Customer Reviews

The Wisdom of Avalon Oracle Cards: A 52-Card Deck and Guidebook

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a challenging deck of cards; challenging in that part of the deck is very good, well illustrated, quite mythic in feel, and the other part of it is dull. Of the latter, cards 33-52 are the same, differentiated only by a different word - or marker - on each of the cards. And while the forest or woodland scene is a a nice one, I am left wondering why in a deck which reflects an understanding of British mythology, no attention is given to tree wisdom, the wisdom of stones and earth mounds. It's disappointing.
The deck is divided into several categories of card; the messengers of Avalon; the animal guides; the guides of faery; and the sacred journey markers (cards 33-52).
All the illustrations are good, and it is especially nice to have the animals as drawings of animals and not photographs of animals as occurs in other decks.

When I first received the "Wisdom of Avalon Oracle" I was so excited. After all, the legend of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake are among my favorites.

The author of the deck is Colette Baron-Reid. I'd heard many good things about her, and was looking forward to reading her interpretations of the characters of Avalon.

Gary A. Lippincott is the artist for the deck, and I have to say, his artwork is absolutely beautiful. He's one of the featured artists on the world famous site for the Duirwaigh Gallery (a favorite site for those of us who love faery and fantasy artwork).

The deck itself includes 52 cards, and is divided into four groups. The first 31 cards are done in a soft watercolor. The last 21 cards look they could be a photograph of a trail through the forest. These cards are all the same, except for the journey marker sign than is specific to that card.

The Messengers of Avalon contains eight cards and includes the Merlin, the High Priestess, the King, the Queen, the Novice, the Grail Knight, the Bard and the Lady of the Lake.

The Animal Guides of Avalon contains 18 cards, and includes the Eagle, the Raven, the Hawk, the Swan, the Owl, the Frog, the Spider, the Bee, the Stag, the Cat, the Dog, the Cow, the Wasp, the Deer, the Serpent, the Dragon, the Butterfly, and the Horse.

The Guides of Faery contain five cards, and include the Earth Faery, the Water Faery, the Wind Faery, the Fire Faery and the Goblin.

The largest grouping is the Sacred Journey Markers, which contain 21 cards. These include Partnership, Focus, Wealth, Restriction, Movement, Joy, Protection, Disruption, Risk, Communication, Perception, Burden, Letting Go, Love, Death, Trust, Fear, Forgiveness, Birth-Rebirth, Truth, and the Mystery.

Where the characters aren't actually from the legends of King Arthur, they are still definitely of Avalon and the realm of the faery folk. I was especially pleased with the section on animals, as this deck includes many animals sacred to the Celts that aren't included in other Celtic oriented decks I've seen.

There is a 109 page guidebook that goes along with the deck that gives a more detailed description of each card, along with a chapter on how to use the cards (including how to do a single card reading, and a three and five card reading). I found the book to be very well written and highly enjoyable.

I've already given several readings with this deck, and have to say they have been very insightful. The more I work with this deck, the more I enjoy it, and the deeper the insights seem to go. And one does not need to be a pro to enjoy reading with these cards.

Whether you are a beginning reader, or a seasoned intuitive, or just someone who loves to collect Celtic inspired decks, I would highly recommend "The Wisdom of Avalon" to anyone interested in the realm of Avalon.

I am not a fan per se of this artist but I was attracted to this product when I saw it in a catalog. The art is wonderful and has a great feel. I felt I got a great product for the price. I normally don't like Tarot cards , but am a fan of The Mists of Avalon and was not disappointed by this deck.

To those who complained about half the cards only having a sign in the woods. Frankly, I preferred them that way. It allowed me to view the word and my own connotation with the meaning without someone else's interpretation.

For example: The "death" card is like this. Just a sign in the woods. Now normally death would have a negative connotation, but I was also able to view this as the death of something old in my life so I can accept something new (so in a positive light). Had the card had skulls and worms on it, it would have been nothing but negative and would have blocked me from seeing all interpretations.

