Sandra Anne Taylor is really a master in creating decks that resonate with me, and this is another example.
This is one of the best decks I've purchased from Hay House in a long time regarding the quality of the artwork, deck design and production. It is overall a very feminine oracle, but also a very shamanic one, both very earthy and magical. Images of spirit animals, powerful feminine archetypes, natural forestry settings and Indigenous shamanic imagery blend together to perfection to bring us an oracle that will speak to people with strong feminine essence and into alternative spirituality.
THE ARTWORK
Webber's fine-art paintings for the deck are amazing. They are multilayered and richly metaphoric, exuberant but still sophisticated. The imagery has a predominance of earthy colors: ocher, golden, browns and greens that convey well the connection with Mother Earth and the world of spirit/totem animals. You could have any of the images in large format hanging from your walls. OTHER GOOD STUFF
> Although there are many oracles and decks devoted to the divine feminine, this one shines over the rest because of its mix of Gaian, Pagan, Wicca, Native-American, shamanic and reiki-like elements, which will resonate with anyone into alternative forms of spirituality and energy work.
> I love that this oracle imagery doesn't relate to Tarot major arcana as much as other oracles do. In that regard, this is not only an original deck, but also a true oracle.
> Imagery is potent enough to be used on its own in intuitive readings.
> A contemporary diversity-sensitive deck that depicts characters from several races and color skins.
> The cards stock is wonderful.
> Despite its size, the deck is not heavy or bulky.
> Very pleasurable easy shuffling.
> Great design and production from the interior of the keepsake box to the quality of the paper used to print the guidebook.
> Guidebook is wonderful. The quality of the paper is great and the texts are good. Each card meaning ends with a lovely affirmation.
OK STUFF
> No surprise, but except for the divine masculine card, all cards are feminine, so this is not a deck for men with strong masculine essence and energy.
> Cards are large-ish, so, people with small hands might find shuffling them a bit difficult.
> The card edges deteriorate easily with little shuffling.
> There is a lack of synchrony between some of the images and the meanings given to them. I'd say that the deck is 50% congruent and 50% non-congruent. In some cases, the concepts the cards relate to are difficult to convey visually. In other cases, the connection is not clear to the user even though it might have been for Taylor. Take for example cards 38 sensuality (not very sensual), 25 go with the flow (character seems concerned and apprehensive more than going with the flow), 22 Telepathy (it takes two to tango for telepathy), 49 Achievement (It looks more like power/strength) or 33 Building your World (it looks like an hermit) , just to mention some of the cards that I don't think represent well the concepts. would loved more if they had not keyword associated as they don't seem to match. For the rest, card 14 seems out of tune with the rest of the lot, and looks more like a painted photograph. It reminds me of some countryside scenes that I saw in Turkey or the Middle East years ago. Taylor says that she chose the artwork and then channeled the energies to create the deck, so the artwork wasn't specifically created for the deck, or so it seems.
> In the guidebook, I miss a reproduction of each card before each card meaning..
MIND
> The authors recommend reading the whole guidebook before using the cards.
> Order of the cards was chosen randomly and intuitively and some of them, looking very similar, were put together, even though they relate to different matters.
GOOD THINGS > Fully portable.
> Light deck.
> Perfect for small hands and for children.
> Lovely illustrations overall. The back is really pretty and doesn't give away whether the card is coming upright or reverse.
> Deck shuffles well overall.
> Very good quality full-color guidebook with good basic content. Perhaps I like the booklet more than the deck.
> Good quality printing overall
> Multilingual wording on the cards: English, Spanish, Italian, French and German.
> Compact well-thought packaging
> It makes a nice inexpensive lovely gift.
NOT SO GOOD
> Quality of cardboard is deficient.It is more thick paper than cardboard so the cards start deteriorating after a few shuffles, especially the edges.
> Because the cardboard is so thin, cards tend to stick to each other.
> I Illustrations are wonderful but have a strong child-like vibe, so it might suit children and teens but not some adults, me in this case. Also, the proportions of the the heads in those characters depicted full body aren't natural. I know this is an artistic license, but this exacerbates the child-like vibe of the deck and it's not my cup of tea. .
> No racial diversity, so that might not resonate with some people.
> Deck has a strong dominant masculine energy overall.
