Review: Inspirations For Survivors (Oracle Cards and Guidebook)

Inspirations For Survivors - 44 Cards and Guidebook by Aunia Kahn and Russell J. Moon 

ISBN: 978-0-7643-4124-3 (Schiffer Publishing)

44 oracle cards and 96 page book (Boxed Set)

Today I'm reviewing the lovely Inspirations For Survivors boxed set. First, let me say that I LOVE the color palette on the borders. I'm seriously considering using it to repaint the rooms in my house. lol There's something very soothing and harmonious about them. Which, I believe, fits this deck's intention rather nicely. The decks authors, Aunia Kahn and Russell J. Moon (also of the Silver Era Tarot) have dedicated this set "To every person who has struggled, fought, and persevered while striving to live their lives." That pretty much means all of us in some way, shape, or form. "Using positive messages and beautiful imagery to encourage growth, healing, and new constructive thought patterns as a survivor, you will be drawn into a world of "can do". "This inspirational deck can be used as a clarifier of a particular issue, a meditation tool, or as an oracle to help the survivor to thrive."

The art on these cards has a dark-ish, somewhat gothic feel to them with the inspirational phrase at the bottom. And like the other quality Schiffer decks that I have, they are constructed of a good, sturdy card stock with a glossy finish. Measuring in at 3 and 1/4 inches wide by 5 and half inches tall, they are the perfect size for hand shuffling. The 96 page guidebook that comes with the deck is an absolute jewel. It features a brief description (with more inspirational words) of each card and a full page, color illustration of the card. The pages themselves are semi-glossy, and a pleasure to read. Both the deck and book fit nicely into it's sturdy box with a magnetic closure, which makes them very easy to take along with you, wherever you may go. :) 

This is the best oracle deck I've come across on the market to pull a final advice card at the end of a reading. They are always relevant to the reading, and help to end the session on a positive note.  I think this deck will appeal to those who want an inspirational message without the fluffy unicorns or angels present. Here are a few examples of these wonderful cards.

If you are interested in purchasing this lovely boxed set, they can be found here on the Schiffer website. Have a blessed and uplifting day! :) 

 

Review: The Journey Oracle and The Journey Coloring Book

By Adrienne Trafford and published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

Oracle Deck: ISBN 978-0-7643-3783-3 (46 cards and 96 page booklet)

Coloring Book: 978-0-7643-3784-0 (24 pages)

Two of my favorite things! Oracle cards and coloring books. If ever there was a way to relax and enjoy an entire afternoon, here it is. First let's talk about the deck, shall we?

Measuring in at 4 and half inches long by 2 and three quarter inches wide, the cards are printed on the heavy, high quality card stock that Schiffer is well known for, and they come in a sturdy  flip-top box with a magnetic closure. These cards have the most lively and colorful borders that I have ever seen in a oracle deck. The artwork is sublime, yet simple, and most of them depict women who's faces, posture and dress gently reflect their key words (which are clearly printed at the bottom of each card). In the booklet that comes with the deck, the author states that her two daughters show up in most of the ladies faces. How wonderful! I love reading little tidbits about a deck like that. :) The card backs have an illustration of a tree, and cradled within it's branches is a nest with two blue eggs in it. These eggs represent the artists' two daughters. <3

The 96 page booklet that comes with this deck is very helpful, easy to read, and includes a brief four page introduction. All the cards are listed in alphabetical order and feature a black and white picture of each individual card for quick reference. Included with each card description are small sections titled, "What this card says", "What this card means", and a few of them also have a passage that encourages the reader to "Consider this". Some cards of interest are the four Queens (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades), and there are four cards that have the illustrations situated in a horizontal position. 

I find this deck to be very feminine in nature, and encouraging in the aspect of acknowledging the inner feelings that one may experience along the way of their own personal journey. I use it almost every day for a simple one card pull, or for a special focus card during a tarot reading. "Embrace your Inner Goddess" is my key phrase for this beautiful deck. :) Now, let's have a look at the inside of the coloring book which is sold separately.

The pages are 10 and three quarter inches long by 8 and a half inches wide, and the images are printed on thick, heavy paper (almost a light card stock). The dark, bold lines are very easy to color in, which is something I appreciate now that my eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be in my younger years. The images are printed on both sides of the paper, so care needs to be taken when using markers or they might bleed through. For this reason, I chose to use colored pencils. However, know that if you press too hard with your pencils, the indentations may show through the other side of the paper. All 46 card images from the deck are included in this coloring book, and they are in alphabetical order, which makes it easy to pull the corresponding card out of the deck to compare your work with. By looking at the original artwork, I was given helpful visual clues as how to go about adding some light shading to my picture. Adding a bit of shading gives the pictures a realistic depth, makes them seem more alive, and gives them a three dimensional feel. :) 

Here is the end result of my happy labors. The picture on the left is a page from the coloring book that I colored in with Prismacolor colored pencils, and the image on the right is the original image from the card titled "Appreciation". As you can see, I changed the colors around a bit. Purple is my favorite color, so I HAD to. lol I used a lot of different colors for this one, and they break down like this:

Flowers - Parma Violet, Clay Rose, and Greyed Lavender. For the centers I used Golden Yellow and Peach. The one little stem is colored in Apple Green.

For her dress I used Blue, Ultramarine and Violet Blue.

Her hair is Dark Brown, French Grey, and streaked with Steel and Warm Grey.

Her eyebrows are colored in with Dark Umber.

The iris' of her eyes are Imperial Violet, and she's sporting Lilac "eyeshadow". 

Her skin is Light Peach and shaded with Burnt Umber. Her cheeks have a hint of Blush Pink. 

The outside background is colored Cloud Blue. 

