Book of Shadows Tarot vol. 1

Through the symbolize of tarot,
they deliver their messages from beyond,
shedding light on human experience.
~ Quote from the bottom of the box.

 

Title: Book of Shadows Tarot (as above – vol. 1)

Author: Barbara Moore

Illustrator: Grzegorz Krysinski and Simone Gabrielli

Publisher: Lo Scarabeo

• What’s in your book of shadows?

• The Book of  Shadows tarot is a 78 tarot deck that  is a collaboration that presents 78 beautifully illustrated cards that have been illustrated by five illustrators. This tarot deck and companion book was designed and written by Barbara Moore. Now, let me go ahead and outline what you will find in this tarot deck. Trust me, you’re going to need it 😉
• The Major Arcana interpretations stay true to the Rider Wait system, but all 22 cards have been renamed. For example,
  1. The Fool becomes The Summer-lands
  2. The Sun becomes Litha
  3. Death becomes Yule
  4. The Emperor becomes The God
  5. The Empress becomes The Goddess

• The pipes from 1-10 have been renamed to their elemental titles.
  1. Wands become Fire
  2. Cups become Water
  3. Swords become Air
  4. pentacles become Earth

• The pipes interpretations are no longer associated with the Rider Waite, or any other system. And you won’t see any cups or wands through the cards. The four pipes are divided for the following,
  1. Fire (Wands) has to do with The Gods/Planets
  2. Water (cups) is reserved for The Goddesses
  3. Air (swords) is reserved for Divinatory systems
  4. Earth (pentacles)

• The courts no longer become the their traditional court titles, instead they change to the following,
  (Which in my opinion it makes it so much easier to understand the courts now that they have been renamed.)

1. Pages become Elements
2. Knight become Maidens
3. Queens become Mothers
4. Kings become Crones

• Now that I’ve covered what you need to know about the Book of Shadows system, let me review some of my favorite cards from this deck. One of the cards that called my attention was the 3 of Airs which represents scrying (to know more about scrying, click here). In the card there’s a young woman who sits in front of the mirror. She has her eyes opened and her reflection has her eyes closed. This card talks about everything that has to do with perception and clarity. How to see things from another point of view.

• Here’s a card that brought itself to my attention. Card number 5, Book of Shadows. Of course most of us know what a “book of shadows is… A book of shadows is where Wiccans keep all their spells and anything that they’ve accumulated through out the years. Think of it as a diary (for a lack of the better term). A book of shadows can be created in whichever way the person feels and pleases. In the book of shadows tarot, the Book of Shadows takes the place of the Hierophant . The book of shadows card represents knowledge. Everything that you know or you’ve learned throughout the years. Or, anything that you wish to learn you can acquire it by reading and researching.

• Guess who makes an appearance in the Book of Shadows tarot? Among all deities we have Mother of Earth which she’s known as Mother Earth, which is no other than the Greek Goddess Gaia. Gaia is the Goddesses and creator of earth. She created everything earthly. Basically created the elements (earth, fire, wind, and water). In the Book of Shadows Tarot, Gaia tells you to nurture earth. For example, go water your lilies. If you have a garden, attend your fruits and vegetables. She also talks about taking care of your physical self as well.

• The back design are reversible and are very mystical. The background has an astral image where all the stars are scared all over the place. There are no titles on the back of the cards. The size of the cards is approximately 5 ½ inches in height x 3 ¾ inches in width. The card stock quality is very sturdy and holds up well. They have an absolute matted touch, The print transfer is fantastic as well.

• The cards are very flexible. If you have rather small hands, it should not be a problem for you to shuffle the cards. The deck comes in a study and durable box. The Box has an extra slot to fit the upcoming deck titled, “Book of Shadows vol.2 So Below”.

• In the kit, there is a guide book written by famed author Barbara Moore who out did herself with the creation of the deck and the guide book. The guide book is very well elaborated and gives a keen meaning for the minor arcana and an elaborated meaning for the major arcana. The book also explains about Wicca religion. If you are unfamiliar with the Wicca region, then the guide-book will inform you. In the guide book, you will also find the meanings to the

• I must say, I’ve never really bonded too close with a tarot deck like I have with the Book of Shadows Tarot : As Above. I’m in love with the art and also with how keen and to the point the answers are! There is no right or when reading with the deck. All the answers are sharp and clear. Do be aware that this tarot deck deck has a “part 2” tarot deck that will be released in Spring of 2013. The titled of the 2nd deck that follows this one is The Book of Shadows So Below – Vol. 2. Also, note that it’s not mandatory for you to get the second deck, but the second deck will follow the Rider Waite tradition closely.

