Colette Baron-Reid, The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2011. ISBN: 9781401927493. (link to publisher)
Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: divination, spirituality, oracle cards
Format: oracle card deck with companion book in boxed set
Source: Personal collection
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| Bock cover for the deck kit |
The first obvious difference is the overall kit's color scheme. We went from a golden and orange color scheme to a light blue color scheme. The newer color feels a bit softer, but the overall color scheme may be a matter of personal preference. I have no feeling if one is better than the other.
The book content is pretty much the same. We get the same text. One difference is that the previous book includes black and white images of the cards. The new book does not have images. Card title and message fonts are different in the book, but this is a minor detail.
Let's look at the cards. The old edition deck has gilded edges; the newer one does not. Overall, Hay House stopped gilding their decks a few years ago. The gilding is a nice touch, but it is not an essential detail for me.
The original cards have a border. The newer cards are borderless, so if you are one of those card readers who prefer borderless cards, then you might prefer the newer edition. Both decks have the soft glossy finish, and both shuffle easily. Being borderless allows the newer art to show a bit larger, not by much but some details can be appreciated better. The card back designs are different from one deck to the other. They are both reversible.
The only major difference is that three cards had changes in the art. I am not sure what the rationale for the changes was, but it could be some effort to do a diversity addition. I don't feel it makes much of a difference, but folks who seek or want some color diversity may prefer the new deck. In honesty, I did not care one way or the other.
The card changes are:
- Card 33: Peaks of Joy. The girl changed from white/Caucasian to a Black/PoC girl. The image is a bit larger, but the concept of the card is the same.
- Card 36: Commitment. Two hands touching, one over the other, white hands. Changed to two Black/PoC hands, one above the other with a star and key in between.
- Card 52: Magical Map Shifter. A while male, blindfolded, with various objects levitating in a circle. Possibly elven given the man has pointy ears (maybe). Changed to a Black woman. The floating items are a bit more faint and subtle. She is not blindfolded, and she has a fan on the right hand.
Bottom line. Do you need the new deck if you have the old one? Not really. If you prefer borderless art, and you like the lighter blue tones of the kit, go for it. If you do not have the deck already, the newer one is the one available, and I would still recommend it. If I was looking to buy it for the first time, I'd be happy buying it now. Now that I both, I will put the older one away as a backup/second copy, and keep the newer one for regular use. As for the card changes, unless you've seen and/or used the older deck, they won't make a difference. To be honest, even if you have both decks it really does not make a difference in how you view and use the deck. A lot of the images in the decks are animals, buildings, and other symbols. Folks who look more for the diversity elements may prefer the newer cards. As I said, no big deal to me.
Overall rating for this set is still 4 out of 5 stars. I really like it. As before, you can combine this deck with some Tarot cards. I'll say if they make a pocket edition in the style of other Hay House pocket deck editions I'd consider getting it.
Kit qualifies for the following 2025 Reading Challenge:
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