Celtic Lenormand Review

Yesterday I got my Celtic Lenormand in the mail. This is a project that my facebook friend Chloe has been working on for quite a long time. She picked the perfect artist to paint these images. I knew before I got them that they were going to be beautiful, but in person they are deserving of words far more impressive. At first I ordered through amazon, but switched over to us games because I got tired of waiting for them. It only took three days to get them through us games, so I highly recommend them!

The box that they come in is very sturdy and just as pretty as the cards themselves. When I opened the box, I was surprised to find a 187 page booklet that tells about the cards, as well as how to use them. I especially like that each card has keywords, description, meaning, spiritual reading, dark / light, spell use, timing, affirmation, and a deity association. There are a number of spreads that are very interesting. I look forward to trying them out.

There are 45 cards painted in a Brittany landscape, all Celtic themed. So colorful! They have their playing card insert on them in a small circle on the lower right of the card, and their Lenormand number on the top left. The deck has a 36 card structure that has been maintained from the traditional Lenormand system, as well as 9 additional cards added to make the Celtic Lenormand an oracle of it's own. These cards were added to bring depth to readings, and to develop and God / Goddess aspect to the cards. The Celts lived by observing the different phases of the moon, and following the concept of the wheel of the year. This deck reflects these same ideas on the cards. From the moment I peeled off the plastic and shuffled through the images, I knew that it would be a favorite deck. In fact, I plan on buying an extra to have on hand, and I rarely do that. I am as much in love with this deck as I am my own Renaissance Lenormand.

Wonderful job Chloe & Will! They are breathtaking, and I can see your love poured into them. I also want to applaud you for going forward with the project despite any flack that you might have been given for stepping off from the path of those who are more traditional in the Lenormand community. I try to stick to a very traditional reading style when using Lenormand myself, and I see no issues in using these cards while doing so. They are easy to tell each card apart and it is effortless to set aside the extra cards if I don't want to use them. I recommend this deck to everyone as both a Lenormand and an Oracle.

Review - Gaian Tarot

This is the Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert. You can get them Here. 

I practice an earth based path, and these cards are designed specifically for those like me. It is beautiful. Normally I do not like borders, but I think these cards are perfect the way they are and the white actually make the images even more stunning and adds that clean feel to them. 

The cards are multicultural and very contemporary. It takes a while to get accustomed to the images if you are used to traditional decks, but once you connect with this deck, it gives you wonderful and exact readings. Clients identify with these cards as well, and there is no scariness in them. It brings you  a calming sense which helps you get rid of the pre-reading jitters and puts your clients at ease. :)

Blessed Be

Review - Silhouette Lenormand

This is the Silhouette Lenormand by Kenra Hurteau & Katrina Hill. You can get them Here.

They are very simplified, which is something you really want with Lenormand cards while reading a GT. Each card is easy to see, and respond to quickly. I like the delicate frame work around the image as well. It has been one of my favorites to go to when reading larger spreads. The cards stock is pretty good, and they shuffle nicely. It makes for accurate, easy readings. I recommend them to all those who are first starting to read the Lenormand. I only wish that they came in different colors. :)

Blessed Be

Review - Wheel of the Year Tarot

This is the Wheel of the Year Tarot by Lo Scarabeo. You can get them Here.

This is one of the decks that I obtained from a friend. I really like these cards. The picture above is a modified version of the deck. The borders were cut off the cards, and I like them better this way. It is very colorful, and not the standard run of the mill Tarot. I absolutely adore the backs of the cards, because the colors pop.

It is a deck that you will have to get to know really well before performing readings because the pictures are not exactly the way you would see them in other Rider Waite decks. They go by the seasons of the year, and have very rich symbolism and details. It's really stunning, and one of my favorite decks to work with. I highly recommend them. They shuffle perfectly.

Blessed Be

Review - The Colors of Childhood Lenormand

This is the Colors of Childhood Lenormand by Jill Scott. You can find them Here.

My first reaction when I opened up the deck was, awww, how cute.

Each card has a hand drawn and colored image on it, which is very unique and unlike any other deck. Each image is of a child doing something innocent. The title of the cards suits it perfectly.

I use this deck for smaller spreads though, because it is not very clear in a GT. I also wish that she had chosen a different pattern for the backs of the cards, as this one is not as lovely as the cards themselves, and it is a bit too much on the eyes.

All in all, this deck is a keeper. :)

Jill also has a wonderful Tarot deck that I absolutely adore. I will write a review on that soon. She has such talent.

Blessed Be

Review - Esmeralda Lenormand

This is the Esmeralda Lenormand Deck by Karla Souza. You can find it Here.

I love this deck. I am very much into the color and the energy that it radiates.

There is clear and accurate symbolism used, and some of the images even shine.

Very unique and interesting. They read nicely, even in a GT. There is no confusion as to what the cards are when looking at several at once. This is a favorite.

It is refreshing to have a deck that is not made of vintage postcard images, although I like those as well. It reminds me of my Midnight Madness Lenormand cards, because of their color.

I highly recommend these. They are beautiful.

Blessed Be

Review - The Gendron Tarot

This is the Gendron Tarot, I think they are also out of print, but I am not sure. I bought mine used off from ebay out of curiosity.

These are a collage deck and it has bright colors throughout. It is definitely very unique. It has multi-cultural images sprinkled on the cards, which add to the appeal. There is also a lot of symbolism.

I think that there is enough traditional in the cards for a beginner, but be aware that some of the names are changed. Such as the devil being named, the deceiver. There is also a prince, and princess in the court cards.

I have noticed that the card stock is very sticky and very hard to shuffle and draw cards from. I do not know if the person who owned these prior to me did not care for them properly, or if everyone who has a deck experiences the same thing. I probably will not keep this deck for that reason.

Blessed Be

Review - Wicked Sybil Lenormand

This is the Wicked Sybil Lenormand by Melissa Haney. I believe that it is out of print now.

I was really excited to get this deck after being teased on Melissa's facebook page for a while. She would occasionally put up an image to show us, and make us antsy to get our hands on it. :)

I like these cards, as they are creepy and very Samhain like, however they do not interest me as much as I thought they would. I really like her other decks, and have yet to get my hands on a Melissa Lenormand deck myself.

The cards are a bit darker, and less bright than I had hoped for, and Melissa also noticed this upon printing - so she did her best to fix the issue. I think it is a matter of taste really, that I like bright colors. For those who like darker images, these are perfect for that!

There are some cards that I think looked a little rushed, and I do not like them very much : the sun, key, fish, mice, but the others are great. Despite the images that I do not like, I would not be without this deck because it is a collector item, but also because it gives very precise readings and has it's own unique collage look.

It comes in a cute black box, which is very handy because the lid doesn't fall off very easily. If you drop them, they won't spill all over the place.

I do not use these cards in a GT because they are hard for me to see, but they are wonderful for smaller readings. I wish that Melissa had not stopped creating decks for us. She has an amazing talent. :)

Blessed Be

Review - Zingdoodle Lenormand

This is the Zingdoodle Lenormand by rootweaver. You can find them Here.

I like this deck because it is unique and very cute. Jera uses some wonderful colors, and the inspiration of Zentangle to create this deck. It reads very accurate and each has the name, number and card insert on it. Jera does a wonderful job with all of her decks. I did however notice that my cards warped a bit. My home is usually warm, although I live where the temperature outside is very cold. I didn't wrap them up or anything, so I am not sure why this happened. You can see in the picture above. I do not shuffle hard either. I will have to work with them more to bend them back to normal. Other than that, I highly recommend them.

Blessed Be