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Venelestis Caelestis Botanical Oracle is the original deck I envisioned when I first began thinking about creating my own oracle.
That vision has changed over the years as the deck took shape and my own perspective crystallized, but what has remained true is that this deck features 49 plants that have traditionally been used in natural and plant magic across Medieval and especially Renaissance Europe, a time when planetary dignities and correspondences were considered a matter of science.
While no correspondences are included, this deck is an invitation to explore magical herbalism and the use of plants and plant allies as helpers on your magical journey.
Where Medicatrix invites exploration of the medicinal properties of herbs, Caelestis, meaning “heavenly,” beckons you to view plants and fungi as intermediaries between the above and the below.
Card Specifications
- Deck of 56 cards (with possibility of future expansions)
- Full color front and back, rounded corners
- Size: 62mm x 112mm
- Paper: thick card stock, matte finish
- Comes in a soft tuck box
For more ideas and tips on how to use your Venelestis decks, see the Curate page.
The deck will not come with a LWB or an explanation pamphlet, it is meant to work with the readers intuition and using available herbal resources.
The plants and mushrooms featured in this deck are:
- Calendula officinalis - Calendula / Pot marigold
- Rosa canina - Dog rose
- Saxifraga paniculata - Alpine saxifrage
- Dictamnus albus - Dittany
- Ipomoea tricolor - Morning glory
- Papaver somniferum - Poppy
- Bryophyta - Moss
- Amanita muscaria - Fly agaric
- Verbena officinalis - Vervain
- Salvia sclarea - Clary sage
- Salvia officinalis - Garden sage
- Epilobium angustifolium - Fireweed
- Iris germanica - Iris
- Artemisia absinthium - Wormwood
- Artemisia vulgaris - Mugwort
- Neoboletus luridiformis - Scarletina bolete
- Bellis annua - Daisy
- Fragaria vesca - Wild strawberry
- Sambucus nigra - Elder
- Rubus idaeus - Raspberry
- Geranium macrorrhizum - Zdravetz
- Nelumbo nucifera - Lotus
- Viola odorata - Violet
- Guepinia helvelloides - Apricot jelly
- Helianthus annuus - Sunflower
- Crocus sativus - Saffron
- Hypericum perforatum - St. John's wort
- Angelica archangelica - Angelica
- Acorus calamus - Sweet flag
- Nymphaea caerulea - Blue waterlily
- Solidago virgaurea - Goldenrod
- Psilocybe cubensis - Magic mushroom / Gold cap
- Cannabis sativa - Hemp
- Geranium robertianum - Herb Robert
- Allium schoenoprasum - Chives
- Silybum marianum - Milk thistle
- Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan
- Allium ursinum - Wild garlic
- Chelidonium majus - Celandine
- Cordyceps militaris - Cordyceps
- Borago officinalis - Borage
- Theobroma cacao - Cocoa
- Ficus carica - Fig
- Verbascum thapsus - Mullein
- Magnolia grandiflora - Magnolia
- Vinca major - Periwinkle
- Trifolium pratense - Clover
- Tuber aestivum - Truffle
- Hyoscyamus niger - Henbane
- Digitalis purpurea - Foxglove
- Aconitum napellus - Monkshood
- Polygonatum odoratum - Solomon's seal
- Galanthus nivalis - Snowdrop
- Convallaria majalis - Lily of the valley
- Mandragora officinarum - Mandrake
- Amanita phalloides - Deathcap
Venelestis Caelestis Botanical Oracle Deck • Magical plants
Venelestis Botanical Oracle Decks are tools for divination through relationship.
They are designed for people who don’t want meanings handed to them, but who want to build a personal symbolic language through attention, observation, and repeated encounters. Rather than fixed interpretations, the cards invite you into an ongoing conversation with plants as living presences, shaped by your experiences, questions, memories, and environment.
These decks are for diviners, herbalists, occult practitioners, artists, researchers, and curious minds who trust that meaning emerges through practice, not instruction. They work equally well for beginners and experienced readers, because the system grows with you.
What makes these decks differentBotany as a shared language: Each card carries the internationally recognized Latin name of the plant. This grounds the deck in a neutral, cross-cultural reference point, not a predefined esoteric system, allowing meaning to arise through your own research and lived experiences.
Illustrations meant to be recognized: The artwork is inspired by traditional botanical illustration, prioritizing clarity and recognizability over abstraction. These are plants you can learn to notice in the world, not just symbols on paper.
Curated, not coded: Each deck contains 56 cards: 49 core species and 7 companion cards. They are not arranged into archetypes or hierarchies. Patterns, themes, and relationships emerge through use, and through the way you choose to work with them.
Crafted with care: Printed on FSC-certified matte cardstock and produced locally in the Czech Republic, each deck reflects an intentional approach to material quality, sustainability, and longevity.
Reviews
My review is based off of the notion that I am learning more about plants as I use the deck. I like how the creator encourages intuitive use of the decks with little research on the plants so that an individual can connect with each plant, personally. Therefore, if I don't get enough information off of the Latin name and wonderful illustrations, then I do a quick search. It helps to find common/folk names of the plants. I also will consider fundamental info and connect further with the plants but keep extra description to a minimum. Also, the Caelestis and Visionaria decks complement each other perfectly, adding layers of depth and connection.
The illustrations are beautiful and foster an empathetic connection to each plant. The cards are awesome for shuffling, sturdy enough for longevity, and pop out fluidly. Just awesome! :)
Easily the best Botanical Oracles I've come across. I love the inclusion of the scientific names. The cardstock is flexible without warping too early. The matte texture is just glossy enough still that the decks don't need card powder to shuffle beautifully- but just textured enough to get a wonderful grip on the cards. They're also the perfect size if you have small hands like I do. And there's so many cards to choose from! I really enjoyed the process of curating my own deck.
This new updated edition is amazing! Absolutely love the art.
The Venelestis Botanical Oracle Deck has beautiful drawings on quality paper that is very nice to look at, hold, and use. (Maybe it is just me, but also like the smell of these cards.)
This is my tool now to learn more about botanics. I have been using herbs as long as I can remember, and now I would like to learn more about the different aspects of them, and have a closer connection to the plants that can be found where I live.
The creator of the deck, Mariana, encourages us to use the cards intuitively and this is what I did. It was very interesting to draw cards, read about them and the messages I receive.
I recommend this deck for anyone who is interested in botanics, in intuitive rituals and learning, and in unique art that stands out in the digital ocean of AI generated visual content.
I own the four decks created by Venelestis and I absolutely love them! As a medical herbalist who is also a botany nerd, I particularly appreciate the accuracy of the drawings. I’m also very happy to find plants in this deck that are not often featured in plants themed oracles!