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Tarot and Divination Reviews
More reviews on other topics…
Tarot & DivinationLS Tarots of the Origins This deck started speaking to me before I even got it out of its packaging. I could hear a deep male voice speaking in an ancient voice telling me that a journey was about to begin. I had no idea how true these words were! I took my new treasure, snuck into my room, closed the door and opened my ‘Tarot of the Origins’. I slowly looked at each card, one by one, allowing the enormity and depth of each drawing to imprint itself into my very being. I felt like a Magickal rite was taking place....I could feel my breath, I was almost hypersensitive as I soaked up these intricate works of art. After I went through all 78 cards, I began to shuffle the deck. As I did this I read through the meanings that came in the LWB. I liked the short explanations that were given....just enough for direction but not a spoon-fed definition. The cards began to jump out of the deck. I gently placed them into the monolithic circle with a man in the center as recommended in the LWB. I was not surprised to see the depth and piercing accuracy of the layout. They spoke truth, honesty and with such ‘pull back the curtains and see the light’ clarity. Then I picked up the cards and shuffled again. This time allowing the cards to jump out and placing them in my usual layout, the ‘tree of life’. Again, no surprise when the accuracy was chilling. The honesty of these cards and a pleasant perk. I love it when a deck doesn’t let you bull sh** your way through the reading. Pulling your face up to the mirror and forcing you to look at the truth is refreshing. I love these cards. Using these cards when true clarity is needed in a situation is a perfect venue for this deck. I would not recommend them to someone who wants to mold cards to read as they wish because these cards don’t work in that way. The images on the cards are a little disturbing when you first look at them, but after a quick read of the LWB, any fear is dissipated and replaced with respect. At first I was afraid that the lack of a multitude of colour would be limiting and I was very pleased to find that it isn’t. The drawings create the depth that many other decks use colour to achieve. I love the artwork on these cards. Specifically, my top 13 favorites are (sorry couldn’t get it down to ten): Major Arcanas - 0 - The Fool, I - The Magickian, V - The Shaman, IX - The Hermit, XIV - The Source. Souls - 2 - 3 - 4 - and 14. Jewels - 3 - 13. Nature - 10. Blood - 6 - 10. My least favorite card is Blood - 12 - I don’t like the eyes of the bear although I understand that the ‘desire to do’ is in both the hunter and the hunted! I love the way the faces in this deck are all so varied and different. No two are the same and they all speak something different to the querent. The recommendation that I would like to make to everyone is, - Please take the time to experience this deck. Don’t just look at the images and decide that some of them are too dark, or the 4 colours are too narrow to give any true depth to your readings. I believe that you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was that these are cards are very perceptive and deep.......even without all the colours of the rainbow to assist them. After working with these cards for a couple of months now I must add.......this deck just keeps getting better with every layout that I throw. What a wonderful surprise this deck has turned out to be! Very accurate too. The only drawback for some readers may be that you really would need to memorize the meanings for these cards. The pictures don't always provide the meaning but for me, I have no problem using this deck for myself, when I need to remove my own prejudices in a personal situation and be able to see with clarity and equanimity, that situation - this is definitely the deck that I will be reaching for! I use the handy LWB to provide the clarity that I need in these situations. blessed be.
