Deck Review: Human Spirit Oracle

Jenna Dellagrottaglia and Laurence Toner, Human Spirit Oracle: Learning to Reconnect. NSW, Australia: Rockpool Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922785176. 

Genre: oracle decks 

Subgenre: spirituality 

Format: Kit with small paperback book and deck.

Source: I own this one. 

 

This kit includes a paperback companion book and a 44-card deck. The deck's theme is "about what we all universally experience as humans, and reminds us that we are all connected" (from back of box description). The cards art drew me to this deck, and it has become a favorite. Jena Dellagrottaglia is listed as author and artist, so that drew me to the deck too. She has done artwork on some of Colette Baron-Reid's decks. However, inside the book, on the next to last page mentions Laurence Toner as author; it seems he wrote some or all of the text. This is not fully clear. 

The book is 104 pages long and is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. Describes the deck's concept. 
• How to use the cards. Brief instruction on how you can use the cards. Instruction is open-ended. Note this deck can be read reversed. Upright and reversed meanings are provided. Section also includes instruction to do a one-card pull and two additional card spreads. 
• The cards. Each entry includes a color card image, card number and title, upright and reverse meanings. Each entry is two pages long. 
• About the creators. 
• Acknowledgements. 

Book pages are in color, and it is a nice book with various small illustrations throughout. It is a very easy read. Card messages are mostly positive and uplifting, but they also look at darker moments in life. If you need messages to comfort you a bit and live within the human condition, this book and deck are a good option. There are some humorous cards and moments too. 

The card art blends collage with a surrealist style and feel. Art is colorful and expressive with good attention to detail. Cards can work well for intuitive readers. I find I can read them intuitively. I still read the book, and I'd read the entries after my initial reading reading of the cards. I usually rotate decks every month. I kept this one in rotation for two months. I'll probably take it to my work office to use in my small altar for a while.  

The cards measure about 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The card back is in green with a circular Celtic style circle. Card back is reversible. The cards have a bright green gilded edge, which is a nice touch. 

Overall I really like this deck, and it is now a favorite for me. For me it works well for my path with the Cosmic Joker. I love the art, and I find it easy to use. I do recommend it. 

5 out of 5 stars.  

Kit qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge: 

 

Deck Review: Magicians, Martyrs, and Madmen Tarot

Travis McHenry, Magicians, Martyrs, and Madmen Tarot. NSW, Australia: 2023. ISBN: 9781922785848. (Link to publisher.) 

Genre: Tarot deck

Subgenre: historical figures

Format: 80-card deck with small companion book

Source: I own this one. Found it for a good at Half Price Books.  

 

Death-XIII, featuring Jack the Ripper 

I first used this deck in September 2025. This is one of the most unique and interesting decks I have used so far. This deck features witches, magicians, martyrs, saints, prophets, and other mad and even evil individuals. These figures allow us to see Tarot in new and intriguing ways. 

The kit includes a small companion book and an 80-card deck. The deck features three Lovers-VI cards: M+F, F+F, and M+M. You could choose which one to use based on preference, or like me just leave all three cards in the deck when you use the deck. The companion book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. The author describes the deck's concept. He describes some of the research he did on the persons featured in the deck.
• How to use the cards. This includes two card spreads you can try out. 
• Major Arcana. The entries include a small color image of the card, a biography paragraph, and another paragraph of card interpretation. Both paragraphs then give you an overall picture of the person and how they exemplify their Tarot card. 
• Minor Arcana. The entries are pretty much the same as the Major Arcana. The entries here are organized by suits: cups, pentacles, swords, and wands. 
• Short notes about the author and illustrator. 
• The book also includes a few lined pages in the back for writing notes. 

This is a companion book that is interesting to read. I usually try starting to read companion books prior to using a deck. I was drawn in to learning about the various persons. Some I knew about. Many others were new to me. I enjoyed reading their stories and how they connect to Tarot. The entries are well written and easy to read. 

Do you need to read the book to use the deck? I would say yes. While some intuitives could pick up and read the cards, knowing the persons is part of the card reading process. The cards will make more sense if you know who the persons are. I read it, and it was helpful. 

