UUS Games Systems produces my favorite paper decks. They understand better than any other card-making house that cards need specific thickness, texture, flexibility and coating for the cards to shuffle well. Shuffling, if good, can be a very enjoyable experience, but also the basis of a good tarot reading and a way to favor cards flying off the deck to let us something that is intuitively charged. Said differently, shuffling is one of the basis of intuition.
The Radiant Rider-Waiter Tarot Deck, which is the basis of this deck, is bright, colorful and feels fresh. The left of the card reproduces the card image, and the right hand side is in blank and has the card meaning.
GOOD > Card paper quality is awesome. Right thickness, texture, and coating, which make shuffling easy, natural and extremely pleasurable.
> Excellent printing quality.
> Bright vibrant colours and beautiful lettering.
> The card back is really pretty despite its simplicity and prevent us from guessing whether the card will pop up upright or reverse.
> No guidebook is needed as the the meaning is on the card front.
> Beautiful sturdy packing box.
> Totally portable.
> Great for small hands, but it can also be used at ease by people with average hand size.
> Perfect for beginners as the meaning is on the card and there are many questions and points for the use to ponder. Some are straightforward, like the text with The Fool. But others, are just something more personal to the author.
NOT SO GOOD
> The interpretations given to each card not always resonate with me. I agree with other reviewers that it would have been better if the author had given take-away keywords for both upright and reverse instead of proper interpretations.
> Pricey for what it is. A pocket Radiant Raider-Waite in a tin is less expensive and will get you the same results.
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.
John Holland is not only a gifted internationally-renowned medium, he's also the author of some of my more helpful card decks, as they're uncannily intuitive and divinatory. This card deck is very different from his more tarot-derived Psychic Tarot Oracle Deck and The Psychic Tarot for the Heart Oracle Deck. I see this deck, despite being labelled as spiritual, more like a therapeutic psychological tool for guidance and self-growth.
THE ARTWORK
Manley's work is, as he himself says, "a combination of oil on canvas paintings, pencil and ink drawings, paint textures, photos, direct scans, all layered and combined in Photoshop." Manley's imagery focuses on heads and torsos, gorgeous portraits with conceptual and spiritual elements added to them. The images are captivating, rich, intimate and colourful. I love that there is racial and gender diversity in this deck; it is refreshing because, lately, Hay House tends to produce decks that are overwhelmingly feminine.
THE GOOD
> The concepts depicted in the deck are, overall, quite original.
> Inspired colourful fine artwork with racial and gender diversity.
> Each card includes a summary of the meaning so you don't have to check the guidebook unless you really want.
> Good sturdy packing box.
> Good quality glossy cardboard.
THE NOT SO GOOD
> A bit heavy deck.
> The cards tend to stick to each other and aren't comfortable to shuffle.
> The presence of black characters is minimal.
> The back of the cards looks amateur Photoshop.
> Average guidebook printing and paper quality.
> The packaging is overall boring re colour and cover image. It doesn't make justice to the fine artwork inside.
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.
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 an heterodox wonderfully-charming RSM-inspired tarot that focuses on and explores the erotic romantic relationship between female and male energies, which are represented as male and male characters in the deck. The number of cards, suits and major arcana are those proper of the Tarot, and the interpretation given to each card in the booklet is also in resonance with those of the traditional Tarot.
GOOD STUFF
> I can use this deck intuitively, just using the imagery and
disregarding the suit they belong to, or go just with the tarot suits,
or both.
> Wonderful watercolor artwork.
> Tasteful erotic images.
> Card back doesn't give away whether the card is coming reverse or upright.
> Semi-glossy flexible, good cardboard. Cards glide magically in your hands and shuffle wonderfully.
> Great quality printing.
> Good sturdy box.
> A true mini, not tiny, not medium. Perfect for people with small hands.
> Booklet in several languages.
SOME DOWNSIDES
> Lack of racial diversity. Most characters are Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Nordic-ish looking. If you are multiracial or just not Caucasian this might be a point of annoyance.
> In
all honestly, the images don't always convey what they're supposed to,
or at least not in an obvious way to me. Some examples:-- XII - The hanged man = The image has a woman lying reverse, which perfectly conveys the image of the hanged man. Meaning given in the booklet "sacrifice. bonding'. Does the image conveys the text? Not to me.
-- 4 of Pentacles = A lady is asleep, in sexy lingerie, by the fireplace. She holding a fan in her hand.. Her man is caressing her, like checking whether she's asleep, absorbed in her sensual beauty. Meaning given in the text: " Pleasure. The magic of the fan". Does the image conveys the text? Not to me. In other cases, though, the images convey perfectly the suit and card, like, just as an example, the High Priestess and The Star.
> There is a focus on female nudity and the female body more than on male nudity, and I would have loved seeing a 50/50 kind of male/female nudity.
> Very basic booklet that doesn't always convey the meanings that the author intended for or assigned to the imagery.
> Booklet tiny lettering size, so you might need a magnifying glass to read it.
MIND
> Needless to say, if you mind nudity, this is not a Tarot for you.
> There is
a focus on the female being the object of sexual desire and the male
the subject of pleasure, and not vice versa. It might not appeal to
people who have nontraditional romantic or erotic relationships.
> Some of the original deck design features has been altered.
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.
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