Hello, soul friends!
Today's review is covering a deck that caught my attention for it's beautiful Alphonse Much style artwork. I loved the details, color, and overall theme of the cards. I couldn't wait to get my paws on it and work with this beauty.
I hope you enjoy my review and generous pictures!
Astrological Oracle
I purchased this deck at a local book shop, here in Houston, and just loved it. I have yet to ow a good Astrological oracle and wasn't sure how it would work for readings or how to use it for clients. It was a bit different from my other decks, so I thought it would be fun to check it out.
Amazon's description of the Astrological Oracle:
Consult the Astrological Oracle for everyday inspiration and guidance. The dynamic energies of the signs and planets, depicted in attractive Art Nouveau-style artwork, offers crucial insight into the past, the present, and the future. Explore the stars to understand the character traits, motivations, and strengths of yourself and your loved ones.
Hardbox (4 x 5¼) includes 22 full-color cards and 192-pp book (3½ x 5)
The companion booklets for most Lo Scarabeo decks are in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
About the Author
Lunaea Weatherstone (Portland, Oregon) is a priestess, writer, teacher, and tarot counselor who has been serving the Pagan community for more than twenty-five years, since her days as owner/editor of SageWoman magazine. As Grove Mother for the Sisterhood of the Silver Branch, she offers year-long programs in goddess spirituality. Lunaea has been working with the tarot for more than forty years.
Antonella Castelli is a fine-artist based in Italy.
My Personal Review
This 22-card deck is meant to be used as an Oracle deck, which is just meant to be a little less restrictive than tarot, while allowing you to devise your own meanings of the cards, as well. The dimensions of the deck are 3.9 x 1.3 x 5.4 inches and published by lewellyn Publications and Lo Scarabeo Decks.
The lift top box is beautiful. I love the silver etchings and the thickness of the box. The image is very much the Mucha aesthetic, and I love the tones used throughout the deck. They are bright without being overpowering. There is a subtle quality, and yet ethereal vibe going on. Antonella, the artist, did a fantastic job of expressing the various signs and planets for each card.
The card backs are as lovely as the images on the front of each card. Reversals are up to the reader but are really not needed with this deck, or can be up to the reader to use. The cards are high quality with a silky feel that makes shuffling a soothing ritual. The Sign or Planet keyword is printed on the front of each card which corresponds to descriptions in the guidebook. There is nothing harsh, garish, or obscene in this deck. It can be used to read for any client, without upsetting them. A knowledge of the signs and planets would be very helpful in figuring out how to translate the messages of this deck. The card stock is not overly thick, semi-matte finish, slick to shuffle, and allows you get a nice bend without cracking the card stock. The finish really helps make the cards shuffle easily without sticking or scratching. This card stock has been one of my favorites that I have run into. I love the smooth and easy way this deck shuffles.
The size of the cards was an average oracle deck size. Not too large, and not too small. The guidebook is simple, but gives enough to encourage you to develop your own special meanings of the cards. It comes in a variety of languages. It really does lead one to using their intuition and also diving into all of the details in the cards. This may not be the easiest to just pick up for those who are not used to having to rely too heavily on intuition, but with practice and an open mind, it can quickly become a gentle favorite. That being said, it is a beautiful deck.
It is a wonderful vintage inspired deck with so many elements brought together in such a cohesive and elegant way. The images are clear yet, they convey mystery. It's an interesting effect, that I have not seen in other decks. This deck is perfect for those who love Vintage, Mucha, and art nouveau or those who prefer gentle images, and those who are as intrigued by ephemera as I am.
I love the Mucha style. His artwork always mixed plants, graphic patterns, flowers, animals, and the ethereal colors just really create a beautiful deck. This may not be the most user friendly or easy to pick up for those who are unfamiliar with Astrology and I didn't find myself reaching for it often, although it is quite beautiful.
The Astrological deck presents lavishly illustrated oracle cards infused with the beauty and inspiration from Mucha's art pieces. The deck is rich in symbolic detail. These nostalgic cards truly capture his work and influence.
Overall, I think this was a much needed and well-executed deck. Simple, but straight to the point. I highly recommend it!
My overall opinion is that this deck is a 3 star choice.
Artwork - 5 stars
Card stock - 3 stars
Ease - 2 stars
Guidebook - 2 stars
I hope that you enjoyed my deck review, and also enjoy other deck reviews that I add to this site. I have a passion for exploring new decks and also finding various ways of connecting to my intuition. I appreciate you checking out my site and taking the time to read my review.
Happy Reading!
