Belinda Grace's oracle is a soulful exploration of romantic relationships that will be useful for singles or partnered people. The imagery draws on issues that affect and influence relationships for good or bad. Some of the imagery uses well-known world myths to illustrate couple dynamics and qualities of relating. This being the case, the cards can be used in counseling or therapeutic settings.
Lori Banks' artwork is just my cup of tea: colorful symbolic paintings that are pregnant with meaning and very intuitive to use. However, what makes this decks so lovely to me is not just the cute artwork, is the quality of the guidebook and the texts that accompany eachc card.
FAB QUALITY
RockPool demonstrates, once more, that other Tarot publishing houses have much to learn on how to produce affordable good-quality decks.
> Beautiful keepsake box with magnetic clip.
> The quality of the booklet is amazing. Premium glossy paper, color illustrations, good-sized lettering.
> Flexible good quality glossy cards, easy to shuffle and handle. Despite the size, the deck is light and not bulky.
> Good value for money.
ON THE FLIP SIDE
> The cards are a big too big for people with small hands.
> No ethnic or gender diversity.
> Three of the full body frontal images have wrong proportions between head and body, thus, the characters look a bit dwarfish: The Divine Masculine, Chivalry and the Sacred Woman.
Buddha Wisdom Divine Feminine: The heart of Kwan Yin Cards by Sofan Chan capture the essence of the Pranjnaparamita Sutras or Perfect of Wisdom, a text that represents the divine feminine consciousness in Buddhism. In a way, are they are the highlights of the sacred texts they come from minus the obscure language.
GOOD STUFF > Great affirmations. This is the most spiritual deck in the Rockpool small series, even more than its counterpart the Divine Masculine Deck, which is also beautiful and inspirational. > These cards will really help you to ground and center yourself and to look at the world and the people with kind eyes no matter you are religious, spiritual or have an ethical compass. Each card is an invitation to ponder and will resonate with you no matter you have a religion or not, are spiritual or not as long you have an internal moral or ethical compass. > Sofan Chan's design of the deck is beautiful, elegant and timeless. Very good lettering and contrast colors. The keepsake box colors and painting are just gorgeous> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully. > Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic lid.The box per se is just gorgeous. > Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid. > Perfect deck for people with small hands.
> Great portability.
I MISS
> There is no booklet or cards explaining a bit more about the sacred texts that inspired the deck, and why these texts are considered feminine and not masculine.
> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> The upper side of the cards has one standard image and it is not very artistic or as artistic as other decks in this Rockpool deck series. I get that the main focus is the affirmations not the artwork, but I would have loved having Chan, who's a wonderful painter, create different images for each card. The masculine deck has a nicer upper side, as well, so this one feels flat in comparison.
This is my least favorite mini deck by Rockpool Publishing. Although the quality of the product regarding quality of the packaging and cards is undeniable, the rest is a bit disappointing. Perhaps because the other Rockpool mini-decks I have are just really motivational, inspirational and intuitive, the messages in these cards feel artificial and too vague to be of any use.Perhaps fun to use at a party, not for divination readings.
GOOD STUFF
> Beautiful colorful deck.
> Perfect deck for people with small hands.
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully.
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic clasp.
> Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid.
> Great portability.
> The keepsake box is just gorgeous and eye catching.
> Beautiful printing overall.
DOWNSIDES
> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> Deficient contrast between lettering and background.
> The upper side of the cards has one standard image, so it is not very artistic or as artistic as other decks in this Rockpool deck series. I get that the main focus is the affirmations not the artwork, but I would loved having more varied Chinese imagery on each card.
> For example, one of the cards has the following message, "Opportunities, a stranger is about to change your life. Exciting times and plenty of action, plus a special family reunion looks likely". Pardon me, my family is overseas, so it is unlikely. Exciting times and plenty of action means nothing, it is too generic, so unless you mention an area of life, work, family, friends, sports etc. it means nothing.. The first item it is a proper fortune divinatory message. Other cards are equally vague and nonsensical.
> I expected the messages in the cards be really as short as the ones in fortune cookies.
> "You will be amazed by their accuracy" is just nonsense, sorry.
These cards collect the essence of the Dhammapada Sutra, a Buddhist sacred text gathering the teachings of Buddha, which were originally spoken by him during his life.
