- Author: Emma Howard
- Art by: Claire Ruby
- Published by: Sacred Scribe Publishing
- First published: USA, 2026
- RRP: US $29.99
- ISBN: 979-89-90956-07-0
- Reviewed by: May M.F. Swann
The author Emma Howard describes a Tarocle as a unique combination of tarot and oracle messages in one deck. Each card contains both elements, allowing the reader to choose whether they feel guided to read one, the other, or both, with the intention of bringing deeper insight into the reading. The guidebook also suggests incorporating numerology as a further element when interpreting the cards.
Structurally, the deck is broadly based on the Rider-Waite-Smith system, keeping the familiar Major Arcana and the suits of Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The cards are clearly titled, although the Oz imagery sometimes leads the reader away from the standard RWS scene and asks for a more interpretive approach.
However, there may be a point where the number of available meanings can encourage a less experienced reader to pick the interpretation that best suits them, rather than dealing with the cards they are dealt. Because of this, I would suggest before a reading choosing either the tarot or oracle meanings. Once the reader becomes more familiar with the deck, combining both systems, and even adding numerology into the interpretation, may become more natural and useful.
The guidebook includes a seven-card deck interview spread, which I used to get a better sense of how the cards read in practice. The questions focus more on the individual reader’s experience with this deck rather than on the deck describing itself, so I have read the results in a more general way. Readers new to this deck may find it useful to do this spread for themselves, as their own answers may vary depending on how they choose to work with the Tarocle system.
“How will this deck support my readings?” – The World.
Dorothy is reunited with her family in Kansas, a faithful use of The World as completion and return. I read it as the deck supporting readings by opening up the possibilities within them and helping the reader reach a fuller understanding of the message. The oracle “Prioritize yourself” sits less obviously with the image, since Dorothy spends her journey helping others, but read as the moment after the journey it suggests she finally turns back to her own needs. In that sense the deck seems especially suited to self-reflection and personal readings.
“What unique perspective does the deck offer?” – Judgment.
Dorothy’s house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East. The link to Judgment only clicked once the guidebook shifted the focus from Dorothy to the Munchkins being freed. Beyond liberation and rising into new life, the deck offers a shift in perspective, breaking from fixed meanings to give alternatives. The oracle “The path takes a turn” connects easily, and suggests the deck’s perspective comes from the way it redirects a reading, adding another route into the card’s meaning.
“How will using Tarocle messages guide me to my inner truth?” – Seven of Pentacles.
Dorothy waits under the lunch-pail tree, which makes waiting for the harvest very literal while keeping the card’s patience, effort and reward. The tarot message suggests the deck may help the reader recognise what they are already working towards, staying with the process long enough to understand what is slowly growing. The oracle “There are surprises abound” fits too: the harvest is not the surprise, but its form is. In this position the Tarocle message guides the reader by taking the card somewhere unexpected, which would not have happened with the tarot meaning alone.
“What enlightenment will the Oracle advice bring me?” – Knight of Cups, the Shaggy Man.
His philosophy of love, kindness and rejection of possessions fits the emotional, idealistic side of the card, though he lacks the movement a Knight usually carries. The tarot meaning suggests the deck may bring insight through feeling rather than practical concern, along with a range of options that could confuse readers unused to following their feelings. The oracle “Be realistic” reads as a reminder to weigh what each meaning offers. The enlightenment may come from taking a more realistic look at the card and letting both messages inform the reading, rather than using one to avoid the other.
“How can Tarot messages support my learning journey?” – The Lovers.
The Scarecrow stands with Scraps the Patchwork Girl beside a signpost, carrying choice, connection and consequence. I always find it limiting when The Lovers is narrowed to romance; for me it is more about agency, the soul choosing its own path. So I read the tarot messages as giving the reader more agency, helping them understand how their choices affect not only themselves but those around them. The oracle “Self-love is just as important” fits in principle, though the image does not quite carry it. Here it makes sense: if the tarot supports the learning journey through choice and agency, self-love becomes part of how the reader learns to show up for themselves.
“What will the deck reveal about overcoming challenges?” – Five of Wands.
