Ostara Tarot (Deck and Guidebook Box Set) Product Bundle – June 28, 2017

Wow, this is a beautiful set! I've collected off and on for years now - some I don't care for, or like but they are poorly made - well this has to be one of the most lovely and high quality decks I've gotten. I love almost everything about it, but let's just move straight to the bullet points of Pros and Cons!1. Artwork - Wow! I like them all but some are just awesome. I like all of the artists, but I think I like Iredale's and Applejohn's overall work the best. That said Cooke's Strength and Death cards - among others - are gorgeous. And Gibbard's 1 of Swords makes me smile and the 10 of Swords makes me want to cry. And Gibbard's card back is one of my favorite card back designs on any deck ever.2. Card Quality - These cards give a wonderful first impression of quality. They are thick - as my image shows in the comparison of the individual card and the deck to a quarter. They have a nice quality slick feel. The artwork is vibrant. There is a nice silver lining on the edge of each card. Now, I have to mention... the thickness of these cards means they are very stiff and a bit hard to shuffle and I couldn't get anything close to a bridge... Lol. This may change with time, or not. It doesn't bother me but is worth a mention.Please note: The metallic silvery lining is sturdy and the cards will probably be stuck together. I carefully peeled them apart and the lining stayed perfectly in place and they separated cleanly. I had no issues with peeling of corners or cards with artwork on the face or card backings being adhered as I have with other cards with thick linings like these have. Just be very careful! :-)3. The Book - Lovely as the rest. Soft and velvety smooth cover, with slick pages and stellar full color art depictions of each card. The card descriptions are apt, but not terribly long and you will find no information about anything but the cards and the artists. If you are adept in reading this is no bother. If you have other books then this is also no bother. If you are a newbie - or giving this to a newbie - you will want to include a book on spreads.4. The Box - So, as often happens with an outstanding box - the inside slightly disappoints. The outside is coated in smooth velvety paper, and there are thick, firm cardboard sides, with a magnetic clasp and a ribbon pull - of course with the same pretty full color artwork. So swoon-worthy! Inside, however, the cards must be separated in half to fit, but the "holder" to keep them from slopping about the box is two pieces of firm paper that are removable. The top one isn't the length of the box, which looks plain unfinished. I assume this allows you to pry the cards out, but this part feels slapdash when the rest of the set is roses and cream. What I would give for someone to line a box in even cheap velvet that the deck can nestle into with a ribbon to gently dislodge them from their bed when needed? Sigh, I guess we have to dream.5. The "Feels" - So there is artwork of beauty and artwork of feels. These cards have good feels to them. I love the ladies being so present. I love the animals being so prevalent. Some of the cards have art that is so dynamic they just pull you in to their story - be it sweet, bold or sorrowful. I love this. It makes it easier to read, in my opinion. I very much like these cards and to give you a reference - while I love many decks - my favorites so far are So Below and Everyday Witch. If you like those you may also like this. It's not the same as those two decks but I still think you could vibe with this one, if you did with the others. :-)Bottom line: Overall these are high-quality, stunning cards with a lovely box - a perfect gift for you or a loved one. I will update if something wonky happens - if they fall apart in an unexpected way - but if there is no update please know that they are as lovely as ever and I am enjoying them thoroughly.P.S. I am attaching some images to show a sample of the deck - the vibe of the deck - and comparisons to a quarter for sizing, along with details of the box. Also, included my first reading. I would suspect shuffling issues, perhaps, but things have been a bit rough around the edges the past few months. It happens! Hope this all helps and that if you get this deck you love it as I do. Enjoy! :D

I dithered on this deck for a few weeks- I keep a very small collection (15 decks or less) of Tarot/Oracle cards and I try really hard to keep the number fairly low so that I don't have so many decks I don't feel connected to or use some of them very often. I am Buddhist and mainly use the cards as a jumping off point for meditation or reflection- I draw a few cards (usually the ones that pop out when I shuffle) and use them as an opportunity to look at whatever is going on in my life from a different perspective.I also collect mainly for the art or the theme of the deck- I feel like all these beautiful decks out there are like little museums in a box, and to be honest, there aren't a ton of decks that I just fall in love with.When I saw the Ostara at first, via a thumbnail image, it didn't strike me as the typical deck that I go for- I usually am drawn to bright clean colors and simple designs. But when I started looking at some of the artwork on the deck in more detail, I was blown away. Not all of the cards resonated with me, though, but a majority did so I finally went ahead and ordered it.I am BLOWN. AWAY. This deck is literally a work of art. Even if I didn't collect Tarot or Oracle cards - I would still want this in my book collection.The images are amazing- four artists with fairly different styles (but not so much to be disjointed) illustrated this deck and even though the images are distinctive, the deck really works as a collective of the four artists. The deck is beautifully printed edge-to edge on super thick glossy stock (almost too thick- very very hard to shuffle) and has *serious* silver leaf around the edges- the kind you can almost see your reflection in. The images are very saturated and sharply printed, and each card is just dazzling to look at. It really feels like a collection of small, beautiful paintings. I really enjoy just going through the deck, card by card, for inspiration and just appreciating the art.The book is also beautiful- nice and big, beautiful glossy stock, and full color images as well as interpretations of each card and reverse. The card meanings are a little bit different than the traditional interpretations, which I like- every time I get a new deck of cards and the book actually offers new interpretations of the cards, I get excited, because it's yet another perspective, and since I mainly use the cards to try and find different perspective to meditate on and think about, any new insight is welcome.The readings are... interesting. I have some decks that sort of always "hit the mark" when I pull a card or two (and that may be attributed more to the broader definition of the cards in the books that come with deck- some decks are just gentler than others, and I think a lot of mine tend to that side of the spectrum), but the Ostara deck was completely different. At first I was worried the deck wasn't going to work for me because the cards I pulled didn't really resonate at all with anything going on (I kept getting cards related to justice when everything I'm anxious over these past few days has been related to home stuff), but then as I put them away and thought about the cards for a while, I realized that the three cards that jumped out as I was shuffling (and a few after, to clarify) were all pointing towards a *completely* different way of looking at the situation that's been weighing on my mind. It was definitely food for thought, and exactly what I look for when I am trying to shift from stabilizing meditation to analytical meditation.So if I wanted a shift in perspective and an opportunity to become more aware, these cards gave me that.If you're on the fence about these cards, just get them. For the price of a lunch out or a few cups of tea, these cards are just breathtaking and lovely to just hold and look at. And if you're a fan of Tarot and collect decks, this is a beautiful and striking deck to have in your collection. I truly hope that the artists do another deck together, and that more illustrative artists in the same style do decks, as well. I think we need more tarot and oracle decks like the Ostara- modern, symbolic, beautiful, mythical- more edgy and ethereal and less fantasy-based.I can't recommend it enough.