Hello, soul friends!
Welcome to the section on my website where I review card decks that I have used over the years. I have owned over 100 various decks (currently own about 70), and thought I would write some of my notes, experiences, personal opinions, and information on the decks for anyone out there looking for suggestions. Diving into the world of decks can be a bit scary, fun, and also at times overwhelming with the sheer amount of choices.
There are various differences to the types of card decks people use, but the most common ones are Tarot, Oracle, and Lenormand. Over the years, I have come to collect various and eclectic decks ranging in artistic style and type. I always purchase what grabs my attention, and have learned that my aesthetic is not for everyone. So, as always, purchase what you feel guided to use for yourself.
I am just expressing my opinions and my own personal experiences with these decks and I hope that you can appreciate the candor. As always, use your own intuition and find tools that suit your tastes.
Wisdom of the Hidden Realms
This is one of my newer additions to my deck collection, but has been a fun addition and recommended decks for anyone who is starting off and would like a slightly different type of deck that is completely Oracle and a large deviation from Tarot.
The Wisdom of the Oracle Divination Cards is published by Hay House. I purchased my deck directly from their website, but I have also seen it available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other bookstores.
From Amazon's Product Description:
Mystics have passed down stories of magical realms hidden from mortal sight, bridging the world of Nature and Spirit. Even before the written word, the ancients established a Divine partnership between humans and these Hidden Realms. Both agreed to form an eternal Sacred Alliance to establish harmony and balance between the material and the spiritual. The Alliance ensured that when we asked for guidance in manifesting our reality, they would help us find our way to the highest good for all. But in time, humanity turned itself away from the natural world as a source for the Divine and forgot about the realms in the Unseen realities. Religious superstition, dominance, and the power of intellect, reason, and technology became our focus; and our partnership was forgotten, so the realms faded away. As our global concerns have increasingly been more plaintive, they have returned to help us find our way home to our true purpose, prosperity, hope, and happiness.
These cards represent some of those realms and their Queens and Kings, Princes, and other magical helpers. Let the Swan Queen point the way to transformation, the Arrow Master help you reach your goals, the Sun Dancers herald your victories, and the Sacred Union speak to the depth of your longing for love. Ask and ye shall receive, for the Highest Good is their motto. If you call upon them, they will answer.
About Colette Baron-Reid, the Author
Colette Baron-Reid is the author of Remembering the Future, Messages from Spirit, and The Map, published in 27 languages, as well as The Wisdom of Avalon, Wisdom of the Hidden Realms, and The Enchanted Map oracle card decks. She’s an internationally acclaimed intuition expert and psychic medium, known affectionately by her clients as “The Oracle”; a keynote speaker; and an artist, entrepreneur, and visionary. Originally from Toronto, Colette lives in Connecticut with her husband and two Pomeranians.
Website: www.colettebaronreid.com
My Personal Review
This is a 44 card deck includes a lot of various elements, but in a much more whimsical and light-hearted imagery. Product dimensions are 5.5 x 4 x 1.9 inches. The cards are larger than a traditional Tarot deck, but similar to most Hay House decks. The reason I have enjoyed this deck so much is the versatility and the ease of use. It is a very gentle, positive, and an amazingly fun deck to use. From beginner to the experienced card reader, I think there is something unexpectedly beautiful about this deck.
The messages are all wonderful, and you can even see some of the original intent or uses of symbolism from various cultures, belief systems, and also Spiritual backgrounds that assist you in creating a well-formed picture of what the card's energy may represent for you. I love that Colette included meanings for not only the overall oracle known as the "Ally", but also a "Challenger" aspect.
I have enjoyed this deck so much for personal and client readings that it is often chosen to be used with my clients. This has become one of my favorite decks to use during live sessions, and also for Three Card Spreads. It is so gentle to use, that I have even allowed my children to play with it. Much of the imagery is not dark, scary, or inappropriate for even a young audience.
I do find it a wonderful and amazing deck to use for quick 3, 5, and 10 card spreads. It is versatile, honest without crushing your spirit, and it also does assist you in gaining clarity, no matter the inquiry.
I find that anyone could pick up this deck and use it without a lot of confusion, or meddled up jargon included in the guidebook. This is a deck that I would carry with me everywhere I go when I don't know what I will meet on my journey. It is just that versatile! And also that calming for any reading you may be faced with. The cards are noticeably bigger than a deck of standard playing cards and the card stock itself is solid; I recommend anyone with a new deck spend some time shuffling it and getting to know its feel, in addition to just "getting to know" any new deck. I've found that I can shuffle them quite easily, even with my small hands.
The card stock is thick, has a shinier finish than newer decks (which is annoying when trying to get a nice picture of the deck), and also allows you get a nice bend without cracking the card stock. This quality of card stock seems to be what most of the Hay House decks that I own tend to lean towards. It isn't my favorite, but Colette's decks seem to have a slightly more matte finish, which makes it brilliant for taking photos of in natural light.
This is a very accurate and stunning deck to own and use! The artistry has a wonderful balance of color, contrast, and symbolism that is both appealing and meditative. Even the more challenging aspected cards have images that don't alarm. The colors are a bit richer than her other decks, but I enjoy the forestry and natural tones included in the deck.
The Guidebook is just a little over 250 pages, more than usual because the author went to great lengths to explain each card.
In atypical fashion for most oracle cards, Colette embrace the art of the Reversed card. She has included a meaning specific to reversals. Reverse cards are encouraged because it will reveal the "Challenger" aspect, these aren't negative messages. They call you out for your behavior and also assist you in working through whatever is presently holding you back at the moment. The Guidebook also includes information pertaining to the importance of phrasing questions the correct way, a cautionary note on oracle abuse, preparation before readings, spreads, and examples. This is a well written book and a little thicker than many other guidebooks written in the past. I would love to see a larger, full color, and expanded book in the future, much like her other works.
All in all, this is another one of my favorite decks for various reasons and one that I highly suggest to any budding card reader. Even if you are experienced reader, but would like to explore a different type of Oracle deck, I would say that this deck is a fantastic one to use. I have enjoyed it for the last year, and always recommend this deck to anyone first starting off in the world of card reading.
My overall opinion is that this deck is a 3 star choice.
Artwork - 5 stars
Card stock - 3 stars
Ease - 4 stars
Guidebook - 3 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!
