Customer Reviews

Angel Oracle

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4 star:		(1)
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Since I'm bored and theres just one review (at this time) that sucks, I'm writing something. When I opened the box I was disappointed because I wanted a little book to explain things! Instead there was a card and printed on it is: "Place the cards in front of you, with the image up. Relax. Concentrate on your personal angel and allow your Higher Self to choose a card for you. Your angel is sending you a message. Let it touch your heart and ponder it throughout the day." The cards have beautiful paintings (I usually find art boring) and on the back of each one is a smaller black and white version with words under them. For example: Belief is not truly belief while doubt can still touch it. But do the cards work?! Hmm..when I was looking through them for the first time (So far I've only had them for 2 days) I was feeling VERY lonely (being lonely is about the only thing that makes me sad). Anyways, after looking for a few seconds I accidently dropped one of the cards somehow and on it said: "Solitude is bearable only with God." A coincidence?? Some say nothing is a coincidence when angels are around...whatever it was made me very happy. Decide for yourself. I certainly think they're worth $10. I just wish the cards were a little bigger (they're just a little bigger than "poker size" playing cards, but I'm probably just used to bigger tarot cards!

This deck of cards consists of forty of Sulamith Wulfing's mystical/spiritual paintings. She has to be the greatest artist of this genre in the 20th Century. So it is wonderful to have a collection of her paintings in a handy format for carrying around. Many of the paintings have traditional images of angels with wings, but on sixteen of the cards the images are more generally spiritual than angelic. Yet the spiritual nature of her work allows almost all her paintings to be interpreted as angelic whether the spirits or beings have wings or not.

On the back of each card is a short statement chosen by the editor as a meditation to use with the card. Some of these are obviously taken from other sources. E.g., a card called Prosperity has the saying: "I cried because I didn't have shoes, until I met a man who didn't have feet." Some seem out of place. A card called Realization states: "The only thing a computer cannot do -- compared to a human being -- is to look into the evening sky." The painting is of two angels holding red candles without a computer or a machine in sight. Most of the texts are OK, but not being chosen by the artist, they are separate from the paintings and don't add anything.

At the end of the introductory essay in Fantastic Art, Sulamith wrote the following personal statement: "My drawings are a visual representation of my deepest feelings: pleasure, fear, sorrow, happiness, humor. And, to people attuned to my compositions, they may well be mirrors of their own experiences. It is because of this that I have left the explanation of the drawings completely to the viewer, so that they are not bound by my interpretation of what each picture should be. For me it is not a matter of creating illustrations to fit nursery rhyme themes. My ideas come to me from many sources, and in such harmony with my personal experiences that I can turn them into these fairy compositions. My Angels are my consolers, leaders, companions, guards."

These cards can do the same for you that Sulamith's Angels did for her. You will love these paintings.

The art of Sulamith Wülfing (1901-1989) reveals a hidden mystical world that captures the beauty and spirituality of darkness and light, fairies and angels, and otherworldly spirits.

The Angel Oracle is a 40 card deck that features the whimsical paintings of Sulamith Wulfing. While the deck is supposed to help individuals understand the nature of angels and how they help with human problems, the sayings on the back are merely inspirational or motivational quotes culled from other sources. Also the deck references God as a "he" which may be unworkable for those who view the Divine as a she or genderless. Also, the sayings often mention devils or evil, which doesn't jive for those leaning towards non-dualistic, non-Christian spiritual paths.

Some quotes include:

"When the angels appear, the devils vanish."

"Life vibrates. It does not move."

"We learn that God is, that He is in me, and that all things are shadows of Him."

"On the spiritual life, all paths lead to the same place."

"The Angels of Death are full of grace and love."

"Belief in not truly belief while doubt can still touch it."

The sayings on the Angel Oracle cards are pretty shallow, so this deck isn't really suited as an oracle in my opinion. Also, there is no booklet that accompanies this deck.

If you love Wulfing's artwork--which is quite beautiful--you'll no doubt love this deck. Likewise if you connect with the concept of angels and spirit helpers. If you're looking for a good angel oracle, however, you're much better off with a deck like Doreen Virtue's Archangel Oracle Cards.

(To see 6 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at http://JanetBoyer.com)

These little golden children and androgynes fit the Christian stereotype of what angels look like, and these cards all are pretty and soothing and beautiful, but predictable. The art is lovely though, and the wisdom is simple and innocent. My favorite card is Solitude. The back reads "Solitude is only possible with God." Maybe true. Not all the cards are about God, but they address every major influence in Life, on a humble level, like Nature and Fear. The blank wild card brings a soothing presence if queastions abound. Do you believe in angels? Many people think they are real. This oracular deck of cards would help any one decide if they get past the Christian stereotype.

This is a great book! I feel if you believe in angels then this is for you! It will lift your spirits!

How difficult is it to snip a few contrite "spiritual" messages and place them on cards just to promote your angel art-work? Exactly. These cards may be uplifting for someone with no real connection to spirituality, but for those of us who do have that, these cards are sorely lacking in inspiration. Pass this deck up, it's simply not all it's made up to be.