Angry trees hurl apples at Dorothy and her companions. It is perhaps a little strong, since the Five of Wands is usually tension rather than outright attack, but in Oz it works. The deck would help the reader see challenges as a natural part of life rather than as something that has gone wrong. The oracle “I will not be reactive!” fits beautifully, the trees literally reacting, and suggests the deck may help the reader see the lesson behind the struggle, as well as ways of overcoming it that are not immediately obvious.
“How will this deck transform my spiritual practice?” – Five of Pentacles.
The China Milkmaid stands with her porcelain cow, a recognisable reading, though I am not sure she is the strongest fit: repaired yet visibly cracked speaks more to resilience and the marks of experience than to the card’s usual loss. The deck may highlight what is missing, showing the reader the parts of their spiritual practice that need more attention, or revealing ways of working that feel out of reach. The oracle “All is not lost” fits the porcelain more naturally, and gives a slightly different answer: the deck may transform a practice by highlighting what should be valued from past experience and brought forward.
Reading the deck is easy enough for anyone familiar with RWS meanings. The oracle message is printed so prominently that it is usually the first thing a reader sees when a card is drawn, which is bound to steer the reading. Using both messages adds a layer, though not always more depth: rather than one answer the reader gets two to reconcile. They do not seem to contradict each other, so I would not call it a problem, but tarot tends to carry more depth than the oracle line, and there may be times the two do not sit as neatly together. Only time with the deck would tell. Even so, if you want a Tarocle deck, this one does it well, setting both messages side by side with imagery that often supports each at once.
I really like the guidebook: the same size as the deck, fitting neatly in the box, compact but informative. The reversals page is printed upside down, a simple and rather cute touch, and a faint colour wash echoing the purple, green and yellow of the card backs ties it to the deck without making the pages hard to read. It describes every card, each with an image or, for the Major Arcana, the scene depicted, and I liked that the tarot entry explains both the meaning and the Oz character, which helps when the link is not obvious. The short Tarocle line closing each entry works as advice for a daily draw. Practical, charming and easy to use.
The artwork has a soft watercolour style that suits the whimsical nature of Oz, with gentle, often very pretty colours. The line work is more uneven: the slightly naïve style gives the animal cards charm, but some human figures come out awkward in proportion and expression. This may be deliberate, nodding to the deck’s roots in children’s literature, but it leaves the deck looking inconsistent, some cards more appealing than others.
The deck is mostly based on Baum’s Oz novels, drawing on the MGM film only occasionally, as with Dorothy and Toto. Figures like the Wicked Witch and the Lion stay closer to the books; the Lion is an actual lion rather than a man in costume, which keeps the deck rooted in the literary Oz. It is not particularly inclusive, though that follows from the source: Oz is being represented through the novels, and the deck makes little effort to widen representation beyond them.
The cards are thick with gold-foiled edges, a little stiff to shuffle but not prone to bending, with a pleasant velvety finish and reversible backs. Production quality is good and sturdy. The two-piece box is slightly thicker than most, which suits the card thickness and guidebook size, and carries a nice illustration on both the base and the underside of the lid.
On the whole, this is a well thought out deck, but not a first one. It asks the reader to juggle tarot meanings, oracle messages, Oz symbolism and possibly numerology all at once, so a beginner cannot simply pick it up the way they would a standard RWS deck. If you already read tarot and want something different, though, it is lovely, especially for Oz lovers. As the interview suggested, it suits personal practice first, getting familiar with the Tarocle structure and how the two messages work together, rather than reading for others straight away, and it will appeal to anyone who already enjoys combining tarot and oracle. It does not feel like a fan deck with characters loosely dropped onto cards; the links between tarot, oracle and Oz are usually well judged. Knowledge of the novels makes a real difference, though, and without it some of the depth is lost. If you enjoy the Oz universe, this Tarocle deck would be a lovely addition to a collection.
Creator Bios:
Emma Howard is a spiritual practitioner and author focused on healing, self-discovery and transformation. Her earlier Sacred Scribe titles include Seasons of Tarot, a guided journal of sixty-six spreads and daily affirmations, and Shadows of Tarot, a shadow-work spread journal. The Tarocle of Oz is her first tarot deck.
Illustrator Claire Ruby brings over twenty years of practice and is a tarot reader herself; a lifelong doodler, she works as a nurse specialist and lives in Devon, and this is her first published deck.
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