Take if for what you want, but I still believe it is a great deck.

I am one the loves to use Oracle cards and have many different kinds. However when I started using these cards they felt different and are right on the target every time. The pictures are absolutely beautiful as is the gold trim around the outside of the cards. They are wonderful to work with and the readings are so accurate. If you are one that likes to work with Oracle cards, I would recommend giving these a try.

One has to wonder if the publisher is getting people to give this deck glowing reviews. While this deck might be okay for a beginner, it lacks substance. The art on some of the unique cards is quite lovely, but 21 out of the 52 cards utilize the same redundant manipulated photo image with only a text window changing to acommodate different meanings. That is quite a disappointment given the beauty of the box cover illustration. But overall, even the illustrations seem rushed and simplistic compared to other decks that have tackled similar subject matters. The animal guide cards are flat and indescript and stray from the more ornate figurative images. This deck lacks focus as the cards seem disconnected and unintuitive.

The author has no bibliography or comprehensive reference guide leaving one to wonder how much research was invested in creating the oracle. There are better Arthurian and animal decks that approach the subject matter with more thoughtful integrity. If you want to explore a deck that examines the Arthurian Legends with meticulous care, try Anne-Marie Ferguson's Legend: The Arthurian Tarot Cards and Book. You'll get more for your money--with both text and illustrations being far superior to this deck. On the plus side: The cards stock is sturdy, although the cards might prove difficult to shuffle. Beware! The outer box is deceptively pretty.

This is a lovely deck. It is different from a tarot deck and gives a different sort of reading.

I'm amused by the reviews complaining that the sacred journey cards are "all the same". Obviously, somebody isn't paying attention--each of the sacred journey cards not only has a unique picture, but each also has a unique sigil associated with the descriptive word.

I hesitated to purchase this deck after reading some of the reviews complaining about the journey cards, but I'm really glad I did. If you think a walk in the woods or a trip to the seashore is boring or that all trees are the "same", you probably won't enjoy using this deck, but if you are in tune with the spirits of wood and water, you will probably enjoy this oracle immensely.

My new Wisdom of Avalon Oracle Cards came today - wheee! I literally tore the package open standing at the mailbox on our little dirt road. They are everything I had hoped for and MORE! The artwork is absolutely sumptous and the cards feel amazing in your hand...great weight and size. I tore back to the house, sat right down, looked at each card and then did a few readings. Just like I anticipated, they are "spot-on, clutch your heart and gasp, hair up on your neck" accurate. This deck was well worth waiting for and I know that all of Colette's fans will agree. Those of you not familiar with her work, check her out on HayHouseRadio.com and listen to the archives.

The cards have feel of Druids and Goddesses and if you love that era, you will feel an affinity to this deck immediately. Not to worry if you are not an Arthurian fan, they make complete sense without knowing all the legends and such. This is a rock solid deck for virtually anyone interested in a unique divination tool.

This deck will become a well worn favorite in my admitedly huge collection. Thank you for this one, Colette!

I purchased these cards on a recommendation from a store owner. I wasn't sure and really werent looking for another deck of cards. I have used various Doreen Virtue's cards for more than 10 years. But I went ahead and tried them out.

I am so pleased to get them! They have been more accurate than any decks I have ever had. I consult them on a daily basis. I have friends and relatives call me to ask questions. I started giving reading again, just because I was so amazed at how accurate these cards have shown.

Thank you for such a beautiful set of Oracle Cards. I am so glad to share the guidance with those around me. I truly feel the love with these cards. And now.. have learned more about the author and am listening to Hay House Radio each week!

I am a professional psychic and every reading I did with these cards proved to be eerily accurate. It even answered questions that were unspoken. These cards enhance my collection completely.

Pictures are not important, what is important is the content and I think the content is awesome! I have many oracle decks and this is one of the best! I have only had them 24 hours and I am hooked already! I highly recommend this deck!