Bonestone and Earthflesh Tarot

[gregory]

Yes. And I know never to preorder from her again ! (I think the binding spell in the book is rather off - it feels as if it is directed at those of us who objected to her business practices...)

[Mab]

Thank you, Gregory... but it is here, woohoo! And no customs malarkey, either.😀

[Flaxen]

23 minutes ago, gregory said:

I think the binding spell in the book is rather off

Certainly made me raise an eyebrow or two! 

[Raggydoll]

My deck is now on a truck in Netherlands. I am wondering if it will make it here this week or not. We shall see. 

[gregory]

I know how you feel. (in other matters - I have another deck on the way which left the US by plane last Friday - and is still "leaving" the US... I have very little time for tracking !)

 

HA !

 AND - so I went to a generic tracking site - and it's on the way to me from London ! There you go. Royal Mail tracking is RUBBISH.

Edited October 6, 2020 by gregory

[Decan]

2 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

My deck is now on a truck in Netherlands

It's encouraging!! 😀

[RavenOfSummer]

On 9/30/2020 at 7:26 AM, gregory said:

I actually got it ! In perfect condition and everything.

 

Mab - go to https://www3.royalmail.com/track-your-item? and put your tracking number in.

 

IF it isn't there yet - try this one: https://www.yuntrack.com/track/detail?id= (and note that your number does NOT begin with YT - but it still works !)

I'm so glad!!! 🎉🎉

[gregory]

You and me both.

[joy]

Happy for all of you! @Raggydoll on a truck in the Netherlands sounds very close!

 

[Niobium]

Is it--is it time? Do we post photos as if to say IT'S REAL. LOOK.

[gregory]

Oops. I put mine away already....

[Raggydoll]

10 hours ago, Niobium said:

Is it--is it time? Do we post photos as if to say IT'S REAL. LOOK.

Oh yes. Feel free to post pics 😄

 

[Raggydoll]

Just saw - my package is now in Sweden! 
 

 

 

[Decan]

[Raggydoll]

There was another video posted by Avalon this morning. Apparently some people have not been able to leave reviews on etsy because their purchases were done too long ago, and this has led some of them to start a facebook group for Bonestone reviews. Some of them apparently also purchased (and/or encouraged others to purchase) cheap items from Avalons etsy shop in order to leave a review that way. Most of those reviews seem to have been critical, and its to the point where Avalon calls it bullying and slandering. She is even threatening to have her lawyer contact the worst culprits. Aside from that, there was an update saying that some of the limited edition sketches were now sent out (maybe 20 of them out of the entire set of 78/79 - I am unsure whether they included the bruxa sketch or not). 

 

This is the final update that I will be giving on the bonestone process. I will let you know when my deck has arrived and I will likely also do a review or a walk-through of the deck later on. But I have now left the bonestone group. The reason for that is because of how extremely toxic the entire Bonestone community has become. I used to be able to quickly scroll through the page to find the latest news but now there is just too much drama going on. I don't like how it has become a question of picking sides or selecting a bandwagon. I prefer to not sit on a bandwagon but to rather have my peace of mind. Plus in all honesty, I think a lot of this has gone much too far. This is a deck. Yes it was a really expensive deck but its still just a deck. So I hope more people will be able to untangle themselves and instead invite more nourishing activities in their lives. Especially now that the world is in such a chaotic state. Perspective is a good thing.

[Decan]

These aren't really good news for people who supported this deck. I would tend to prefer to see the glass as half-full when it's possible but apart the deck the purchase itself must be a good experience for a deck of cards imo. Sorry to hear that. To threaten clients who are angry because they are feeling aggrieved isn't a good approach too.

Well, hoping you will enjoy your deck nevertheless.

Edited October 9, 2020 by Decan

[Raggydoll]

1 hour ago, Decan said:

These aren't really good news for people who supported this deck. I would tend to prefer to see the glass as half-full when it's possible but apart the deck the purchase itself must be a good experience for a deck of cards imo. Sorry to hear that. To threaten clients who are angry because they are feeling aggrieved isn't a good approach too.

Well, hoping you will enjoy your deck nevertheless.

