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Title: Nova Witch Tarot
Art by: Ana Novaes
Author: Suki Ferguson
Publisher: Blue Angel Publishing
Number of cards: 78
Card size: 5.5 x 3.25 in
Box size: 6 x 4.25 x 2 in approx
Guidebook pages: 111
Purchased or gifted?: Review copy provided by Llewellyn Publishing
Absolute favorite card: The Teacher
Other favorites: (in order from most beloved) Queen of wands, girl of coins, the high priestess, nine of coins, nine of swords, two of coins, girl of cups
Notable detail: HUGE cards and ethnic representation
Season: winter
Sabbat: Lammas
Sign: Virgo
Element: Air
Oracle Deck compliment: Starlore Arcana
Collective Pull: Ten of swords

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First Impressions

I was attracted to this deck right away. I loved how toned down the colors are and the size of the box which is on the smaller side despite being a larger tarot deck. Looking at the art, I could also feel a resonance. There was something about the project that felt striking and I’ve been eager to sit down and review it for a long time. There’s a few things that aren't to my liking but overall, I’m pretty pleased with it. So let’s get into the finer details.

The Packaging

The packaging is pretty nice and is your standard two piece box. Solid boxes are something Blue Angel has always had. I love that it’s a departure from their traditional box style. They didn’t print inside of the box which is a bummer. It's a nice detail to have and I love to see something, even just something small.

The one thing that’s bothering me some is the size of the cards which are huge. They’re really too big for 78 cards. My hands are on the smaller side so it’s difficult enough to hold a much smaller deck of tarot cards but these are just impossible for me to get a good shuffle. The larger cards allow the artwork to stand out but then you lose the functionality.

On top of that, the card stock is very thick. In truth, Blue Angel almost always has that really nice thick paper which is normally very nice to have but given the size of the cards, It ends up being just a bit too much. The sides aren’t gilded. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a Blue Angel deck with gilded edges and, to be honest, that’s kind of a bummer. I guess I’m just spoiled with Rockpool Publishing but in my honest opinion, too many decks are coming out with gilded edges—-even independent ones—for major publishers like Blue Angel and Llewellyn to still skip on that.

The Guidebook

The guidebook is gorgeous and in full color but still maintains that soft, greyish-gold hue throughout. Inside, you have:

the introduction
an explanation of what makes up a tarot deck
connecting to your deck
how to read the cards
instructions for a one card pull and,
instructions for a three card spread with various three card options to choose from.

You also get an overview for the major arcana and each of the suits. For each card you get, keywords, a general description of the card and how it applies to your reading. It's a pretty solid guidebook and certainly enough if you’re a beginner and need some additional instructions.

Theme

There isn’t a clear theme in this one, at least not in my opinion. I’m sure there was some kind of thought process to tie the aesthetic of the deck together but apart from looks, there’s nothing obvious in the language used or content in the guidebook. You can extrapolate the meaning but it would’ve been nice to have a specific section or paragraph explaining what it means to be a Nova Witch or what exactly that refers to. Is that something the creators have intended to be something special like a sea witch or moon witch? Was there a specific symbol, event or deeper insight which sparked this idea? I don’t know. I think one small paragraph of that could’ve made this a bit more thoughtful and elevated.

The Artwork

The artwork is what I call minimal maximalism which I absolutely love. The cards seem busy on the surface but when you really look at them, you can tell everything is stripped down to the main symbolism of the traditional Rider-Waite deck without any additional clutter.

The High Priestess for example features a small pomegranate on her shirt while she’s slightly obscured. The tropical leaves stand in for the pillars and there’s a crescent moon on her sleeve. You really don’t need much more than that to understand the connection to the original High Priestess imagery. My feeling when I look at the artwork is that it's just enough and it reminds me of a Pablo Picasso Quote: “Art is the elimination of the unnecessary." I love a good bit of cluttered artwork but I also really love artwork that doesn’t need much to say a lot. And I think this deck easily falls into the latter category.

“Both shadows and glimmers of brightness come and go. We invite you to see the value in both”

My favorite card is the Teacher which you might know as the Hierophant. I love the rename first of all. So often this card is associated with religious dogma and that’s not the essence of the card at all. Naming it the teacher is a good call and highlights the energy it conveys so much better than the Hierophant ever could and I mean really, who says Hierophant in modern times? Nobody except for tarot card readers.

