Deck Review: The Mike Willcox Tarot & Oracle

This week I’ve been doing my deep dive into the latest edition to my Tarot collection, the Mike Willcox Tarot & Oracle. I don’t, as a rule, normally buy oracle decks (I’ve only got one other in my whole collection, plus one on my wishlist) or ‘Majors Only’ Tarot decks, as I just don’t use them. I try and force myself to ask two questions before buying a deck: is it useful? And: is it functional? (As well as: will buying it necessitate you feeding your children cold baked beans ’til payday?) And I only go ahead if I get two for two! (Or rather, three for three – I swear I do proritise my skin babies over my card babies!) So I made an exception here purely because the art is so damn beautiful, and, let me tell you, the art doesn’t disappoint. I mean, look:

As well as the deck itself, the box also contains a gorgeous, hardback guide, that’s immaculated presented throughout and gives you dedicated notes pages to jot down your own thoughts on each card, which is a nice touch. Like the cards themseves, the book is an Art-Deco-Great-Gatsby-Wet-Dream, and I love it.

The deck itself comes in a simple tuck box that does feel a bit flimsy and lightweight compared to the lux finish of the rest of the kit, but is very attractively designed. Card stock is lush – slimline and easy to shuffle, but not slippery nor delicate – with gold glit edging. It definitely feels like the cards will stand the test of time, even if they get regular use. The card backs are one of the things that sold this deck to me – they really are strikingly illustrated.

Right, now the important stuff – the cards themselves! The artwork is beautiful and evocative, and while the overall theme is fairly RWS-esque, there’s lots of the artist’s unique twists in here too. The Empress reaching for her ‘crown’ of stars, the golden thunderous energy of the Chariot, the secret universe tucked away inside the Hermit’s robes. The deceptively simple embrace of the Lovers, Temperance’s cool beauty, and the quirky, almost coquettish, Moon are other highlights for me.

The Oracle cards are very cool concepts, and the art seamlessly mirrors the style used for the Majors. My particular favourites are The Three Doorways (never stick, always twist, lol), The Hurricane (‘I stand strong in the winds of adversity‘,) The Fountain (just because it’s so beautiful), The Garden (‘I grow up and lift up all areas of my life’), The Tree (‘I am grounded and rooted in strength and love‘), and Picies (because fish are awesome).

And finally, here’s my favourite card in the whole deck, The Star. A bit of a cliché (who doesn’t love The Star?) But this is a particuarly uplifting version of her, pouring out her hope and comfort from both hands and heart.

No deck interview with this deck, as I’d need to work a lot harder on how to integrate the oracle and zodiac signs into my understanding, and a Majors only deck interview feels a bit… intense.

So, in conclusion: will I work with this deck? Probably not. Do I regret getting it, then? No, it’s like owning a beautiful piece of artwork. I will defintiely flick through it and let it spark joy! Obviously Tarot decks are very personal things, but I really can’t picture this being a ‘workhorse’ deck for anyone. It’s too niche, too fiddly to get out, and too expensive for that. But if you’re into the aesthetics of Tarot, or enjoy having a really beautiful collection, it’s definitely a worthwhile addition.