 © 2010 – 2015 J. R. Rivera
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

Oracle of the ShapeShifters

Image

These mystical allies posses the hidden knowledge
of shapeshifting, camouflage, change,
invisibility and metamorphosis.
~ Quote from the box

Title: Oracle of the Shapeshifters

Author: Lucy Cavendish

Illustrator: Jasmine Becket-Griffith

Publisher: Blue Angel Publishing

• These water creatures have come to splash you with euphoria, don’t fight it.

• Oracle of the Shapeshifters deck features 45 rich and lavish illustrated cards. Each card features both real and mystical animals; such as wolves, owls, and spiders, or dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns. These creatures are not alone, they come in their human form and they are here to help your transform into something new and radiant, to discard what it no longer needed. These changes will be inner or outer, mental, mental, physical, or emotional. It is up to you what you want to change.

• One of the cards that stood out for me from this deck is 14. Miss Spider Web. Here is a woman who is standing in a dark lair underneath a dungeon. Behind her are several spider webs. The spider webs appear to have pearls or crystals tangled with them. Next to her is a pretty large black widow. The figure wears a medieval dress. This figure reminds me of Elizabeth Bathory. The messages of this card are “Reconsider your alliances, make new connections.” What this card tells you is that you need to mingle with other people outside your “Web of connections”. Make a new or many more friends.

• A card which has a powerful and profound feeling and vibe to it is card 20. Elizabeth and the Lion. Here is the virgin queen standing and holding a lion’s head. The lion is gentle and very calm, and the queen is very trusting of this lion. The messages that this card conveys are “It is time to be a great leader”. Of course, this card is telling to stop being the follower and pave the road for others or simply pave the road for yourself.

• The last card which is one of my favorite and just reasons with me on so many levels is card 23. Quetzalcoatl and the Priestess of Time. Here is an Aztec priestess with beautiful bronze skin color and honey colored eyes and black hair. She stands behind a golden wall of an Aztec pyramid. Wrapped around her is the Aztec God Quetzalcoatl who is morphed into a green feathered dragon. This card is just beautiful! The meaning of this card is, “The time has come. The time to act is now.” This card tells to stop staling and do something! Time may be running out and you only have so much to do in a short matter of time.

• The back designs are not reversible and consist of one primary dark blue color. In the center of card is young girl holding her owl friend who appears in card 39. Little Owlyn which was zoomed in to accommodate the back design for these cards.
• The size of the cards are approximately 5 ½ x 3 ¾ inches. They have an absolute matted and glossy feel, preventing the cards from sticking to one another and have a very gentle and soft feel.

• The cards are not as sturdy as the Oracle of Shadows and Light. Despite that they are not sturdy enough, they still hold up well. If you have small hands, there will not be much of a problem shuffling them.

• The box where the cards are stored is a two piece box, bottom and lid, which is very sturdy and stores the card and booklet absolutely well.

• Companion booklet is written by Lucy Cavendish and features 164 pages. The book starts off with an introduction, then with the following paragraphs, Who you will meet within this world, What hold us back from evolution?, Forming a sacred alliance with the shapeshifters, Lucy’s shapeshifting vision, Human cells and change, Imagination and positive change, The self you tell yourself you are is not your only self, How to work the Oracle of the Shapeshifters, Layouts: Spreads to connect, Divine and Communicate, Questions you may have. And finally, the card meanings! In the card meaning pages you will find the picture of the card at the very top of the page, the card number, the title, and he key words. Then you have three interpretations, descriptions, and divinatory meanings.

