• Author: Suki Ferguson (Suki Ferguson)
• Artist: Ana Novaes (Ana Novaes)
• Publisher: Blue Angel (Blue Angel | The Symbolic Tarot)
• Publication Date: May 2026
• RRP: US $32.95 / UK £25.00
• ISBN-13: 978-0738784724
• Reviewered by: Cadence (IG: @temperanceandtruth)
   

The Symbolic Tarot is an upcoming deck by UK-based author, Suki Ferguson, and artist, Ana Novaes. This is their second collaboration following the popular Nova Witch Tarot.  Ana Novaes has illustrated many recent decks, including: Feminine Myths Oracle, The Tarot of Secrets, Soul Reflections Tarot, Soul Mirror Oracle, and others. I am a fan of Ana’s art, and I own several of the decks she has illustrated.

The Symbolic Tarot is meant to reimagine the card associations with everyday symbols. In the guidebook introduction, the author notes, “By placing symbolism at the heart of this deck, we hope to open up associative dreamscapes for you as a tarot reader”. The idea is that, by using our personal associations with symbols such as an egg (The Fool), an oyster (the Hermit), a raven (Five of Cups), or eyes (Four of Swords), we can explore how our feelings about the symbol influence our interpretation of each card.

Let’s take a closer look at card 9, The Hermit, with an oyster as a symbol. Each guidebook entry includes keywords, a full color image of the card, an overview, and the upright and reversed meanings. The keywords for the Hermit are solitude, alchemy, and self-expression.

The overview notes: “A pearl begins as a speck of grit, a grain of sand a foreign body. Only the inner workings of the oyster can transform that intrusion into something so lustrous and singular; a gleaming nacre orb that catches the light as soon as it leaves the dark. A solitary oyster protects its soft parts with a rough shell, and could be mistaken for any old rock as it performs its unwitnessed internal magic.”

The upright meaning is, “The Hermit (9) invites you to develop and choose your own forms of play, practice, ritual, and rest. Start by banishing the need to perform for others. Seek privacy and luxuriate in your solitude: Things may become more enjoyable when no one is making demands on you. Please yourself and appreciate your idiosyncrasies. If the idea of spending time alone feels desolate or unsatisfactory, pay attention to your inner world. Self-expression can help you make a pearl from any grit embedded in your spirit. Time allows new layers to accrue and grow strong. Create whatever it is that you want, and make it shine.”

The reversed meaning is, “Blocking out the world entirely can lead to atrophy – mental, physical, and spiritual. Go out, try new things, and observe different ways of being.”

[Am I the only one who didn’t know the meaning of ‘nacre’? Just in case, it is a term for mother of pearl]. It’s an interesting take on the Hermit, and I enjoy the oyster association. I can also get on board with Spent Blooms for Death, Birdcages for The Devil, and Fire for The Tower. But my question is, are we bringing anything new to the conversation by using single symbols to examine associations?

The Minor Arcana brings out of the box symbols (and animals, colors, and body parts) for associations. Take Violet for the Two of Cups, for instance. The keywords are opposition, equality, and exchange. The symbol is a figure draped in a violet cloak. The guidebook notes that the color violet is created by combining red and blue, and, “a rich fall of violet fabric envelopes this person, cloaking them with warmth, comfort, and grace as they move towards the unknown”. The upright meaning references being flexible and open to change in a partnership such that a, “beautiful new colour will emerge between you…”. I understand where the author is going with this. However, when I consider the color violet, I first think of my grandmother’s favorite flower as well as her middle name, Viola; I think of a Dr. Seuss episode my young daughter watched all the time; and I think of Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Again, I can see where she is going with this, but my associations don’t translate to the Two of Cups. Your associations will obviously differ from mine and may fall more in line with the card meaning.

Let’s try again with the Three of Pentacles pictured as Buffalo (side note: pictured are actually Bison, which live near me in Montana in the US! Buffalo refers to African Water Buffalo or Cape Buffalo, but I digress…). The keywords are collaboration, craft, and alliance. The overview notes how the buffalo/bison are united in purpose, with the upright meaning discussing how working in a team is both a bonding experience and practical. When I think of bison, I picture great herds of bison foraging in the grasslands; I think of how bison babies are the sign of Spring in my area; I think of being terrified when inadvertently running into herds of bison during hikes; and I think of all the visitors to Yellowstone that are gored by bison each summer. We can potentially tease out foraging in grasslands (eating in a large group to avoid predation) or having babies (the number three) as representative of the Three of Pentacles. But my association stops there. (Another side note: my association contradicts the overview stating that buffalo/bison are strong, gentle creatures…the strong bit is absolutely correct. But no one that knows bison would ever describe them as gentle!). The point of the deck is to use the imagery and symbols to examine or deepen our association with each card. I was unable to locate any strong associations for a number of the symbols in the deck. Again, your associations will differ from mine, and you may have a different experience.

My qualms with the deck don’t end there, I’m afraid. As I mentioned, I’m a fan of Ana Novaes’ art. When I first opened this deck, I thought that it looked so much like the Tarot of Secrets that I wondered if it was intentional. I don’t believe it is intentional, though, as the decks have different authors. While the deck concepts are certainly different, they look so much alike that I felt that it would have been better had they been intentionally-related. If, for instance, The Symbolic Tarot was transformed to The Symbolic Oracle, I think I would really enjoy the symbolism and pairing the two decks. I think I’d get a lot more out of the symbolism had it been studied as a concept on its own rather than associated with tarot cards. Those readers that like pairing tarot with tarot may really enjoy pairing the Tarot of Secrets with The Symbolic Tarot.

My biggest issue with this deck appears to be a matter of production rather than of writing or artistry. On many of the cards, the imagery is cut off. Why would the publisher do such a thing?! This is most apparent in many cards of the Pentacles suit. But also see The Chariot with a headless horse, the Knight of Swords with a cut off Air symbol, the Ten of Cups title covering the cups. I’m no graphic artist, but it seems that this is something that could have been avoided. It looks accidental and sloppy.

Okay, let’s move on to the positives (finally!). The author has a really beautiful writing voice and her tone is encouraging and kind. She is clearly knowledgeable of symbology in general and is keen to share her enthusiasm. The card stock is a nice matte and really complements the artist’s bright imagery. The cards are larger than typical tarot size but smaller than typical oracle size. The deck is fairly chunky; I can just about riffle shuffle it, but it’s not easy. The overhand shuffle works great and the cards slide easily. The two-part box is decorated inside and out, giving a luxurious feel. And it is a smaller box, which is fantastic for those who have substantial collections and/or limited space. I think Blue Angel always does a great job with boxes, card stock, and production in general. It’s just the cut-off imagery here that really brings down what is usually a strength of this publisher.

In summary, Symbolic Tarot falls short for me as a deck concept. I will be interested to see how others work with it and will remain open to discovering different ways of seeing the card concepts.

Author bios:

Suki Ferguson is a London-based writer. In addition to her two tarot decks, she authored the Young Oracle Tarot book. For more information about Suki and her work, visit: https://www.instagram.com/mirrortarot/

Ana Novaes is a Brazilian artist based in São Paulo. She creates using a mix of ink, watercolor, gouache, muralism, and digital illustration. For more information about Ana and her work, visit: https://www.instagram.com/ananovaes.art