Hello, soul friends!
Today's review is covering a deck that I received as a gift from the creator, Sarah (Bear), who is @bear_in_a_paint_shop on Instagram. I had seen it around on her Instagram and thought it was a beautiful and interesting deck. It was a unique one to add into my collection, as well as a different type of Oracle/Affirmation deck.
I hope you enjoy my review and generous pictures!
Healing Hands Oracle Deck
As stated above, I connected with the creator of this deck over our mutual love of decks and magic. She let me know she had an oracle/affirmation deck, and sent me a copy of her deck, as well as one of her beautiful mugs. I thought it was a nice addition to what I already had in my collection. It stood out with the beautiful artwork and the magical hands and black and white swirls. The short, but profound messages on each of the cards are a good meditation or journaling prompt, as well as be able to stand in as an oracle. The size is really what makes this deck stand out. It is so tiny and cute!
Here is the description from her Etsy Shop:
"Thank you for choosing the Healing Hands Oracle Deck as part of your wellness toolkit. It was designed with the principles of REIKI in mind during a 9 month period of almost daily practice. The 44 messages contained in the deck came through during preparatory meditations and reiki sessions, or directly afterwards. The images are original paintings composed of my hands paired with illustrations. Each painting is ripe with layers of symbolism and visceral color emotive capability. The spiral pattern makes an appearance in each work as a reminder of how we move through life -- it is not linear, but it is progressive. Life is always in motion -- expansion and contraction are parts of the whole. We are part of that whole. The deck can be used intuitively, as a stand alone practice, or incorporated with other techniques: meditation, tarot, yoga, journaling, and REIKI, of course! Design your own card spreads for specific inquiries or simply shuffle and see what card appears. This tool is for you and only you can walk the path home to yourself. May this be a guiding light. Each deck comes charged with REIKI energy -- with the intention of providing you the sense of being held by healing hands. Reach out and feel your way through. The origin story of the Healing Hands Oracle Deck is a process that esoteric students have sought for thousands of years: ALCHEMY...or how to transmute base metals/materials into gold. This insight came to me during a serious reckoning with my own personal shadow side + past experience with self harm. The words poured out of me: "You're the pot of gold, that's the alchemy, now it's in your power to go create/go live in rainbows". Alchemy, to me, is the foundation of self-love + acceptance; once you realize that you're the pot of gold, then you can see your worth + stop letting other people have the power to decide that for you. Prepare to clear the air and cleanse your space with this deck. Whether you are a practicing student of self-love -- aka ALCHEMIST, a life coach, a tarot reader, new to cartomancy, or are looking for a prompt for your particular creative process -- you will be able to use this unique deck. Makes a great addition to any altar, home, or office, or gift one for someone special to enjoy. They are a great conversation piece! The paper the cards are printed on is 300gsm smooth paper, in full color. They come shrink-wrapped in a canvas bag that I printed with a hand-carved linoleum block. The deck has a portrait orientation. Pictures + description attempt as accurate a representation as possible. Specs: - DECK Size: 2.45"w x 3.95"h - Canvas bag: 4"w x 6"h"
About the Creator
Everyday Alchemy approaches this platform -- Etsy -- with the intent to provide transformative, visceral art + energetic activations. The offerings listed are intended to help reflect back to you the brilliance and radiance of your own energetic capabilities. This is an invitation to meet and hold council with your highest self. No RSVP required.
Art is a continuous process of becoming. A making and unmaking of each idea, form, shape, line, that moves through the creator to that which is created. We are as much shaped, altered, and invigorated with spirit by the process of creation as that which is created. It is a devotional practice. It is part self-indulgent, part self-sacrifice...once created, it is no longer ours to keep. It lives elsewhere, no longer something to be carried or housed exclusive to ourselves alone. Art is transformation + transmutation; perhaps the richest, most universally recognizable, and diverse language that humans speak. Fluency is the only requirement when turning your heart to gold.
Instagram:
Bear_In_A_Paint_Shop
Etsy Shop:
My Personal Review
This deck is meant to be used as a daily inspirational conversation to have with yourself, when you feel you can't really look past your own personal blocks. It is a simple affirmation deck that is pocket sized. This can in no way be confused for a Tarot deck. I wasn't really aware of what to expect with this deck, but kept an open mind, as always. It is a gorgeous addition to my current collection, and I have enjoyed the portability and simplicity of this deck. This was obviously a deck for those who like affirmations or might need something to meditate on. These cards are also very practical to use for a reading but are better to be more of an afterthought or addendum. I would look at this deck as a good daily draw type of card to work through, or a nice addition after a reading to reaffirm what is going on or what to focus on.
The cards have meaningful and thorough little messages, allowing one to take just a minute to think about the message, perhaps altering their mental energy and focus on the message that allows you to dive a bit deeper. The artwork is such a show stopper. It literally is so beautiful and well-done. The colors stand out, and I really love the spirals and vibrant colors together. The addition of her messages with the images, they really tie in seamlessly. They also help to dig a bit deeper than just a typical affirmation card.
They offer great reminders that help you to focus on a motivating sentence. I like the idea of daily inspiration, and do enjoy the simplicity. It is much more preferred over the complicated or more overly done affirmation decks I have come across. I actually only have this deck in my collection as an affirmation deck. I have been culling my collection and trying to focus more on decks that I do enjoy using and that are practical. As far as affirmation decks, this was in my choices to keep. I have gotten rid of other ones as I would much rather use these!
The size of the cards is actually what makes this deck stand out. They are a nice bridge size, almost. The dimensions are 2.45"w x 3.95"h, which is slightly smaller than a traditional tarot deck size. But I love it. These are perfect to travel with, and I enjoy throwing them in my purse with my small Aquarian Tarot and I am good to go. There are 44 cards. There are many different types of topics covered with the deck, so it has a lot of choice, as far as affirmations to focus on and also work with. They also pair very well with other decks that I have and add a nice little finishing touch to readings. I have used these for my downloadable guides and they look so beautiful with other decks.
The backs are an intricate design with the amazing swirls and vibrant colors. The cards have various designs and also moods, it feels like. Some have a lot more detail but the artwork is so beautiful and intricate - all of the images flow seamlessly in the cards. The cards have a small border (in various colors) with black text that is very easy to read.
The card stock is not very thick, smooth to shuffle, slightly matte finish, and allows you get a nice bend without cracking the card stock. Shuffling these cards is nice and smooth, and the size is also fun to hold in the hand. The deck I received had no guidebook or box, but with a thick bag that has a beautiful hand stamped on it. The bag is a lush quality and holds the cards very easily. Again - fantastic to travel with.
I think the deck is a cute way to reset the day on a positive and healthy note! I loved the messages, as they are inspiring, thought provoking, and also versatile to use as a bit of an affirmation. As there was no guidebook or booklet to help you further connect to the cards, so I am not sure I could use it for a reading as a stand alone - if you like to have something to expand on. I like using these for clients to end on a positive note or to give them a focus point to keep in mind. I feel that affirmations are a great way to refocus our attention and really be more mindful of what we are allowing. I think that Sarah is currently working on an accompanying guidebook, but I do enjoy using these cards and letting the messages come through.
As a Reiki master and healer, I use these in my Reiki healing work, too. They are infused with beautiful reiki magic, and the hands throughout the deck help me imagine the sentences coming through to my clients. It is beautiful and an incredible way to help clients see something to work with or journal on. It is a lovely way to connect with your intuition, keep an affirmation to meditate on, and also focus your intentions on. I also find that anyone can pick these up and use them as needed.
There is nothing garish, scary, or dark in the images, so these are appropriate for any one and even the most sensitive clients/people to use them. I even let my children use these and don't have to worry that they will be scared or confused. While the cards do call you out sometimes, the messages are infused with love. There is also no strong language that would offend others.
Here are some more pictures of this vibrant creation:
The was no guidebook or booklet included with the deck, as it is meant to be used as an intuitive oracle/affirmation deck. I am grateful to have been gifted this deck as it has added a beautiful element to my readings.
Overall, I found this to be a surprisingly thoughtful and useful affirmation deck, which has quickly earned a place in my regular work and daily meditations. It is an amazing addition to my collection and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a more well-thought out deck that is easy to pick up and use.
My overall opinion is that this deck is a 5 star choice.
Artwork - 5 stars
Card stock - 5 stars
Ease - 5 stars
Guidebook - N/A
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!