• The artwork is done by none other than fame fantasy artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith. The medium for the art is acrylic painting which is painted on a white canvas. The art is very vivid and lucid with a touch of shadowy and noir elements.
• I can’t say anything but nice things about this oracle deck. I like animals, and I like that there are several animals in this deck. Though, dogs were not featured in the Australian edition this oracle deck, but the wolves make up for the lack of dogs. The theme of this deck is all about shapeshifters, shifting the inner and/or outer appearance of yourself. There are some cards that I found a bit out there. But none the less. It is a beautiful deck and idealistic to use when you are in a time or point of changing something about yourself for the greater good. You want to change something about yourself for better results and need the help of the shapeshifters, click here!

© 2010 – 2015 J. R. Rivera
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

Gods and Titans Oracle

Title: Gods and Titans Oracle

Author: Stacey Demarco

Illustrator: Jimmy Manton

Publisher: Blue Angle Publishing/Beyond Words Publishing

The Gods and Titans oracle does not differ from the Goddesses and Sirens Oracle except for a few minor things such as…

• 36 male deities from all the pantheons are included in this oracle deck. You get Greek, Roman, Mayan, and Asian (just to name a few) male deities. Each God gives you advice to follow or take into consideration or simply do as we please with.

• The back designs are not reversible. Though, the back designs are nicely done. They have a titainum look to them. The title, “Gods and Titans” really stands out and appears to be fused with a silver and platinum colors. The size of the cards is approximately 5 ½ inches in height x 3 ¾ inches in width. The card stock quality is very good and durable. They have an absolute matted feel to them, almost glossy. The print transfer is fantastic. There are hardly any flaws. You can see the details in each card.

• The cards are fairly easy to shuffle. They are large and flexible. If you have rather small hands, it should not be a problem for you to shuffle the cards. The cards come in a very durable and sturdy box that will be sure to protect the cards and booklet from any damage, though the box provides a little bit of space for the cards to flow and rattle around. The box in which the cards come in shelves and stores perfectly, like a reading book, and it occupies little space at all.

• The guide book is written by Stacey Demarco. The guide book contains 152 pages. Each page gives a background story of the deity, upright and reversed divinatory meaning, as well as a chant or spell to invoke the particular deity for a deed. The illustration is done by Jimmy Manton. The art work appears to be drawn or sketched, then computer processed and colored in with Photoshop. It has a feel of chalk and acrylic painting, which in my opinion is a very beautiful combination.
• Other than that, it’s a perfect counter part from the Goddesses and Sirens Oracle. If you combine both Gods and Titans Oracle and Goddesses and Sirens Oracle decks, you get 74 cards, plus the bonus Apollo card included in the Goddesses and Sirens Oracle, 75 cards.
• Many of us are well aware that Gods and Titans exited in the historic Wiccans are know to honor and worship this deity. Though very little is done to recognize these majestic beings, I want to talk a bit about this magnificent oracle deck that has done wonders for me since I first started using it for my readings.
• Paying homage to male deities, this oracle deck allows you to work with both very well known and lesser known deities. The art and images are breathtaking in every aspect, though, some may think the depictions a bit too flamboyant because of the beautiful, muscular bodies.
• In the companion book to the Gods and Titans Oracle, each deity is ascribed a keyword and an attribution that needs to be well studied or incorporated in every day life. For example you have the famous God Zeus who represents Leadership. Now, leadership doesn’t necessarily mean “being the leader”. It may mean you take control of a situation or lead the way for someone who is in need of a role model… just as Zeus kept some deities in shape.
• What I love most of all about this oracle deck is its inclusiveness, featuring dieties from all around the world–from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia as well as Pacifics. Yes, I know that many male deties aren’t included in this deck but, when you think about it, was there ever a deck that recognizes these male deities?
• The detailed guidebook, writte by Stacy Demarco, also provides a story as well as an invocation for each God. The illustrations are by Jimmy Manton. Here are the ensemble of deities that appear in this deck: Acat, Achilles, Ah Puch, Achilles, Anubis, Ares, Baiame, Cernunnos, Dionysus, Eros, Ganesha, Garuda, Green Man, Hades, Helios, Hermes, Hynos, Jade Emperor, Jizo, Loki, Lugh, Maui, Mithras, Nuada, Osiris, Poseidon, Prometheus, Ra, Set, Shiva, Thor, Thoth, Typhon, Ull, Vishnu, Vulcan, Zeus

© 2010 – 2015 J. R. Rivera
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.