Deck Review: Celtic Astrology Oracle Cards

Luna Weatherstone and Antonella Castelli, Celtic Astrology Oracle Cards. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2021. ISBN: 9780738769606  (Link to Llewellyn, US distributor.)

Genre: oracle card decks

Subgenre: Celtic, nature

Format: kit with 26-card deck and small companion book

Source: I own this one 

Rowan the Thinker-2 card

This deck kit includes 26 cards and a small companion book. Typical of Lo Scarabeo companion books, the text is in multiple languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. The book has 128 pages; the English text has 31 pages. The last seven pages of the book are left blank for "personal notes." 

The book briefly discusses Celtic spirituality and culture. Astrology here is defined a bit differently: 

"We refer to Celtic 'astrology' because in our culture that word means a system of finding our personal place in the universe; the destiny that was bestowed on the day of our birth. But the system of 'astrology' is not determined by the stars-- it is earth-based, rooted, alive and breathing" (5-6).

So the book presents an earth-based system. The rest of the book contains the following: 

• A table for card birth dates and correspondences between the plant and animal cards. 
• Ways to use the cards. Five suggestions for using the cards. 
• The Plant Cards. A short introduction paragraph followed by the card meanings. Each card entry lists the animal ally, season, and keywords. It then offers a paragraph of interpretation. 
• The Animal Cards. Entries list the plant ally card. Rest of entry content is the same as in the plant cards. The animal card entries add a short paragraph explaining how the allied cards work together, for example Horse and Holly. 

Cat-2 card

The book is not illustrated. The text is very easy to read. You get the minimal basics here. If you want to learn more about the lore described, you will need to do some research to supplement your reading. The card entries provide just enough to interpret and study the cards. The book does not include any references. Book overall is light and a short read. Lacks substance; you get just enough to do the job.

The card art is very nice featuring paintings in full color. If you like nature themed decks, you might like this deck. The art does capture the Celtic theme well. The cards have an ornate border. You can use these cards for divination or meditation. For me, they work well to do a daily or weekly card draw message. If you match oracle cards with Tarot cards, this deck can work well with Celtic-themed decks. I was using it with the Robin Wood Tarot. You could also use it with some nature themed decks.  

The cards measure about 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The card stock feels a bit flexible. The cards have a soft gloss finish that makes them easy to shuffle. The card back design has a nice Celtic tree design in blue; it is not reversible. At 26 cards, the deck may feel small for some readers. It worked well for me. This is a deck that is as basic as it gets. Not substantial but nice. I like it overall, but it may be optional for other readers. 

3 out of 5 stars. 

This kit qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenges: