Unboxings and First Impressions

[Saturn Celeste]

queenofwans[/member] thank you so much for posting the picture!  I've been interested in this deck and your image is nice and clear.  Still thinking about it but I can't do anything for awhile, it's just nice to see it.

[queenofwans]

queenofwans[/member] thank you so much for posting the picture!  I've been interested in this deck and your image is nice and clear.  Still thinking about it but I can't do anything for awhile, it's just nice to see it.

 

Glad I could help out! Which deck are you referring to? Shadow Light or Crow Tarot? And I can post more pictures too if you have any specific requests!

[Saturn Celeste]

The Crow tarot.  I am a crow lover.  I'll look for your readings should you use the deck!  ^-^

[Day Soleil]

I just got the Shadow Light Tarot (and its accompanying mini twin, the Wander Light Tarot), and I'm in love!

 

I love the images on each and every card. Everything is so beautiful and magical and intricate. I love how there are so many details waiting for you to find.

 

I think one of the most special aspects of the Shadow Light is that the entire Major Arcana and every suit each form an infinite panoramic, meaning that every picture connects to the picture before and after it, and the last card connects back with the first card, to form a gigantic panoramic. In the second row of the Shadow Light cards, you can see part of the panoramic for the Pentacles suit.

 

I'm loving this deck so much!  <3

 

Ooh! I was just asking about finding a deck like this, where the individual cards form a big picture. Where did you purchase it from, can I ask?

[Day Soleil]

I am SO bummed because for the first time I received a deck with a card missing. This is the Shadowscapes tarot, and I ordered it from Walmart simply because Walmart is one of the few online retailers that's reliable in delivering to my very remote, rural location. But I'm missing the King of Pentacles! ACK. I feel like there's a message in there...

 

I feel so.... violated. As I was unboxing, I was burning Palo Santo and journaling and gushing over the artwork, seriously falling in love.  I had to take off my glasses to see all the details on the cards, they're so exquisite.

 

So now... what to do. It's going to be snowing here again soon, so I don't know how or when I will ever be able to return this deck. Maybe I should email the publisher? I absolutely ADORE the work of this artist, and don't feel it's Walmart's fault. The deck and cards were both sealed in cellophane. Try to contact the publisher?

[queenofwans]

I just got the Shadow Light Tarot (and its accompanying mini twin, the Wander Light Tarot), and I'm in love!

 

I love the images on each and every card. Everything is so beautiful and magical and intricate. I love how there are so many details waiting for you to find.

 

I think one of the most special aspects of the Shadow Light is that the entire Major Arcana and every suit each form an infinite panoramic, meaning that every picture connects to the picture before and after it, and the last card connects back with the first card, to form a gigantic panoramic. In the second row of the Shadow Light cards, you can see part of the panoramic for the Pentacles suit.

 

I'm loving this deck so much!  <3

 

Ooh! I was just asking about finding a deck like this, where the individual cards form a big picture. Where did you purchase it from, can I ask?

 

I just responded to your earlier thread on this! I backed it on Kickstarter originally, but you can now find the deck here:

 

https://wakingcanvas.myshopify.com/collections/divinitive-decks

 

 

[sandrang123]

Day Soleil[/member]: Usually the publisher is good with sending replacement cards. I've contacted quite a few of them and they've always sent the requested card. Might be the easiest solution, given your location.

 

I am SO bummed because for the first time I received a deck with a card missing. This is the Shadowscapes tarot, and I ordered it from Walmart simply because Walmart is one of the few online retailers that's reliable in delivering to my very remote, rural location. But I'm missing the King of Pentacles! ACK. I feel like there's a message in there...

 

I feel so.... violated. As I was unboxing, I was burning Palo Santo and journaling and gushing over the artwork, seriously falling in love.  I had to take off my glasses to see all the details on the cards, they're so exquisite.

 

So now... what to do. It's going to be snowing here again soon, so I don't know how or when I will ever be able to return this deck. Maybe I should email the publisher? I absolutely ADORE the work of this artist, and don't feel it's Walmart's fault. The deck and cards were both sealed in cellophane. Try to contact the publisher?

[MysticMoonlight]

I am SO bummed because for the first time I received a deck with a card missing. This is the Shadowscapes tarot, and I ordered it from Walmart simply because Walmart is one of the few online retailers that's reliable in delivering to my very remote, rural location. But I'm missing the King of Pentacles! ACK. I feel like there's a message in there...

 

I feel so.... violated. As I was unboxing, I was burning Palo Santo and journaling and gushing over the artwork, seriously falling in love.  I had to take off my glasses to see all the details on the cards, they're so exquisite.

 

So now... what to do. It's going to be snowing here again soon, so I don't know how or when I will ever be able to return this deck. Maybe I should email the publisher? I absolutely ADORE the work of this artist, and don't feel it's Walmart's fault. The deck and cards were both sealed in cellophane. Try to contact the publisher?