Yeah, that whole thing is so infected. I understand both sides. It isn't good that etsy won't allow someone to review their product, especially if they have proof that they haven't received it until now. And then the binding spell in the guidebook added to that frustration. I also understand why Avalon feels like it is all too much and that when there are too many voices saying the same thing at the same time, it becomes overwhelming and unhealthy. I get that. I also get the people who are upset over issues with the gilding etc and who feel like they cannot complain without it being labeled as bullying. The truth is that this situation is a hot mess. And its one thing when a company like Lo Scarabeo get a whole bunch of customers complaining about the printing issues with their limited edition Modrone, because they are a big team and it doesn't get as personal. Plus they have way more experience with handling customers or navigating printing issues. This is the first deck Avalon has ever created and she has herself admitted that she was very naive going in to all this. At this point, it is what it is. I do hope everyone will get to a place where they can come to terms with things and make the best of it. I would not want to stop anyone from sharing their story or to talk about specific issues they have had. As long as it is done nicely. Most people who post are actually polite about it. But then there are always those individuals who get nasty. Some of those have been nasty towards Avalon, and some have been nasty towards those that speak up about issues with the deck or with how Avalon has handled things. It has gone both ways and I personally think that it would have been wiser to shut down the group the way it was planned and then type more frequent, shorter newsletters. 

 

I do hope I get my deck soon and I am happy to explore it. I know several people feel like the drama has tainted the deck for them. I can't say I feel that way. I am mostly interested to see how well it will resonate with me and how it will read. I am also excited to read the guidebook. Minus the binding spell. Sorry to say that, but I really do not like binding spells of any kind. This isn't directed at Avalon, its more a general reflection of me and my spiritual practice. The only time I would attempt to bind someone is if they posed an actual threat to a vulnerable individual and that there was nothing else I could do, like go to the police. I believe in free speech and I think that if you try to meddle with free speech it is bound to hit you back. I guess, to each their own.

[Flaxen]

3 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

But I have now left the bonestone group. The reason for that is because of how extremely toxic the entire Bonestone community has become.

I don’t blame you for leaving the group. The environment there has been toxic for a while and I pretty much stopped reading. 
 

I agree with you about binding spells - I try to think of reasons why it would be in the guidebook and struggle to think of a positive one. Perhaps to ensure there is no plagiarism or content stolen but it makes me uncomfortable. 

[Mab]

I was happy to receive my Bonestone and Earthflesh deck, but after the initial look and check, which tells me it is glorious, I have put it away for a while.  Too much negativity in the air at the moment. I will get it out with joy when I feel some dust has settled.
Also, I get that the current spate of stolen intellectual content and plagiarism is extremely problematic, but I think a public, blanket binding is ill-advised.

[Raggydoll]

1 hour ago, Mab said:

I was happy to receive my Bonestone and Earthflesh deck, but after the initial look and check, which tells me it is glorious, I have put it away for a while.  Too much negativity in the air at the moment. I will get it out with joy when I feel some dust has settled.

Sounds like a good plan

1 hour ago, Mab said:

Also, I get that the current spate of stolen intellectual content and plagiarism is extremely problematic, but I think a public, blanket binding is ill-advised.

I totally agree.

 

By the way, my copy just arrived! 

[gregory]

5 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

There was another video posted by Avalon this morning. Apparently some people have not been able to leave reviews on etsy because their purchases were done too long ago, and this has led some of them to start a facebook group for Bonestone reviews. Some of them apparently also purchased (and/or encouraged others to purchase) cheap items from Avalons etsy shop in order to leave a review that way. Most of those reviews seem to have been critical, and its to the point where Avalon calls it bullying and slandering. She is even threatening to have her lawyer contact the worst culprits. Aside from that, there was an update saying that some of the limited edition sketches were now sent out (maybe 20 of them out of the entire set of 78/79 - I am unsure whether they included the bruxa sketch or not). 

