Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot Deck by Matt Hughes, published by US Games Systems Inc. 80 cards and instruction booklet in pack.
Opening up the doors! Relax, focus, believe, open and step up.
The Moon is the magical queen of the sky, po served for 15,000 years. It is our ally when it comes to manifestation. We create our life with our feelings, thought and actions. It’s all about mind set - not moon set! There are no easy fixes! Complex questions are raised here. Here the Moon is female.
Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Angels and Ancestors Oracle Cards by Kyle Gray with artwork by Lily Moses, boxed set of 55 cards and guidebook, published by Hay House £13.19Expect a council of wise and powerful women from pre-Christian, Celtic cultures! Warriors, elders, lovers, and queens from Northern Europe, the islands of Britain and Ireland are featured in this delightful deck with excellent artwork and equally good write-ups on each card. We are connected to the cards through our own challenges and trials, with nature, home, sovereignty, death, healing, courage, fortitude, etc., being just some topics. We learn about background lore, the meaning and purpose, the mystery and history of these 40 powerful females, such as Brigid, Cerridwen, Danu, Epona, Macha, the Morrigan, Nimue, and some rarer female energies.
The beauty of medieval fine art and computer graphics takes us back to the Middle Ages when moral virtues and spiritual qualities, sensitivity, deep perceptions, the nobles of the royal court, clergy, courtiers, battles, Crusaders, theological and philosophical discussions are all present alongside daily lives and beliefs.
This is a classic deck, created in 2005, but a fascinating deck to provide new perspectives. Guido Ziborde Marchesi has produced a masterful deck. He also produced The Giotto Tarot. O will be de,ight Ed by the artwork and get some rather wonderful readings from this deck.
Each card carries a title, keywords, an indication about its place as a Major, Court card or Minor Arcana, and an illustration. Majors have a number of new titles, such as The Dreamer, Wise Counselor, Awakening, Release, Balance, Ego, Transformation, Renewal. The Court Cards are Page, Knight, Queen and King and suits of Fire, Water, Air and Earth. In the guidebook, there is good information about Archangels, each one named, and we have information on how to work with the cards, a quick reference guide and a chart of their magical meanings. Majors have Roman numerals, and the guidebook provides quotes, explanations and meanings. Pulling one card, Three-Card Reading, and the Celtic Cross Spread. There is a quick reference guide and a magical meanings page. You will find Wisdom cards, words of awareness and other individual additions.
Yuletide Tarot is an absolutely charming and fascinating Tarot concept, which I believe is the first of its kind . It was created by Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order in Wales Kristoffer Hughes. He had casually mentioned to his Editor at Llewellyn that there was no complete Tarot that honoured the Christmas season. He was then asked if he would like to create a deck on this theme. The set is gloriously illustrated by Erin O'Leary Brown who specializes in children's illustration as well as botanical and nature themes.
The inspiration for this deck comes from the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, who were an artistic group who signed the paintings with the initials PRB, and had as their emphasis “ Beauty as the defined essence intrinsic in every aspect of creation.” Here we see the divine embodied in nature, in romance, and in the mystique of this beautiful and enchanting Tarot deck.
Quality package, as one expects from the prestigious Red Feather imprint of Schiffer Publishing. A magnetic flip top box reveals a substantial book with foreword by Mary K Greer giving her endorsement to this fine deck of Tarot. The card artwork is laced with interesting symbolism, painted by the author who has had a long interest in symbolism, nature, the mysteries of life and beyond. There are no reversed meaning offered. The 22 Majors are introduced as the Fool’s Journey, and the discovery of the multiple layers of the self, towards integrating and balancing the conscious with the spiritual, bringing ultimate union with the Divine. The 56 Minors explore strengths, talents, gifts and resources, your daily dramas are all available to explore, and will help you to discover your true self and your life purpose.
The deck is designed for self awareness and for communication with the 'Divine Gaia', ie., the Great Spirit of the natural world. As you work with the cards, do not expect a yes or no answer as there are no definitive answers in life! This deck focuses on learning about yourself - and about life itself - and when the cards speak, they provide options and possible solutions. Keeping a journal is suggested for best results. The Secret History of Christmas Baking - Recipes and Stories from Tomb Offerings to Gingerbread Boys by Linda Raedisch, ISBN 978-0-7387-7235-6, RRP $17:99. Published by Llewellyn Publications. (8 Sept, 2023)
This is a magical exploration of the sometimes dark and always intriguing history of some of our most beloved baked Christmas treats. Many have surprising origins with many twists and turns in their development into the festive delights that we enjoy today. Renamed cards to represent Majors using words like Transformation, Balance, etc. The Minors are Earth (Green), Water (Purple), Air (Yellow), Fire (Red) also with simple titles.
