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By: Kristoffer Hughes
Illustrated by: Erin O’Leary Brown
Publisher: Llewellyn Publishing
Number of cards: 78
Card size: 4.75 (just under) in x 2.75 in
Box size: 8.25 x 5.5 x 2 in
Guidebook pages: 312
Purchased or gifted?: Publicity copy gifted from Llewellyn Publishing

Absolute favorite card: The Mari Lwyd
My favorite cards: Ace of gifts, the List, The Magus, four of canes, nine of good cheer, Sinterklaas, the Wheel of the Year
Season: late fall, early winter
Sabbat: Yule
Sign: Cancer
Oracle Deck compliment: Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle

First Impressions: I love how cheery this deck is. It’s much more Christmas than I expected it to be and honestly I don’t mind that. While I appreciate Yule of course and make time to honor that celebration, I absolutely love Christmas and I feel like this deck has an equal mix of both celebrations. It’s really fun and perfect for this time of the year.

So let’s dive into packaging first. It’s a great box, similar to other tarot decks from Llewellyn. It has a magnetic closure and a nice deck to house the cards and the guidebook which is full color. The borders have a fun candy cane print, just like the guidebook cover. I’m pretty bummed that these cards don’t have gilding and I have found myself saying that quite a bit with Llewellyn decks. I hope they decide to add gilding at some point as I think it elevates a deck substantially.

The guidebook is pretty big, 312 pages which is a lot for a tarot guidebook. To be fair, a good chuck of those pages are just images but even that is a luxe touch. I just turned in the manuscript for my 10th oracle deck so trust me when I say, I know a thing or two about what’s an extra cost and what isn’t. Full color books cost extra so I get really excited whenever I see big juicy books like this, even if a lot of it is artwork. And Llewellyn has been pretty consistent about these beautiful books and really nice packaging. It shows a willingness by the publisher to invest in the creators and as a creator myself, I really appreciate that.

The cardstock is a little thin but it shuffles well. I know a lot of people don’t care for the thinner cards but I rather prefer it. I have some decks whose cards are so thick, I can’t shuffle them. So I’d rather have thinner cards than thick. Having said that, these are a little bit too far on the thin side so be extra careful when shuffling.

You will find a great selection of information. There are upright and reversed meanings, five spreads and some pretty handy references towards the front of the book. This deck is based on the Rider-Waite style but some of the names have been changed like the Lovers which is Mistletoe or Judgement which is renamed the List. There’s a handy reference guide which includes a keyword so you won’t have any trouble figuring out which updates correspond to the more traditional cards. The one thing I don’t care for in the guidebook is how the court cards are all bunched together in the back of the book. It’s a fairly common practice to do this but I have never enjoyed it. I prefer for them to be kept with their respective suits but that’s more a personal preference.

Purchase Yuletide Tarot

I’m pretty happy with the readings I’ve done so far but I’m using these cards for my Yule Sabbat readings so I’ll really get to know this deck in the next few weeks. I’ll be sure to update this review. But for me personally, the cards I have pulled feel very aligned with my 2024 energy. I just got a reading done by a friend of mine who more or less said exactly the same thing as the cards I’ve pulled here and AMEN to that first of all, LOL but also, the accuracy feels on point.

Sometimes I feel like tarot can be downright mean to me and I have not had that experience with this deck at all. It feels really happy. That’s why I love Hallmark movies, it’s always cheesy and works out just the way you want them too. Obviously this deck doesn’t sugarcoat anything but I have felt in this deck, the same sort of positivity I feel in a Hallmark movie. It’s the first deck I’ve ever had that feels like Christmas. I didn’t know I wanted that but I’m here for it and so glad the creators made this deck.

One of my favorite things about the deck are the images for the court cards. Each suit has the same background but with a different member of the family. For example, the suit of Candles features a cozy chair in front of the fireplace. The page is a young girl, lighting candles on the mantle while the knight is a young boy playing with a train. The queen is a woman wrapping a gift and the king is a man reading a book and smoking a pipe. It feels like a snapshot into a family’s day around the holidays. And ultimately, that’s the feeling I got when using this deck. It’s humble and hones in on the family aspect of Christmas. Yes there are pagan themes and images of gifts but really, it feels like a deck about real life—-the good and the bad. You can see what I mean with the court cards below.

Season, Sign and Sabbat

Of course the obvious connection is Yule since that’s the name and theme of the deck. It has very clear winter elements but I actually think it’s better for late fall. I would probably pull this out the day after Thanksgiving, just like I do with Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle. It’s much more Christmas than winter so for me, I would put it away when I put away my Christmas decor. I connect the deck to Cancer for the zodiac sign because Cancer rules the home and this 100% feels like a cozy home vibe. And how perfect because the Cancer full moon is always right around Christmas. It’s actually December 26th, 2023 this year.

Who is this deck for?

If you love Christmas and tarot, then this deck is for you. I’m going to pack it with my Christmas decorations and then pull it out every year, just like an ornament. It’s perfectly fine for beginners and seasoned readers alike and if you wanted to take this home with you for the holidays, I think a lot of non mystical people will actually resonate with it a little bit more than other decks. You might even convert some muggles.

Oracle Deck Companion

Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle is a natural fit for this deck. And while I may be a bit biased, I think they look gorgeous together. But they are based in the same theme so they compliment each other well. You can see how they play together in the photos below.

Any decks you’d like a review on? Have any questions about decks at all? Leave me a comment and stay tuned for more reviews.