 

This is the final update that I will be giving on the bonestone process. I will let you know when my deck has arrived and I will likely also do a review or a walk-through of the deck later on. But I have now left the bonestone group. The reason for that is because of how extremely toxic the entire Bonestone community has become. I used to be able to quickly scroll through the page to find the latest news but now there is just too much drama going on. I don't like how it has become a question of picking sides or selecting a bandwagon. I prefer to not sit on a bandwagon but to rather have my peace of mind. Plus in all honesty, I think a lot of this has gone much too far. This is a deck. Yes it was a really expensive deck but its still just a deck. So I hope more people will be able to untangle themselves and instead invite more nourishing activities in their lives. Especially now that the world is in such a chaotic state. Perspective is a good thing.

 

2 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

Yeah, that whole thing is so infected. I understand both sides. It isn't good that etsy won't allow someone to review their product, especially if they have proof that they haven't received it until now. And then the binding spell in the guidebook added to that frustration. I also understand why Avalon feels like it is all too much and that when there are too many voices saying the same thing at the same time, it becomes overwhelming and unhealthy. I get that. I also get the people who are upset over issues with the gilding etc and who feel like they cannot complain without it being labeled as bullying. The truth is that this situation is a hot mess. And its one thing when a company like Lo Scarabeo get a whole bunch of customers complaining about the printing issues with their limited edition Modrone, because they are a big team and it doesn't get as personal. Plus they have way more experience with handling customers or navigating printing issues. This is the first deck Avalon has ever created and she has herself admitted that she was very naive going in to all this. At this point, it is what it is. I do hope everyone will get to a place where they can come to terms with things and make the best of it. I would not want to stop anyone from sharing their story or to talk about specific issues they have had. As long as it is done nicely. Most people who post are actually polite about it. But then there are always those individuals who get nasty. Some of those have been nasty towards Avalon, and some have been nasty towards those that speak up about issues with the deck or with how Avalon has handled things. It has gone both ways and I personally think that it would have been wiser to shut down the group the way it was planned and then type more frequent, shorter newsletters. 

 

I do hope I get my deck soon and I am happy to explore it. I know several people feel like the drama has tainted the deck for them. I can't say I feel that way. I am mostly interested to see how well it will resonate with me and how it will read. I am also excited to read the guidebook. Minus the binding spell. Sorry to say that, but I really do not like binding spells of any kind. This isn't directed at Avalon, its more a general reflection of me and my spiritual practice. The only time I would attempt to bind someone is if they posed an actual threat to a vulnerable individual and that there was nothing else I could do, like go to the police. I believe in free speech and I think that if you try to meddle with free speech it is bound to hit you back. I guess, to each their own.

 

I agree. I wasn't going to bother with a review because of all that has happened, but as you mentioned it, I went to try - and actually I don't seem able to leave reviews for anything I bought over 6 months ago.

 

The binding spell is really tacky. I am not contacting Avalon - I don't want anything to do with her - but I did say so to Ana; I thought she deserved feedback on her art - which is stunning..

 

I have to say I have no issues with the actual deck - I'm not one who feels a taint running through these things. Just as I listen to music by people I know were truly vile.

[Mab]

35 minutes ago, gregory said:

 

I have to say I have no issues with the actual deck - I'm not one who feels a taint running through these things. Just as I listen to music by people I know were truly vile.

Just to be clear, no issues with the deck either, just the furore surrounding it at the moment. (And I listen to Wagner😀)

Glad yours has arrived, Raggydoll.

Edited October 9, 2020 by Mab
Forgot something

[gregory]

It's not his FAULT Hitler liked his music. Now Beethoven was a nasty bit of work and was foul to his nephew.

 

And so was Mozart, who also made really ICKY jokes about diarrhoea...

[Nanook]

I got my deck and I was not as happy to have it as I should have been.  Although I don’t usually cleanse decks, I did a few things - set it out under a full moon, sage, a selenite crystal - that I hoped would make me want to study it after waiting so long.  I laid the cards out to make they were all there and undamaged and have now put it away for a while.  Ana’s work is beautiful but the furor and negativity surrounding it are just too much for me right now.  And the binding spell? Unsettling and tacky. 
 

Time will hopefully soothe its spirit and people will discuss it as they do other powerful decks, in a positive and questing way.  