What I love most about the deck is the ethnic representation and the fact that it’s proper representation. You see a variety of hair types, especially black hair types which are rarely done well. Though not in my list of favorites, the five of coins especially highlights ethnic hair done very well. As does the Queen of Wands which is gorgeous. Her braids look so regal and yet so accurate to black women’s hair. I’m also impressed by some of the Asian representation which doesn’t always come through well either. There isn’t a lot but you can definitely pick out a card or two where the figure is very clearly asian like the High Priestess.

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Reading With this Deck

I have actually found my readings to be a bit comical. Not that there’s anything wrong with the deck, this is solely about me. I keep pulling two cards that are very much opposites and then a card in the middle that presents balance which immediately tells me, I need to balance opposing themes. This is a major life lesson for me. I’ve often said I exist in the grey areas and I really feel that when I draw cards from this deck. Funny how the cards overall have such a grey tone. Every card looks like it has a bit of grey in it, even the lighter and brighter cards so I found it especially fitting.

But this is also something I really need in my life right now. For reference, my first reading with this deck contained the emperor and the hanged one as my polar opposites and that really tracks for me. On one hand, I’m feeling more structured and assertive than I’ve ever been but on the other hand, I’m learning to let go of things that do not serve me. In doing so, I’m finding I can have more structure and confidence and strategy.

Collective Pull

I drew Ten of swords for you. Most people look at this card and see betrayal, brokenness, heartache but this is about what comes next. It's about letting the tide take you and being ok with ending up on a shore you didn’t expect. If you’re feeling gutted right now then good. This is what’s needed for you to move on and rebuild something much stronger. I always see the ten of swords as the moment when you have no choice but to acknowledge something is over. It's like a minor expression of the tower. The destruction is done now and you have nothing left so why not use this blank canvas to become something intentional?

This is truly the end of the road when it comes to your situation and if you don’t know what situation that is, pause and pay attention to the first thing that comes to mind. That’s often a strong indicator of what you need to let go of.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

This deck feels so overwhelming winter to me. The muted, grey tones, the minimalist nature of it and even the muted suns remind me so much of the winter season. But when it comes to the sign, I see Virgo all of the way. Virgo is all about stripping things down, distilling again and again until something becomes pure. That’s what I felt the artwork does so, right away, my mind jumped to Virgo. I also get a very priestess quality to this deck and I always associate priestesses with Virgo.

I’m kind of going with a wildcard for the sabbat—I chose Lammas. I know this doesn’t seem like Lammas when you first see it, especially going on aesthetic alone but, I have come to associate the summer with not just light but shadows. And yes I know, shadows are an autumn thing but hear me out. Light creates shadows right? Summer is full of light therefore it is also full of shadows. And with Lammas being right in the height of summer, I felt an instant connection to it in this deck. Especially when I look at cards like the queen of wands and the high priestess. Even the blue tones give me a foggy beachy vibe which let me tell you is a real thing here in Los Angeles.

But more than that, the shadow of summer to me is represented by scorching heat which I associate with Lammas most of all. Things like a heat wave or summer in the desert where temperatures can reach 120 degrees or more depending on what desert we’re talking about. There is a direct connection to the concept of a nova which I believe is what this deck references. A nova is basically the explosion of a star which results in a scorching heat and light thus my association to Lammas.

Finally, I went with air for the element. You see clouds, stars, moons and suns throughout which I associate with the sky which I associate with air. And despite it being on the darker side, it still feels very light and airy.

Who is this deck for?

There really isn’t much of a departure from the traditional Rider-Waite deck so you could easily work with this deck as a beginner but as a reminder, it's going to be challenging to shuffle.

If you’re looking for a deck that isn’t super bright then this is for you. It feels peaceful and soothing. It really feels like a nice deck to use while transitioning from summer to autumn or as I mentioned, during winter.

Deck Companion

I think the Starlore Arcana is a bang on match. The colors match perfectly as though they were made at the same time. There’s an obvious connection with the star motif and when you put them together, it feels like they compliment one another without competing.

I love this pairing so much. In fact, it's one of my favorite pairings in a while. The Starlore Arcana is technically a tarot just without the major arcana so the nicest thing about this pairing is that you’ll be able to draw out deeper patterns. I’ve already started to see cross over with the minor arcana of Nova Witch and Starlore arcana. This feels like a good study combo and I really just can’t recommend it enough.

And if you’re curious, you can check out my review of Starlore Arcana here.

Purchase Starlore Arcana

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