Scrying Ink by Siolo Thompson
Hello, soul friends!
Today's review is covering a deck that caught my attention as soon as I saw Siolo was working on something new, and I was curious about Lenormand style decks. After checking out the owner's Instagram account, as I figured it would be something different than anything else I had in my collection. Siolo was kind enough to send it to me, and it was a lovely surprise to receive. I am eclectic and don't like to purchase similar decks. Plus, I love seeing other Indie decks - especially those that get published by large publishing houses, and checking them out!
I hope you enjoy my review and generous pictures!
Scrying Ink Lenormand
This deck was sent to me directly by Siolo before it was out in mass production, so I thought it would be fun to share my thoughts on this interesting deck.
The Website Description of the Scrying Ink Lenormand Deck:
IT ALL STARTED WHEN...
I found myself shopping for a Lenormand deck that I could connect with. I wanted something simple, but still beautiful enough to hold my artistic eye and as much as I appreciate vintage illustration, I was not interested in a deck that featured collages of things cut out of old books. The deck I created endeavors to present this time honored system with a contemporary and artistic edge. Lenormand is most frequently read using simple playing cards, the guide book that accompanies the Scrying Ink, will explain the playing card correspondences as well as show beginners how to get started in this system. My hope is that seasoned practitioners and those new to Lenormand will both enjoy this deck and find it easy to access.
About The Author
Siolo Thompson (Seattle, WA) is a visual artist and author who employs multiple techniques and narrative forms, from traditional painting to comics and sequential illustration. Her work has been published and exhibited worldwide.
My Personal Review
This 36-card deck is meant to be used as a traditional Lenormand deck. I wasn't really aware of what to expect with this deck, so upon opening it up I was a bit surprised at the artwork and the details in each card. I loved the simple black and gray patterned backs.
The artwork was something that had called me with this deck, as I stated above and why I was excited to get my hands on a set. It was variously different from anything else I have seen and I loved the unique approach to the whole deck. The artwork is really standout and stand alone with the interesting interpretation of each of the cards. I loved the white background and easy to read text on each of the cards. The watercolor aspects makes this deck ethereal and also subtle. The artwork stands out but isn't overpowering. This is a wonderful companion to the Linestrider Tarot Deck.
Siolo's artwork is absolutely magical. The images are whimsical, evoking a sense of true mysticism, and also embrace some of the lovely symbolism from various influences. I loved the details and the blending of animals, people, and also the lovely symbols throughout. The thing that truly is magical about this deck is the size - absolutely HUGE. The cards are very large, but since they are Indie printed, the quality is much nicer than you would find from mass produced decks. It doesn't include a storage box, but did have a lovely companion book to help you understand the card meanings and interpretations.
The images remind me of traditional Lenormand imagery but with their own spin, that does stand out from other traditional decks. The cards were easy to pick up and use, and also I enjoyed seeing her interpretation of some of the cards from a different lens.
The card stock is very thick, semi-matte finish, smooth to shuffle, and allows you get a nice bend without cracking the card stock. The finish really helps make the artwork truly stand out. All of the cards are on a white background and no borders. The size of the cards was quite large - much larger than any other deck I have presently - even larger than Blue Angel decks. The cards came with a burlap type of bag to hold everything together, besides the guidebook.
The backs of the cards have a simple repeated pattern that allows you to pull reversed meanings, as well. The included Guidebook is very well thought out and has interesting perspectives on the cards that include various meaning interpretations for the cards. I enjoyed some of her explanations for choosing certain images and symbolism for each of the cards, as well as the unique definitions that Siolo used. I enjoyed the crossover information for Playing Cards, for those interested in Cartomancy.
I do use this deck quite a bit, and love the messages that come with the guidebook. As a working deck, I have enjoyed showing this off with clients and have found that the imagery is striking in a new way. The artwork is ethereal, and the messages included help me to connect in a new way to Lenormand decks. This is a great way to include a new reading style to your practice and also to get familiar with this style of reading cards.
My only drawback is the size of the cards - much too large for my small hands, the bag that was included (although I understand this is an indie print and perhaps the future brings various changes and shifts to the style, size, and inclusion of items), and also that I can't store the book near the deck. I think I may end up misplacing the book, which would make it difficult to reference for the future - as I truly adore the information in the deck.
This would be a wonderful introduction to Lenormand for those who are curious and looking for a beautiful, large deck to connect to. Sometimes just having a beautiful deck to do readings with is enough to satisfy my curiosity - so this was an added bonus that really allowed me to connect further to the deck.
Here are some extra pictures of this beautiful creation:
Overall, I think this was a beautifully executed deck. It is still available to purchase through Siolo's Site HERE, I highly recommend it!
My overall opinion is that this deck is a 4 star choice.
Artwork - 5 stars
Card stock - 4 stars
Ease - 3 stars
Guidebook - 5 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!
