This is a Lenormand deck interpreted under the light of some world folk tales. The
number of cards is 36, which is what Lenormand cards are. This is so
because the Lenormand doesn't have suites, doesn't have reversed
meanings and, unlike the tarot, which has a spiritual and psychological
dimension, these cards are literal and are read syntactically. As the
guidebook says, Tarot readers wil interpret the same Tarot spread five
ways while five Lenormand readers will all come to nearly the identical
message when they read the same Lenormand layout. If you want to check
the differences between the Tarot and the Lenormand, check this blog post out.
THE ARTWORK
Lisa Hunt authored the magnificent Fairy Tale Tarot deck, so I was expecting great things from her. The images are very cute, some of the excellent, but they don't come close to the quality of her other deck. In fact, some of them feel like sketchy, more child-oriented and not as rich in symbols. In that regard, artistically speaking this deck doesn't suit my intuitive cravings, to put it that way. However, the reading cloth for the app is utterly beautiful and delicate.
The authors wanted to use mythology and folk tales within the straightforward structure of the Lenormand tarot, and they've done so. The tarot is not as intuitive as Hunt's previous one and the meanings are more set and less open to interpretation. That's all fine, but to me, this deck can be interpreted intuitively, it is just that the conception doesn't favour it as much as others.
THE GUIDEBOOK
The guidebook is short and sweet and comments on the folk tale image quite literally, providing a some summary keywords and how the meaning changes depending on the precedent and subsequent cards. Basic but practical. Yet, the keywords on the front of the card are also very useful and sum up the meaning very well. Good enough, practical and also uninspired.Yet, you can expect that from/for a Lenormand deck.
THE APP
This
Android app is fully functional and has all the pros of the Fool's Dog
apps, which make the experience very enjoyable. I've found that, once you get used
to the app, your readings are as precise as the ones you get from your
physical deck. My favourite app features are:
- > Great quality digital images.
- > Zoomable images, so that you can check every small detail in the picture.
- > The whole deck guidebook available.
- > Information about the deck's artist.
- > Customizable tablecloths.
- > Sound prompts for cards, which can be turned on/off.
- > You can add your personal meaning to the cards.
- > Journal.
- > Plenty of layouts to choose from.
- > Able to use the whole deck or just the major arcana for your readings.
- > Several ways of shuffling.
- > Several draw options to select your card (from the top, from a fan, from a list).
- > You can share your readings.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS DECK
Lenormand,
or just this deck, doesn't speak to me. Rather, the readings I get are a
mix bag, some of them seem to relate to my query and others not at all.
As I am an intuitive reader and I rely on imagery to anchor my
intuition, this deck doesn't specially speak to me.
This is one my favourite tarot decks among all of the many I own, and also my favourite fairy/folk tarot, because of the artwork, the concept, the guidebook and the app. It's the whole package, the real deal, the mother of all fairy tale decks.
ARTWORK
Lisa Hunt's artwork is fabulous. She has a great drawing technique, an earthy colour palette, and an eye for detail. Besides, she has captured the essence of each fairy tale with insight and playfulness, and with a deep knowledge of symbolism.
THE CONCEPT
This is a full tarot deck, somewhat reinvented to fit in the messages, archetypes and symbols that pervade most folklore and fairy tales. The tales come from all over the planet: Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Pacific Islands, although there is a predominance of European folk tales. The major arcana names have been readjusted to allow the folk archetypes and symbols to blend more naturally, but we can still find the major and minor arcana in this deck.
THE GUIDEBOOK
The guidebook is worth a browse in itself, and a fabulous addition to the deck. The short version of the meaning at the card back is insightful enough. However, if you click the 'Full text from the book' link at the bottom, you'll get an in-depth analysis of the folk tale:
- The name of the tale.
- The culture from which the tale comes from,
- Summary Keywords.
- The whole account of the tale.
- A Jungian-like analysis of the
tale and imagery symbols.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE DECK
I can honestly say that this deck is one of my favourites, not only because I love folk tales in general, but because the deck is versatile enough to be used intuitively (using the imagery as a main guide), or comprehensively (using the main summary info at the back of the deck, or delving into the Jungian interpretation of the symbols). It's up to you, your your query or how much you want to dig into each card message. Do you want a quickie or an extra nosey reading? You can do anything and everything with this deck. Beyond what I've said, this app brings many memories from my childhood, from all those fairy tales that I read on books, my mom told me about or watched movies about.
THE APP
This Android app is fully functional and has all the pros of the Fool's Dog apps, which make the experience very enjoyable. There is nothing like the physical deck, for sure. However, I've found that, once you get used to the app, your readings are as precise as the ones you get from your physical deck. My favourite app features are:
- > Great quality digital images.
- > Zoomable images, so that you can check every small detail in the picture.
- > The whole deck guidebook available.
- > Information about the deck's artist.
- > Customizable tablecloths.
- > Sound prompts for cards, which can be turned on/off.
- > You can add your personal meaning to the cards.
- > Journal.
- > Plenty of layouts to choose from.
- > Able to use the whole deck or just the major arcana for your readings.
- > Able to use upright and reverse readings, or just upright.
- > Several ways of shuffling.
- > Several draw options to select your card (from the top, from a fan, from a list).
- > You can share your readings.
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.
I've used this deck since first came to the market, 7-8 years ago, and it's still one of my favourite, more reliable, more attuned intuitive tools. They seem to reply to my queries on point, clearly, without me having to clarify. The artwork is wonderful for sure, but the most important thing is that this oracle gets my energy and how things are going in my life.
The deck is a mix of Tarot major arcana, angels cards, chakras and male and female archetypes.This is quite trendy in modern tarot/oracle decks nowadays, but it was totally new when the cards came out first.
DOWNSIDES
There is no racial or ethnic diversity in this deck, so be aware if you aren't Caucasian. Also, the deck has a strong female/male energy imprint so if you are non-binary, you might struggle with it. Personally, I find that some of the male models used to depict the angels are too metro-sexual or six-pack macho to be angelic. Yet, I confess, I really like those modern macho angels.
> Good quality glossy cardboard.
> Vibrant detailed good-quality-printing.
> Jena DellaGrottaglia's digital artwork is beautiful and has congruent style. Digital artwork has evolved enormously in the last 8 years, yet, the cards feel fresh and contemporary.
> Wonderful card back design that doesn't give away whether the card is coming reverse or upright.
> A perfect deck for intuitive readings.
> Detailed guidebook with upright and reversed meanings, plus an affirmation assigned to each card, all of which adds depth to the deck and makes it more versatile.
> Very good sturdy beautifully printed packing box.
PAPER DECK DOWNSIDES
> There is no racial or ethnic diversity in this deck, so be aware if you aren't Caucasian.
> Personally, I find that some of the male models used to depict the angels are too metro-sexual or six-pack macho to be angelic. Yet, I confess, I really like those modern macho angels.
> Cards are on the larger side, so not good for people with small hands.
> Unnecessary bulky and heavy deck.
> Cards are stiff and tend to stick to each other, so they don't shuffle well.
> Average quality printing guidebook.
APP UPSIDES
> Very easy to use and navigate.
> Many different spreads to use from.
> Shuffle with or without sound.
> You can email and share your reading.
> You can save your reading.
> Great deal of information about the artist, the cards, the app developer.
APP DOWNSIDES
> The apt is no longer in the Oceanhouse developer main page, which is odd. They might be re-packaging or updating it. The app page is still available HERE.
> The return from the card back to the front is not intuitive. It would be just natural using the back arrow on the smartphone bottom menu to go back, but, if you do that, you'll be out of the application. Instead, you have to use the curly back arrow button in the cards, and the triangular back arrow in the information area. I have been using Oceanhouse apps for years and I still have trouble remembering the curly back arrow, just because is contra smart-phone use natura.
> Impossible to zoom in the image to focus on the small details.
> Just one way of shuffling the cards, not several. In that regards, Oceanhouse has plenty to learn from the other major tarot app house, The Fool's Dog.
> No tablecloths available. There is one background.
> Users cannot add their own meaning to the cards to customize the deck.
> Oceanhouse, now and then, inserts promotional info when they are launching a new app. That's annoying because all of their decks must be paid in full to be used, aren't cheap, and there is no need to bother customers with something that they might naturally be interested on and look up themselves. At least that is my case. It is also true that sometimes they advertise discounts and special pricing, but I would rather not have adds on my fully-paid app.
IN SHORT
One of my best oracle decks with regards to he way it reads my energy and replies to my queries in precise on-point ways. However, the deck is heavy, bulky and difficult to shuffle, so the app is, to me, a better option.
This is a 48 card deck containing words of advice and wisdom that reproduce the principles mentioned in Ruiz's eponymous book. There is no interpretation book as the message of each card is written at the back, while the front is a painting with a summary of the message.
The cards are divided in four coloured groups, each one corresponding to Ruiz's four principles or agreements, and the advice on each card is related to that specific agreement within that group.
This is not an oracle or tarot deck. In that regards, it won't speak to you if you're looking for a deck to harness your intuition or get messages from the divine. On the contrary, this is the sort of deck you use in the mornings, when you get up, to get a pearl of wisdom for day to apply and remember during the day.
If you don't want to read Ruiz's book, and still want to learn what is all about, this is a hassle- free tool which summarizes the book perfectly. If you have read the book, and want a reminder or refresher, this is also a perfect tool.
The artwork is colourful and cute, very naif in general. Somewhat reminds me of some Mexican mural art or tattoo imagery.There is a lack of artistic cohesiveness, and that is so because the deck was illustrated by 5 different illustrators, This is is one of the reasons that the deck doesn't speak to me visually and why I don't use it more often, even though the messages are wonderful.
The format of the cards is a bit odd as they are small and square and not rectangular and medium/large size. They shuffle well, though, and the cardboard is very good quality, a little satin, and it will last you for years.
This a colourful little deck that has a lovely strong early-1900s vibe. The illustrations are cute and very elaborate with intricate beautiful decorative garlands around he card borders. The back of the cards is also adorable.
As the deck booklet says, this is a Tarot full of people, and that's OK, yet, I cannot relate to the people in this deck. I have another Kipper tarot, which is among my fav decks, and is uncannily accurate, but this one, nope, nada, niente. Messages are random and unrelated to my queries and the main woman and main man being repeated, I get confused about who's who.
It might be that I connect with the deck later in time, something that sometimes happens to me with some decks. If that were the case, I'll update this review.
THE DECK
> This is a mini deck that fits perfectly in the palm of a small hand, and you can carry it around in a small bag or even a pencil case.
> The packaging is not really good.
> The cards material is quite sturdy, but also very rigid and it doesn't favour natural fluid shuffling.
> The cards borders have different coloured borders, which seems to indicate a sort of suite, but that's not the case.
This deck has been a total surprise to me. I bought it in one of those Amazon flash offers, for 5 bucks, just because it was so cheap. It was in my wish list but not at the top, because I wasn't sure what this deck was about. Well, now that I have it, I have to say that the deck is mind blowing, regarding conception, artwork, structure, relation image/text and my connection with the cards.
CONCEPTION
II have so many tarot and oracle decks that I rarely get wowed by anything I get, and that is usually a wow from the artwork. In this case, I am also wowed by the eclectic approach to tarot/oracles by the Modern Witch Australian Demarco. We still have the four Tarot elements and some reinvented major arcana. Yet, there is a great emphasis on energy, whether is inner or outer, and the link between both, and also between the real and the magical, the earthy and the spacey. The result is an inebriating fresh, unique but timeless approach to oracle that relies on both imagery, words and energies to provide us with multilayered readings and accurate answers to our queries.
Demarco's introduction to the deck is short and sweet. Really interesting and beautifully explains her inspiration sources. There is a marked influence of Nordic, Aboriginal, Polynesian, Latin and Greek mythologies among others. That also shows in the pages devoted to each card interpretation in the booklet. Of course, you can intuitively use the card imagery and words to read, but the interpretations on the book are really good.
One of the things that I love is that there aren't reverse meanings in this deck.
ARTWORK
I am amazed by the beauty, complexity and quality of Hungarian Kinga Britschgi's digital imagery. Really powerful for intuitive readings.
There is artistic imagery congruence in the deck, which gives the whole unity and purpose. There is a predominance of green, blue and amber colours, except for the beautiful card back, which is a simple pastel mix of pink, purple and white.
This is a very Gaian matriarchal deck, with an overwhelming presence of feminine energies and characters. I love the fact that there are people from different ethnic groups, skin color and ages represented in the deck, too.
THE DECK
Good quality slightly-glossy card.
Cards have the right thickness, so they can be easily shuffled and handled as the deck is not bulky or heavy.
The card edges are silvered, so that's always a bonus and a touch of magic.
Good quality detailed 104-page booklet, with colored mini-reproductions of the cards.
Sturdy packing box, with iridescent print.
THE SUITES
Directions: North, South, East, West, Equator, Moon, Sun.
Fire Element: Fire, Volcanoes, Bushfires, Hearth, Outer Core, Dessert, Passion.
Earth Element: Earth, Mountain, Cave, Inner core, Plants, Rock, Animals.
Air element: Air, Storms, Wind, Voice, Pressure, Breath, Music.
Water element: Water, Oceans, Lake, Marine Life, Ice, Snow, Rain.
Universal Forces: Electricity, Magnetism, Dark Matter, Gravity, Atoms.
Time: Time, Speed, Magic, Biome.
IN SHORT
A wonderful oracle, both artistically and conceptually that speaks to me. Oracles and tarot decks speak our intuive symbolic language or not, and this speaks mine beautifully.
Visual artistry 9/10
Readings results 6/10
Tarot Concept 7/10
ARTWORK
I bought this deck because I truly love Holly Sierra's artwork, and her technique, colours, hues, themes, motifs and style are just my cup of tea.
The images are a feast for the eyes, and really matched my expectations. This is a deck made from scratch not from digital collage and it's truly artistic. The characters, backgrounds and the tiniest element in each card are amazingly drawn and coloured. Moreover, each suit has a different background undertone that makes each card in it immediately distinctive (stones are green, mirrors blue, spirals are brown, and scrolls are purple, while the major arcane are mostly golden). The whole desk has a mother-earth folk feminine vibe that I love, and it is whimsical and magic.
I love the fact that the deck is a mix of Tarot, Jungian+Campbell and New Age spirituality themes and concept. The front of the card shows the title of the card, but also an archetypal or theme equivalent.
READINGS
I don't mind eclecticism or new ideas and reinventions of the tarot, some that will work better for modern sensitivities and needs, but I somewhat expect the major Arcana and its symbolic elements not to be fancifully altered. For example, the Phoenix, a traditional symbol of death and rebirth (Death in Tarot) is used here as the symbol of judgment; Merlin, a magician, is used as the image of the Fool; the crows are used as the image of the Magician, just to mention a few things. It is confusing to me, and a put-off. I am not saying that the associations aren't valid once you read the booklet, but my mind is still going to be put off when I find an element out of place, so to speak, because the traditional symbolism of the Tarot is, how to put it?, the core of the Tarot itself.
Also, the earthy vibe somewhat gets diluted by the appearance of goddesses from different cultures. I am more into eclectic fusion than into eclectic juxtaposition, if you know what I mean. In other words, it is not bad, it is just that it does not work for me because it gets me confused and distracted.
My results with the readings have been a bit of mismatch, and I think it has do with my inability to connect with this specific deck. I think this desk is wonderful for intuitive aleatory readings due to the details and symbolic elements drawn in each image.
MIND
The traditional suits have been changed as follows
Stones = pentacles
Mirrors = cups
Spirals = wands
Scrolls = swords
THE APP
I no longer have the physical deck but I have the Fool's Dog app, which is excellent. Some of the things you can do with the app are:
> Customizable tablecloths.
> Sound prompts for cards, which can be turned on and off.
> Journal.
> You can add your personal meaning to the cards.
> Plenty of layouts to choose from.
> Able to choose the major arcana or the whole deck, upright and reverse readings, or switch off reverse meanings.
> Several kinds of shuffles and several options for selecting your card after shuffling.
> Zoomable images, so that you can check every small detail in the image.
> Sharing feature.
> Great quality digital images.
> The whole deck booklet or booklet available.
> Information about the deck and its authors.
IN SHORT
This is one of those decks that you
want to have, need to have, if you collect Tarot decks. It is one of the
most beautiful decks I have ever owned.
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