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Title: the Hedgewitch Tarot
Author: Tudorbeth
Art by: Angela Rizza
Publisher: Llewellyn Books
Number of cards: 78
Card size: 4.25 x 2.75 in
Box size: 6.5 x 5 x 2.25 in approx
Guidebook pages: 264
Purchased or gifted?: Review copy provided by Llewellyn Books
Absolute favorite card: Ace of Wands
Other favorites: (in order from most beloved) two of wands, nine of wands, three of wands, three of cups, The chariot, four of pentacles, the world, Ace of swords, six of pentacles, eight of cups, ace of pentacles, seven of pentacles, the wheel of fortune, death, seven of cups
Notable detail: nicer box size
Season: Winter
Sabbat: Yule
Sign: Pisces
Element: Earth/fire
Oracle Deck compliment: Herbarium Oracle
Collective Pull: The Alchemist

Add to your altar

First Impressions

My honest first impression is that this deck reminds me of Christmas, despite it being a deck that represents all four seasons. I think the color palette has an overwhelmingly Christmas tone to it in my opinion which isn’t bad but has made it challenging for me to place the season, sabbat, zodiac and element. And somehow, it reminds me of A Court of Thorns and Roses, growing up in the deserts of California, the many times I’ve visited Mexico, and Christmas all at one time. But having now read the guidebook, I can honestly say that it makes sense for how the creator describes the meaning of the deck. So let me dig in so that I can explain this further.

The Packaging

The box is lovely but it's smaller than Llewellyn’s usual tarot boxes. However, I think I actually prefer this size. I love the previous boxes but in truth, they didn’t really need to be that large. I think this one still keeps all of the wonderful things about the larger size: a beautiful guidebook, platform to hold the cards, full color; but contained in a much easier to store package.

The cover is quite nice. Parts of it are slightly raised and in a glossier finish than the background so you get a very subtle reflection as you move the box from side to side. It gives you the feeling of having gold foil without actually having the foil.

It kind of reminds me of a fashion trick (I used to work in Fashion btw, so you’ll often see these kinds of references if you’re new around here). There’s kind of a guideline to wearing monochrome outfits. The idea is that if you’re wearing all one color but those colors aren’t exactly the same shade, especially black, you can change the texture or finish to make it more intentional. So you might pair matte black jeans with a black satin top which creates interest and dimension, even if the shades aren’t exactly the same.

That’s what’s happening here: there’s dimension that keeps the cover from looking too flat. It also adds a sensual component, meaning, it becomes a tactile experience. I love a box that provides my fingers with a sensation. It feels like waking up your hands before a reading.

The cards themselves are a bit thin but very easy to shuffle. Having said that, I have bent a couple of them already so they are just a bit thinner than I would like them to be. No gilding which is ever the disappointment from Llewellyn. I don’t know why they won’t add gilding to their decks but I hope they consider it at some point—sooner rather than later.

Finally, you have full color inside and out of the box, a ribbon to lift out the cards and guidebook from the platform and a card holder. Now, I have mixed feelings about this card holder. I love the idea and it could be so amazing but right now, it doesn’t work—it holds the card like a limp noodle. I feel whatever was spent on it would be better served for something like gilding on the sides.

The Guidebook

The guidebook is full color with full page images of the cards. It’s quite pretty to look at but while pretty thick, it doesn’t have a lot of information. Here’s what it does have:

An introduction
Explanation of the how the interpretation works
Break down of the card suits

You don’t get any spreads or any real information on how to use the deck other than the breakdown of the card interpretation sections. There’s no information on incorporating tarot into a hedgewitchery practice or anything else. So if you’re someone who likes a really well done guidebook with lots of information, then you won’t find that here.

Each card has a few things:

Keywords for upright and reversed
One card answer (yes or no)
The border
The riding
The veil

The border is the story of the card. It's a narrative that explains more about the characters and their purpose. The riding is the card’s meaning and interpretation. That’s the section you’d probably want to read most if you’re in a rush and rather not read all three sections. Finally you have the veil which is a practice such as a spell, meditation or affirmation—that sort of thing.

I’m not sure that we need a description of the card and actually, I put a description in the upcoming Seasons of the Witch: Winter Tarot and I wish I hadn’t. Don’t get me wrong, a description is nice but if you ever wish to have a deck publish, know what you DO NOT get an unlimited amount of space to write as much as you want. You will be given a word and that goes very, very quickly. So I wish I had used that space to go more in-depth with the card meaning or offered up more practical information. And I would have preferred to have more in the front of the guidebook with the Hedgewitch Tarot than the descriptions of the image.

What do you think? Do you like having a description of the card or does it just feel like filler space?

The interpretations are quite nice though. As far as that goes, you get everything you could want. The meanings are solid so while you don’t get a lot of extras, you certainly get what you need to do a well-done reading.

