Top 10 Independent Decks 2020

I'm not the first person to say that 2020 has been a strange year. Now that it's coming to an end and bringing with it the potential for things to get better in 2021, I thought it would be good to look back and see what new decks came into my library and which were my favourites. This isn't just decks that were published in 2020, although a lot were, I picked up a few that had been released in previous years. So without further ado, in true Top of the Pops reverse order countdown tradition, here's my favourite Tarot purchases in 2020. 

10. Lili Black Tarot

I got the Lili White Tarot around Christmas-time 2019 and loved it so much. I panicked that Brexit would happen when the government said it would (Jan 31st, what a fool) so I quickly ordered the Lili Black Tarot early in January 2020, just in case there was any difficulty getting it in from France. I'm glad I have both as the images in the cards are more than just positive and negative. 

Lili Black by Celia Melesville

9. Dame Darcy Mermaid Tarot

Dame Darcy Mermaid Tarot

I went through a mermaid phase at the start of this year and picked up a few themed decks. This deck, although clearly mermaid themed, has quite a diverse feel. It almost has more in common with the Numinous Tarot than it does with Llewelyn's Mermaid Tarot. It's a quality feel and a hand drawn story with a muted colour scheme. Beautiful. 

8. The Mythical Creatures Tarot

This is a pip deck with the most lavish of illustrated pips. The great quality is the same as all the other Baba Studio decks but unfortunately when my deck arrived it was missing the 2 of Wands. The folks at Baba studio's quickly sent the missing card but I lost that time of bonding with my new deck at the start so the Mythical Creatures and I haven't quite made the connection I thought we would. Maybe in time. 

The Mythical Creatures Tarot by Baba Studios

7. Black Line Tarot

Black Line Tarot by Agni Prasada Burning

I recently reviewed this deck on the site and mentioned that I don't know why I backed it on Kickstarter when I don't like black and white decks. The thing that stands out with this pagan-feeling deck is that when you use it for a card of the day and leave the card sitting out to view, it really does show up well even from across a room. It just shows that you don't need multi-colours to get noticed. A powerful deck. 

6. Cosmic Cycles Tarot

So back to full-colour images and this deck took a bit of time to arrive from  a somewhat troubled Kickstarter campaign. I had been in two minds about the cartoon-style artwork but the cute, bright look belies the real strength with this deck and that is that it gives great readings. 

Cosmic Cycles Tarot by Martina Razo and Miriam E. G.

5. Fifth Spirit Tarot

Fifth Spirit Tarot by Charlie Claire Burgess

I swithered on backing this deck. I already have the Numinous, do I really need another 'diverse' deck? Well, I guess all decks should be as diverse as they can be so should that even be a 'thing' now? Shouldn't a deck be known for something else. I haven't had this deck for long so I'll do a full review soon but if I was to compare to anything I'd say this reminds me of the Way Home Tarot in it's quality and feel. 

4. Oak, Ash and Thorn Tarot

I didn't back this deck. I don't know why so I picked it up as soon as it was available on the Three Trees Tarot website. It's full of bunnies, squirrels and other cute woodland creatures and the artwork is beautiful. Definitely cute but not too sickly sweet. This deck has a strong environmentally friendly story that is a great example to other creators from the ink to the packaging choices. Great quality. 

Oak, Ash and Thorn Tarot by Stephanie Burrows and Adam Oehlers

3. The Brady Tarot

The Brady Tarot by Emi Brady

This is the second edition, new and improved. The stunning linocut artwork remains but with minimal borders and more fitting packaging. There's a quality guidebook and a beautiful feel to these cards (similar to the Dame Darcy deck). This is one I'll have to spend time with but I love the animals and keywords and colours. 

2. The Botan Tarot

This missed out on the top spot by the tiniest of margins. It's a beautiful deck with exquisite art work and the most fabulous quality. Everything about this deck is fabulous from the colours to the mixture of animals, spaces and humans inhabiting the cards. The Botan Tarot has so much symbolism to explore. The really special thing you'll find is that when you get this deck in your hands, it makes the most pleasing whispering sound when you shuffle. A delight. 

The Botan Tarot by A.Myyako.M

1. The Way of the Panda Mini

The Way of the Panda Mini by Kimberly M. Tsan and illustrated by Celia Libelle

Drum roll. Ta da! Well who else could it be. The Way of the Panda arrived in mini form this year and it was always destined for the top spot. The box is pink! It's easy to handle being such a convenient size. The quality is just as fabulous as the full size. The Pandas are as cute, or even cuter (is that possible?) now they're smaller. It had to go some to beat the Botan Tarot but it's pandas all the way down here at Larch Tarot, they had to be our Number 1! 

So that's it for our Top 10, I hope you enjoyed it. These are of course all independently produced decks. I originally wanted to do a Top 5 but there were too many decks to give credit to this year and that shows how independently produced Tarot decks are more than just bits of paper and card. They are filled with positive intentions and their beautiful stories elevate them to the level of prized jewels to be treasured. If you want to know more about these stunning decks, drop me a comment below or on insta. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!