Ostara Tarot

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.

My cards arrived all stuck together, like everyone else's. PLEASE, DO NOT TRY TO SEPARATE THEM AT THE CORNERS. If you try to separate them at the corners YOU WILL DAMAGE THEM. The silver gilding on the edges is what makes them stick together. Instead, I took the sections that were stuck together and gently flexed them back and forth in different directions. If you do this you should start to hear popping noises and feel them starting to separate. Then I pinched the edges of the cards with moderate force and flexed the edges of the cards back and forth all the way around the outside edges of the cards that were stuck together until they just let go. This method caused absolutely no damage to the cards at all and got them to completely separate in about 15 minutes. Another reviewer said to put the cards in the refrigerator. I did put them in the refrigerator for 45 minutes before separating them, but I got too excited and couldn't wait any longer. The refrigerator did help, but I still had huge clumps of cards stuck together and I wasn't patient enough to wait any longer to view this beautiful new deck. However, it helped enough that I think if I'd have left them in there another hour or two they may have just slid apart. I hope this helps. It worked for me, and all the cards are accounted for, none missing or damaged in any way. I was also concerned about the fact that the art in this deck was created by multiple different artists. I wasn't sure I was going to be fond of every artist's style, and I was worried about wether or not the different styles of art would be cohesive. I'm so happy to say that my concerns were completely unnecessary! THIS DECK IS BEAUTIFUL, and this is coming from an indie deck snob! The different styles of artwork meld together beautifully, and the images really resonate with the card messages. I cannot express how much I love this deck. The only thing I'm not a fan of with this deck is the box. Like most other people, I think it's a nice box, but I don't like that the deck is split into two stacks. All things considered, the deck is too wonderful for anyone to really care about the box. If you're on the fence about wether or not to purchase the Ostara Tarot deck, just do it. You won't regret it.

I just opened my package and I have to say these are BEAUTIFUL cards. My first impression was that these are WAY prettier in person than the pictures online. The artistic styling is what drew me to this deck, and I'm finding that I absolutely love the silver edges of the cards. What I really like most is that the images go out to the very edge of the card, and yet there is still a white border that helps unify the set. The colors and drawing style really flow together and just make for an extremely calming and attractive deck as a whole. Not sure why (maybe the silver edging, maybe just the glossy print style?) But the cards do come stuck together as I read in other reviews. I simply held one end and "fanned" them I guess you could say? And they came apart easily so I wouldn't say it's even an issue if you know not to pick at the corners to separate the cards. I loved that they were under 20 bucks and that is probably why the storage box feels a little cheapish, again I won't knock off stars for this because I'm not buying it for the box. I just wish I had a nice bag to store them in or that the supports in the box were attached so I could use it more easily for storage. I feel bad even saying something remotely bad about these cards because they are honestly really beautiful and I feel they are great quality. I am so overly satisfied with my purchase and I urge anyone who is on the fence about ordering them to just do it-- you will not regret it!

Beautiful deck. Fantastic artwork in 4 styles. Nice box. Good booklet and author flavor on meanings. Optimistic reads, sometimes to a fault. Nice companion app for phone at additional cost.

Been waiting for this set to come back in stock for ages and I'm pleased to say it doesn't disappoint. Packaging is robust and nicely done. The accompanying book is in colour and has pictures of each card and a short description on the page. The cards themselves are wonderfully illustrated and have a silver gilding on the edge. Care needs to be taken when separating the cards intially as they do stick a little and deposit quite a bit of silver over your hands the first time you use them but after that there is no more mess. A beautiful deck that the four artists who contributed towards should feel very proud of. A definite recommendation from me!

Llevo usando ya unos meses esta baraja y desde luego es muy especial. Lo q más me gusta no son solo las ilustraciones sino que cada palo lo ha dibujado una artista diferente. La colaboración de talentos hace que cada carta sea aún más especial. Los bordes plateados son una pasada. Me encanta ese toque brillante que tienen. Las cartas son muy robustas con lo que la baraja se hace más gruesa en la mano y por tanto algo complicada de barajar. Pero es tan especial y bonita y despierta tanto la intuición de la tarotista que no me importa. Es un trabajo divino, cuidado y muy mágico.

Dieses Tarotkartenset ist einfach nur atemberaubend schön. Die Thematik und die Farben der Karten ist sehr erdig, mit viel Grün und warmen Brauntönen. Im Fokus der Illustrationen sind Menschen, Tiere und Natur. Man kann geradezu fühlen, wie viel Liebe und Leidenschaft die 4 Künstlerinnen, die die Karten entworfen haben, in dieses Projekt gesteckt haben. Diese Symbolik der Karten orientiert sich am Waite-Smith Tarot, jedoch gibt es teilweise enorme Abweichungen zur dessen Darstellung und Deutung, auch im beiliegendem Guidebook. (So weicht die Symbolik und Interpretation der 2 der Stäbe z.B. extrem von jener Interpretation ab, die Waite im "Pictorial Key to the Tarot" nahe legt). Darum ist dieses Set, meiner Meinung nach, nur mit Einschränkungen für Anfänger geeignet. Auf der anderen Seite lassen die Karten sich aber auch intuitiv aus sich selbst heraus deuten. (Dies ist aber definitiv nicht eines jener Sets von Karten, die zwar schön anzusehen sind, mit den sich aber kaum arbeiten lässt. ) Die Qualität der Karten ist absolut überzeugend. Da die Schnittkanten einen silbernen "Buchschnitt" haben, haften einige Karten aneinander und müssen vorsichtig von einander getrennt werden. Die Karten sind angenehm dick, was für Menschen mit kleinen Händen wie mich aber auch ein Problem ist, da ich die Karten gerade so in der Hand mischen kann. Die Box, in der Karten und Heft geliefert werden, ist robust und zweckdienlich. Das allgemeine Gefühl, das mir diese Karten geben, würde ich als "sanft", "weich", verträumt und beruhigend bezeichnen.

Dwa rozmiary kart w jednej tali? Srebrne brzegi kart już po wyjęciu z opakowania były porysane. Nie wspominając o okropnie krzywo wyciętych kartach. Nigdy nie widziałam czegoś takiego

I had been anticipating this deck way before its release. When it came out I was super excited. Finally, I have it and I have used it for many months now, and I absolutely love it! Comes in a nice hardcover box with magnetic closure. The companion book is in full color. I love, love, love the the back of the cards, the quality of the card stock and the sheen and gloss of it. The edges are silver gilded. And the artwork is stunning.