I've find Baron-Reid's oracles magnificent. Some of the best oracles in the market to me, due to the accuracy and depth of the answers given to my queries.
What is the Wisdom of the House of Night? It is a world between worlds, the fantasy world created by novelist P. C. Cast. The story is loosely based on the Greek myth of the Godless Nyx, the Goddess of the Night. Mother of Hypnos (Sleep), Tanathos (Death), The Oneroi (Dreams) and Erebus (Darkness) among other mythological characters. Nyx's realms are liminal, those interstitial spaces between he day and the night, waking life and dreams, the conscious and the unconscious. In short, those in which the occult dwells. It is still nothing really dark or Lovecraft-ish. The cards, on the other hand, draw on Norse runes, Tarot, Greek mythology and I-Ching elements.
GOOD
> Very original concept.
> Good quality cards. Flexible, light and glossy, the cards glide beautifully in your hands.
> Excellent quality printing.
> Wonderful atmospheric artwork. The deck has artistic harmony and
integrity, an the images seem to connect to each other well.
> I
also love that the oracle has 50 cards and not just 40.
> Silver edges.
> Good size card, not too big, not too small. Perfect for everyone's hands.
> Decent quality guidebook with a nice description of the Nyx's story on which this oracle card is based.
> Durable deck. I have had this for several years now and is still in a good condition.
> Good quality packing box.
> This is overall, one of the best decks, re quality, I own.
> Pointy square edges.
>
Some of the images and the meaning attributed to them do not match. In
my case, those are: Loyalty, Denial, Invisible, Rigid, Honesty.
Complicated, Hope, Individuality, Understanding, Confidence,
Fulfillment, and Listening.
> The cards not always respond to my queries, that's why I don't use them as often as other oracle decks.Sometimes the guidance is spot on, but others the cards have nothing to say or to advice on or, said differently, do not resonate with me. As other reviewers have commented, I might need to warm up to the deck. Sometimes decks have spoken to me at the beginning and stopped speaking to me later on, and vice versa. This might be the case with this deck.
> As the card back is glossy dark, your fingerprints will be visible right there as long as you have two eyes.
Ciro Marchetti is one of my favorite Tarot artists because he's not only a wonderful digital artist but he as a deep knowledge of the Tarot. I have several of his decks in digital app format and they are my go-to every time. I was really excited about getting this mini-deck not just because mini decks fit perfectly in my hands, but because it's a Marchetti's. Now that I have it in my hands, I have mixed feelings about it. and I wish I had ordered the full size version so I could enjoy the colours and many details of Marchetti's imagery in full.
THE GOOD
> Wonderful artwork, with amazing colorful multilayered images full of symbolism, so they are perfect for strict Tarot readings or just intuitive symbolism.Said differently, each card is a world in itself, pregnant with meaning.
> I love the way Marchetti portraits masculine and feminine energies (sexy, athletic rock-star warrior-like men, and sexy erotic dancing Venus-likes), that's personal, and not might be your case, but it's mine.
> Amazing backgrounds and details in each image. The Gilded Tarot has a strong bucolic vibe and countryside scenes and small animals are a recurrence in most images.
> Presence of characters of different ages an races, and, I'd dare to say, sexual orientation (see for example the Hanged Man and The Devil).
> Some of the imagery captures the meaning of the cards is not only explanatory and helpful for the newbie, but also absolutely artistic. Some images in this deck are among my favs in Tarot decks: The Strength, King of Cups, Nine of Pentacles, Ace of Pentacles, Two of Swords. or The Hermit, to mention some.
> Good for traveling and taking it around in your purse.
> Perfect for people with small hands.
> Lightweight deck.
> The cards shuffle wonderfully.
> Box looks flimsy, but it opens and closes well without getting damaged.
THE NOT SO GOOD
> Tiny more than mini. You'll struggle shuffling these if you have large hands, or just not small hands.
> The many details and colors of the original are lost in this mini cards.
> Printing quality is just OK, not especially neat. This is a huge problem because Marchetti's images are baroque in a way. As I've mentioned above, they are full of details, symbolic elements and this size just washes away part of the wonder that the original deck has
> Not gilded or luxurious. Why did they called gilded to start with?
> No booklet/guidebook.
> No black characters in deck. There is just a couple of mulattoes, not black people.