Robin Wood Tarot My 15 year old daughter originally ordered this deck to review it but she was very uncomfortable with the nudity on 4 of the major arcanas. 6 - Lovers, 15 - The Devil, 17 - The Star, and 20 - Judgement. She found that 21 - The World didn’t bother her as much because of the cloth wrap the woman is wearing. This is definitely an issue, especially, the nudity in 6 - The Lovers card....since I assume that this deck is meant to reach out to beginners of all ages. I realize that some people may say, “well, they’ve got to learn about it sometime” but my daughter, although she is very knowledgeable about sexuality, is not sexually active and is very uncomfortable with this card. Now, on to my review. I find this deck to be a very good beginners deck. The images are very easy to interpret and to understand. The court cards are, by far, THE best court cards I have ever seen on a tarot deck! I love the wands and their fiery suits! I tried the 15 card spread that Robin suggests and I love it! I only ever use the tree of life and I am definitely using this layout too from now on. When I did this spread it showed me that my fears are totally my own, there is no basis for them, and so they were much easier to give up. (all the other cards were wonderful and the only negative cards were in the first 3) - that was my first experience with this layout. Since then I have been using this deck and it's 15 card layout with all my clients. I have found that this layout is not only a favorite of mine, but also of my clients. Personally, I don’t do a card of the day, so instead I did a reading with this deck every couple of days to get a good feel for it. The cards just spoke more and more with every layout. I teach tarot and have always recommended Morgan-Greer to my students as a first deck, but now, I will be recommending Robin’s deck as well. The more I use this deck the more that I am falling in love with it. I always liked the simpleness of the Morgan Greer with learning to read…..but Robin's deck is even easier to interpret. I am very impressed with her deck! Excellent deck. I would give it 5 stars out of 5. (with a caution for younger students) Reviewed by: Runic Palmistry I have to start off this review by saying that Jon is an excellent teacher. I dislike books when I have to read and re-read sections over and over again to try to get what the author is trying to say. I never had to do this once with this book. The first night I sat down with it, I couldn’t put it down. I was so facinated with his process of palmistry. I appreciate that he had titled almost all of his sections with a title explaining what was in it for future reference. Between that and my trusty highlighter I am set for future practice, practice, practice! I have figured out almost all of my family members and they very much resemble the readings I’ve done. The only part of the hand that I’m still unsure about is the Hel and the Void. I can see the void, but I can’t seem to find Hel. Hopefully with practice this will change but they both seem to be in the same spot! Which they are, but I can’t seem to figure out how to seperate them. I had trouble reading my husband’s palm but Jon’s story about his experience on page 50-51 really helped me understand why I couldn’t read my hubby's palm. I feel that he is not living up to his potential of who he is, and after looking at his palm, I feel that he needs a creative outlet! When I mentioned this to him, he agreed, saying that perhaps it will assist him in finding a peaceful place, a centered place for himself. I loved every part of this book until the end. When I FINALLY got to the part about the runes on your palm.......Jon stopped adding pictures of all the runes on the palm. I couldn’t find any of the major runes on my palm but once I saw them in his drawings, I found them easily. Not including any of the minors in pictures was a great disappointment to me. Until that moment in the book, I was completely in love with this book. I realize that he couldn’t add every location of the minors in a diagram, but adding an example of each would have been wonderful. I highly recommend this book. Reviewed by, Shapeshifter Tarot
Deck and Book There are three main themes in this visually lovely deck. The public theme is that of the shamanic practice of shapeshifting. The authors present this in a way that gradually draws you into their world view and seduces your imagination. They start with the thought that shapeshifting is a holistic view of the earth and its inhabitants. They draw the users into animals, birds, sea creatures and even vegetation and the stones themselves. After presenting examples of how you could experience what it means to be an otter, an owl, a whale, and to feelings of oneness with water and the earth itself, they then gently introduce of the idea of shapeshifting as a form of reality. The cards do not represent a mere clever artistic device. They are founded on the second theme, the pantheon of Irish/Celtic Gods, Goddesses and that way of reading life on many levels. This background holds the deck’s images together and gives it a real strength and coherence. I found myself being drawn more