Deck Review: Kuan Yin Oracle

Alana Fairchild (author) and Zeng Hao (illustrator), Kuan Yin Oracle. Victoria, Australia: Blue Angel Publishing, 2013. ISBN: 9780987204189. (Link to Llewellyn, US distributor.)

Genre: oracle card deck

Subgenre: Kuan Yin, goddess

Format: 44-card deck with small paperback companion book in solid box

Source: I own this one. 

I first used this deck in August 2023 for my weekly oracle card draws. The kit includes a 44-card deck and a small companion book. The companion book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. A page providing some basic information on Kuan Yin and how to connect with this Goddess of Compassion. 
• How to use the oracle. Brief guidance on how to use the deck and how it may work for you.
• Suggested card spreads. We get two card spreads plus doing a single card draw. 
• Kuan Yin's mantra. Explanation of the mantras you'll find throughout the book. Defines mantras and how you can work with them. 
• Card messages. Each card entry includes a small black and white image of a card, an introductory message, interpretation and guidance, a healing, and a prayer. 

The Dance Unveiling-36

The card entries are the book's strength. Entries are informative. We get a description of the card, its art, and symbols. Given Kuan Yin is a goddess of compassion, the card messages tend to be positive, nurturing, and kind. The healing part provides small simple rituals you can do to connect with the goddess further and nurture yourself a bit more. The prayer helps you set tone and focus on the messages. 

The rest of the book is fairly basic; it provides just enough to get you started. The Lotus Blossom Spread is one to try out as you can use it for any question. It's a four card spread for spiritual guidance. Overall, the book is good, but not great. As I said, the strength is in the card entries which are very good. 

The art on the cards is nice and soft. These are cards that you can spend time looking at them; they are good cards for meditation. The art is soothing and calming. If you want a feeling of peace when using a deck, this is a good choice. If you are just learning about Kuan Yin, as I am now, some cards may be more intuitive than others. I suggest keeping the book at hand as you learn the deck. I used the deck at this time for a weekly draw, and it works very well for guidance and meditation. I enjoy the peaceful quality of the deck. 

The Tao-38

The cards measure about 5 1/2 inches by 3 3/4 inches. The cards include card title and number with the image. They have a thin ornate border. I noticed the color of the borders varies. There is no indication in the book the border colors have any significance; they do look nice overall. The cards have a glossy finish. It is not too sticky, so you can shuffle the cards well enough. The card back image is very nice, but it is not reversible. 

Overall, I really like this deck. I like its peaceful and nurturing quality. In these Hard Times, this can be a comforting deck. For me, it is a deck I want to revisit and work with it more. I do recommend it. A good value. 

5 out of 5 stars.

 

 

 

 

This deck kit qualifies for the following 2023 Reading Challenge: