which is a huge departure for Lo Scarabeo. In fact, one of the most recognizable features about their decks has always been the inclusion of several languages within the guidebook. They’re an Italian publishing company so I’ve always thought it made sense for them to include other languages. But also, it’s important to note that translations of a deck are not a guarantee. I get asked all of the time, when will the Seasons of the Witch decks be available in this language or that language and the honest truth is that it might never be available in your desired language.

Publishers are always seeking to get decks translated but it's not an easy task and it requires a foreign distributor’s participation. They have to believe there’s enough of an audience to go through the hassle of translating 20,000 words or more. That’s a big and expensive task which is usually reserved for the most successful decks. Now Seasons of the Witch is incredibly successful which is why there are already something like 10 languages available (I’m not sure of the actual number) and still, there’s hesitation from foreign publishers. There’s political hesitation, religious and cultural hesitation, financial hesitation. You name it. Which is why the vast majority of decks never get translated into other languages.

This is also why the inclusion of several languages for Lo Scarabeo decks has always been my favorite feature. It means you don’t have to wait, hoping a deck you love will be available in your native language. In most cases, English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese were always included right in the first edition. That wasn’t the case here. But the silver lining to that is there’s much more space. The meanings are much longer and the guidebook is much more thorough. Included in the guidebook you will find:

The purpose of the deck
How to use the deck
Five reading styles
The card meanings
A space for personal notes

For one, thank you creators for the purpose of this deck section. I feel like so many decks just gloss over why they’ve wanted to create their decks. What’s it for? What is it supposed to accomplish? How is it different from the 3000 other decks out there? What’s your vision for it? What gave you the idea? We as readers want to know this stuff. Just like you may want to know a brand’s values or the backstory of your favorite celebrity. These details matter and it helps to understand the deck as a whole. So thank you again because this is a detail that’s missed far too often.

Another interesting feature are the reading styles which aren’t quite the same as a spread. There is one spread included but the rest are more so practices than spreads. I especially love the monologue reading which is something I’ve done for a long time (check out the Arcana Unveiled in my membership the Unfolding) but never gave a name to it. It’s basically when you speak as though you’re the card but as a character. You might say, “Hi, I’m the Devil and my job is to…”

There are several other practices like this to choose from and I think that’s a really clever way of including a “spread” that is elevated and fresh. Because let’s be honest, there are way too many spreads out there. There, I said it. There are so many spreads that it's just overwhelming at this point and I think a fresh perspective is really needed right now.

Theme

The writer, Alexander describes this deck as being a series of universal symbols and archetypes which reflect humans' connection to nature. It’s supposed to highlight the natural cycles we humans experience throughout life while also showing the ways we have been influenced by the natural world. To simplify things, the theme is basically what we have all known all along. That humans reflect the natural world and vice versa. That we are not separate from the land in which we live but that the rules and ideas that have governed human society have in no small part been born out of the cycles of the natural world.

The Artwork

There are so many cards i’d like to talk about. We’ll start with my favorite card which is the two of cups. This card is just so good. It features two people, each in a lab beaker. There’s a vine connecting one beaker to the next, like a distillation machine. There’s even a fire underneath them. Showing a couple being distilled is such a great way to illustrate this card. More than any other card in the deck, the two of cups represents love. It represents two souls coming together to form one. Love is technically a chemical reaction in the body so I feel like this card makes space for the scientific explanation of love while also making space for the magical, romanticized version of it too.

There are several cards which feature a reflection. The Lovers is one, The Hermit is another and Judgement is another. I find this to be so interesting as it's something I have included in my tarot decks as well. To me, reflections represent the connection between the conscious and unconscious realms and tarot is perhaps one of the best places to showcase this concept. I also just wanted to point out how similar the nine of swords is in this deck to the ten of swords in my deck, the Winter Tarot. Not because we copied one another. Our decks came out at the exact same time so there’s no way we could’ve known what each other would do. I mention it because to me, it represents an understanding in the collective. A shared vision that is becoming more and more apparent in the spiritual community. An alignment if you will that really gives me a sense of hope. But also, it kind of confirms the theme of the deck. That we are all influenced by the natural world and thus, it’s not common or bad for many people to have a similar idea.

“The main function of this deck is to support human adaptation to the social and natural ecosystem through a connection with nature and the implementation of ecological behavioral models.”

One more card I want to talk about before the general mood of the deck is the Devil card. It features a mirror of sorts. It isn’t super reflective but it's enough to get the point across. When I saw it, I immediately sent an email to Matt Hughes because we were talking about something similar just a few months prior and this just confirms what I was saying earlier, that shared ideas are becoming more and more common. But what I love about this card is that the Devil is truly a call to look at yourself and your choices. To understand what consequences your choices will have and if you can deal with them. This isn’t a bad card. It’s grossly misunderstood just as one might suggest the devil is misunderstood. I suppose someone has to play the bad guy and the devil is it. But in your own life, you must ask yourself if you’re being liberated or enslaved by your choices? Likewise, does your desire to focus on your needs above others make you the villain in the story or the hero of your journey?

Overall, the cards are dark, moody and have an autumnal like quality because of the colors. But the overall style really just reminds me of spring and summer at night time. The imagery is rich in florals and plants, suns and moons and stardust. It’s almost too lush to consider this an autumn deck, despite the muted tones.

Also, I know this is getting long but I wanted to point out the two of wands and King of Wands. I love that the two of wands features a cross at the end of the road. I’ve always said I’ve never had a problem with God, only religion but to be honest with you, I’ve always been afraid to incorporate God more in my public facing practice. I truly believe religion and witchcraft carry so many similarities. What is an invocation if not a prayer? What is a prophecy but divination? So whenever I see someone openly including a religious symbol, even something small, I always feel a sense of admiration for their work.

On the flip side, the kind of wands feature a satyr with a very obvious penis. Which I just loved. I love that they made no effort to hide it and let it be out there. I think the art in general just really encapsulates the human experience both on the logical and magical side.

Own Green Codex Tarot

Reading With this Deck

Reading with this deck feels mature. That’s the best word I can think of. It feels very serious and quite frankly academic. Especially when you read the guidebook entries which is like reading a textbook. It’s almost too heavy. Almost too philosophical. Not really in a bad way but in the sense that this doesn’t feel like the kind of deck you can grab on a whim. This feels like a deck to study and to contemplate rather than asking something simple like “What do I need today?” The included meanings have too much gravitas for that.

In fact all of the cards feel like major energy. In some ways cards like the two of cups feel like they’re major arcana cards and the major cards feel like they’re something else entirely. I guess I just feel this deep desire to level-up when I work with this deck. I think I’m a pretty damn good and serious tarot creator and reader but this deck makes me want to go deeper. It certainly challenges me in new ways I’m not entirely sure I was ready for.

All of my cards have been spot on but again, this feels like a mature deck. It feels like that moment when you realize you aren’t a kid anymore or even that you aren’t a young adult anymore and gotta get your shit together. So there is. I think you should read with this deck when you’re ready to do some heavy spiritual lifting. Not when you just want to play around or just want quick answers. But when you’re really ready to look at the depths of your being and have it look back.

Collective Pull

I pulled Seven of Cups for you. It’s easy to get lost in the fantasy of what could be. Your imagination is capable of conjuring all sorts of images from your dream partner to becoming a millionaire to moving to a distant land. That isn’t to say your dreams aren’t possible but this card indicates a need to be honest about what you can achieve right now. You can work towards a grand dream but that is not the same as expecting it to fall into your lap. It may require a sacrifice or a willingness to invest in something that may not yield results for many years to come.

When faced with hard work and hard choices, it may feel easier or safer to lose yourself in the dreamworld. Often the satisfaction of imagining our perfect life is just enough to keep us satisfied but grossly misses the mark on achievement. This card is your summons to wake up and to decide which dreams are realistic for you today. To put effort into the physical world rather than dissolving yourself into a fantasy.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

I think most people are going to look at this deck and say it's perfect for Autumn and aesthetically, I agree. Energy though, I really just feel more drawn to label this summer at night. We often look at the season for what they look like during the daytime, forgetting about the other half of the day and how the energy also shifts at night from season to season. Every time I use this deck, I keep thinking I really want to use it beginning at sunset just before the summer solstice. It illustrates how abundance and lushness can be present in darkness. That not every shadow is bad or something to fear. It can be rich, rewarding and beautiful with the right perspective. Which is why I just have to go with Litha for the sabbat. This deck is too prosperous in its energy to not assign it a lush sabbat.

I chose Earth for the element because it’s an earthy deck. I could also make the case for all elements but after reading the purpose of the deck and working with it, I think earth has the strongest connection.

And I went with Sagittarius for this deck mostly because Sagittarius is associated with higher education and philosophy. The writer is a psychology professor and it shows in his writing. As I said earlier, the guidebook reads more like a textbook than your average guidebook. You can tell there’s a lot of thought that went into this and from what I’ve read, the meanings are all written from a very philosophical lens. They are thought-provoking and meant to expand your mind beyond whatever you know about tarot. This is a Sagittarius thing to do. Expansion is Sagittarius’ main goal, including opening your mind which is why it’s associated with higher education.

Who is this deck for?

This deck is not for the casual reader or the curious beginner looking for lighthearted guidance. It’s for the thinker—the mystic who relishes complexity, the reader who wants to be challenged, stretched, and slightly undone by what they uncover. If you’ve ever found yourself dissecting the architecture of your own psyche for sport, or lingering on the philosophical undercurrents of a card long after a reading has ended, this is your match.

It’s for those who crave depth over ease, who don’t shy away from a heavy guidebook but instead savor the way academic precision can coexist with the wild pulse of nature. You’ll also love this deck if you’ve ever been enchanted by Slavic folklore, drawn to the lush darkness of summer nights, or intrigued by the way human stories mirror the natural world.

This deck belongs in the hands of the reader who’s ready to stop asking simple questions and start having real conversations with their cards—ones that unsettle, awaken, and demand reflection. It’s a deck for when you’re ready to study yourself as much as you study the symbols.

Deck Companion

I chose the Maiden Oracle by Leila Olive which is sadly out of print (though you can still have a look on her website) but such a wonderful pairing. The Maiden Oracle is so earthy, especially with tea stained backgrounds and I have found the energy is well matched. There is a major arcana of sorts in The Maiden Oracle which I love here. The idea of pulling the same major arcana card from both decks seems elevated with this pairing for some reason. And the Maiden Oracle isn’t an overwhelming amount of color so the two decks feel complimentary in both aesthetics and energy.

Buy The Maiden Oracle

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