Join me as I unbox Zeke’s Arcana – a vibrant, otherworldly Tarot deck that is surely one of the most unique decks in my Tarot collection!
At the time of making this video, this deck is still in it’s kickstarter phase: https://zeke.ink/Tarot
Zeke’s Arcana succeeds at being wildly trippy and colourful while also being very readable and easy to work with.
The artwork, done by Julia of Zeke’s Lunchbox, is fascinating and sometimes bizarre, which really shakes your intuition awake and makes you look at the images, instead of just going through the motions of a reading.
I have to say that I was surprised by how quickly I’ve formed a connection with these cards – while I liked the look of this deck from the start, it isn’t the usual style I’m drawn to, so I was curious how it would read…
On my first reading (which I do near the end of this video), it was like the cards could read my mind! It really felt like I was having a conversation with someone who is really clear and direct – it was almost eerie, but in a good way 🙂
If you want to see more of this deck, check out the artist’s website and YouTube channel – she’s got some really fun art videos and videos showcasing her Tarot deck.
Since making this video, I’ve used this deck a few times in mini-readings for myself (and for next week’s weekly forecast reading) and I’m finding it a joy to read with!
Cards are beautiful, easy to understand and always direct and clear. Whether I ask a simple question or want to explore a more complex topic, these cards both invite contemplation and provide clear insights.
This deck is perfect for beginners since they keywords are written on the cards, but experienced readers will also love it – I have a feeling I’ll be reaching for the Oracle L’Absolu quite a bit in the future ♥
I’ve been using this deck for a few weeks now, particularly for emotionally charged, self-readings. I’ve found it to be freakishly accurate in reflecting back what is going on in my life, but it’s also been amazingly helpful in calming me down and helping me re-centre myself.
I have a big collection of oracle decks – some pretty, some very readable and some challenging and not all that useful – but this deck is in a category of it’s own…
The Awakened Soul Oracle Deck is gorgeous, readable and helpful but it’s also a deck that gives me goosebumps and tinglies when I read with it and an eerie sense that I am speaking directly to my soul/higher self.
Join me as I unbox the Modern Love Tarot – created by Ethony Dawn and art by Lucy Morningstar.
This deck is everything I look for in a Tarot deck – bright colours, matte finish cards, relatable scenes & characters and good vibes….
At the end of this unboxing video, I interview the deck and ask it:
1) What kind of a deck are you?
2) What kind of issues do you like to read about?
3) What do you look for in a reader?
The true test of a deck is how it reads for a variety of readings. I’m happy to say that after doing several readings (for myself and others), this deck has been consistently readable and has left me feeling clear and comforted afterwards. It’s uplifting and yet down to earth, with each card being easy to connect with and dive into.
This deck is now going into my rotation of go-to Tarot decks!
My first impression of this deck is that it’s a high quality Tarot deck, full of imagery that seems to glow and pulse with life. But let’s dig a little deeper…
The name of the deck Lux Ex Umbra means light & shadow, which is based on the idea that each card has both light and dark sides. When I’m teaching Tarot, I always stress this – that no card is 100% positive or negative – there is a good/bad or light/dark side to all the cards, so I love that this is the theme of this deck!
The card stock is that high quality, velvety matte that I love so much and the deck comes with a little booklet (in both French and English). What I like about the booklet is that it gives both light and shadow meanings for the cards, which is very helpful.
This deck is a Tarot de Marseille style deck, which is different from the Rider Waite Smith deck in that the minor arcana are illustrated only with symbols and not elaborate scenes and characters. For example, the Eight of Swords in a Marseille deck just shows eight swords, whereas the Rider Waite Smith deck shows a blindfolded woman trapped in a circle of swords.
I find Marseille style decks (sometimes called pip decks) a bit trickier to read than a Rider Waite style deck – since there’s less obvious imagery to work with, it requires a better knowledge of the Tarot. For that reason it isn’t the ideal beginner deck. But what I love about these kinds of decks is that they force you to slow down and gain a broader understanding of the cards – making the Lux Ex Umbra Tarot a good deck for readers who are ready to dive a little deeper into their Tarot journey.
