Archetype Cards by Caroline Myss
Hello, soul friends!
Today's review is covering a deck that caught my attention when I noticed it on Hay House's website. I couldn't find a lot of pictures or information online, so decided to risk it and buy them. The artwork was different and I didn't have any decks that focused on Archetypes, so felt drawn to pick this deck up.
I hope you enjoy my review and generous pictures!
Archetype Oracle Cards
I purchased this deck from a FB group that resells and swaps decks. I bought it on a whim, as I didn't have too much information on it or know much about Archetypes. I couldn't find a lot about it online, but was interested in the cards. It was first published in 2003.
Amazon's description is:
Archetypes are ancient, universal patterns of behavior that are embedded in what Carl Jung called the "collective unconscious." Caroline Myss has created a unique set of 80 Archetype Cards, each individually designed to provide the basic Light and Shadow Attributes of a different Archetype. The deck also contains six blank cards on which you can create your own Archetypes. The deck comes with an instruction booklet explaining how to use the cards to help determine which Archetypes are most active in your psyche, and how they can lead you to achieve greater insights into your life. The deck is suitable to be used by itself, in conjunction with Caroline’s book Sacred Contracts, or with any of her workshops and seminars.
About the author
Caroline Myss is a pioneer in the field of energy medicine and human consciousness. Since 1982, she has worked as a medical intuitive: one who "sees" illnesses in a patient's body by intuitive means. She specializes in assisting people in understanding the emotional, psychological, and physical reasons why their bodies have developed an illness.
My Personal Review
This 74-card deck is meant to be used as a healing tool in understanding your personal Archetypes with Light and Shadow attributes added to each of the cards, as well as 6 blank cards so you can create your own personalized Archetypes with Light and Shadow attributes. This can in no way be confused for a tarot deck. I wasn't really aware of what to expect with this deck, so upon opening it up I was a bit intrigued by the messages and also the various artwork used throughout the deck. Although, I don't think I can use this deck in a practical reading, the messages are interesting - and I am sure if I was a student of Archetypes and such, I would use this deck more often or rely more on the messages available with these cards.
Archetypes are ancient, universal patterns of behavior that are embedded in the "Collective consciousness." These cards that were created by Caroline are meant to allow you to understand and work with these Archetypes. The artwork was interesting, varied, and quite vibrant. The do have various colors for the different archetypes, but I did not find a specific pattern to link certain archetypes. Perhaps they are just colorful to help bring more awareness to the various borders and titles. The cards have the colorful borders, a title (archetype), light and shadow attributes with a brief description of each, as well as an artistic depiction of the Archetype in the center. As I had not really been too educated in Archetypes, I wasn't too sure how to use these cards in my work. I have used them for my own personal journaling, and to just dive a bit deeper into my shadow work within my different archetypes.
The interesting thing to me is the inclusion of more dark elements of the human psyche. I like the variance and not just focusing on one particular section that is more steered towards lighter human elements. There is the inclusion of the Prostitute, Vampire, Thief, Don Juan, Addict, Wounded Child, and Gambler to name a few. But there are also incredible elements like Healer, Rescuer, Teacher, Mystic, and Pioneer. So there is enough to dive very deeply through all of the various pieces that make us uniquely who we are. I feel like the deck brings a lot of self-awareness and growth potential for those ready to face themselves.
The cards have brief messages, allowing one to take just a minute to think about the light and shadow attributes. The included guidebook is a bit bland - but this is just because I am not familiar with Archetypes so I am not sure if Caroline has other work out there that goes further in depth in how to use this deck in order to dive a bit deeper. For a beginner, I think this would be a bit overwhelming. I tried to comprehend her suggestion in using this deck, but still can not get clear on how that works. The guidebook is much like most Hay House products, and fits perfectly within the card deck box and is 105 pages long.
The backs are a pretty design that is simple but also vibrant. Not reversable, and not sure I would use a reversed meaning for these cards, unless you want to focus on the more Shadow attributes being the things shown at the present time. The size of the cards is quite a bit larger than a traditional tarot card and the overall product dimensions: 5.5 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches and Hay House is who publishes the deck.
The card stock is thick, shiny, and allows you get a nice bend without cracking the card stock. The only issues I run into a lot of Hay House older decks, are the edges rubbing and cracking. They don't bend too much, or hold the bend. I am not a fan of shiny decks, so this one has points deducted based on that. These cards have no gilded edges, just plain card stock, and seem to hold up. As I don't reach for them too much, not sure how well they hold up over the years.
Overall, I think it is a unique deck to add in to your collection if you are seeking new methods to connect to your own personalized journey. This is one of the more interesting decks in my collection, bringing a new layer and an insightful tool for discernment. As I stated above, I enjoy learning more about my shadow, and also how to work through any victim issues that come up in some of my relationships.
Enjoy the extra pictures of this interesting deck:
Overall, I found this to be an unusually surprisingly deck, but I didn't find that I could use it in my day to day work or with clients. Perhaps this is better suited as an affirmation type of deck to do daily work and healing, and not utilize as an oracle deck.
My overall opinion is that this deck is a 3 star choice.
Artwork - 4 stars
Card stock - 2 stars
Ease - 2 stars
Guidebook - 3 star
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!