This is a great pair to have if you enjoy coloring books and oracle decks with a feminine theme. I spent several quiet, relaxing, and enjoyable afternoons coloring my picture and perusing the cards with a warm cup of tea. What more could a Goddess ask for? ;) 

  

Tarot in Reverse (Book Review)

Written by Janet Boyer and published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

                                             ISBN: 978-0-7643-4101-4
                                                         192 pages

Ahhh, tarot reversals. The bane of many novice and experienced tarot reader's existence alike. Myself included! I've been on again, off again with them for years. In the past, I just couldn't seem to make peace with those upside down cards in a spread. Do they have the opposite meaning of the upright card? Or do I just pay "special attention" to that card, turn it right side up, and then go on my merry way? So, when I heard about Tarot in Reverse, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy and read it. Janet kindly arranged for me to receive a review copy, and when it arrived, I promptly put on my reading glasses and dove right in. As it turned out, this was exactly the book I needed to gain a clearer insight into those pesky reversed cards! 

The book itself is absolutely stunning. And as far as quality goes, it's top notch. The pages are heavy, thick, glossy, and every picture in the book is fully color-saturated. And it's the perfect size for a comfortable reading experience. Measurements are approximately 8 and 3/4 inches long by 5 and 3/4 inches wide, and a half of an inch thick. Just right! 

The book's introduction is a little gem all by itself. Within those nine pages I found a wealth of information. Most notably, a list of what Janet has discovered the reversed cards can indicate in a reading. One good way to possibly interpret that upside down card? Extreme or Unhealthy Manifestation of Energy. Not the opposite of, but maybe way too much of! Hmmm... *light bulb pops on* Chapters one through three feature all the cards and their reversals in an easy to read format. Chapter one covers the Major Arcana, chapter two covers the Minor Arcana, and chapter three the Court cards. I really love the page layout for each card. On the left is a picture of the card in both the upright and reversed perspectives (images are from the Universal Waite deck), and to it's side is a comprehensive list of key phrases that are guaranteed to get the thought processes moving along in the right direction towards understanding the energy of that particular reversed card.

Pop culture and modern interpretations are included, and I find these to be extremely helpful in making more meaningful connections that are easy to remember. As someone who sees the tarot at work all around them in everyday life, quite a few of those modern day examples brought a smile of recognition to my face. And along with that, more than a few "AHA!" moments. The anecdotes that are found under the key phrases are spot on for each card as well. Each card entry also has a quote that encapsulates it's meaning, an "advice from the card" blurb, and 20 affirmations to go with it. The affirmations would be WONDERFUL as a meditation focus when dealing with the energies described by the reversed card in question. Or as Janet describes it in the introduction, "Dealing with Life's Reversals". 

The last few pages of the book contain several examples of sample readings that have reversed cards. I feel that it is ALWAYS a good thing to see the author's techniques in action. And the last two pages have one of my favorite things that can be found in a book about tarot techniques... A notes section with lines! Perfect for those times when you have a stroke of genius and need to quickly write your thoughts down. Bravo! And I would also like to mention the font size... It's medium-large, which makes it very easy on these 43 year old eyes. lol I've had 20/20 vision for most of my life, but lately.. well.. I need reading glasses. I can actually easily read this book without them, and NO squinting or holding the book at arm's length until it comes into focus. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I highly recommend this book for any reader who wishes to get a grip on the reversed cards in their readings. This book will have a place of honor beside me at my computer desk, where it's within arm's reach. Never again will I have to struggle with, "What the heck does that card standing on it's head mean?!"

Any complaints, you ask? Yes, there is... This book should have been written and published YEARS ago! Then it would have saved me much grief, self-doubt and seemingly endless confusion. If you're struggling with reversed tarot cards, buy this book. You'll be glad you did! :)

 

Konxari Cards: The Other Part

On August 10, 2010, I posted a blog about my first experience with the Konxari Cards. If you haven't already, read that blog here first. There was more to that reading than I let on in that blog post. At the time I was pretty blown away by it all, and in addition to my own personal feelings about it at the time, I didn't want to frighten anyone or discourage them from using these wonderful cards. As I had sat there trying to absorb what I was seeing and feeling, I felt compelled to pull another four cards... My Dad wasn't finished with what he wanted to say to me. Having clearly expressed how much he had loved me while we were together, he wanted me to know something else. A warning about using these cards (or perhaps about dabbling in this sort of thing). I feel that it is VERY important that you follow a few simple rules when using them. Do as the instructions suggest and DON'T READ WITH THEM WHEN YOU ARE COMPLETELY ALONE. Also, ground and protect yourself thoroughly beforehand. 

These are the other four cards that were pulled on that night. I should have included these in my previous blog, but I was so happy and pleased that I had successfully communicated with my father from beyond this earthly plane, that I didn't want any negativity to intrude on my happiness. But here they are, in the order I pulled them.

I knew immediately what he was trying to tell me. These cards can also be used effectively for peering through a window into the past or... a door through which an angry spirit might seek revenge. (Remember that the pain in my toe was strong enough to wake me from a sound sleep...) Pretty straightforward. My Dad was like that when he was with us. Straight up. He didn't buy into Tarot cards, fortune telling, UFO's or ghost stories. My Dad was a man that needed to see, touch, feel or be able to prove it's existence. Something so straightforward and easy to interpret was definitely his style. So please remember what he let me (and all of us) know. Protect yourself well, stay grounded, and only let in the good things. <3

And there's one other thing that I didn't mention at the time because I didn't think it had any importance.. but I do now. Whenever my copy of this deck arrived, I took them all out and went through them to make sure all of them were there. It turned out that I had 89 cards, not the 88 that were supposed to be there. I had an extra Honor card.