Newly published tarot and oracle decks arrive on Amazon, Etsy, crowd-funding platforms, and in bookstores every month. Today there are literally thousands of decks to choose from, including out-of-print decks as well as published ones. Reviewing a deck is a subjective judgment intended to help readers determine if they want to own the deck.
The critical review of a deck for AskAstrology involves looking at the quality and size of the cards, visual accessibility of the art, quality of the companion book or booklet, and potential usefulness in professional practice. This month I have chosen to review the Answer is Simple oracle deck by Sonia Choquette.
The Cards
From the back of the box:
These oracle cards provide immediate access to your Divine Spirit, where you receive specific guidance and direction for any and all challenges facing you in life. Each card not only offers direction for specific problems, it also reinforces the path to your Higher Self, freeing you from the turbulence and fear of the ego plane. You can use this deck (and the accompanying guidebook) for specific direction, meditation, life and purpose readings, and to offer guidance to others; as well as to connect to your Divine Self, where drama and stress give way to joy and inner peace.
About the author:
Global author and speaker, Sonia Choquette is the most highly regarded expert in the field of intuition. Over the course of forty years, she has become a world-renowned intuitive guide and spiritual teacher. Author of 27 New York Times or International best sellers, her books have been published in 37 languages and 40 countries and have been read by over one million people.
With a unique melding of compassion, humor, and tell-it-like-it-is-ness, Sonia brings all of her intuitive experience and human understanding to help her global audience reconnect with their Spirit, Guides, and inner vibes. Her mission is to help others feel whole by using all of their senses to create a life that is intuitively guided, empowered, authentic, and meaningful. (Amazon author page)
Card Stock and Shuffling
Printed on thick card stock, these cards have a gloss finish with rounded corners. They are surprisingly difficult to shuffle because the finish causes them to stick, even after consistent use over time. On the plus side, even If the deck is used heavily, it will not need to be replaced for a long time.
Artwork and the Visual Accessibility of the Deck
The artwork is quite nice, with many cards using impressionistic techniques that keep the composition simple and uncluttered. The artist does a good job communicating the meanings through the artwork, making this deck very good for beginners or professional readers.
Just Sing
From the booklet:
It is time to raise your vibration and feel the joy of your Spirit. Today is a day to just sing. No matter how it unfolds – no matter how things appear at the moment or how heavy your ego may feel – just sing. This activity invites your Spirit into your body and sounds it out in the world. The more you sing, the more your Spirit can step forward and wield its magic. Pay no attention to whether or not you’re on key. A singing heart is a happy heart – and a healing one.
Lend a Hand
From the booklet:
The greatest expression of Spirit is to love and serve others, and your Spirit is now called up to do so. Don’t mistake service with rescue: to serve is an act of great spiritual power, born of love and focused on empowering others; rescue, on the other hand, is born of a fearful ego and keeps both of you and others enslaved to weakness. Don’t allow your ego to distract you from true service and compassion by rushing in to rescue others without intention or thought to empower them.
Stick with It
From the booklet:
As you wake up your Spirit and begin to live in the higher frequency of love, the ego becomes confused and wants to resist. This new energy displaces the ego’s power and renders it impotent, so it tries to reverse or arrest the changes. Be aware of your ego’s resistance and stay true to your Spirit anyway. Ignore inner ego dialogue that suggests you’re wasting your time, and thus tries to discourage your efforts.
Explanation of the Cards
This deck does have a companion booklet that is very good, with clear explanations. The meanings reflect the author’s positive philosophy for addressing life’s challenges. There is no effort to explain meaning in terms of “showing up in a reading” and there is no explanation for reversed cards, so they should all be read “upright.”
Usefulness
As a professional reader, I can say that this deck is excellent for both personal and professional use; it certainly works for reading in public spaces. The artwork is very good and will appeal to people who enjoy hand-drawn work that is impressionistic. The messages are insightful and the artwork is gentle. This deck can be used for any age group and makes an excellent beginner deck if you want to learn to read cards but would rather not do so using a tarot deck.
I would recommend the deck for personal use, collecting, and general professional use. This deck is creatively drawn; and provides positive themes about archetypes with thoughtful visuals.
Rating
The deck is quite nice, visually-speaking. The art conveys the meanings in inventive and beautiful ways. The companion booklet that comes with the cards provides very thoughtful explanations. The card stock is very stiff, which makes shuffling challenging, but it is high grade enough that the cards will last. I rate this deck four out of five stars.
Where to Buy this Deck
If you like this deck and wish to purchase a copy; you will need to try to find a copy on eBay, as it is currently out of print. At the time of this article copies on eBay ranged from $80 to $150.
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