28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Visually Stunning Oracle Deck, December 30, 2007
This review is from: Madame Endora's Fortune Cards (Cards)
This is a visually stunning Oracle deck created by Christine Filipak and Joseph Vargo of Monolith Graphics. The dramatic artwork is done in a beautifully detailed Art Nouveau style, and combines Egyptian, Greek and Celtic mythologies with Norse, Alchemical, Astrological, and Pagan symbolism. Each card contains a key phrase giving a hint to the meaning, and are easily read upright or reversed. The 48 cards are divided into 5 different categories:
I. The Royal Court - these cards represent powerful influences in the life of the querent, or person asking the question. Here we find The King, The Queen, The Wizard, The Seer, The Knight, The Maiden, The Minstrel and The Harlequin.
2. The Realm of Fable - these cards represent the outside forces that guide and influence the querent. In this category, we have The Golem, The Greenman, Hindrance, Medusa, The Satyr, Seduction, Serendipity, The Siren, The Sphinx, and The Spirit.
3. The Bestiary houses creatures both real and imagined. In this section you will find The Black Cat, The Chimera, The Dragon, The Gryphon, The Raven, The Serpent, The Spider, The Unicorn, The Wolf, and The Wyvern.
4. The Treasury contains the tools that will assist the querent in attaining their goals. In this section is The Caduceus, The Chalice, The Dagger, The Gate, The Hand of Fate, The Hourglass, The Key, Love, The Mystic Circle, The Oracle, The Shield, and The Talisman.
5. The fifth category is entitled The Elements, and are responsible for exerting specific energies on the reading. This group is comprised of The Sun, The Moon, The Stars, Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and The Winds of Change.
The LWB (Little White Book) was very informative, but short. We would have like to read more in depth about each card. Many of the card titles, however, are self explanatory. For example, The Spider represents patience, while The Raven is a harbinger of doom. The Gate tells you that there is an obstacle in your path, while The Hourglass reminds you that time is of the essence. There are 4 Oracle spreads included in the LWB, but in truth, any of the traditional Tarot spreads would work as well. Although not a Tarot deck, Tarot readers will find much that is familiar. The Magician becomes the Wizard, the High Priestess is found as The Seer, and The Chimera is very reminiscent of the 7 of Cups. The Sun and Moon are also similar in meaning to those found in Tarot.
The cards are slightly oversized, but shuffle easily, and appear to be made of relatively sturdy card stock. We would have preferred a slicker finish, however, to ensure their longevity.
As a general rule, we have not used Oracle type decks in past readings, but considering the striking quality of this beautiful deck it will be hard to resist working with it on a regular basis.
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to learn, beautifully illustrated!, August 15, 2005
This review is from: Madame Endora's Fortune Cards (Cards)
I finally ordered this set of cards through Amazon and was not disappointed. This is NOT tarot, but work much the same way. It is a great way to introduce fortune telling into your life. The art is very nice. The images are easy to memorize, this is not really required, the cards speak for themselves.(literally, the meanings are written on the cards)
I really admire the deck's artistry, especially the backs. It is as if the cards came from some time forgotten cabinet of curiousities. The feel is geared toward gothic style interpretation without totally leaning on the dark side. The deck's big brother Gothic Tarot is much more serious, as this deals with the classical archetypes directly. Madame Endora could almost be consided a new ager. There is nothing wrong with this at all!
This deck could be easily used by children at a sleep overs and not cause too many nightmares. It is a great place to begin for the amature to turn professional.
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