There are simple explanations and practice for kids who want to play with their first set of divination cards. In the box are several cards that provide information as follows: “Set up, ask a question, shuffle, layout, read, apply intuition, record the reading: Tarot is the art of reading a story laid out in the cards. Messages are hidden to give advice and guidance. Whatever could happen has not happened yet, so it can be changed to a good outcome with forethought, discussion and good advice. Never accept money or gifts for a reading; Only use the cards for entertainment; Never say that anything bad will happen!”
Ancient myths, history and folklore, poems, journeying, visions and meditations, two dozen voice and movement based exercises, Arthurian and Holy Grail connections, glyphs and symbol gateways, the moon directions and elements, the sacred landscape, wells, springs and guardian spirits, Faery etiquette, offerings and shrines, how to find your Faery ally and enjoin with a Faery tree, how to connect with nature, and Faeries throughout the year, are all wonders that are included, with a Faery vow and a Faery blessing.
The word mandala means, in Sanskrit, circle - one that is symbolically designed to represent the order of the cosmos and one where you can co-ordinate your own personal internal image of balance and harmony. In the Buddhist Mandala, the deity is within the centre and acts as a power source. One connects through the outer layers to the inner and out again as the deity's radiation affects all life around it. The cards have a wide range of motifs, such as sun, moon, butterfly, Inca, Egypt India and other symbolisms all with artwork using the pointellism style of multiple dots, giving the cards an Australian tribal art feel. You can use the cards to ask about your mission, integrity and authenticity or however you would like to, ask a question, such as What do I need to heal in this situation? Pick a card at random, lay out the entire deck face down and choose a card, or use a three-card past, present and future reading. The deck is intended to empower the individual in their spiritual journey and can be read for oneself or for another and is idea for a beginner with advice, guidance and inspiration.
Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot of the Old Path. Artwork by Sylvia Gainsford. Authored by Howard Rodway. 78 cards and instruction booklet in pack. Published by AGM Urania. £20 Each card has a number, a title and an image. In the guidebook detailed information on each card is provided with a healing process suggestion of an affirmation and a meditation and frequently a prayer. The artwork is excellent, as in the sample provided of an owl, peacock and raven that sit atop a web and a beaked skull as a grey haired woman relinquishes consciousness. Are her last thoughts about the needs of nature, as we shed our physical body, so many species face extinction.
“The spirits residing in the natural world have much to share, and the secrets of their forgotten language are now available to us.”
The cards have a number, image, title and subtitle on the face and inside in the guidebook, there is a further 200 words of messages on upright cards and an addition 200 words of a protection message for each card that is reversed.
Stylish and glamorous graphic artwork accompanies this deck. Manga is a popular Japanese art form that is featured in magazines and novels and this has inspired this astonishing deck. You are instructed to find a quiet time to choose a card that reflects you. Then shuffle and randomly choose a second card that will hold the answer to your situation. It worked for me!
Each card has 2 novel characteristics. The cards have a dominant colour that pertains to the seasons which are shown by a glyph. The colours are yellow (for chalices, water, emotions), blue (for swords, air, intellect), green (for pentacles, earth, nature) and pink (for wands, fire, personality). We have some instances where males can represent females and vice-versa. The Court cards are Prince, Princess, King and Queen in that order. The deck has a powerful female energy with some Majors retitled and moved to new places to reflect the greater power of the female.
Cirque de Soleil style fashion and visage, these are 44 personalities of the circus ring who help you unleash your inner creative! The persona is a mask we wear and these masks inspire and entertain and allow you to step outside the everyday world into one of imagination and wonder. This is the place of dreams and the entrance to the Otherworld - the magic of the circus tent. The idea is that love triumps over fear and sadness, that we can all make someone 's day a happy one. There are no rules in this game! You work with intuition and a few guidelines from the book. Ask a question and choose a card. A ritual is provided to maximise the potential magic of the cards. Dedicate the cards, use words provided at each reading or make up your own. All cards are to be read upright. 
