Deck Review: Tarot Leaves

Beth Seilonen
Tarot Leaves
2011
http://www.schifferbooks.com
ISBN #: 978-0-7643-3903-5
USD $24.99

When you think of tarot cards, what do you usually think they look like?  I immediately think of the standard 2 3/4" X 4 3/4" size, rectangular, with pictures and/or symbols on each card that fills most of the front of the card, and most come with some sort of a border around the image. In terms of size, Tarot Leaves is much like most decks.  It measures 2 7/8" X 4 1/2", which is very close to the standard size.  The cards are rectangular, again, like the vast majority of decks available today.  The card backs have a completely reversible image of leaves done in watercolor against a black background with a light blue border.  So yes, you can read reversibles with this deck.

Ace of Wands

However, what makes this deck unique and has it standing out from all the rest are two things.  First of all, there is empty or "white" space on each card,meaning that the entire surface is not covered by an image or a set of symbols.  The card backgrounds range in color from a very pale translucent gray watercolor to a pale translucent blue-green on some of the cards. All cards then have a very thin border of medium gray.  The title is done in white script at the bottom of each card and all cards have a 1/4" (left & right sides), 1/2" (base), & 3/8" (top) exterior white border.  Secondly, symbols that helps to convey the meaning of the card are depicted in watercolor within the borders of the shape of various types of leaves, hence the name of the deck, Tarot Leaves.



Page of Cups

When I first viewed the deck my very first thought was, "oooh, pretty and how different!"  As an artist the use of color is very important to me so I am usually a sucker for a deck that was created using bright, vivid colors.  The colors here are bright, but muted watercolors.  This gives the deck a lovely etheric quality, which in my opinion, really helps to facilitate connecting with your higher consciousness when doing a reading. 

There are various types of leaves depicted.  I'm not a leaf person, but I easily recognized maple and oak leaves.  There are also a few other leaf shapes used.  The card symbols are then painted within the leaves and they move along with the naturally occurring veins within the leaves themselves.  This gives each image a lovely "flow" to it and also helps to convey the type of energy associated with that card.  The creator, Beth Seilonen, grew up in rural Maine and her love of the woods and of nature really comes through with her lovely deck.

Tarot Leaves is further differentiated from the vast majority of decks with regards to the elemental associations of the suits.  Beth Seilonen switched Wands with Swords.  In her deck Wands are associated with thoughts, ethics, and philosophy while Swords represent actions.  For some this may create a problem, but her switch does not make a great deal of difference, nor does it interfere with the use of traditional interpretations for the cards.  The guidebook conveys traditional interpretations so although she does switch the suits, the interpretations are not altered. 

7 of Wands

The cards have a very nice light laminate on them.  At first they stuck a bit when I tried to shuffle, but I always blame the humid environment of Houston on that.  After a few shuffles they were just fine.  They also shuffle easily as well.  The guidebook is a card-size paperback with a good binding that will last with years of use.  As always with Schiffer, this is a very high quality deck and it will last even the most active of readers a very long time.

The packaging - something at which Schiffer Publishing excels, is all self-contained.  There is a sturdy cardboard laminated box with a hinged lid that is attached to the box via two ribbons as well as the laminated surface treatment.  The cards and guidebook are both housed within the box and the lid has a magnetic closure.  The packaging makes it very easy to take this deck with you on trips or on visits with your like-minded tarot friends. 

Using this deck is very easy.  My thirteen year old daughter can use it, which tells me that people new to tarot would also be able to use it so I highly recommend it to newcomers and I think they and others will find this deck to be a delight, especially those of you who love nature.



 

Deck Review: Nature's Wisdom Oracle

Nature’s Wisdom Oracle
Mindy Lighthipe
http://www.schifferbooks.com
ISBN # 978-0-7643-3573-0
$24.99 USD

I’ll be honest.  Animal oracle decks and I don’t mix well.  All readers resonate with various types of decks and this is why there is such a vast variety in publication today.  There is a deck (or two, or thrity-five) for each of us interested in consulting and reading cards. In the past decks with animals or plants just haven’t jived with me, except for Lisa Hunt’s Animal’s Divine Tarot.  However, I have now found a second nature deck with which I resonate, Nature’s Wisdom Oracle.