and more into the stories in words and images. The power of the ideas belies the watercolour loveliness of the images on the cards. The third main theme is the cycle of life and death, of past life and future life, of rebirth and past and future knowing. The flowing of the forms is a mirror of the flowing of time and the changes. This third theme strongly underlies the new layouts that were designed for this pack. The layouts do not need to be read in this way, and I found them striking and very revealing. The Standing Stones layout most clearly draws on this world view, and the others also act to draw you forward and back to see where your present is flowing from and towards. From a practical point of view, the cards are easy to shuffle, not always true of Tarot decks, and they were the right size for my hands. I tend to prefer Swords to be associated with Air, but having read the book and used the deck, this does not give any difficulties. The explanation of the Sword/Fire union works well, and the suit carries the theme without any awkwardness. I found the court cards easier to use than usual. Not what you would expect from a user with no knowledge of the Celtic pantheon. The authors gave enough of their stories to fill out the ideas they represented without going overboard with details. In the court cards the ideas came together well. Adding cards without traditional tarot equivalents will generally cause some dis-ease among users. The Double, The Journey and the Dreamer didn’t resonate with me but they may with more work. 13, Rebirth, is a stunning re-interpretation of the Death card. I re-read the accompanying passages several times, and was dazzled by their vision of it. The artwork is of uniform quality, and the images are very able to draw in the eye and mind for mediation or intuition. I like the deck more and more as I use it. The book, it seems to me, is essential and I find it hard to imagine effectively using the deck without it. Overall, it is an excellent deck and book and forms a pathway to study and understanding. Reviewed by: Soul Cards I & II If you have ever had the pleasure of gazing into Deborah’s artwork - getting lost within the depths of her images - then you already own a deck (or perhaps even both) of Soul Cards I & II. If you haven’t...then please allow me to be the one to introduce you to them! Deborah creates her work using her fingertips as her brush. This extension of herself flows onto her page and actually transforms a part of her soul - or perhaps our collective soul - into colour and form. As you spend time in a quiet place falling into the simple complexity of these images you find yourself effortlessly tapping into the intuitive part of yourself. I’ve had the pleasure of owning both of these decks for years now. I combined them together to allow a larger picture to form. Rather than being restricted by a mere 60 cards (or 78 in a regular divination deck) - using these decks together gives 120 possibilities with every ‘throw’ of the cards. I find I can throw three or four layouts on top of each other and still have over 70 cards left. This allows for a flow in the reading rather than having it become disrupted by ending the layout and shuffling again to pull more cards. It also allows the conversation which is being created through the images to be endless. When I use Soul Cards I & II in a reading I get a very deep and personal introspection. When a querent is feeling lost or is unable to discover the source of their discontent or pain...this is the deck I reach for! So if you are on a journey to heal yourself, get to know yourself better, or bring clarity to your shadows...these decks really are a must have! joyfully reviewed by: Tarot Awareness When I first began reading this book I could tell that this was not going to be an easy book to review. Stephen’s words didn’t flow with understanding, instead I had to read and reread sentences. I did not enjoy this book. I have been reading the tarot for 13+ years and I chose this book to review because I am always willing to learn more. I found that his meanings were very different from mine (which does not make them wrong), and his explanations of each card were too deep without enough detail to create understanding. An example of this is the Ace of Cups. Aces represent new beginnings and since it is a cup, cups represents emotions, so the ace of cups represents a new emotional state, sometimes voluntary and sometimes forced. This basic concept isn’t even mentioned by the author which I don’t understand. I feel that this book was written for an advanced student not for a beginner. I feel that a beginner would have a difficult time understanding and learning from this book. Just reading the preface gave me the impression that this would be a book that was written with words that overwhelm the student and instead of empowering the student with knowledge, it makes the student feel “less than”. Stephen’s words do not make learning easy. I struggled through this book and attempted to find something about it that I found enlightening or useful. I found more than I had at first anticipated. The meanings, although different from mine, brought a different dimension of understanding of the cards. I didn’t agree with all of his meanings, but they gave me cause enough to pause and think about what he was saying. On page 351-352, “Other factors to consider in a reading” is an excellent and informative section. I will be able to use this information during most readings. I don’t agree with his general themes in a reading on page 352-354. I tried his spreads and found them to be layouts that I wouldn’t use again. I prefer when the author explains the placements (meaning) in greater detail than just one word. He gives more info mixed in with his examples, but they are not easy to use as a reference when you are performing the layout yourself. I normally use the Tree of Life Spread whenever I perform a reading but my meanings for the placements are very different from his. I disagree with removing a card from the deck for the Motif. If the querent doesn’t want to share his/her question with the reader, then how do they pull a motif. Also, I feel that it removes one possibility out of the “pot” and gives an unbalanced reading. In all, I found the book difficult to comprehend and I would not recommend it to others. Reviewed by: The Celtic
Dragon Tarot What a playful and ‘light’ deck this is. From the first peek I took at these cards right through the process of getting to know and work with them, I was immediately in love with this deck. The images of dragons playing, flying around, assisting the people in the cards has such a wonderful energy about it. The introduction that D.J. and Lisa each write about their process of creating this deck sounds equally fun and downright enthusiastic. If I were ever to create a deck myself, I would definitely want to have the type of experience they both had creating this one. I believe that’s part of the energy of this deck, you can actually feel the playful exhilaration they experienced! As a dragon lover, I have definitely found a deck that I will enjoy using in the future. The images speak volumes as they take you into a different reality from your own. I don’t think you have to be a dragon aficionado to resonate with this deck, but it helps! in light,
The Fairy Ring When I first opened this deck and glanced at the cards I was very disappointed. Seeing the images before me, photographs of people (or should I say Fairies and Leprechauns) and animals set on photographed backgrounds is not my usual taste in cards for the purpose of divination. But, rather than make a rash judgment and shut down the flow of this deck, I put aside my prejudices and began working with this deck. I was extremely pleased with what I began to read. Not only is the companion book (Anna Franklin) exceedingly informative but the readings themselves are eminently perceptive. The depth of the readings was so accurate that I was, at times, afraid to pull out this deck because of the uncanny precision of the cards. I became very fond of the “Fairy Gift” layout which is one of the nine layouts suggested by the creator Anna Franklin. At night, before bed, I would pull the five cards needed and with complete accuracy the cards would tell me about my ‘tomorrow’. Because I enjoy living life in the moment and not knowing what is happening next, I stopped using this deck...it was just too dead on the mark. So although this isn’t the usual look that I prefer in a deck, the information given by Anna Franklin on all forms of fairy life is a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge and the meanings ascribed to the individual cards is superb! I highly recommend this deck to anyone interested in our fairy folk. in light, The Sacred Circle Tarot; A Celtic Pagan Journey
Book and Deck Set The Sacred Circle Tarot is a deck for those looking for something different than the predominately Christian themes of most tarot decks. This lovely deck was made by combining photos and pencil drawings with computer graphics and enhancements. Actual landscapes, sacred sites and symbols from Britain and Ireland’s pagan heritage, it is the images themselves that make it such a special deck. With its labyrinths, chalk figures carved in hills, stone monuments like those at Stonehenge, themes such as initiation, rebirth, the web of life and the world tree, this deck balances realism with a touch of magic. The Sacred Circle consists of the usual four suits. Being very nature based, each suit shows a seasonal correspondence: swords as spring, wands as summer, cups as autumn and discs as winter. Each of the suits can be easily identified by the images, color of the borders and decorative cornerstones. Wands are surrounded by fire, cups by water, swords by sky, discs by foliage and the major arcana, by stone. The major’s borders are particularly attractive with natural elements coming out and in front of the border, giving the cards an added depth. Each minor arcana card has a keyword written across the top of it, giving a simplified meaning. While some newer readers may find them helpful, I find them to be limiting and hard to ignore. There are the usual 22 Major Arcana, but the sequence and titles of several of the cards have been changed, to better fit the pagan theme of the deck. Most