MIND
This is a RWS-inspired Tarot.
Nudity.
ADVICE
Get the full size version or the app format.
One of my brothers has been a Royo's fan since he was a teen, so I'm familiar with Royo's artwork, detailed imagery, style and talent. As a Tarot lover, I thought this would be a great addition to my collection, especially because mini-Tarot decks are great for my small hands and I use them all the time. Unfortunately, I'm very disappointed with this 'Tarot'.
GOOD
> Great deck for intuitive readings relating to relationships and erotic themes.
> Really portable pocket size.
> Awesome artwork.
> A huge collection of Royo's artworks in your hands.
> Cards shuffle wonderfully.
> Booklet written in different languages is very handy and easy to understand.
> A nice collectable.
NOT SO GOOD
> Poor quality cardboard in both the cards and the packing box. Card glossy coating peels off easily if you use the deck often, and is specially noticeable as the card are in dark colours.
> Poor printing definition. Really, this tiny deck doesn't make a favour to the artwork or those who want to enjoy it,
> The images in this Tarot weren't created for the Tarot or having the Tarot in mind, I would say, some of them spanning 20 years back in time, and are still hanging at my brother's bedroom. The printing house made Royo's early artwork fit in within the Tarot cards as best as possible, sometimes successfully, sometimes really badly. Take for example the Star card. I think the image on this card is not befitting at all, but the one used for the Hermit would have been perfect as reflects traditional iconography of The Star .The same can be said of so many other cards in this deck.
MIND
> More tiny than mini.
> Nudity, Gothic and adult themes.
> Perfect for Royo's fans, not as much for Tarot fans.
I
didn't know anything about this deck when I first picked it up, a decade ago. I just
liked the deck cover image. Talk about intuition! However, it has become of one of my
favourite and most reliable decks. This is one of my top 3 oracle decks, and that's basically based on the connection that I have with these cards, the way my energy connects with them, and the fact that the deck seems to respond to my queries quite accurately and quite on point.
I find amazing the way that the cards seem to reflect my mood, what is
happening in my life, what is coming next, and are able to give me
advice on pressing matters. This is what any oracle deck should be
doing, right?, but not many do.
This is a deck perfect for intuitive readings as the deck is not overtly focused on any specific energy (for ex. matters of the heart or career matters) just general life energies.
I've been using
this deck for about a decade, and I've recently bought a new hard copy
of the deck. I alternate use between the app version and the hard copy.
THE CONCEPT
The oracle is inspired, as others by Colette, on both the tarot, I-chin, and Norse culture. The deck was created as a companion to the book The Map, but it can be used without having to check the book out. That's my case and it has always worked for me. The texts are great, very much in tune with the magic realms or whatever you want to call that something that is nothing but compasses everything.
THE ARTWORK
The production design and artwork are excellent and, despite the decade it has elapsed since first came out to the market, the artwork feels modern and fresh. Colouring is excellent but the original edition of the deck was more chic.
The digital collages and illustrations by Jean Dellagrottaglia are colourful, whimsical and full of magic. They don't have that cheap-photoshop-pastiche feeling that puts me off with so many other decks. This deck is truly stylish and gorgeous.
CHANGES IN THE ORACLE
The edition I'm now reviewing is different from the one I first bought and the app that replicates it. The cards meaning marquee and the number have different style and lettering and the cards have no marquee. The old ones had an elegant golden marquee, and the meaning was inside a golden scroll marquee. So, the current edition is less polished and enchanted than the original.
Besides, three cards imagery has changed: 33, 36 and 52. Card 33 has a very similar scene but the jumping character is a black girl, and card 52 has also a totally different image with a black woman. Both changes are very much of my liking and reflect racial diversity. Besides, card 36 Commitment, which had a more romantic image in the original, has now a more neutral imagery in this deck edition.
THE DECK QUALITY
This is one of the old Hay House productions and you can see the difference in care and quality with HH current decks. This deck is just fabulous:
> Glossy flexible good quality cardboard that is light, so the deck is not heavy or bulky.
> Easy pleasurable deck to shuffle.
> Good quality box packing.
> The guidebook is printed on decent paper and has decent content re the concept behind the deck, how to use the cards, and upright and reverse card meanings.
DOWNSIDE
> Cards are on the large side and you might struggle shuffling them if you have small hands.
