Seasons of the Witch: Winter Tarot - Rider-Waite-Smith retold through winter
Most tarot decks treat the season as irrelevant. This one does the opposite: every one of its 78 cards is deliberately shaped by winter, with Yule and Imbolc as its two central reference points. That is not merely a visual choice - it affects the tone and direction of every reading you do with it.
Seasons of the Witch: Winter Tarot is the first in a new series covering all four seasons. The full Rider-Waite-Smith structure - 22 major arcana, 56 minor arcana - is preserved, but the imagery has been entirely reworked: festive maidens, frost-covered creatures and ceremonial winter tools replace the standard scenes. The series began as a bestselling oracle line and now expands into tarot territory.
What the cards look like
The visual atmosphere is wintry and ceremonial: icy potions, ritual objects and snow-white figures that evoke the quiet of the coldest months. Running through the deck are the sabbats - the seasonal celebrations in the witchcraft and pagan tradition - with Yule (winter solstice) and Imbolc (the first turn toward spring) given particular weight. The 208-page guidebook suggests the publisher has gone well beyond standard card meanings, connecting each card to the winter cycle in detail.
Who will get the most out of this deck
This is not an entry-level deck for someone picking up tarot for the first time. The Rider-Waite-Smith foundation makes it immediately usable for anyone already familiar with that system. The sabbat layer - Yule, Imbolc, the rhythms of the dark season - makes it most rewarding for readers who already work with the wheel of the year, or who want to bring that framework into their practice.
It also works well as a dedicated winter deck: something you return to specifically during the darker months when themes of rest, withdrawal and reflection feel timely rather than abstract.
The Rider-Waite-Smith structure is not just dressed in winter clothing here - the seasonal themes actively colour the classical card meanings throughout the deck.
Specifications
- Publisher: Rockpool Publishing
- ISBN: 9781923208339
- Number of cards: 78
- Guidebook: 208 pages
- Weight: 626 g
- Dimensions: 115 x 54 x 170 mm
- System: Rider-Waite-Smith
- Language: English
Questions we often get
Can I use this deck outside of the winter months?
That depends on how you work with tarot. The imagery and themes are strongly tied to winter. You can choose to read with it year-round and let the seasonal tone sit in the background, or use it specifically during the winter months when the themes feel most immediate. Neither approach is wrong - it comes down to how you prefer to work.
Do I need to know about Yule or Imbolc to use this deck?
The 208-page guidebook explains the connection between the cards and the winter sabbats. No prior knowledge is required. That said, readers with no interest in seasonal ritual will find the deck's specific angle less relevant to them - the sabbat framework is central, not incidental.