GOOD STUFF
> Great affirmations. This is the most spiritual deck in the Rockpool small series. The affirmations are reminders of what matters in life, of what's important, of universal truths that better our spirit and lighten our soul. The deck affirmations are not only motivational, but also invitations to ponder and they go well with any ethical principles in the major world religions. > Perfect deck for people with small hands.> Sofan Chan's design of the deck is both vibrant, colorful, modern and elegant. Very good lettering and contrast. Elegant modern design with great colors and contrast on the top and inner box. In a way I love that the deck is in a vibrant red color and not in a subdue color, it makes me reflect on the fact that Buddha messages are powerful, fiery and strong and not the soft pastel-colored New-Age soft dreamy version of Buddhism.> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully. > Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic lid.> Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid. > Great portability.
I MISS
> There is no booklet or cards explaining which part of Buddha/ism reflect the divine masculine and the divine feminine. Chan has another deck devoted to Buddha and the divine feminine, so I wonder what's the difference. As a non-Buddhist, my vision of Buddha is both masculine and feminine, neutral or yin-yan. I find this association/dissociation in the two decks puzzling.
> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> The upper side of the cards has one standard image, so it is not very artistic or as artistic as other decks in this Rockpool deck series. I get that the main focus is the affirmations not the artwork, but I would loved having Chan, who's a wonderful painter, create different images for each card.
GOOD STUFF
> Great affirmations that go to the point, aren't too short or too lengthy, and have substance.Due to the fact that doors are the main theme, the deck as a 'transitional' vibe and messages. > Very small deck, so it's perfect for people with small hands.
> Beautiful real-life photography of unique doors from around the world.
> Elegant design of the back,on the affirmations side, in white-marble and gold colors.
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully.
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic lid.
> Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid. > Great portability.
SO-SO
> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> There is no guidebook or booklet explaining why the door theme was chosen. Because really, there must be one. It
might be the case that Engracia came with the messages after choosing
the photos himself and meditating on them, but we don't know about the
concept that inspired the deck anywhere. A bit of background on the
concept might have been wonderful. > Contrast between lettering and background is deficient on the inner lid.
> Most photos are stock photos from Pexels, Shutterstock except for four of them attributed to Melissa Lee Vernali. There seems not to be much effort put beyond choosing the photos and Engracia's lovely messages on the back.
This is another beautiful tiny deck by Rockpool Publishing. It has the house trademarks:
> Small stylish deck.
> Motivational messages.
> Gorgeous illustrations/photos/artwork.
> Portability.
> Great quality glossy card stock
> Sturdy practical keepsake box with upper self-closing lid.
> Pleasurable shuffling
ALSO GREAT
> The illustrations are all beautiful Aboriginal motifs in earthy colours. The deck has artistic congruence, as well.
> However, what stands out to me, having as many motivational decks as I have, is that the messages in the cards aren't the same-old messages. On the contrary, the they are original nuggets that will make you ponder.
SO SO
> Aboriginal artwork has a multitude of ocher and earthy tones that makes it both rich and earthy, but this deck lacks colour depth and feels a bit flat in that regard.> A bit pricey for what they are.
> Perhaps, not good for people with big hands.
GOOD STUFF
> Nice concept: put together the phases of the Moon with specific affirmations.
> Great affirmations.
> Great portability.
> Very small deck, so it's perfect for people with small hands and very portable.
> Beautiful digital moon-related imagery on the front and very elegant design on the affirmation side.
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle well and keep dirt and stains at bay.
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable lid.
> Good value for money.
NOT SO GOOD STUFF
> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> There is no guidebook or booklet. The instructions are provided on the inner lid and on the cards themselves.
> This might not be your deck if you really want a deck that relates to the different phases of moon. I had the vibe that you could have used other images, concept and title and put the same affirmations and it would have not mattered.
GOOD THINGS> Each card has an unique wonderful colourful design on the front, and an affirmation within a very lovely garland-marquee on the back.
> Wonderful affirmations that aren't the usual new-age affirmations you find elsewhere.
> Totally portable pocket deck.
> Cards shuffle well.
> Colourful sturdy packing box with upper lid.
> Great to use as part of a self-healing practice together with other decks, like the Mystical Healing reading cards, the Chakra Love mini deck, the Four Agreements card deck or Pritam's Let Go deck.
DOWNSIDES
> The artwork becomes repetitive, just different images of Frida Kahlo's face against different backgrounds.
> Box and cards cardboard is not coated, so the deck easily attracts dirt and stains.
> Unnecessarily stiff cardboard that damages and bends easily.
> No booklet on why Frida is chosen and why her life, art and messages are important or relevant. This is obvious for Frida lovers but not for anyone else.
> Bad colour contrast between the inner lid colouring and lettering. A darker hue of orange or a another lettering colour would have solved the problem.
> A bit pricey for the quality.
This is a wonderful self-healing therapeutic affirmations deck that goes well with other tarot decks I have from Amazon, like the Mystical Healing reading cards, the Chakra Love mini deck, and the Four Agreements card deck. THE CARDS
Each card back has a wonderfully colorful Gaian illustration, with women relating to the natural environment (beach , forests, gardens) with a predominance of green lush imagery, that I find refreshing and inviting. Like your are on a private garden. The back of the card has an affirmation or item of advice that can be connected to the image on the front. The whole deck has a spiritual Retreat/holiday in Fiji, Bali or Hawaii sort of vibe.
GOOD THINGS
> Totally Portable. Pocket size.
> Good sturdy packing box with upper lid, wonderfully colorful and illustrated on all sides. > Each card is unique.
> Wonderful Gaian illustrations and messages. The back is colorfully creative and inspiring and the illustration continues on to the back of the card, where the pearl of wisdom is written.
> Characters are from different ethnic groups.
> Good value for money.
> Great to use as part of a self-healing practice together with other decks, like the Mystical Healing reading cards, the Crakra Love mini deck, and the Four Agreements card deck.
> The messages on the cards are good enough per se.
DOWNSIDES
> This is a very female/feminine deck, so if you are non-binary or don't have a strong feminine essence this won't resonate with you.
> Both the containing box and the cards are of 'raw' non-coated, cardboard, which makes shuffling unnecessarily difficult and doesn't protect the cards or the box from dirt or stains.
> Unnecessarily stiff cardboard.
> No booklet further elaborating on the benefits of letting go, and we do not do so.
> The instructions on the inner lid can barely be read as the contrast between the bright green background and the white text is not good enough. That's simply bad design. A darker green would have been better, and would had still be in tune with the hues used in the cards.
This tiny winy deck conquered my heart on the spot, from the first use, as I had an instant visual, tactile and energetic connection with it. The deck is structured in 8 suits, seven devoted to each chakra plus a chakra-balance with healing crystals.
The cards quality is terrific: Glossy flexible but sturdy cardboard, clean design on the front, and very modern colourful abstract back imagery. The deck comes in a good quality cardboard box, with upper non-detachable lid. The front has the symbol and colour of the chakra (1-Crown chakra, purple.
2- Third eye chakra, dark blue. 3-Throat chakra, light blue. 4- Heart
chakra, green. 5-Solar plexus chakra, yellow. 6- Sacral chakra, orange.
7-Root chakra, red) and the extra suit with a flower in fucsia. There is not artist
associated with the artwork in this deck. It was designed by using
stock images from Adobe Stock and Creative Market. It shows that you can
create a deck that ticks all the boxes without having to hire a
super-duper digital artist.
There is no guidebook or booklet. The instructions are provided on the inner lid and on the cards themselves. This might not be your deck if you have no knowledge of what chakras are, but even if you have a general knowledge of it, this deck will work for you. If you aren't into crystals, no worries, the advice on each card is still wise and valid on its own.
The deck is tiny, even for a person with small hands like me. You can see one of my photos with the deck by my keys. The good thing is that you can carry this in your pocket or in a small purse. The bad thing is that it, if you have big hands, it might be difficult to handle or shuffle for you.
I find this deck perfect to use for self healing and self-improvement, together with the Mystical Healing Reading Cards and the Four Agreements Deck and the Yunoun Chakra stones. However, I find it useful to carry around to get advice during day, when feeling stressed, provoked or unbalanced because of our daily worries and struggles.
Good value for money.
Mystical Healing Card is a deluxe deck with an unique self-improvement and healing deck to help you face those inner obstacles that keep you stuck and prevent you from achieving your goals, experiencing a happier life and growing to your full potential.
GOOD THINGS
> Amazing artwork. I could spend hours wandering around the colors, the details and symbolism of the cards. They have an almost sacred feeling to them, but they are also very oneiric. Jake Baddeley's images have an
ancient patina, colors and symbolism that seems to take you into an old Medieval church where many candles had been on and created that golden darkish coating. The imagery reminds me of the Byzantine Medieval mosaics, the Renaissance painters, Venice Carnival and modern surrealism. For whatever reason, Da Vinci's notebook is what comes to mind when looking at the cards back.
> Very well-thought healing deck. I think this deck would be a great tool in psychotherapy.
> For whatever reason, I see this deck connected to another healing or self-improvement deck as it is The Four Agreements Deck. > I really connect with this deck at a deep level as it eplies to my queries with precision and give real good advice. Two examples. I asked what can I do to heal my romantic relationships and the card
that popped up was "Unlock your Heart". I asked what should I be focusing right now and the card that popped up was "Focus on Higher Truths". How on point are those answers?!
> Esoteric in conception, therefore, something unique.
NOT SO GOOD
> Mismatch between the images and the meaning attributed to them. That affects most cards. There is
an obvious connection for the artist, and that's fine, but it is not for most readers. To me, when I look to most images and I look at the meaning of them, it's like, this is a pastiche, something that you put together but do not belong together.
> The imagery has, overall, a dark feeling to it. A shadow feeling, if you want.
> It could be too esoteric and counterintuitive for many people.
THE DECK
> Great quality packaging.
> Full-color excellent-quality guidebook.
> Flexible good quality glossy cards, easy to shuffle and handle.
> Light deck.
This is is a triple-juicy deck that mixes the Tarot (without reverse meanings), archangel guidance and chakras knowledge. You can use the Tarot straightforwardly or combine the associations that Valentine has enable between the major arcana and the angels, and the minor arcana with the major arcana and the angels as well.
The
suits used are as follow: Air (Swords, Intellect), Earth (Coins,
Material stuff), Water (Cups, emotions, relationships) and Fire (Wands,
passions).
One of the things I like the most about this deck, it's the mix of old and new. This Tarot deck, as any others, is anchored in centuries of human psychology and vital knowledge, but it has been translated, so to speak,
into 21st-century language, so it feels fresh, charming and approachable.
THE ARTWORK
> Dan Craig's artwork is wonderful. He has created clean wondrous images in vibrant but soft colors. Images are a modern twist on the classic Tarot imagery, but without distorting or reinventing them beyond recognition and all our Tarot heroes are still recognizable.
> The four elements are clearly distinguishable by the cards colored frames and symbols: green for earth with a leafy symbol; blue for air with a wind symbol; orange for fire with a fire symbol; dark blue for water with a water drop symbol, and the major arcana are in a gold-ish ocher. The summary of the meaning is at the bottom within a marquee, clearly distinguishable and readable.
> I love how diversity shows in this deck. We find characters from
different ages, races, skin colors, genders and eras, (from the
almost-medieval
characters, passing through the 18t century, to the late 1950s and early
1960s, to today's hipsters). The result is an organic human ensemble, a
magic world where angels watch over us, but are part of our daily
settings.
>
The imagery is, overall, full of positive energy. I cannot understand
some reviewers saying that they have negative vibes. To me, is just a
very joyful playful deck.
> For whatever reason, there is a mix of the 1950s and 1960s fashion vibe in there as well. > Gorgeous card back.
THE GUIDEBOOK
This is a terrific mini-guidebook to learn the basics of Tarot. It doesn't only explain the structure of the deck and of each card, and how to start using Tarot, but it also provides with the basic meanings of each suite and card, plus the main attributes of each archangel used in the deck (Ariel, Azrael, Chamuel, Gabriel, Haniel, Jeremiel, Jophiel, Metatron, Michael, Raguel, Raphael, Sandalphon, Uriel and Zadkiel).
Valentine offers instructions on how to do do a Celtic Cross spread and a three-card spread. One of the things that you'll notice is that the card interpretation is very current, very 21st century, concerned with issues that affect us today.
I miss, though, a bit of info about the Tarot numerology.
THE DECK
> Sturdy packing box.
> Over-200-page guidebook.
> Mate printing.
DOWNSIDES
> Large bulky deck, difficult to handle, especially if you have small hands.
> Cards are thick, stiff and difficult to shuffle.
> The back card illustration gives away whether the card is coming upright or reversed, so it is not good if you want to use the deck with reverse meanings and choose the card totally blind.
> In the guidebook I miss mention to the meaning of the numbers in each card.
IN SHORT
A visually stunning Tarot and guidebook that will delight new and old generations of Tarot lovers. This is a great deck for beginners who want to familiarize themselves with the cards without having to deal with reverse meanings. However, the deck is bulky, heavy and stiff and not easy to shuffle.
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