Deck Review: Astrology Reading Cards

Alison Chester-Lambert (author) and Richard Crookes (illustrator), Astrology Reading Cards. Rochester, VT: Findhorn Press (imprint of Inner Traditions), 2012 ISBN: 978-1-84409-581-0. (Link to publisher.)

Genre: oracle cards

Subgenre: astrology, divination

Format: 36-card deck with companion book in box

Source: Found it a Half Price Books for a good price, so took a chance. I own it now. 

This deck kit includes 36 cards and a companion book. The book is arranged as follows: 

• How to read the cards. Some tips on how to read the cards. This deck's cards are divided into three sets: Planet, Zodiac, and House cards. This section briefly explains what each set represents and gives some instruction on how to read the cards. 
• How to do the Astrology Reading Cards Work? A bit here on how the cards work. This is a broader look at the unconscious and how it connects to astrology. 
• The Planet Cards.
• The Zodiac Sign Cards.
• The House Cards. 
• Notes on the origins of the cards. This is an artist statement on how the deck was developed. It also features some notes on specific cards.
   

The book is informative and helpful. All card entries feature a full color image of the card and a page of text. Text gives you an interpretation with some discussion of a card's symbols. Test is easy to read, and it is not heavy on esoterica. If you are starting out with astrology or maybe adding some astrology to your cartomancy, the text is helpful. 

The card art is a bit of a mosaic style. I'd say it is very astral, suited to the deck's concept. It is nice and colorful. The cards feature the card name, art, and a small message text. The text is a bit like flash cards, keywords to help you trigger your intuition and remind you what the card represents. If you read cards intuitively, you can do it with this deck. I still suggest you read the book. I did, and I found it helpful. I am very much a beginner when it comes to astrology, and I found I could easily use this deck. You can do what I did, and shuffle all the cards together for single card draws. You can also keep the cards in their sets and do readings as suggested. You get some options in using the cards. 

Overall, I really liked this deck. It's a deck that works well, and you can use it on its own or use it with other decks. The deck is illustrated by Richard Crookes, who also illustrated the Divination of the Ancients Oracle (link to my review) and authored the Tai Chi Reflections deck (link to review). 

4 out of 5 stars. 

This kit qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenges: