In Dreams Oracle by Boris Indrikov (U.S. Games)

On By benebellIn deck review2 Comments

Renaissance inspired fine art meets art nouveau and Russian surrealism in what is one of the most beautiful decks I’ve seen this year and heck, in a while. In Dreams is an oracle deck that you read prophetically in the manner you would interpret dreams. This is a deck for free association psychological– and psychic– exercises.

40 exquisite cards rich with texture and micro-detailing are subdivided into four suits, which are color-coded along the borders. That floral-geometric fractal design for the card backs– absolute perfection.

Then there is a bonus 41st card–the joker card. It’s the mirroring masked side profiles and the only card that has a message printed on it: “Do what you must and come what may.”

Border Color Element Sphere of Human Life
Blue Air External Events
Red Fire Action
Green Water Feelings and Emotions
Yellow Earth Material World

Blue bordered cards are from the suit of air, indicating an external event. Red bordered cards, fire, indicate action. Green, for water, indicates internal feelings and emotions. And yellow for the suit of earth represents the material world around you.

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The Robin Wood Tarot

On By benebellIn deck review11 Comments

For the longest time, I had just the yellow box 1971 Rider Waite deck by U.S. Games and the iconic green box Robin Wood Tarot by Llewellyn. The Robin Wood Tarot, first published in 1991, is — I’ll call it the first and the OG Pagan Otherworlds.

I’d describe this deck as being Celtic and pagan inspired with an undeniable 90s Wicca aesthetic. The version I’m showing here is from the 2011 Nineteenth Printing.

This isn’t going to be a full-on deck review. Instead, this is going to be a photographic walk-through of the cards, and not even in order, because my deck as-is, off the shelf, isn’t in order. However, what I have done for your benefit is put all the cards upright. =) My original as-is order had reversals.

The LWB that that deck comes with places relatively equal emphasis on both upright and reversed card meanings, and with a reversible cardback, that means I read reversals when using the Robin Wood.

The deck took the artist 10 years to complete. I remember how that used to be the norm– tarot deck projects would take the creator up to a decade to finish. These days artists manage to publish full-on deck projects in a matter of months. Nuts.

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The Paper Oracle: A Lenormand Deck by Eric Maille

On By benebellIn deck review8 Comments

The Paper Oracle was published earlier this year by artist Eric Maille, who also created The Ink Witch Tarot. While this is through and through a Lenormand deck, Maille has added a few creative upgrades– 7 additional cards.

There are 43 cards, though the first 36 numbered cards function like any other Lenormand deck. Work with the additional cards at your option. Above you can see the cards in numerical order, and after Card 36: The Cross, we get the set of 7 cards Maille has created, beginning with Card 37: The Non-Binary.

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The Christmas Oracle by John Hijatt with art by Vinnora

On By benebellIn deck review, divination, oracle deck2 Comments

The 2021 Christmas Oracle is a limited run deck of 500 that would be a perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite cartomancer. I met John and his husband several years back at PantheaCon where we were talking about the nascent stages of this deck concept. John started it back in 2015. I’m so excited that he’s now finally releasing this long-awaited deck project.

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How I Read Tarot Cards: Workshop at the World Divination Conference

On By benebellIn conferences, professional tarot, promotional, tarot community2 Comments
Click on banner to register.

Nov. 20 – 21, Sat. & Sun.

The World Divination Association, founded by the amazing Toni @thecardgeek, hosts the annual World Divination Association Conference, a virtual event that brings together an impressive roster of authors, creators, and modern mystics. I’ll be one of the speakers this year, sharing my learned experiences and insights into reading tarot professionally for others.

For those who heard previous info about me doing a course on Freud and Jung, and how to apply psychoanalytic and analytic theory to tarot readings, due to some tech obstacles, I’m changing my workshop topic. The Freud and Jung workshop would have been PowerPoint intensive, along with a massive workbook, tons of researched reference materials, etc., and it wouldn’t have worked in the virtual event setting.

So I’m pivoting and going with a talking-head-video-livestream format where I’ll be talking about reading tarot professionally for others– not the business aspect, no, but the actual tarot reading part of it all. The heart and soul of reading tarot.

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Butterfly Lenormand by Mendy Dunn

On By benebellIn deck review, oracle deck1 Comment

There’s something about the Butterfly Lenormand by Mendy Dunn of The Artistry of Tarot that tug at my heartstrings. How I even came to hear about it was a bit of chance and serendipity. At the time, I really wasn’t on Tarot-Tube that often, but on that day, I happened to surf onto my YouTube homepage to look for something to play in the background while I did some house chores.

There was a tarot livestream going on, so of course I clicked onto it, and didn’t even think it through or look to see whose channel it was. And it just so happened to be a debut of Mendy Dunn’s newest creation– images from her Butterfly Lenormand.

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Keepers of the Light Oracle by Kyle Gray and Lily Moses

On By benebellIn deck review, oracle deck2 Comments

Here’s a Hay House deck from 2016 that I’m about to give away, and before I do, I figure I’d take a final set of photos of the cards and post it here on this site as a walk-through. I no longer have any recollection of how I acquired this deck, whether it was gifted to me or sent to me by the publisher, so am unable to give an accurate disclosure. I’m fairly certain I didn’t buy it though.

Click on photo for enlarged zoomed-in view

The Keepers of the Light Oracle is positioned as “a powerful congregation of ascended and enlightened beings who are dedicated to the nurturing of the world.” This deck is like a rolodex through which you can call upon these spiritual intelligences.

This deck’s draw is its creator, Kyle Gray, a spiritual teacher, bestselling author, and angel communicator. Gray does really cool work and this deck is reflective of his eclectic, integrative spirituality that’s a fun blend of Christian mysticism and angelic communication with Eastern spirituality and an interest in a global pantheon. This is one of those accessible, uplifting decks depicting angels, ascended masters, gods and goddesses from diverse world traditions. And the art is really pretty.

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Precious Possum Lenormand by Logan Townsend

On By benebellIn deck review2 Comments

The Precious Possum Lenormand is one of my favorite little decks to tuck into my handbag and take with me on the go. I’ve taken it out to do fun readings for children and it has always garnered a positive reception. Heck, every seasoned card reader who sees these cards just gushes and squeals with delight.

With the Lenormand, there tends to be two schools of thought– there are fixed, assigned meanings to each card, because each card is only designated by a singular idea vs. of course you can read it intuitively, creatively, without limitation. The Precious Possum Lenormand encourages you to read the cards in a way that “honors your inner knowing.”

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2022 Metaphysician’s Day Planner & Guidebook

On By benebellIn Magical in the Mundane, personal spirituality, promotional44 Comments

The 2022 Metaphysician’s Day Planner is now open for pre-orders.

As it is with every year, you’ll get a portfolio of different cover designs to choose from, so you can fully customize and personalize your Day Planner.

The above are the selected covers for the Guidebooks to 2022, complimentary books that come with every order of the Day Planner.

Delivery Time:

Mid-December, 2021

$25

  • PDF of the Metaphysician’s Day Planner for 2022, with your birth chart (in Whole Signs) and 2022 solar returns chart in the front pages
  • JPG of your birth chart
  • JPG of your 2022 solar returns chart (set to the day, not to sun degree)
  • See below for all features in the Day Planner
  • PDF of the Guidebook to the Day Planner (this e-book stays the same from year to year)
  • PDF of the Metaphysician’s Guide to 2022 (this e-book contains astrological forecasts for 2022 and workbook prompts for you to cast your own 2022 projections)

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SKT Ongoing Packing & Deliveries: Quick Update

On By benebellIn Spirit Keeper's Tarot17 Comments

Just a quick update, and then I’ll be out, because lots of work. =) If you want to see progress photos, check out the Instagram account @bellwen. It’s much easier and faster for me to just snap some pics of what I’m doing while I’m doing it, peck out a caption, and boom, post.

As of this writing, we have about 500 decks left, give or take.

We also removed the “Standard Package” and “Premium Package” distinction. Now the only option is the deck + Book of Maps e-book (formerly the “Premium Package”). Shipping costs have also gone up.

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