The Hierophant
The Majors are absolutely stunning. They glow with so much light and almost seem to leap right off the cards. My favorite card has to be Le Pape (The Hierophant), which is a beautiful dark blue crow, holding a key in it’s beak. Even the minors seem to light up and radiate a mysterious glow that lends a feeling of magic to even the most mundane of readings! I love this!
I did find the court cards tricky to read. They are in French (as are the Majors) and are depicted as astrological symbols (not people). This made me really have to pause, think and refer to the book. I think if you use this deck regularly, and especially if you have some astrological knowledge, you’ll get comfortable with them, but I had trouble reading them right out of the box.
Knight of Swords
So how does the Lux Ex Umbra Tarot read?
It reads well, but it’s the kind of deck I gravitate to when I have some time to sit with the cards for a bit. It’s not a wham-bam, boom-boom deck that is super easy to read and gives quick insights – this is more of a slow burn kind of Tarot deck. It’s the kind of deck I plan to use for Tarot journalling and meditation.
This is a stunning Tarot deck of high quality that would be a wonderful addition to your Tarot collection. Perfect for readers looking for something a little different and maybe even a bit more challenging than your average deck!
When I first took this deck out of the box, I fell in love with the card backs – they’re very cute and eye catching.
The style of this deck is simple and uncluttered with the only colours being black, white and ochre yellow.
I wondered how it would read – sometimes simple imagery is easier to read than busy images and sometimes it’s harder. I’m happy to say it was easy to read – very easy!
When I read with this deck, ideas and words come easily to me and I find the images help me de-clutter my mind and just focus on the cards and their messages.
Is this a beginner friendly Tarot deck? I think it is. The cards follow the Rider-Waite-Smith format in imagery and symbolism, making it a good deck for Tarot newbies (and cat lovers!).
Card stock is medium in thickness and quality (not thick, but not too thin either) and the finish is not really matte or gloss but something kind of in between. Cards come in a cute and sturdy black box.
The cards have a fun and mystical energy to them and whenever I read with this deck I feel like a witchy, fortune teller lady who needs her own Tarot reading caravan! I have a feeling this deck will be in my regular rotation for a while.
Join me as I unbox Amira’s Love Oracle, a deck of cards designed specifically for love and relationship readings.
Warning! My cats were very drawn to these cards and decided to display themselves prominently in this video!
UPDATE: this deck is currently unavailable
It’s fun to have a deck that’s geared specifically toward relationship readings and I like how bright, bold and straightforward this deck is.
I must say this deck is fun to read with – if you watch the video above, you’ll see me do a mini test-drive reading 🙂 I think this deck would be both useful for client and friend readings as well as personal readings and I can’t wait to add this one into the rotation of decks I use!
The Power of 8 is 44 card Chakra Oracle deck created by Trina Amiot and Michelle Gill. Join me as I unbox this deck and look through these cards for the very first time…
These cards have a great feel to them – good quality, matte card stock with rose gold edging and pretty pink card backs. They are easy to handle and shuffle and the box is also nice – it has a magnetic flap which feels good to repeatedly open and close (I get my thrills where I can!) I am familiar with the chakra system, but if you aren’t, there’s a handy little chart right inside the box.
The companion book is in colour and gives additional info on each card and gives helpful ideas on how to incorporate the wisdom of each card into your daily life.
This deck reads surprisingly well! I say “surprisingly” because I have a number of affirmation decks and they usually work best for doing one card draws and journalling, as opposed to doing a multiple card reading.
I also noticed that many of the cards in this deck are different from each other – there is a mix of photographic images of crystal layouts, hand drawn images and images created with other mediums. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like that kind of variety in a reading, but it totally worked.
I can see myself using this deck in many different settings – for myself, for others, for chakra readings, journalling, the list goes on! It’s a high-vibe, fun, useful and versatile deck that is sure to help you on your spiritual journey ♥