 

I'd definitely contact the publisher as they are usually terrific about sending replacement cards to you.

 

I've had this happen a couple of times and have had great experiences when I contacted the publisher for replacements.

 

Lo Scarabeo was SUPER AWESOME about sending me a replacement card and all the way from Italy, to boot! (I'm in America) I had 2 Knight of Wands in my Thelema Tarot and no Page. They have terrific customer service...love them.  :thumbsup:

 

Shiffer publishing was my other experience and they were pretty great as well. I'd ordered one of their decks (Amazon) and it arrived badly damaged (printing process damage) so I sent it back for replacement. This happened 2 times! On the third replacement deck attempt, I still had several cards in that deck that were damaged during printing (again so badly so that I don't know how they ever passed any inspection process) so, not wanting to have to return the entire deck again, I contacted them (Shiffer) directly and told them what cards were damaged and they sent me replacements.

[Day Soleil]

Thank you, sandrang123[/member]  and MysticMoonlight[/member]. I emailed Llewellyn and they said they'd put my missing card in the mail to me. Yay!

[Emilija]

The Crow tarot.  I am a crow lover.  I'll look for your readings should you use the deck!  ^-^

 

I just ordered it!

[Raggydoll]

Thank you, sandrang123[/member]  and MysticMoonlight[/member]. I emailed Llewellyn and they said they'd put my missing card in the mail to me. Yay!

 

Awesome!

[Raggydoll]

The Crow tarot.  I am a crow lover.  I'll look for your readings should you use the deck!  ^-^

 

I just ordered it!

 

This is one that I’m intrigued by too, but it’s not available here yet. I will keep a lookout for all your reveals of it  ^-^

[Emilija]

The Crow tarot.  I am a crow lover.  I'll look for your readings should you use the deck!  ^-^

 

I just ordered it!

 

This is one that I’m intrigued by too, but it’s not available here yet. I will keep a lookout for all your reveals of it  ^-^

 

I just got it today! It's GORGEOUS!!!

[Flaxen]

The Dark Mansion Tarot arrived today.

 

I love the Tim Burton-esque art style - some scenes are very reminiscent of The Corpse Bride.

 

It is a pretty straightforward read as the images are based on the RWS although there are some interesting individual touches.

 

The box is hinged and nicely made, the cardstock feels good and shuffles well. None of that sticky feeling you can get with new decks.

 

I can see this working well for fans of all things gothic.

 

 

 

[Bookworm]

I like the look of that deck. Thanks for posting, Flaxen[/member] .

[GreatDane]

omg...Dark Mansion worth it for the box alone X/ <3  It's like if Tim Burton and Salvador Dali had a baby.

[Asher]

I am getting excited reading with oracle decks again! I got out my handful and have been playing with them for a couple of weeks now. It's like a breath of fresh air!

 

So, I was a Barnes and Noble today, and found 2 new oracles, one that I wanted to see in person and the other one I had not heard of. And, somehow, they both followed me home... :biggrin:

 

I have been looking for an angel deck (read not Doreen Virtue), and had seen Debbie Malone's 2018 deck, Guardian Angel Reading Cards online. These are stunning! Gorgeous photo-realistic images of angels posed with human beings in a variety of settings. And NO messages or affirmations printed on them, only the title "Angel of..." Sadly, there is not as much diversity as I would like, though there are a few people of color depicted. There are 36 cards in the magnetic closure box, along with a very nice, full color guidebook. The cards are very smooth, leaning a bit to the glossy side of the spectrum, and should withstand careful shuffling. The quality of the set is excellent.

 

The set is published by Rockpool Publishing, a company I have not heard of before. Based in Australia, Rockpool has quite a few oracle decks in their current catalog, and I spent some time looking at the various offerings. I am impressed with the craftsmanship of their products.

 

The other deck that followed me home is the Saints and Mystics Reading Cards. I love this kind of theme, saints, mystics, ascended masters, etc. And what an eclectic group Andres Engracia has assembled. The 36 card deck has 18 saints and 18 mystics, and they are a very diverse group indeed. Several of my favorites are here, including Sts. Anthony, Christopher (yeah, I know...) Francis, Joan of Arc, Jude, Paul, Teresa and Santa Muerte. There are also some that I am not familiar with, for example St.Mary Mackillop, the patron saint of teachers and students (good for me as I work in an elementary school!)

 

The 18 mystics are possibly even more diverse, including Aristotle, Jung, Confucius, Edgar Cayce, Emanuel Swedenborg, Madame Blavatsky, King Solomon, Marie Laveau, Nostradamus, Plato and William Blake. Whew! As with the angel deck, the Saints deck comes in a magnetic closure box, with a full color guidebook. The book offers mini-biographies of each person, as well as a page devoted to oracle interpretations. Beautiful artwork that one could stare at for hours.

 

The cards (in both sets) are 3 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches, the book is slightly bigger, and the box size is 5 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches.

