Review by Melissa B.
The book says, "Do not read the book... of course,
this book is different." The Faeries Oracle is the
most beautiful deck I have ever seen. Given to me by
my mother, they are simply not like a regular tarot
or oracle deck. Brian Froud (the artist for movies
such as Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal) has put his
original paintings and artwork onto these oversized cards. Intricate and extremely detailed, each card
has a warm camel-colored border, a number on
the top right corner and the elegantly scripted title
is on the bottom left. The back of the cards is
similar to one of the deck's images, The Topsie Turvets.
Every time I read from these cards, I get a
different reading from the same card. Each card has many
images hidden within the main image, giving the reader a
new angle to suit each question and petition. One
time you may focus on the soft plumpness of The Bright
Mother and feel warmth and security. The next time — on
her same card — you notice the transparent globe she’s
holding or even the little Faery baby playing with a tiny
glowing Faery flying around it and read for the future or
for more playfulness needed. Cards are images of
Faeries, not traditional images like an Empress or
Fool. The cards have been given wonderful names such as
"The Faery who was Kissed by the Pixies," "Epona's Wild
Daughter," and "Undressing of a Salad."
These cards are read differently from most decks. These are
read by intuition and feelings; the book is actually
hardly ever used. Jessica Macbeth, the book's author,
tells you to first, put down the book, then take your
cards, put them in groups you think they go in, then
gather them all and put them in different groups. Next,
gather them again, and really look at each one and see
what it means to you. Do these types of activities for
a few days to get to know them in your own way.
Then read the book.
Some layouts are presented, but
more encouraged is having the petitioner shuffle,
choose 1 to 9 cards from them facedown, and lay out their
chosen cards in any way they choose. It is different to
those relying on traditional Tarot cards, but this was
my first deck and it is so much more intimate and
revealing. These cards tend to reveal truths about one’s
personality, traits, activities, and personal issues. Often
they let slip a hidden truth that affects their life
right now. They often show what a person needs to correct in their
life, such as being more playful, more responsible about
something, or that a particular issue will resolve if let be.
These cards are full of joy and they often give
encouragement about what a person is doing right, and should
celebrate, in their life.
The cards will change in meaning
for you, from one reading to the next. Even the
artist and book author say that their interpretations of
the Faeries would have been somewhat different if they
had written it at a different time. The Faeries
Oracle is not really for those who are used to having the
structure of a classic Tarot deck; it is for those who
follow intuition and their own spirits...or Faeries.
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