Wheel of the Year Tarot - Rider-Waite symbolism with seasonal timing
Most tarot decks deal with archetypes and life phases. This one does that too, but adds a layer: when something happens in the year. The Wheel of the Year Tarot links the 78 cards to the seasons and the eight Pagan festivals, so you can interpret a reading not just as 'what', but also as 'in which phase of a cycle'.
The foundation is Rider-Waite. The symbolism stays recognisable: Swords, Wands, Cups and Pentacles, the same visual language in the Major Arcana. But each season gets its own atmosphere. Spring is beginning and growth, summer is bloom and action, autumn is harvest and release, winter is rest and introspection.
What you see on the cards
Antonella Platano works in watercolour. Her style is warm and clear, with plenty of light. The colours are saturated but not garish. Green dominates in spring, gold and orange in autumn, white and blue in winter.
The figures on the cards are expressively drawn. Gestures and facial expressions are clear, which makes the deck accessible for beginners. Platano shows the emotion in the card, not just the symbol.
Nature symbolism is everywhere. Flowers, leaves, branches, snow. The seasons are not decoration, they are part of the meaning. The Star in winter feels different from the Star in summer, even though it is the same card.
How you use this deck
Because the cards are divided across the seasons, you can use them to indicate timing in a reading. Do you draw a spring card? Then it is about something that is beginning or just sprouting. An autumn card points to completion or harvest. It does not always work literally, but it gives a direction.
The deck also lends itself to rituals around the equinoxes and solstices. Many people use it for a wheel-of-the-year spread: eight cards for the eight festivals, to see which themes will be at play in the coming months.
Draw a card at each seasonal shift and place it in a fixed spot. After a year you have four cards that together form a cycle.
Who this deck works for
This deck is designed for people who work with the natural cycles and who want to use Rider-Waite symbolism without handling a strictly traditional deck. The watercolour style makes it softer than a classic RWS deck, which some readers experience as calmer.
Beginners can work with this deck. The images are clear and the guidebook explains the basic meanings. Advanced readers can use the seasonal layer to incorporate timing and phase into their readings.
About Maria Caratti and Antonella Platano
Maria Caratti wrote the texts and developed the concept. Her focus is on the Pagan festivals and the symbolism of growth, bloom, decline and rest.
Antonella Platano has been illustrating tarot decks for Lo Scarabeo for years. Her work is known for the expressive characters and the detailed natural elements. She paints in watercolour and lets light and colour determine the mood of a card.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78 (Major and Minor Arcana)
- Card dimensions: 66 × 120 mm
- Cardstock: sturdy, glossy finish
- Guidebook: multilingual (English, Spanish, French, Italian, German)
- Author: Maria Caratti
- Illustrator: Antonella Platano
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- ISBN: 9780738729565
- Weight: 230 g
Questions we often get
Are the cards themselves also divided by season, or just the symbolism?
The symbolism is linked to the seasons. The cards are not physically grouped into four stacks, but each card carries the atmosphere of a particular season in the imagery and colour.
Do I need to know the Pagan festivals to use this deck?
No. The guidebook explains the basic meanings as with any Rider-Waite deck. You can include the seasonal layer if you want to, but it is not a requirement.