Hierophant-V featuring Tomas de Torquemada  

The cards feature art in classical painting style, mostly realistic. Some of these images could be hanging in a museum. The cards are colorful and very expressive. Do not some of the images can be very intense and violent. If violence and some graphic actions are an issue for you, then skip this deck. Otherwise, I found this to be a good, expressive, and reliable reader. I found the cards easy to read, and the information about the persons enhanced the readings. 

This is a deck I could have included in my list of Tarot decks for the Hard Times. This is not a light and happy deck. While it can deliver positive messages, this deck does not hold back. It is a hard hitting deck. 

For some, this may be a good deck for shadow work and other dark magic. I can see some folks, me included, using this deck for spell work. This is not a deck to use in public readings unless you know the client well enough or maybe during Halloween season. It may be a better deck for individual work. If you feature its cards on social media,  you may need to use a content warning (CW) label for some cards to appease the prudes that run social media or to just warn some viewers. Some of the art may recall Rider Waite Smith (RWS) system, but overall this deck is not within RWS. 

The cards measure 4 3/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches. Card stock is a bit thick, which adds a bit of weight to the deck. The deck has a very soft gloss, and it shuffles with ease. The cards have a light golden gilded edge, a nice detail. Card back art is reversible; the sigil on the back is briefly explained in the book.  

Overall, I love this deck, and I am glad to have it on my collection. I find it to be unique and interesting, and it is one I would buy a backup copy. It is one I recommend, especially if you want something different than the usual. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

 

This deck kit qualifies for the following 2025 reading challenge: 

 

Deck Review: Dark Magick Oracle

Fiona Horne and Jes Abella, Dark Magick Oracle: Reveal the light within. Summer Hill, NSW Australia: Rockpool Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922579386.

Genre: oracle decks

Subgenre: shadow work, dark

Format: Hard box with guidebook and card deck

Source: I own this one.

I first used this deck in March 2025. The deck kit includes a guidebook and the 36-card deck. This is a deck that "addresses the darker aspects of our lives: the difficult emotions, the less-popular choices" (from the back cover description). 

I picked this one up at Half Price Books; they've been stocking Rockpool Publishing decks recently, often at very affordable prices. 

The small softcover companion book is 156 pages. It is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. The author introduces the deck's concept. The author states this is a shadow deck and a deck for inner child work. (Naturally, you can use it however you wish.)
• How to use this deck. Here we find advice on using the deck and suggested spreads. 
• The Cards. These are the card entries. Each entry includes card name, number, keyword, message. You get interpretation (a short essay), shadow work (instructions to do the shadow work with the card), and some suggestions for daily practice. Each entry is about 4 pages in length, and it also includes a small color image of the card. 

The book is relatively easy to read. Some of the ideas and activities suggested for shadow work and daily practices can be a bit complex; they may require materials for spell work, so on. Depending on what items you may already have or not, there may be additional costs involved. For me, the card messages and interpretations were the most useful part of the book. 

The art for me is great with some surrealist elements. The art is colorful, and it does lean strongly into darkness. Each card is a work of art that works well for daily draws and meditation. These are cards you can spend time just looking at them. I feel they can work well for intuitive readers. Can you read and use the cards without the book? I usually suggest reading the book, but intuitive readers can possibly skip the book if they so desire. Overall, I find the art beautiful, dark, and interesting. 

The cards measure about 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The card edges are gilded, which is a nice touch. The card art is borderless. The cards have a soft gloss finish; they shuffle with ease. The card back art features a pentacle. It is not reversible. 

Overall, I really like the deck. For me, so far works best for single draws, meditation, and small spreads. If you want a dark oracle deck, this may work for you. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

This kit qualifies for the following 2025 Reading Challenge: 

Deck Review: Queen of the Moon Oracle

Stacey Demarco and Kinga Britschgi, Queen of the Moon Oracle: Guidance Through Lunar and Seasonal Energies. Australia: Rockpool Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 978-1-925682-58-8. (publisher link)

Genre: oracle cards

Subgenre: moon/lunar

Format: kit with small companion book and 44 cards

Source: I own this one. Bought at Half Price Books for a nice price. 

