Summary:
The beautiful spirit of Kuan Yin is captured in brilliant art and illuminated in the spiritually rich text of this oracle deck. Tap into the loving strength of Kuan Yin through imagery, words, and mantras and watch your life change. The comfort and advice found in these cards reflects the compassion and spiritual certitude that is associated with this beloved goddess.
Full Review:
The beautiful spirit of Kuan Yin is inspiration enough for an oracle deck. When artist Zeng Hao brings the many aspects of Kuan Yin to life with his alchemical fusion of east and west, the resulting cards are sublime. If you get nothing more from this oracle than the enjoyment of the art, it is worth the price of admission. His fusion of western oil painting techniques, ideals of both eastern and western beauty, and the spirit of the Goddess is very compelling and magical. These 44 cards are luscious gateways to other worlds.
These may not be the most intuitive cards, particularly since they do not always follow the traditional symbols (for example, the wine or peaches usually associated with Ma Gu are absent and instead she carries a basket of flowers). However, just as the art is non-traditional yet still fresh and new, these new visions or interpretations of Kuan Yin have a lot to offer. For example, the card Drink from the Emerald Fountain does not really relate to any traditional concept...I haven't found that Kuan Yin had an emerald fountain, but she is the fountain of mercy and emerald green is the color of the heart chakra. This card invites you to drink from her heart, which is a beautiful thought.
This is definitely an oracle set that benefits from a careful reading of the text. Although the cards are not intuitive, the text does illuminate the image.
The text provides information on mantras, an important part of Buddhism. Deck creator Alana explains how whenever anyone says a mantra they add to the power generated by that mantra, and they also access and benefit from that power. So you both give and receive at the same time. The power is strengthened and never depleted. These cards help you tap into that energy.
The text includes three spreads. Each card has its own interpretation, healing work, and prayer. There are no key words, and if you want to use this as a divination deck in addition to an inspirational oracle, consider writing your own key words in the text. For example, after reading the in-depth interpretations, I would use the following:
Bamboo Moon: Perfection of universal timing
Blessings of the Moon Maiden: Abundance
Blossoms of the Sky Dancer: Creativity
Everything about this deck is beautiful and rich. The spiritual lessons connected with each card make it more suited, in my opinion, for advice and guidance than for divination. These are cards that will find their way more often on my altar than on my reading table.
Deck Attributes
Name of deck: Kuan Yin Oracle
Reviewer's Byline: Barbara Moore
Publisher: Blue Angel
ISBN: 9780738739038
Creator's name: Alana Fairchild
Brief biography of creator: Alana is a soul whisperer, shaman priestess, spiritual alchemist, and divine voice channel. She is a spiritual teacher and healer. She connects people to their divine soul so that they may walk the path of their highest spiritual destiny.
Artist's name: Zeng Hao
Brief biography of artist: Zeng is a gifted young painter with a deep love for ancient Chinese culture. He uses mainly classical western oil painting techniques to create large works of art. He has fused classic western and eastern ideals of beauty in the images and Goddesses he creates.
Name of accompanying book/booklet: Kuan Yin Oracle Guidebook
Number of pages of book/booklet: 142
Author of book/booklet: Alana Fairchild
Reading Uses: General
Why was deck created?: To explore the many faces of Kuan Yin