of the meanings however, remain close to that of traditional decks. For example, The Green Man replaces The Fool and The Druid replaces the Hierophant. As the devil was not part of the Celtic pagan tradition, The Underworld replaces The Devil card. Death is by no means frightening, but is of the harvest goddess preparing to reap the last of the grain. The back is non-reversible, with the tools of the four suits on a gray stone background. The 336-page book is full sized. A paragraph on the symbolism of each card is included. This was my favorite aspect of the book as I found the history to be fascinating. Each card also has paragraphs on the standard and reversed meanings plus an additional paragraph on the Journey of the Fool. Several fairly large spreads are included. The cards themselves are packaged in an oversized, thin, white cardboard box. You will probably want to find an alternative way to keep them. Despite having keywords, this deck has really grown on me. As a pagan, I can personally relate to its themes of journeys, growth, life, death and renewal. Reviewed by, The Visconti
Tarot I expected to love this deck, and I wasn’t disappointed. It replicates what is said to be the oldest near complete tarot deck found; the Visconti Sforza circa 1450. When I opened it, I could not believe my eyes. Gold so bright, I could see my reflection in it. A.A. Atanassov has restored this deck to replicate the beauty of the original. What I mean is, the original cards were not just copied in their current faded and worn state, but done as though the cards were just made for the first time. The colors are bright, not faded. Rich browns bright greens and blues predominate. The gold, which was hot pressed here, replicates the gold leaf on the original Visconti Sforza deck. The details on these miniatures are exquisite. The shape of the cards is narrower than standard cards, adding to the elegance of the deck. The borders are black, and the name of each card is printed on the left side in five languages. The brown back of the deck is lovely as well and looks the same reversed as it does upright. This is a must have deck for the collector and lover of historic tarot. I’ve found it to be an excellent reading deck as well. As it is an earlier deck, the pips are not illustrated, making this perhaps not the best deck for a beginner reader. I was concerned that the rich gold would wear off with use, but that has not been my experience. I have used this deck for daily readings for several months, and the gold still looks as shiny as the day I took them out of their box. This is the deck I turn to when I feel I may have a problem with objectivity. Somehow it clarifies things for me…making no judgments. If I were to find fault, it would be that the gold engraving looks too mechanical, not fitting in with the hand painted figures. Four of the pip cards where printed upside down, this is only noticeable when looking at the letters on the banners and has not presented a problem for me in reading them. The real treats are the devil and tower cards. The originals were missing from the deck, so Atanassov copied the cards from a sheet of woodcuts dated around the end of the fifteenth century. The tower fills its card. With red flames and gold foil it is particularly stunning. The devil has multiple heads, ostrich like legs, bat wings and is rather frightening. This deck is a real treasure, but not one that need be stored out of reach! It can take handling. Reviewed by: The Voyager Deck I have been reading cards for over 15 years on a personal and professional basis. The Voyager deck is not only my all-time favorite deck but it’s also the most communicative deck I’ve ever used. Each card is a beautiful collage of eclectic images. Reading the reality within these collages assists my intuition in speaking with great clarity. I’ve even found images showing up in the cards, which I never noticed before, but speaks to my particular querent. It’s almost as if this deck creates itself for each individual. You would think after 15 years of using this deck, there would be no more surprises left, but this deck never ceases to amaze me. This is a glorious deck for someone who has experience with Tarot and their own intuitive abilities. Personally, I don’t recommend this deck for beginners; as each card, read intuitively, has so many possible meanings that a good solid grounding in tarot really is helpful to use this deck successfully. Although, if you prefer to use a book while learning, the one supplied by James Wanless is a great companion to his deck. James explains his cards with tremendous knowledge and depth. I use a "Tree of Life" spread and find it’s a very rewarding layout for these cards. Allowing them to speak to all aspects of your life, from the spiritual all the way down to the physical, gives you a well-rounded vision. These cards are great for 'a-card-a-day' readings and can assist you to add depth to your understanding of their many images. I recommend you spend time gazing at each collage and meditating with them before you begin using them for divination. Getting to know these cards will bring an abundance of greater awareness to your readings. The cards are large and oversized which can make it difficult to shuffle at first but don’t let that intimidate you, because this deck really is a must have for anyone who is serious about the tarot. As you can see from this review, I am a huge fan of the James Wanless, Voyager Deck. in light,