> This deck is less enchanted in design production than the original edition.
I am in love with this tiny-winy Tarot deck. I am in love with this tiny-winy Tarot deck. Although this is a Rider-Waite-Smith deck in essence, the illustration style is more of my liking. This deck has the warmth, playfulness and joi de vivre that the RWS lacks. Unlike the RWS, this deck has a more modern vibe, is more naturalistic, and the characters are more real, sensual and less rigid, sad and introspective. Like a more extroverted RWS.
AWESOME
> Great quality paper semigloss paper.
> Easy to carry around. Real pocket size.
> Easy pleasurable shuffling.
> Great quality detailed printing.
> Neutral back that doesn't give away whether the card drawn is upright or reversed.
> Perfect for children.
DOWNSIDES
> This is a tiny deck. Mini would be a bit larger. I have very small hands, and this is still small. If you have big hands, you might have problems shuffling and handling this deck.
> The cards material is slightly rigid or not flexible enough.
> No guidebook.
> Basic packaging.
> A bit pricey for what it is.
Great quality deck overall: good sturdy packaging box, excellent printing quality, wonderfully edited guidebook and good quality deck. The cards have the perfect thickness and coating, which makes shuffling a very pleasurable experience.
The artwork is beautiful. I especially like the back of the cards, which is also the cover of the booklet. Some of the images in the deck are just wonderful. Taken individually all the images are great and a piece of art. However, as a tarot ensemble, the deck feels monotonous and, for the most part, uninspired.
This is a Gaian deck, so I expected the feminine energies and the female characters to be relevant, but they're overwhelmingly dominant. The same can be seen of the green hues.
One of the things that put me off is the fact that many of the images on the deck and the meaning attributed to them have no relation or connection, which is a total disappointment.
I ended returning the deck, not only because of what I said, but because of the odd sizing of the cards, which are on the wide and large size, as I was having trouble shuffling them.
GOOD
> Stunning deck and concept. Beforehand, I thought that it would be difficult to convey the usual Tarot suits and characters in an animal Tarot, but the authors and illustrator had done a stupendous job at capturing and putting together the essence of each card and the animal qualities that could be associated to them.
> The design and artwork are fantastic.
> Great quality card printing.
> The card back is absolutely gorgeous, especially if you're a cat lover.
> The cards have the meaning summary at the bottom of the card, which makes it perfect to use them without having to consult the guidebook.
> This deck is not as heavy as other Hay House decks and the glossy coating makes handling and shuffling very pleasurable and easy.
> The packaging is really good, with a sturdy box that will keep the cards safe. Besides, it's really beautiful inside and out.
> What I like the most about this deck is that can be used as a tarot deck (following the arcana and suits structure) as an intuitive oracle (free association of feelings and thoughts to the animals/ scenes on display) or a as channelled message (by reading the meanings displayed at the bottom of each card) depending on what you want.
DECK STRUCTURE
> Major arcana have some adaptations, which I find good and true to the Rider-White major arcana: 5 Unity (the hierophant), 12 Awakening (the hanged man), 13 Release (death), 14 Balance (temperance), 15 Ego (devil), 16 Life experience (the tower), and 20 Renewal (judgement). > The deck suits are the four seasons, each of them coloured with a different identifying colour that refers to the four elements. Spring is dark read (wands, fire). Summer is light blue (cups, water). Autumn is dark green (coins, earth) and Winter is dark blue (swords, air). > Court characters are prince/ss instead of page/s.
SO-SO
> Bulky deck.
> The images on each card not always connect well with the meaning written in them.
> The back illustration gives away whether the card is coming upright or reverse.
> The cards are on the large side and not easy to shuffle if you have small hands.
> The cardboard is a bit stiff and the coating seems to peel off quite easily.
> As per the photo uploaded the card back has a pixel dot that appears on all cards. Not sure whether is a printing issue or a pre-production issue.
> Guidebook printing quality and paper are average.
> Choosing a cat as the representation of The Devil is an insult to cat lovers. Just saying!
> It would have made more sense to me if the Summer/water deck had just fish and or water animals, the Autumn/earth, just earthy underground animals, the Winter/air suit just birds, and the Spring/fire just grassy animals. I would have used big archetypal animals for the major arcana.
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