Theme

The theme is Hedgewitchery as the name suggests. The author specifically states that she cannot define what it means to be a hedgewitch as no two hedgewitches are the same. But the general idea is that a hedgewitch walks the line between this world and the next, using all that is around us as doorways to spiritual communication. That means she speaks with the land, uses her hands to create with what the earth offers, and communes with the ancestors for guidance.

*With companion deck - Herbarium Oracle*

The Artwork

So you already know that I associate this deck with winter and yule but my favorite card is the ace of wands which also reminds me of winter and yule, haha. Even though it’s very tropical. To be super specific, it reminds me of Christmas in Mexico. I grew up in Southern California so trips to Mexico were quite frequent. Not to mention, I also spent summers and holidays in the Mojave Desert which has an undeniable Spanish and Native American influence seeing as these are historical native lands and this card reminds me so much of all of that.

“The practice of hedgewitchery is the constant interaction with that other world of spirit, elemental beings, and nature, which is hidden deep within the past and connects us to ancient ancestors.”

Then you have cards like the suit of pentacles which all just speak to winter which makes sense because the author specifically made this suit to represent the winter season. You can see this most clearly with the ace of pentacles which features a christmas tree. But the wands suit which is supposed to correspond to spring also reminded me of Christmas. The red and green palette feels warm and festive more so than the lushness I think of when I think of spring.

I also said this deck reminded me of ACOTAR (if ya know, you know) because of the presence of fairies sprinkled throughout the whole book. The 3 of cups cards reminded me of Calanmai specifically. In general, the artwork is quite whimsical and magical. You see stardust, flying wands, flying brooms and whimsical creatures.

Own The Hedgwitch Tarot

Reading With this Deck

I can honestly say I have not loved my readings with this deck but it's not what you think. It’s mostly because this deck is SUPER honest and challenging and in your face. I wasn’t prepared for how truthful it would be—I cannot hide from anything when I read with this deck. I can almost hear it saying “girl please, you know shit gets real when you draw from me.”

I’m not afraid of an honest read and I have many forceful decks, I just haven’t used one in a while. But I appreciate forceful decks because, sometimes you just need the cards to tell it like it is and I feel this one does exactly that. Now, before you panic, you might not have this experience. I truly believe each deck is unique and shows up as whatever you personally need. That’s why it’s so important to do deck interviews so that you can understand your personal relationship with a deck.

But if you’re curious to understand what a reading with this deck was like for me, I actually shared a bit about it on Instagram in my post about the Tower. I used this deck when pulling those cards so you can see first hand how the reading progressed.

Collective Pull

I pulled The Alchemist for you, better known as the Hierophant. This card is the counterpart to the High Priestess in the same way the Emperor is the counterpart to the Empress. Like the HP, it represents knowledge but here, its wisdom is transferred from one party to another: teacher to student, elder to youth, parent to child. This card invites you to lean into tradition but also to understand traditions will evolve. Something may work for hundreds of years and then need to adapt. You can still honor the old ways while making space for your own experience.

Above all, this card invites you to understand how your individuality fits into a bigger whole. How can you be true to yourself while still showing reverence for all that has come before you? What’s your contribution to the legacy of something bigger than yourself? And what wisdom will you pass down to others?

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

I just can’t shake the association I have with this deck to Yule and winter. Many of the cards represent other seasons but the overall color palette and general mood to me screams winter. I think it's because everything feels so dark and moody, even the brighter colors. And then the reds remind me of poinsettia’s, the greens remind me of evergreens, and the blues remind me of stormy skies. So Yule and winter it is. However, I’ve done the photos now and I have to admit, they look pretty damn fall to me now. So I’m changing my answer to fall through winter.

I chose both earth and fire for the element. It being hedgewitchery deck means its earth plain and simple. I could make the argument that it corresponds to all the elements but I see a clear connection to earth and then fire as a secondary element. Primarily because of the color palette and the overall presence of green and red.

Finally, I chose Pisces for the zodiac sign. The connection between this world and the spirit world always makes me think of Pisces being the zodiac sign that is most connected to other worlds.

Who is this deck for?

If you like fairies and earthy things then you’ll probably enjoy this deck. It’s very whimsical and fun and bright. It's the kind of deck that’s a good crowd pleaser as I’m sure many people will resonate with the style. It’s also earthy in nature so I could easily see this being an earthy witch’s sort of vibe.

And for that matter, if you are into witchery at all then I think you’ll find plenty in this card to like. It's a solid choice for everyday use or as your main tarot deck.

Deck Companion

I chose the Herbarium Oracle to go along with this deck. The overall tone and aesthetic of the deck feels similar to this one and it also reminded me of Yule, despite also having association with all of the seasons. Also the art styles feel somewhat similar. They aren’t exactly the same but they both share a folky, whimsical kind of style. And after taking the photos, they honestly feel like they could be a part of the same deck if the size of the cards weren’t so different.

You can check out my review of the Herbarium Oracle here.

Purchase the Herbarium Oracle

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