The World Spirit
Tarot As I opened the box and looked through the cards, I felt the smile on my face grow wider and wider. I felt comfortable with them immediately! This multi-cultural deck celebrates people. From a full sized empress to people wearing glasses, it even includes satyrs, mermaids and people of a Krishna blue color. A perfect melding of the past and present gives the deck a timeless feel. The deck, however, does not come off as contrived at all. Rich blues, bluish-greens and purples predominate. Glowing orange and reds, earthy yellow and browns balance and bring warmth. A liberal use of black brings out the colors. The cards are beautifully executed. They were made by linoleum block print, then hand colored. Each card took several weeks to make. The World Spirit uses standard Rider-Waite numbering and imagery in new and refreshing ways. There is non-traditional use of gender. For example, The Fool card features a woman and several cards appear to be androgynous. I especially like that The Hermit can be viewed as either a man or a woman. There is full nudity shown, of both genders. The court cards have been renamed, from the traditional decks, so as not to be hierarchical but rather to speak to different stages of development. What are traditionally Kings are called Sages, Queens are called Sibyls, Knights are the Seekers and Pages are the Seers. The minor arcana are fully illustrated, with a thin color border which is different for each suit. The names and numbers of the cards are printed along the bottom of their black border. The back is not completely reversible and features a large hourglass, with the sun and moon on opposite ends of the card. The World Spirit is a full 78-card tarot deck of excellent print quality and card stock, packaged with a 192-page booklet as a mini-kit. This is a small book and not just the typical little white pamphlet! The cards can be stored in their clamshell-style, cardboard box and together, the deck and book slide into a cardboard sleeve. I would definitely recommend this set for beginner and expert alike. The cards are easy to read, with clear meanings. I found them to be accurate, very emotive and easy to relate to. This deck’s humor and whimsy make it perfect for reading everyday. Reviewed by: Victoria Betson Walking the
Wild Spirit I have been reading the tarot for over 15 years now and I love seeing a new, different-than-the-norm deck. This deck is certainly one of them! I’ve been using this deck by allowing the pictures to speak to me, rather than focusing on the author’s meanings of the cards. The readings I have done have been wonderfully deep and accurate with details. I find that Poppy’s artwork allows for the details of a situation to be seen clearly. Her artistry is lush and her ‘characters’ are alive. Her companion book is difficult to navigate. Finding the meanings to the cards that you have laid out before you is frustrating and time consuming. Her cards aren’t numbered like other tarot decks and this book doesn’t assist the reader in finding what we are looking for. However, without the book, the deck is wonderful on it’s own. In light, Witches Runes/ Rune
Mysteries I love love love these cards. They bring me lessons with every reading that I cast. It’s never good news, always lessons....which is why I like them. I am very much into personal development and I adore having a tool to assist me in learning the lessons that the Goddess provides for me. These runes not only give me the head’s up on an upcoming lesson but they offer a wonderful way of dealing with the lesson or obstruction. Nigel Jackson is such a talented artist. His work speaks to me so deeply. I only wish that he had created something artistic for the blank rune. I had hoped for something on that rune rather than just blank white. Very disappointing. I enjoyed all of the explanations that Silver gave for each rune and even though I normally do not read reversed I understand her suggestion to give the reversed meanings a try....I did and I found that as soon as I saw a reversed card I got too upset. I tried to ‘not’ feel upset, but it didn’t work. So I made the decision to only read upright, but to also decide if I wasn’t using the energy to it’s capacity. The Magickal powers and applications were extremely interesting. I’ve never used tarot cards or runes for Magick and I must say that I found it wonderfully powerful when I cast some spells using the runes as my guide. I feel that her cautions regarding the Magickal intentions with the runes was very good advice. Many people do not understand the three-times fold philosophy and they don’t appreciate their ability to hurt others and how negative that truly is. In all, I recommend these cards to everyone I know. I feel the price that you are charging for them is fair. Thank you. In light,
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