Arcana Folia Oracle
This deck got me so excited when I saw the Kickstarter pop up.
The art is just breath taking. It is hard to find a Kickstarter that actually shows the artwork in progress and Nora took the time to show these cards were hand drawn. Stunning. Such talent. Honestly, I have watched the video more than one probably should but it is just so peaceful to watch.
When the deck arrived it was a delight to open. The unique square, matte box, slightly textured where the gloss art is, had delicate cuts in two of the sides leaving perfect little roof shapes that made sure it opened with ease. As soon as you open the box you are met with a sweet lil message about letting your intuition guide you on one side and the guidebook on the other.
The 79 page guidebook is a perfect bound book written by the artist, Nora. It contains the introduction, guides on how to use the cards, inspiration on tapping into your own intuition, examples on asking questions, and spreads in the beginning. The middle is the card meanings according to Nora in case you are not wanting to use your own intuition. The book is concluded with an about the author and a section for you to write down your own notes.
As for the cards themselves, thin enough to not crease easily and thick enough to be sturdy. Smooth to the touch, they shuffle like a dream unless you are wanting to use a bridge method. As is most circular cards they do not like to bend enough for a bridge, which in my opinion will only make them last that much longer. It is rare that you get a clump of cards popping out when asking for a clear simple reading. They give crisp answers and really are one of my favorite decks to use. As most of you know my readings are mostly done intuitively and so this deck has really found a home here.
This particular deck sold me when I saw the little hedgehog. If you know anything about me you know I am a sucker for a cute lil hedgehog. This adorable lil guy comes with the note “A close friend with a sharp demeanor” and honestly, I cannot think of a better way to describe what I feel when I see him. So cute and so friendly to look at but the lil pricks on his back are a good reminder to treat them with the respect they deserve.
Don’t even get me started on the Reflection card. How elegant. Gosh, this card really hits me different than I would have expected. The artwork leaves so much for interpretation and I love it. Most artists would have made the reflection of the mirror something in the photo but Nora chose a different approach and it leaves me actually in reflection. This is the same type of flower that surrounds the mirror but it is at a different angle and shown still growing in the wilderness.
It is like you find this mirror just sitting in the woods and unless you take the time to move yourself to the correct angle and actually look at yourself you cannot say you are self-reflecting and I feel like that is a strong message. Most of us use reflection time to reflect on various aspects of our lives and our surroundings but we stop or move away when our souls come into view. It is a card that calls us to take the time to reflect on ourselves and understand that it is a purposeful movement to make.
I love the way Nora depicted Opportunity. You could have found the clam on the sand while on a calming walk or maybe you put the effort into hunting it down by waking up early and putting in extra effort into finding this opportunity but all the same if you open the clam you will find more than you would in most clams. Such a beautiful rare opportunity.
Mindset has several mushrooms on it and lets understand that I collect all things mushroom so this card made my day. “Find a different perspective” Having it as mushrooms can indicate that we may need to use the tools around us to change our own perspective, though a deep relaxing mental dive may be all it takes. I lean more to it telling us to find help in changing a perspective that is holding us back.
The fact that there is a Red Flag card completely blows most other decks out of the water! How much clearer can you get as a warning to be mindful. I love this card being in the deck.
I love the Detour card. Most decks don’t have a card like this and honestly sometimes to get to where we are wanting to go we need to take a different path for a short while. Sometimes it is just a suggestion and though it may take more twists and turns or stop lights it is still faster and other times it is the only way because the actual path you chose was completely closed.
Success being a ladder makes me happy because you have to put effort into climbing a ladder and so many decks make success look like some sort of divine gift given to only a handful of blessed people when in reality those souls worked hard for what they have.
There are just so many amazing aspects of this deck I could go on for hours so this is the short version. I absolutely love it. Now I will say I was surprised when I found out this is the same artist who created the Talisman Oracle which I had already had for years before. Both decks are amazing and I highly recommend adding them to your own personal readings at home. If you are also wanting to support this amazing artist you can find both of their decks here.