 

I highly recommend checking these out if you are interested in either theme.  <3

[queenofwans]

I live near a metaphysical shop that seems to get tarot decks as soon as they are released (sometimes even early, it seems). I went after work yesterday to check out their crystals, and I came across the beautiful Mermaid Tarot deck, which I had intended on ordering through Amazon when it became available in March, but lo and behold, it was here!

 

As with all recent Llewellyn decks, this one comes in a sturdy box with a magnetic closure and a full-color guidebook.  The card stock on this one seems a hair thicker and sturdier than the Everyday Witch Tarot, although when the two decks are stacked side-by-side, they are the same size. It definitely feels thicker and sturdier though. It’s a little less flexible than the Everyday Witch tarot, but just a tad less.

 

The images are stunning! I am loving the beautifully vibrant colors of this gorgeous deck! This is a diverse deck full of people/merpeople of color. Each suit definitely channels the energy and element with which the suit is associated.

 

And, WOW, the court cards. They are definitely my favorite court cards thus far!

 

The Queens are my favorites, based on Pele (Wands) Nammu (Cups), the Snow Queen (Swords), and the Lady of the Lake (Pentacles). But I really love each of the Knights, as well as (surprisingly) the Kings, which I don’t normally enjoy very much in most decks.

[Quester]

I live near a metaphysical shop that seems to get tarot decks as soon as they are released (sometimes even early, it seems). I went after work yesterday to check out their crystals, and I came across the beautiful Mermaid Tarot deck, which I had intended on ordering through Amazon when it became available in March, but lo and behold, it was here!

 

As with all recent Llewellyn decks, this one comes in a sturdy box with a magnetic closure and a full-color guidebook.  The card stock on this one seems a hair thicker and sturdier than the Everyday Witch Tarot, although when the two decks are stacked side-by-side, they are the same size. It definitely feels thicker and sturdier though. It’s a little less flexible than the Everyday Witch tarot, but just a tad less.

 

The images are stunning! I am loving the beautifully vibrant colors of this gorgeous deck! This is a diverse deck full of people/merpeople of color. Each suit definitely channels the energy and element with which the suit is associated.

 

And, WOW, the court cards. They are definitely my favorite court cards thus far!

 

The Queens are my favorites, based on Pele (Wands) Nammu (Cups), the Snow Queen (Swords), and the Lady of the Lake (Pentacles). But I really love each of the Knights, as well as (surprisingly) the Kings, which I don’t normally enjoy very much in most decks.

 

Not so patiently waiting for this deck to come out!!  :)  It looks awesome!!!!

[bookshop]

Hey Flaxen[/member] how long did it take for the Dark Mansion shipment to arrive? I ordered mine last week and I feel like it should have been here by now — though I never got a notice that it's been shipped, so who knows.

[Flaxen]

Hey Flaxen[/member] how long did it take for the Dark Mansion shipment to arrive? I ordered mine last week and I feel like it should have been here by now — though I never got a notice that it's been shipped, so who knows.

Mine took about a week to get from Poland to the U.K.

 

Hopefully, yours will be with you soon. :)

[bookshop]

Ahh thank you, i hope so!

[queenofwans]

My goodness, the new Ancestral Path Tarot is ginormous! This is definitely the largest deck I own now.

 

The images are lush and beautiful without any borders. I love how each suit depicts a different culture: Staves (Wands) are Egyptians during the dynasty of Ramses II; Swords are the Ainu and Japanese during the feudal era; Cups are the British from the Arthurian legends; and Sacred Circles (Pentacles) are the Menominee post-contact America.

 

The court cards are predominantly gods and goddesses from the respective cultures, except for the Cups, which are King Arthur and other major characters. Pictured here are the "Queens": Isis, Izanami, Guinevere, and Grandmother Moon.

[queenofwans]

Here's a picture of the new Ancestral Path with a more standard-sized card, so you can see the size comparison.

[bookshop]

queenofwans[/member] those cards are SO big! I wonder how they are to handle? They're very pretty!

 

I'm just reporting back to note that my Dark Mansion deck finally came 2 days ago and it is gorgeous!! Love the gilding and the design of the box and of course the cards themselves are stunners.

 

This was a great unboxing week for me as my Burdel TdM also came and it has a fantastically lovely box with the signature 2 of pentacles emblazoned on the bottom and the insignia for the swedish tarot makers on the top and sides. really gorgeous. and the deck itself is of course just fantastic. Also had a nice note from Yves Reynaud inside, too, noting the limited edition #.

 

Also on the same day, I got my Brady tarot order, and i was so so so overwhelmed at how hefty and pretty and well-made the wooden box it comes in is! It's really lovely, and of course the deck is perfect. I was just fascinated looking through the cards — I feel like i've seen this deck all over the internet for ages, but there were so many cards I had somehow missed. When I got to the 10 of swords and saw it's a possum playing dead I gasped and then giggled. it's such a brilliantly done card! not at all what i was expecting given how bleak that suit is in this deck, but absolutely perfect. :)