DECK REVIEW: The 72 Names Cards

The 72 Names Cards (Oracular)

Orna Ben-Shoshan

Self-published:

Kabbalah Insights, 2011

$39.00

Available directly from:

http://www.kabbalahinsights.com/products/the-72-names-cards

This oracular deck is based upon the 72 Names of God, according to the Kabbalah.  A name is provided at the top of the image of each card in Hebrew.  You do not have to be familiar with Kabbalah or know anything about it or the 72 Names of God in order to use this deck.  This deck is easily used by anyone and comes with a very helpful guidebook.

The cards measure 2 5/8 X 4 ¼” so they are easy to shuffle even by us readers with small hands.  They have a sturdy laminate that will withstand years of shuffling and use.  Colors are soft pastels for the most part, with bright colors interspersed throughout.  The images were all channeled as complete images and then transferred to canvas by the artist, Orna Ben-Shoshan.  Imagery is whimsical and fantastical with flying people, couches on springs that seem to be bounding upward, trumpets extending through holes in the sky, and figures with only red outlines for heads.  Card backs are dark orange with the logo for the 72 Names in the center.  This deck does not use reversals.  All images are meant to be read upright.

The guidebook is only slightly larger than that cards.  It has a simple fold-over stapled binding and is 71 pages long.  The cards are listed by their number, which appears in the lower left-hand corner of each card.  Both the cards and the guidebook are housed within a recessed well inside a laminated cardboard box.  The box closure consists of a hinged lid with a flap that fits into a slit along the front side of the box.

Although I’m not Jewish, nor do I know anything about Kabbalah, I was able to use these cards immediately right out of the box.  This proved to me that anyone would be able to use this deck.  The author suggests that these cards be approached with respect and that you should not ask the same question repeatedly in hopes of obtaining a more positive answer. This is good advice for any deck a person consults. 

The letter combinations present on each card in the Hebrew alphabet help to connect us to the divine energies that emanate from that particular Name of God.  The author states, “[u]tilizing these sacred letter combinations in everyday life opens the door to spiritual transformation and gives us the tools need to participate in the fulfillment of the cosmic plan.”

The 72 Names is a very simple system of divination. It does not require memorization of all 72 cards (unless you would really like to, of course), and there aren’t any long, complicated spreads.  Only one card is drawn for each question.  Should the meaning of the card as it pertains to your question or issue still remain unclear to you, then you may draw a second card for clarification.  That’s all it takes to do a reading with The 72 Names.

Each card’s interpretation consists of three parts: 

• Perspective:  the current situation and the factors that contributed to its development,

• Direction: spiritual guidance and advice, and

• Bottom Line: the best course of action or what’s really going on with the situation in question.

 This is a beautiful deck.  The images on most cards do not easily lend themselves to intuitive interpretation, but then again, that’s why most decks come with a guidebook.  The card interpretations provided in the guidebook are straightforward and offer insightful advice and suggestions as to how one can change one’s behavior in order to improve the situation. I found that to be quite refreshing as opposed to the predictive nature of many oracular decks on the market today. 

I would recommend this deck to anyone who has a sincere interest in getting to the root of the issues in their life and who also enjoy a bit of whimsy in their readings.  The images are surreal and very dreamlike with flying figures, checkered floors in the sky, and so on.  The artwork makes this deck highly appealing and I shall continue to enjoy using it.