Card 16 Full Moon: Power

I first used this deck in September 2024. The kit includes a small companion book and the 44-card deck. The book is arranged as follows: 

• Preface. This is a bit of an author statement where they recall their experiences and fascination with the Moon. They express their hope "that you will experience the positive power of the moon just as I have" (2).
• Introduction. A bit here on Moon lore and why people find it so interesting and influential. You also get a summary of the moon phases and their influences as well as good times to do certain magics with the moon. 
• How to use the cards. You get some brief guidance on using the cards. You also get 5 card spreads you can try out plus instructions for a deck dedication ritual. 
• Card entries. To with most witchcraft traditions where the lunar cycle starts on the Dark Moon (the Void), the entries in the book start with the Dark Moon-1 card and then the remaining 43 cards. Each card entry includes card title, message and interpretation, a brief affirmation, and note of a companion stone or metal. The entries also include a small color image of the cards. 

The book is informative and concise. Introductory material is basic. The spreads are nice; one of them is a big one using 31 cards, so you may need a bit of space to work it. The card entries give you enough information about the card with emphasis on the interpretation and message. Messages give the reader ways to grow, develop, and work with themselves and the moon. Some good message for meditation in the entries. If you want more depth on moon magic, rituals, etc., you may want a supplemental text, but for the basics and things like meditation and card spreads, you get enough in the book.

Card 23 Last Quarter Moon: Gratitude

Kinga Brischgi does the deck's art. Their art combines a bit of fantasy, surrealism, and magical realism. The art is colorful and detailed, and the figures are expressive. This is the kind of art you can look at and lose yourself in seeing all the details. These are good cards for meditation. For me, they work well for daily and weekly draws. I can see using them also as clarifier cards with a Tarot deck. As the author suggests, you can also use them for divination. 

The cards have a glossy finish, so they can be a little sticky when shuffling. Cards measure about 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The art is borderless. The card back is nice, showing the moon phases; it is not reversible. 

Overall, I really like this deck. It feels like a good deck to use in the dark times of the year. You can certainly use it year round, especially when you want to work with the moon. I would also say if you like Stacey DeMarco's decks, you might like this one. On a final note, it turns out the author and artist also have a Queen of the Sun Oracle deck. Based on this one, I will be seeking out the sun deck. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

 

 

This kit qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenges: 

Deck Review: Mystical Healing Reading Cards

Inna Segal and Jake Baddeley, Mystical Healing Reading Cards. New South Wales, Australia: Rockpool Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781925924183.  (link to publisher)

Genre: oracle cards

Subgenre: mysticism, healing, art

Format: 36-card deck and companion book

Source: I own this one. Bought at Half Price Books.

Temper Your Criticism-33 card

This kit includes the 36-card deck and a small companion book. The kit comes in a nice box with a magnetic closure. 

The 88-page book is illustrated in full color. It is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. Here the author describes the deck's concept. It provides some questions you can ask as you use the deck. The author states "this is a deck for someone who is tired of skimming the surface and who is ready to find a more meaningful way to live" (2). 
• How to use the cards. You get instructions for one card and three or four card readings. You also get two spreads you can try. You even get a suggestion for using a pendulum with the cards. 
• Card entries. Each entry features a full color reproduction of a card. The entry text has card number, card title, and a message. Then you get the interpretation and an action. The action gives you a reflection, a question, or some other action prompt. The actions are relatively easy to do. 

The book is basic and pretty good. The entries are the heart of the book. The interpretations are detailed. You get some description of card symbols and some interpretation. Could  you read the cards without the book? Possibly, especially if you read intuitively. I read the book, and I suggest you do so as well. A good reason to read the book is the actions, which give you ideas and prompts to work more with the cards. It is a very well written book, and it is easy to read. 

The cards are great with beautiful art. The art blends a bit of historical art, mystical imagery, and a bit of surreal. It is very expressive and imaginative. The art draws you in. I really like the art, and I enjoy just looking at it. It is good art if you like using your cards for meditation. The cards have a bit of a classical look that can work with other decks. I feel it can work well with steampunk and/or art nouveau style decks.  

The cards measure about 5 1/2 inches by 3 3/4 inches. The card stock is good. The deck has a soft gloss coating, and the cards slide relatively easy. At 36 cards, the deck is not heavy in your hands, and you feel you get enough cards to work. The art has a thin border, but it adds to the classical look. The card back art is not reversible, but that Renaissance style notebook design is great for this deck. 

Overall, I really liked this deck. I liked the art right away, and as I used it I liked it more. I feel you can use the deck on its own, and it works well with various Tarot decks. This is one I would use again, and I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars. 

This deck and book kit qualify for the following 2024 Reading Challenges: