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
was really excited about this deck, as I read Grout's first book years
ago and enjoyed her philosophy of life. Colette, on the other hand, has
produced some of my fav oracle decks ever, so my expectations were high.
My excitement was short lived, though.
To be fair, I had read
the reviews before ordering the deck. However, I thought that it might
be a matter of some customers getting a deck from a bad printing batch
because, after all, this is a Hay House's. Right? Unfortunately, my
cards edges were damaged even before I removed the paper ring seal-off.
If the cards are peeling off before opening, can you imagine what's
going to happen when you shuffle them?
Booklet is thin and cheaply printed, with barely any relevant content.
The concept behind the cards is nothing new. It is not particularly Law of Attraction. It's rather a channeled messages deck more than anything else. The artwork is a very simple but catchy, a mix of abstract images in dark rich purples, blues, greens, browns and black with sparks of yellow and bright colors in the lettering and/or background. They convey well the concept of universal fluid energy.
You can make this sort of deck yourself using blank cards. If you're an artist you'll have something as good or better. If not, and you just write a sentence, you'll still have the core of what this deck is.
Packing box is beautiful and decent quality, pity the rest. I am looking forward the app edition of this.
Returned.
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.
What a fab deck! This is mostly a self-knowledge tool based on the Jungian's concept of the archetypes and on Jungian psychotherapy, but it can be used for intuitive readings as well.
The deck is really good quality and it reflects Hay House old ways of doing things, which is the right way of doing things:, good quality cards that shuffle well, aren't too heavy or b
> Great quality printing.> Beautiful vibrant card back.
> Perfect card size (not to big, not too small).
> Glossy flexible cardboard.
> The cards come alphabetically ordered, but they can be shuffled if you want to use them in readings or intuitive exercises. > Good quality sturdy packing box.
THE BEAUTY OF THIS DECK
> Some reviewers have
stated that this is not a Tarot deck, and this is true. They've also
stated that the deck cannot be used in readings, and that's incorrect.
The Tarot has many archetypal figures, especially the major arcana, and
many of them are also in this deck, sometimes called the same (the
hermit, the fool, the queen, the king, the knight) and others not so
clearly (the goddess, the warrior, the king, the mediator, the priest,
the lover, the judge, the destroyer, etc.).
> The deck has many different uses.
- It can be used for
self-knowledge, to get to know friends, family and partners, or just a
therapeutic tool to allow the patient's disclosure. Questions you can ask these cards are, for example:
- -- Which archetypes in the deck show who I was/I am/need to be?
- -- Which archetype is dominant in me/a given person right now?
- -- Which archetype would balance me/a given person?
- -- Which personality traits does this person have?
- -- Which characters do you identify with and why?
- -- Which characters would you like to be?
- -- Which sort of archetypes are my parents, siblings or closed family members? Is there is a common archetype among them?
- You can use the cards as a task-card or summary of Myss' archetypes.
- The cards can also be used in Tarot readings to add extra layers of meaning.
- If you want to
stretch it further, you can use these cards as consultation tool to dive
into your dream's characters.
> The deck has a balanced mix of masculine and feminine energies.> Characters go from childhood to mature age.
> Excellent first introduction to archetypes.
> The deck has 6 blank cards to add your own personal archetypes.
DOWNSIDES
> Bulky, heavy, hard to shuffle deck.
> The guidebook's printing quality is average.
> The meaning given to the cards in the booklet is good enough, but less that I was expecting from Myss, who's an expert in the field.
> The contrast between the lettering and the background is deficient in the yellow, mustard or ocher colored cards, and, as result, the text is difficult to read. The same can be said of the aquamarine colored cards.This is a design and/or printing flaw that limits my enjoyment of the deck, as I struggle to read some of the texts on the cards.
> Lack of ethnic and racial diversity.
> Deck is bulky, heavy and difficult to shuffle.
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.
Island Time Wellness Oracle is a great oracle and one of those decks that has become a must-go-to by most Tarot readers. The popularity is well deserved as it has basic powerful easy-to-understand intuitive images and messages on the cards.
GOOD THINGS
> Great concept deck. Less is more. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest and this is a perfect example.
> Mini deck, therefore, easy to carry. See the photo I've uploaded with the deck by my keys and passport, so that you can get an idea of the real size.
> Some people find the size a bit too small, but, if you have small hands, this is a great deck size, and that's my case.
> Meanings are on the front and therefore you don't need to use any booklet or anything else.
> Very simple child-like illustrations that are effective and easy to understand.
> Good semi-matte cardboard with a good coating that makes shuffling easy.
> No reverse meanings.
> Very intuitive. BAD THINGS
> The deck looks cheap, like an imitation of something else, as if it was a forfeit copy. Yet, it is not.
>
Printing isn't good. This deck could be glorious. Imagine the same
concept and design but done using a good card board with golden embossed
images and text. However, the printing is grey-beige-ish and it has a
gradient touch that affects lettering, which makes the whole thing look
even cheaper.
> Bad quality boxing.
> Printing and design need of some sort of "deluxefication".
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.
US Games Systems are in a way old-fashioned, but also among the best in the market re quality of the cards. They are also less luxurious and curated as the most modern ones produced by Rockpool or Hayhouse publishing houses. GREAT
> Cards paper quality and size are perfect, on the medium side, with glossy flexible paper that shuffles well and is not heavy to handle despite the bulk.Cards slip off easily and that's the way I want my cards to come out.
> The cards back design is wonderful in its simplicity and the deck is easily recognisable. Also, the design is good because you cannot guess whether the cards are up or reversed before picking them up.
> Despite the guide booklet being very short, it goes to the point and summarizes well the meaning of each card and provides a brief description of the lovers' story depicted in each major arcana card. In that regard, it's perfect for beginners.
> Perfect for love and relationship readings without losing the spirit of
tarot. The cards are interpreted specifically for relationships, so
they are more straightforward to read than those in other generic decks.
> Beautiful artwork. The artwork reminds me of the early renaissance frescoes and painters but it also of the renaissance and pre-Raphafaelites.
DOWNSIDES
> Poor-quality box packaging.
> Booklet is minimal, bad quality paper and lettering is tiny so I need a magnifying glass to read it properly.
> Despite the seller advertising that this deck edition comes with a full-colour spread sheet, that this is not the case at all. I think that might be a listing error, yet, why not correcting it? There are other reviewers who just mentioned the same.
> I think they put the apostrophe in the title in the wrong place...
DECK STRUCTURE
MAJOR ARCANA EQUIVALENCES
0- Innocence = The Fool. 1- Magic = The Magician. 2- Wisdom = High Priestess.3- Fertility = Empress. 4- Power = Emperor. 5- Tradition = Hierophant. 6- Love = Lovers. 7-Desire = Chariot. 8- Strength. 9- Contemplation = Hermit. 10- Fortune = Wheel of fortune. 11- Justice. 12- Sacrifice = Hanged man. 13- Transformation = Death. 14- Balance = Temperance. 15- Temptation = Devil. 16- Oppression = Tower. 17-Grace = Star. 18- Illusion = Moon. 19- Awakening = Sun. 20- Judgement. 21- Triumph = World. As you can see the interpretation is respectful with the original tarot meanings but with some clearer names and some adjustments with regards to some cards (chariot, the hanged man, the tower., moon and the sun.)
SUITS
Cups (water), Staves (wands, fire), Arrows (swords, air), Coins (pentacles, earth).
Most cards show couples, relating in a way or another. All the pairs
come from historical and mythological stories and characters. Some of
the couples depicted in the cards are:
Pamina & Tamino, Merlin & Morgan le Fay, Shahrazade
&Shahriyar, Cleopatra & Anthony, Romeo & Juliet, Isis &
Osiris,
Tristan & Isolde, Brunnhilde & Siegfried, Danae & Zeus,
Penelope & Odysseus, Orpheus & Eurydice, Pluto & Persephone,
Venus & Vulcan, Paolo & Francesca, Aeneas & Dido, Dante
& Beatrice, Cupid & Psyche, Tannhauser & Elisabeth, Ariadne
& Bacchus.
I bought this gift seft in Kmart, at a bargain price, and really it is worth the price I paid for it. It is a Rider-Whit- based Tarot.
GOOD THINGS
> Cheap.
> Good set to start practising tarot without spending much money or worrying about damaging the cards.
> Helpful beginners booklet
> Nice back design.
> The deck is not bulky and can be shuffled easily.
> Card meanings are at the bottom of each card.
BAD THINGS
> Quality of card paper is horrendous, so cards get damaged quite easily.
> Digital imagery is passe, mostly because the digital images have a grunge-ish PSP overlay that might have been quite impressive 20 years ago, when digital art was just birthing, but it makes the images look amateur and not as nice as the deck might have been.
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