Right out of the box, Nature’s Wisdom Oracle began providing me with clear and concise single-card answers to my questions.  I find that for me personally I only need to draw a single card using this deck, yet the deck can naturally be used for multi-card readings as well. 

The cards measure 3 ½ X 5”, printed on a firm yet flexible cardstock with a light yet durable laminate.  The colors are lovely and range from pretty muted pastels to bright and bold.  The energy of the colors used corresponds with the energy of the animal or plant depicted.  Borders are unique to each card and consist either of a muted larger version of the image on the card or a muted emphasis of one aspect of the image. For example, the card Sea Turtle (I really LOVE sea turtles!), has a larger version of the sea turtle in the border while a card like Pineapple has as its border an enlarged version of a small detail of the pineapple image.  Two cards, Honey Bee and Lady Bug, have a repeating motif of the insect along the card’s border.  Card backs consist of the image of a leaf and are not reversible, but this deck doesn’t offer reversed interpretations. 

   

The paperback guidebook is the same size as the cards and has 104 pages.  The introductory section includes information on how to use the deck, a daily meditation, and the 3-card Past, Present, Future spread.  Card interpretations are accompanied by a near-full page size black and white illustration of the card. 

The packaging consists of a very sturdy laminated thick cardboard box with fitted lid measuring 3 7/8 X 5 ¼”.  The cards nor the box should show any signs of wear for quite some time to come. 

I strongly recommend this deck not only to those of you who are animal and nature lovers, but also to anyone who is new to reading cards or desires an oracle that gives quick, easy, and concise answers to their questions. 

Wishing You Many Blessings,

Nefer Khepri, Ph. D., R. M-T.

http://www.magickal-musings.com

IsisRaAnpu@gmail.com

DECK REVIEW: Celebration of Love Oracle Cards

Celebration of Love Oracle Cards     
Eva M. Sakmar-Sullivan
2009
http://www.schifferbooks.com
ISBN #: 978-0-7643-3183-1
USD $24.99


The visionary art of Eva Shakmar-Sullivan apears on greeting cards, CD covers, & in a beautiful oracle deck. Dominated by images of dolphins, angels and unicorns the cards are conveyed in beautiful shades of blue and purple accented with bright colors that seem to pop off the cards (yellow, orange, white, etc ...). The Celebration of Love Oracle Cards are quite beautiful and they have a serene and peaceful energy to them. The paintings used for this deck were painted with acrylics. The colors are vibrant, yet also calming. Other creatures, such as fairies, are also present so this is a deck that will please lovers of angels, dolphins, unicorns, and fairies.

There are 60 cards in the deck measuring 3 1/2" X 5" that are housed in a sturdy laminated cardboard box containing a guide book the same size as the cards. Serving as the card back is the image for the card, "Grounding" (see above for card back). This deck is not meant to be read in reverse, therefore the cardback is not reversible. The guidebook is a 96 page paperback. Each card is interpreted and also contains a separate "Special Message." Using this deck I found it to have a lovely energy and it has given me encouraging and supportive readings.  Each card is titled across the top and there is also a sub-title across the bottom that presents the user with a general overview of the meaning of the card.  All cards have a dark blue background.

For the most part, images are rendered in portrait orientation.  However, unlike the vast majority of decks, some card images are presented in landscape orientation that takes up approximately two-thirds of the card's surface, but the entire card itself is still labeled in portrait orientation.  An example is "Cheerfulness" here to the right where we can see a group of unicorns out for a romp on the night of the full moon.  Some may think that having both portrait and landscape oriented images in the same deck would make for a strange looking layout when using conventional card spreads such as any 3-card spread or the traditional Celtic Cross, for example. However, I find that it adds an interesting dynamic to the reading and if you pay attention you can catch extra little nuances in the manner in which images spatially relate to one another. 

