Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards

January 22, 2009

Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards
By Doreen Virtue, Ph.D., H Life Styles (Hay House, Inc.) 44-card deck with 123-page guidebookTwelve artists contribute to the artwork displaying Goddess from many different pantheons, including the Christian mythos. The over-sized cards contain the name of the Goddess and her title/meaning above a unique artistic portrayal. Under each painting is a short quote from the Goddess to the reader. Even the quotes from the Goddesses considered “dark” like Pele are bright and upbeat. The deck has the “everything is right and good with the world”, New Age outlook.

The cards’ artwork is inconsistent throughout the deck, mainly because of the differing techniques among the varied artists, but that may add to its freshness or charm.
I was startled to find Mary, Mary Magdalene and Guinevere among the cards, but perhaps that is because of my non-Christian upbringing. I understand that some Pagans do worship the Christian women icons as forms of Goddess. I was also amused at the omission of Persephone and Hekate, but I suppose there are so many Goddesses that including more of everyone’s personal favorites would have been impossible.

The booklet is of a better quality than most guides included within a deck. It will stand up to the usage of regular readings without falling apart like a stapled pamphlet one usually finds with a tarot deck. Both the booklet and the cards come in a nice two-piece box that is also sturdy in its construction.

Inside the booklet is a table of contents making it easy to find the cards in your layout. Also provided are instruction on consecrating and using the deck, readings and variation on readings. The booklet includes “general meanings” on each card. The reader is encouraged to honor their intuition, something that is necessary to make sense out of any divination practice.

In all, the deck is friendly and the meaning and usage accessible to even a beginner. I would not recommend this deck for general use but it is nice to have as a secondary tool when using tarot in your daily meditations.