Celtic Spirit Tarot - 92 cards with Celtic symbolism and a Spirit suit
Most tarot decks stop at 78 cards. The Celtic Spirit Tarot goes to 92 by adding a fifth suit: Spirit. That suit represents the fifth point of the pentagram, the element that stands for the soul, the universe and the energy that moves through all living things. This is not a cosmetic addition. It changes how the deck reads compared to a standard Rider-Waite deck.
The deck was made by Nicola McIntosh, born in New Zealand and based in Australia. She is an artist, a practising Western and Chinese herbalist, and a Celtic shamanic practitioner of Celtic ancestry. She has previously published Plant Spirit Medicine and Celtic Cauldron with Rockpool Publishing. The illustrations are her own, drawn in ink and watercolour.
What you see on the cards
The style is simple and direct: figures and elemental deities are drawn without academic precision. Some cards are spare in composition, others are dense and detailed. The Tower is an example of the latter. The Strength card shows a Scottish thistle encircling a Scottish wildcat poised to pounce.
Look more closely and you find more. Runes and Ogham symbols (the ancient Celtic alphabet of inscriptions) are embedded in the imagery and add a layer of meaning on top of the standard Rider-Waite reading. The Seven of Wands carries the Ogham symbol for protection and defence on a rowan branch. The Ten of Swords has runes surrounding the fallen figure that translate to 'Keep Going', which is a striking reframe for one of the heavier cards in the deck.
The Spirit suit is almost entirely built from Celtic knot designs on muted light grey backgrounds. Minimal and quiet. The Lovers card is designed around the Claddagh symbol from Ireland, hands for friendship, crown for loyalty, heart for love, which adds to the traditional Rider-Waite meaning rather than replacing it.
The guidebook
The 128-page guidebook covers all 92 cards including reversed positions. Every card description, regardless of how difficult the card is, ends with a constructive note: a lesson or a way to turn the situation to your advantage. That is not standard practice in tarot guidebooks, and it shapes how this deck reads in a practical session.
About Nicola McIntosh
Nicola McIntosh grew up in New Zealand and lives in Australia. Her work sits at the intersection of herbalism, Celtic shamanism and art. She has Celtic ancestry, which grounds the content of this deck personally rather than academically. Through her website Spirit Stone she shares short courses and resources on topics including how to work with oracle cards.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 92
- Guidebook: 128 pages
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781922786326
- Publisher: Rockpool Publishing
- Publication date: 28 October 2025
- Weight: 742 g
- Dimensions: 115 x 64 x 170 mm
- Author and illustrator: Nicola McIntosh
- Illustration style: Ink and watercolour
Questions we often get
What exactly are the extra fourteen cards?
The Celtic Spirit Tarot includes a fifth suit called Spirit, symbolising the life force behind all things and the fifth point of the pentagram. The cards in this suit are designed almost entirely as Celtic knot patterns on light grey backgrounds.
What language are the cards and guidebook in?
Both the guidebook and any text on the cards are in English. No other language edition is available.
