deck reviews

Review of the 78 Tarot Nautical

The 78 Tarot Nautical ~ Tarot of the Water, is a Global Art Collaboration deck. This Kickstarter funded deck is an 81 card deck (there are three wild cards), with each card being created by a different artist.

The deck comes with a little white book with all the card meanings, but you can opt to purchase a more detailed and fully illustrated companion book (more on that in a sec!)

Likes:

  • Variety! Since each card is by a different artist, this deck never gets boring.
  • Many of these cards beg to be contemplated (like The Devil)
  • Images are vibrant, alive and really POP!
  • Slightly bigger card sizes allow you to engage more with the images
  • The nautical theme!

Dislikes:

  • Because there is such variety, not all the art styles appeal to me
  • If I wanted to get nitpicky I could say that the big cards are hard to shuffle, but honestly I’d rather have bigger cards with this deck

I started thinking about this deck when it was on it’s way to me through the mail. I sometimes get a bit of a ladyboner for nautical themed stuff like mermaids, pirates and ships and so I pretty much peed my pants when I found out there was a new nautical themed Tarot deck!

3 of cups

On the day it arrived I was taking out the garbage in the pouring rain when this tattooed dude pulled up to the curb in a white van with gangsta rap blaring and asked “are you Kate?”

My first instinct was to run, but then I realized it was just the new postman and he was carrying my 78 Tarot Nautical deck!!!!! EEEEE! I ran inside, got comfy by the crackling fire and slowly looked through this deck.

There’s something special about going through a deck for the first time – it’s almost like discovering a new lover. Anyway, this deck was a real treat to browse through and so many of the cards – like Death, The Devil, The Moon and many others – really beg to be sat with and contemplated.

Because this deck features 81 different artists, there is a wide variety of artistic styles. I didn’t love all the cards – some resonated with me more than others, but I loved the variety of each card and all the unique ways the artists chose to portray their card. If you’re prone to quickly getting bored of your Tarot decks (like me – that’s why I have about a million!) then you’ll appreciate the diversity found in this deck.

When there are so many different artists involved, the deck runs the risk of feeling disjointed and incongruent, but I didn’t find this to be true for the 78 Nautical Tarot. The nautical theme is very present in each and every card and this seems to link all the cards together and give them a feel of connectivity. While it could feel like each card is from a totally different deck, it really doesn’t.

ace of wands

The deck comes with a very adequate LWB (little white book) that gives you the card meanings, but you do have the option to purchase a limited edition, hardcover companion book which is full color. This book is gorgeous and includes each artist’s explanation of their card – the LWB doesn’t have this bit.

It costs quite a bit extra to get this companion book and so if you’re wondering if you really need it or not, I will be totally honest with you: you don’t need it. If you are a deck collector and an art lover then you will appreciate this book and treasure it, but it isn’t an absolute must in order to do great readings with the deck.

I don’t know if my words so far have really captured the fact that this is a real gem of a deck – it’s beautiful, special and magical. The cards invite you to meditate on them to jump into them and explore. I always learn something new about Tarot each time I see how an artist has depicted a certain card in a different way and this deck is no exception.

Buy this deck if…

  • You want to be the envy of all your Tarot friends!
  • You are a deck collector – this is a must have deck to add to your collection
  • Like me, you get bored quickly and need a versatile deck that’s full of variety
  • You are looking for a fresh and modern deck that will make you think

You can purchase and find out more about the 78 Tarot Nautical deck right here.

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Review of Duality Deck by Tanya Bond

The Duality Deck is a stunning, 26 card oracle deck, created by Tanya Bond. The deck comes in a lovely cloth pouch with a full-color companion booklet. Featuring girls faces on each card, some with animal companions, these cards are full of lush colors and beautiful images that will make your heart go pitter patter!

 Likes:

  • Gentle vibe and easy to read with
  • Gorgeous card backs
  • Beautiful artwork

Dislikes:

  • Only 26 cards (I want more!!!)
  • Card stock is a bit thin

When I first unwrapped my Duality Deck I was so enchanted by the youthful, fresh, feminine vibe of these cards! You really have to see the video (above) to see what I mean. These cards feel playful, yet deep. Girlish, yet wise.

The cards have a glossy finish, are medium sized and are fairly flexible. They aren’t really thick cards, which I don’t mind since it makes them easier to shuffle and handle. But if you’re normally rough and violent with your cards, you will wear this deck out quickly. Treat it like a delicate flower and it will last.

The companion booklet is full color and larger than the typical little booklets that most decks come with, which is a real bonus if you have lousy eyes or just hate squinting.

In the companion booklet, there is a message/blurb for each card. I found the card messages to be wonderfully uplifting and helpful. However, I wish the symbolism in the cards were explained. I found myself wondering why particular images were chosen to represent particular concepts and most of all….what the red dots on the girl’s faces symbolized!

I have been using this deck for a few weeks now and I’m finding it a nice deck to use for my morning daily draws. The cards always feel comforting and it’s just a really nice way to start off the day.

But what’s different about this deck and what I LOVE about it is how much these cards seem to want to dialogue with me! If you’re thinking what the hell is dialoguing? let me tell you. Dialoguing is when you have an imaginary conversation with the figure on the card. It sounds a bit nuts, but hidden wisdom and new ideas are often uncovered this way.

And this deck is super easy to dialogue with because each girl on the card has a distinct and powerful personality. I feel like these girls just have so much to say and so much advice to give!

For example, just now I asked “how can I perk myself up?” (because I’ve been feeling super shitty today) and I got Focus. The girl on the Focus card looked right at me and was like “you need to focus on one task at a time instead of looking at the big picture! You have a bunch of reading to do for your course, now get to it and stop moping about!” Okay, I’m on it!

After spending some time with this deck I feel like I personally know all these girls, like they’re my friends, which kind of sounds creepy now that I’ve written it. I should probably get out more. But really, I feel like I know them now and that’s what really sets this deck apart from some of my others.

I’ve only used this deck for self readings, but I think it would make a fantastic deck for professional readings. I often draw an oracle card at the end of my Tarot readings, just to close the reading and give some parting advice and I think this deck would work beautifully for that due to it’s simplicity and gentleness.

However, I think this deck would be especially good for young people, particularly teen girls, who have an interest in oracle cards – even young kids, provided they aren’t destructive little monsters who mangle everything they can get their sticky mitts on.

Buy this deck if…

  • You are new to Oracle cards and want a deck that feels safe and gentle
  • You are looking for a unique gift for a teen (or for yourself!)
  • You’re looking for a fresh, feminine deck to add to your collection
  • The artwork resonates with you!

To purchase the Duality Deck:

Artist’s website

Etsy shop

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