The card stock is of excellent quality:  firm, well laminated, yet cards shuffle easily.  The laminate feels very thin, does not cause the cards to stick together after a few shuffles to break them in (even in the humid environment of the Texas Gulf Coast so that's really saying something!), and I believe this deck will hold up well with years of use.

I would highly recommend this deck to beginners or to someone who may be well-versed in tarot, but does not feel comfortable with oracle decks.  For the beginner this is a nice deck because the card interpretations are short and you can choose whether or not to memorize them.  An introductory section on how to cleanse and bless the cards to prepare them for their first use is provided in the guidebook.  A meditation is also included that can be used with whichever card is of the most interest at any given time.  The cards are illustrated in the guidebook in black and white at approximately 25% of their full size with a few appearing as large as 75% of their full size, which is great for beginners who wish to study the book first prior to using the cards. 

Each time I use the Celebration of Love Oracle Cards I am filled with a sense of peace.  It is obvoius to me that the art was created from a place of love and with a desire to spread positive energy on to others.  Anyone who enjoys helpful and uplifting messages will love this deck.  If you're a lover of dolphins and/or angels, I am sure you will find this deck to be quite lovely and enjoyable to use.

Blessings,

Nefer Khepri, Ph.D., R. M-T.

http://www.magickal-musings.com

IsisRaAnpu@gmail.com

DECK REVIEW: King Solomon Cards

King Solomon Cards
Itzhak Mizrahi
Orna Ben-Shoshan, art & design desigttp://kabbalahinsights.com/products/king-solomon-cards
Self-published version
USD $46.00 Quantity & combination discounts are available


Although published by US Games, if you are interested in collecting decks as I am, you will want to dish out the extra cash and treat yourself to the self-published version of The King Solomon Cards (available from the link above) for several reasons. The cards come housed in a sturdy wooden box with a metal hinged lid and metal latch (gold color for all). There is a clear sticker on the lid with the title of the cards and this makes it look like the title is printed directly on the wood. The base of the box has another clear sticker that has the publishing information. The colorful label you see in the picture slides right off the box. I am trying to keep mine in good condition so I keep it around the box when the cards are not in use.

Within the box you will find one 3 X 5" 54-page guide book. The cards measure 3 X 4 3/4" and there are 36 cards, plus four extra cards you can use as amulets to bring you various blessings. The base of the interior of the box is lined with felt and the cards come wrapped in a bluish lavender silk cloth. This is a VERY nice packaging job and if I could package my own deck in any way I wish, I would choose this method myself.

The cards have a nice laminate on them. It's not stiff so the cards are easy to shuffle, yet the laminate is good enough that the cards will stand up to years of shuffling. Each card is numbered, 1 - 36 and the interpretations in the guide book contain the same numbers so it's simple to find each card that appears in a reading. The photo here shows you the color of the cloth, the guide book (lower left), the deck of cards, and the four bonus cards (lower right). The cards have a dark blue border and the card backs are light aqua-blue.

 The artwork by Orna Ben-Shoshan, is characterized by lovely bright colors. Rendered in the same whimsical style as her 72 Names of God deck, the cards are illustrated with figures in surrealistic dream-like settings and landscapes.

Personally, I find the deck to have a very nice "feel" to it. It has good energy and I was able to start using it for readings right out of the box. It did not require cleansing or charging prior to use. Readings are concise and the authors recommend you draw only one card for each question and that you do not approach the deck with the same question twice in a week, which is really good advice for any type of tarot or oracle deck.

The card interpretations are provided on four levels: Situation, Person, Advice, and they each also have an inverted meaning in case they appear reversed in a reading. Interpretations are short and to the point. This is a good deck for beginners as the system itself is quite simple to grasp and the deck provides insightful readings.

