The Magna Bloom Tarot Deck by Acabra Nova first caught my attention back in February 2026. This one stood out immediately for its soft watercolor aesthetic and its promise to blend traditional Rider–Waite symbolism with a gentler, more healing visual language.

At the same time, it came with a layer of hesitation—mainly because it’s an AI-assisted deck. AI-assisted decks and all the debate around them lately—I wanted to try this one for research purposes.

Unboxing & Flipthrough

My First Impressions

After debating for a while, I finally picked it up so I could actually explore what AI-assisted and AI-generated decks are all about, especially with the ongoing debate surrounding them.

Right away, I’ll be honest—it felt a little off, even though the visuals are undeniably stunning (and I already have a soft spot for watercolor decks). It’s not something I can point to immediately in terms of a specific flaw. The artwork is clean, the anatomy is correct, and nothing looks obviously “wrong.”

But there’s this subtle distance when you first handle it—like the deck is visually beautiful, yet slightly harder to emotionally connect with at first glance. It’s almost as if you can sense the layered process behind it: part digital, part human refinement.

That said, it’s not a dealbreaker—it just made me more aware of how much intention and human touch matter in tarot, beyond just aesthetics.

Intention Behind the Deck

The idea behind Magna Bloom is rooted in a very personal and emotional origin story. Lisa, an Australian designer with a background in fashion and creative direction, has spent much of her career working in fast-paced, high-pressure creative environments. Among all her roles, however, the one she values most is being an aunt to her niece, Aurelia.

Over the years, their relationship quietly became part of the creative foundation for this deck. From birthday traditions—like Lisa handcrafting one-of-a-kind dresses for Aurelia—to simple, shared moments of drawing and sketching together, there’s a clear thread of gentleness and care that runs through the concept. These small, everyday interactions eventually became the emotional seed for the project.

The idea for the deck itself emerged from a mix of tarot practice and a conversation about how rare it had become to see truly refreshing visual styles in tarot imagery. That thought reconnected Lisa to Aurelia’s watercolor drawings and sparked a desire to create something that felt soft, healing, and emotionally accessible.

From there, the vision took shape: a tarot deck built on watercolor transparency, subtle medieval fantasy elements, and touches of Japanese illustration influence, all grounded in the traditional Rider–Waite–Smith structure. The goal wasn’t to reinvent tarot, but to reframe its visual language into something gentler and more restorative.

To achieve that, the process reportedly began with AI-generated drafts, which were then heavily reworked and refined by hand—many cards being redrawn and adjusted extensively. This blend of digital starting points and manual reconstruction reflects the broader intention of the deck: to merge modern tools with human refinement in service of a softer, more intentional aesthetic. Click here for behind-the-scenes.

The Artwork

This is where the deck really wins people over.

The visuals are stunning—soft watercolor textures, delicate color transitions, and a dreamlike atmosphere that never becomes muddy or overworked. There’s a calmness to the palette that makes readings feel less intense and more reflective.

And importantly:
No extra limbs. No warped anatomy. No weird AI artifacts.

That alone sets it apart from a lot of AI-assisted decks currently flooding the market. Everything feels deliberate, balanced, and readable. The symbolism stays clear without being rigid, which is not easy to achieve when blending traditional tarot with a softer aesthetic.

That said, one small drawback is the numbering at the top of each card—it’s not as visible or easy to read at a glance, which can be slightly frustrating, especially during quicker readings or when you rely on clear indexing.

The two bonus cards are a bit of an enigma. There’s no guidance about them in the Kickstarter campaign or the guidebook, so it really comes down to personal choice whether you include them in your readings. Their imagery is open to interpretation—one could be seen as resembling a divine figure with a child, while the other might evoke something like a tree of life—but nothing is clearly defined, which leaves their meaning entirely up to the reader.

Box, Card Size and Finish

The physical quality lives up to the Kickstarter expectations.

Box: Book-style with magnetic closure and spot gilding
Card Stock: 350g coated paper
Finish: Matte varnish with a smooth, slightly velvety feel

The matte finish works especially well with the watercolor art—it keeps everything soft and reduces glare, which enhances the overall reading experience. The cards also fan very satisfyingly, spreading smoothly without sticking

Guidebook

The included guidebook is a little white book (LWB), so it’s fairly minimal.

It provides clear, Rider–Waite-based meanings and is easy to follow, especially for beginners. However, more experienced readers might find it lacking depth or nuance. It supports the deck, but it doesn’t expand on it in a major way.

How the Deck Works

Because it follows the Rider–Waite system, the deck is easy to pick up and read right away. The symbolism is recognizable, so you’re not spending time decoding unfamiliar imagery.

That said, the experience feels a bit more visual than intuitive. While the meanings are there, the connection doesn’t always come through as strongly as you might expect. The softness of the artwork tends to smooth over the emotional edges of the cards, which can make readings feel more distant than immersive. It works best when you already know the meanings and can project onto the imagery, rather than relying on the deck to speak loudly on its own.

Reading Style & Themes

This deck leans heavily into:

✔ Gentle readings
✔ Soft, introspective energy

However, it can struggle with:

• Strong, direct messaging
• Deep emotional impact
• Highly intuitive or visceral readings

Because of that, it’s better suited for lighter daily pulls or journaling rather than readings where you want a strong, immediate connection or a clear, striking message.

Who It’s For

This deck works best for people who:

✔ Love soft, watercolor aesthetics
✔ Are open to AI-assisted art 

My Honest Thoughts

While I really do love the soft watercolor theme, the overall experience feels a little disappointing. The biggest issue for me is the lack of connection—it looks beautiful, but it doesn’t fully click.

Part of that comes down to cohesion. The title Magna Bloom suggests something lush, unified, and thematically strong, but the execution feels split. The box design and the card back design, while both floral, don’t quite match in tone or style—they feel like two different interpretations rather than one cohesive vision.

Another thing that holds it back is the guidebook. It’s pretty minimal and feels like a missed opportunity. She mentions in the Kickstarter that she’s been a longtime tarot enthusiast, which makes it even more surprising. I would’ve really liked to see her personal take on each card—how she reads them based on her own experience, or even some behind-the-scenes insight into her process while creating the deck.

I also wish the origin story had been included, because that context adds a lot of meaning. From the Kickstarter campaign, the story behind it is quite personal—her relationship with her niece, Aurelia, those quiet creative moments, and the intention to create something soft and healing through watercolor. There’s also the process of starting with AI drafts and then redrawing most of the deck by hand, which shows a level of effort that isn’t immediately obvious when just using the cards.

Going into it, that story made me hopeful. It framed the deck as something thoughtful and emotionally driven. But in practice, that depth doesn’t fully translate—it ends up feeling a bit flat compared to the intention behind it.

It’s also worth noting that there were two Kickstarter campaigns: the first focused more on the original concept and story, while the second presents it as a collaboration with Vermilion Collection. That shift adds another layer of disconnect, where the identity of the deck feels slightly blurred between personal passion project and polished collaboration.

That being said, you can absolutely still use the deck because it follows the Rider–Waite–Smith structure and symbolism, so it reads clearly and functions well on a practical level. But if you’re someone who relies heavily on feeling a strong connection to your cards, this one may come across as a bit flat and emotionally distant.

Overall, Magna Bloom isn’t a bad deck—it’s visually beautiful—but it doesn’t quite come together in a way that feels emotionally or artistically unified.

Where to Find the Deck & Creator Info

✦ Deck Creator: Acabra Nova 

✦ Publisher: Kickstarter

✦ Publication Date: February 2026

✦ Where to Get the Deck: Kickstarter (Original) | Kickstarter (Vermillion Collection)