Alana Fairchild (author) and Jimmy Manton (artist), Kali Oracle. Victoria (Australia): Blue Angel Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9780738768427. (Information link to Llewellyn, US distributor for Blue Angel.)
This deck kit includes a 44-card deck and a nice small companion book. The companion book is arranged as follows:
- Introduction. This section includes the author's statement about her experience with Kali as well as some background information about Kali. It also includes "A Note About Tantra" explaining the concept of tantra in basic terms.In addition, it includes a note on pronouncing Sanskrit words, a blessing for the deck, and a couple of card layouts and healing processes for readings.
- Card meanings. Each card entry has card name and number, a small quote/message, the text with information on the card plus interpretation, and an invocation ritual. Each card entry also has a small black and white image of the card.
The companion book is well written and informative. The introduction gives readers enough to start learning about Kali and start using the deck. The card layouts provide a couple of basic ideas to get readers started on working with the deck. I do wish the author provided a small list of additional readings to add to our learning, especially for those of us just discovering Kali. Still the book overall is informative. Card entries provide a good amount of information to learn and work with the cards. I like the inclusion of invocation rituals; they add a practical element to working with the cards and the goddess. There is enough material in the book to do some in-depth work.
The cards feature art by Jimmy Manton, who also did the art for Fairchild's Isis Oracle (link to my review and link to my deck interview spread), so if you are familiar with that deck the art style on this one is very similar. The art is colorful, very detailed, and can be a bit dark at times. The art is beautiful, but it can also be a bit fear inspiring at times. This is not a "cuddly" deck, something some folks may need to consider. I do find Kali's nature of destruction appealing, including destruction as part of healing. The art is expressive, and it has a strong intensity.
Someone knowledgeable can probably read the deck intuitively. I was able to get some impressions intuitively, but I then reached for the companion book to help me along. I only spent a month using the deck initially, so I barely scratched the surface. This is a deck you can and should do a deep study with it. For me, it is one I hope to get back to it soon. The art has depth, and it invites us to meditate and reflect. The cards are very good for study.
The only drawback is the matte finish. It is seriously sticky, making the cards a bit difficult to shuffle and handle. As much as I like this deck, that finish makes it hard to want to use the deck. The cards measure about 5 1/2 inches by 3 3/4 inches. The cards are borderless. Each card has a number and name of the image. The card back is not reversible.
Despite the issue with the finish, this is a great deck overall. It's got great art that is very detailed and an informative companion book. I first used this deck during June 2022 along with the Tarot Z, and the combination felt good. You can use this deck anytime, but it may work well in darker times. This is a deck I want to get back to down the road. Not sure I would recommend it for beginners, but beginners may find enough to make a go. Overall, I really like this deck, and I am glad to own it and have it in my collection.
4 out of 5 stars.
This deck kit qualifies for the following 2022 Reading Challenge:
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