[Raggydoll]

I have spent this weekend looking at the guidebook and flipping through the cards. I have managed a quick three card reading too. But I feel that it is far to early for me to do a review, because there is so much to unpack. The guidebook is very substantial and there are quite a few features for each card. It starts out with basic occult correspondences, then it lists a name for each card (the main character of the card), plus some general keywords. Then there is a narrative or a storyline that goes with the card. After that there is a section on what each card means in a reading, then there are reversed meanings and finally also some journaling prompts. So quite a lot to dig into. My very first impression was that the introduction of the book was really lovely written (Minus the binding spell. Sorry to repeat myself on that but I really do not care for it) and that I was happy with the amount of information given for each card. As I was looking at the names and stories, and compared them to the images and the keywords, I did struggle with some things. I can't 100% put my finger on it yet so I want to mull over it a bit longer. I guess that for some cards I felt that maybe the names were assigned after the fact and that they perhaps focused mostly on etymology and not on whether the name truly fit the visual impression of that card. The card that initiated that impression for me was, funnily enough, the Fool. It is titled Junko and in the story it is clear that the woman on the card, looking down the tree trunk, is named that. The name Junko has personal connotations for me since I know someone in real life who is named that. She is from Japan. And Junko is of course a Japanese name. But the woman in this card look, to me, very Caucasian. There were more cards like that. In the Strength card there is a white woman with red hair who is given a hindu name. So its tiny things like that that stood out to me and made me go 'hmm'. Also, there are some cards where I feel a disconnect between the depiction, the name, the story and the keywords. Many of the cards feature the archetypes of deities, orishas and mythological characters. And on some occasions I sort of feel that the story and the keywords given do not 100% match up or resonate with me. It could just be a personal thing for sure, that is why I need to sit with it. Aside from those things, the art is breathtakingly beautiful. Several depictions feel unique and clever. The cardstock is lush, and while I might not have chosen the red gilding myself, I don't mind it. It livens up the deck. I am a gentle overhand shuffler so I hope it will stay intact for a while, but time will tell. 

 

Oh, and one more thing that I just noticed. In the three of wands there are first nation individuals and for some reason they are painting germanic runes while performing a sacred ritual (that card is depicted below). I need to read the guidebook entry on that one, it was a bit of an unusual combination for sure. That tells me I need some time to properly look at the details of the cards. I have been distracted by thoughts such as "Wow that looks like Gandalf, and is that meant to be Harry Potter? And that looks a bit like Naomi Campbell.  Ooh, that guy looks like Damon in Vampire Diaries" 😆 I am like that with most decks that has realistic drawings! 

 

Okay, getting back on track now. I pulled some cards for you to look at. I don't think we have featured many pictures up until now and I do think its time we get to the good stuff 🙂 I will list the names from the bonestone book too so that you get an idea of the type of archetypes included in this deck. I am looking forward to hearing about your thoughts and experiences with this deck so far (yes I am aware that some of you haven't even received your decks. Sorry about that and I hope this doesn't feel like a spoiler. 💜)

 

 

First row:

The Fool - Junko 

Strength - Aadya 

King of Wands - Sun god Ra 

 

Second row:

Page of Pentacles - Dionysos 

Queen of Wands - Marie Laveau 

The Chariot - Charis the G*psy traveller (I don't feel comfortable using the full title as it contains a slur for romani people. I do know that some romani individuals are reclaiming that word but that is for them to do so, I don't feel like I am entitled to throw that word around, risking to hurt others and to perpetuate racist stereotypes. And for those that happen to not know, the word comes from the ignorant and false notion that Romani people originated form Egypt. If you remove the 'E' then you see where the slur came from). 

 

 

Top row: 

The Hierophant - Grandmother

Page of Cups - Kuan Yin

Seven of Cups - The Charlatan

 

Second row:

The Devil

Page of Wands - Flame Queen/ Orisha Iansan

The Star - Two Eagles

 

 

First row: 

Queen of Pentacles - Baba Yaga

Queen of Cups - Yemanja

Three of Wands - Ti the Night Bull

 

Second row:

Knight of Swords- Athena

Ace of Pentacles - The skull of the old

Two of pentacles - The rainbow spider

 

------------------------

 

One last thing. I did notice that there is not a single non-thin person in this deck. I found that disappointing.