 The guide book concludes with several examples of spreads, which are as follows:

· Single Card Spread

           · 3-Card Spread
          · 4-Card Spread
          · Adding a Card to Clarify

This is a delightful set of cards and personally, I really enjoy using them, and I hope those among you who decide to purchase this deck also enjoy them. Note that this same deck is also published by US Games and is available on Amazon, but it is only packaged in a typcal tarot-type cardboard box and does not contain any of the nice extras that you get with the self-published version. The photos for this deck review are of the self-published version, only.
 
Blessings,


Nefer Khepri, Ph. D., R. M-T.
http://www.magickal-musings.com
IsisRaAnpu@gmail.com

COTD: Sage of Cups

COTD:  Sage of Cups:  Regenerator

From The Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, Ph. D.

The Sage of Cups corresponds to the Knight of Cups.  There is a lot of water imagery on this card.  Cups are ruled by the element of Water and Water governs our emotions, healing, creativity, nurturing, and love.  The title of “Regenerator” indicates that this card represents someone with healing abilities.

For today’s draw I am focused on the man on the right-hand side of the card who is pouring water from a vase.  The manner in which the collage was done (and folks, this deck was created way back in the day before Photoshop so all these cards were collaged by hand with scissors & glue!) this man appears to be much larger than the mountains and river below him.  Is he a god?  I don’t know, but I have always felt he represents some form of a higher power.  The water he pours appears to land higher up in the mountain range and may actually be the source of the river.  The water represents healing energy and the man is sending this to the earth’s waters so that the healing energy can permeate the entire earth and affect every single living thing, for every life-form on our planet needs water in order to survive.

 So, once again we’re seeing the theme of new, higher energy coming in and resulting in renewed balance and healing.  Open yourselves up to the healing energy that is coming in today simply by saying aloud or to yourself over a glass of water, “I freely open myself to receive the healing energy that is coming to the earth today.”  Say this three times.  Drink the water.  Give thanks.  It is done.  Simple as that. 

Go out and make it a great day!

 Blessings,

 Nefer Khepri, Ph. D., R. M-T.

http://www.magickal-musings.com
IsisRaAnpu@gmail.com


Card of the Day: Fool-Child from The Voyager Tarot

COTD: Fool-Child
From The Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, Ph. D.


Well, it’s the start of a whole new beginning for our planet, energetically speaking. After the energy began to flow on 11/11/11 it shall continue to come to the earth via the Galactic Gateway until 12/21/12, at which point the energy transference shall be complete, according to information given to me by Archangel Michael. So, ...it stands to reason that for today, the first week-day of the new beginning that we’d receive a card about just that – setting out on a brand new journey.

I really love The Voyager Tarot. This is one of my go-to decks and the one I always use for my Past Life Karmic Tarot Readings at my site. I love it because of all the collage elements. Something always sparks my intuition in each card and often the symbols I zoom in on have additional personal meaning for my clients, as well.

Fool-Child is all about embarking upon a new path, taking chances, not being afraid to go where no man has gone before. Explore, try new things, don’t be afraid of what others may think of you, and discover what your true path is and where it is leading you. The energies are now in place for many who do not know their purpose to discover it. As a result, large changes may occur in your lives if you come to the realization that your current path is not the correct one. Remember to be patient with yourselves. Open up to the energies that shall continue to flow to the earth over the next year and realize that the changes will occur in their own good time, at the RIGHT time.

The image that stands out to me today from this card is that of the arms in blue sleeves reaching upward at the base of the picture. For some reason this is making me think of the Beatles and when they first came to America and were shocked to be met by so many screaming fans at their plane. Most of America didn’t know them, but then they went on the Ed Sullivan Show and the rest, as they say, is history. They began a major revolution not only in music and songwriting, but also in popular culture. The hands reaching upward on this card reminds me of them and how positive their music is. This image is a reminder that if we all start reaching upward more we will absorb ever increasing amounts of the special energies around us at this time and that they will open the door to many new and wonderful opportunities.

Nefer Khepri, Ph. D., R. M-T.
Magickal-Musings.com
IsisRaAnpu@gmail.com