Reviews | Inner Compass Tarot

Deck Review: Sharman-Caselli Tarot

March 29, 2013December 31, 2018 innowen

Sharman-Caselli Tarot Deck
Connections Book Publishing, 2005
Rating: 2 Decks

The first thing I noticed about this deck was how pink it is. Yes, you heard me… pink. The backs are a bright, solid pink with a single silver rectangle printed near the edges. This brightness comes wrapped in a really nice box that includes a companion booklet. This tarot deck tries so hard to prove that it is THE beginner’s tarot deck that pink seems to be the only thing it accomplishes.

The Sharman-Caselli Tarot follows the Rider-Waite formula but it also borrows “some of its imagery from the earliest decks, such as the Visconti-Sfzora.” The cards are printed on a thick card-stock with no protective finish. Shuffling was difficult, as the cards are stiff, but time and use will loosen them up. The Sharman-Caselli uses a thematic approach with color and symbols tied throughout each suite that help “beginners identify which suit a particular card belongs to and [how] to connect each suit to its element.” The artwork is rich in detail, and features a “line and wash” style. Sadly, the artwork does not evoke much passion from me. If I set this deck down next to one of my other decks, the vibrancy of the other cards just make the art in The Sharman-Caselli deck look flat.

The companion booklet (aka LWB, or “little white book”) gives a short and informative introduction to tarot before going into the meanings of the major and minor arcana. Each card has a half-page dedicated to it. This includes a thumbnail image of the card, a bulleted list of symbols and what they represent, and ends with a one or two word thematic summary for each card (such as “generosity and strength” for the Queen of Wands). A sample reading done with the 5-card “Horseshoe Spread” closes out the booklet.

When I opened the box for the first time things got a bit wonky. The deck was out of order when I received it, so I wanted to put it back into suit order. None of the major arcana have numbers on them, so I wasn’t sure where to place “Justice” and “Strength.” When I referenced the LWB it told me that “Justice” came first. Okay, so it seems that this deck follows Crowley more in with its order and meaning. No worries there. But, after Justice comes Temperance, then Strength, then The Hermit, and then the Wheel of Fortune, followed by Hanged Man and Death. Wait, what?! These cards, number 8-14, appear in an order that I have never seen before. It’s like they completely revised the Fool’s Story for this deck. I know that many decks like to revise the major arcana card orders to suggest how we can interpret the stages of life, but this deck radically changes the order without spending time on the why. Even the LWB doesn’t clue me into why this order came to be. Was it a mistake or intentional? I guess the world will never know.

I typically review decks using three questions:

1.What can I learn from you?
The Four of Cups practically leapt from the deck for this question. It tells me that I cannot learn anything from it because my dislike for this deck obscures whatever insight the cards could offer.

2. What is your speciality?
I then drew the Five of Swords. To which the cards say that their specialty is showing people their limits and victories.

3. How does your personality differ from other decks?
Finally, I drew the Six of Pentacles, and the deck said that what sets it apart is a balanced and generous approach to symbolism. A fairly accurate reading, definitely spot on with the answer to my first question.

Bottom Line
Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend this deck to anyone. (Although I may use this deck in an altered art collaboration project.) The box’s backside claims that “this deck has been specifically created for the first-time tarot user.” I disagree. I do prefer the Rider Waite meanings over Crowley’s but to have so many of the bigger secret cards out of order just seems like it would confuse any new-to-tarot student. The images, while nicely drawn, fall flat and fail to keep my attention drawn into the symbolism. And the LWB, while being focused more on the symbolism meanings, doesn’t give enough of a range of interpretation for each card. I’m still left wanting to recommend beginners look at the Universal Waite or Robin Wood decks first.

Postnote: I did check other online reviews to see others said about The Sharman-Caselli Tarot. What I found surprised me. This deck was once offered in a 192-page book and deck set and had been consistently given high review marks. However, not many reviewers mention the backs or the strange ordering of the 7 cards noted in this review. Reading what others said makes me wonder if my low rating and review is a result of this printing and edition only.

Blog, Decks, Readings, Reviews

Playing The Tarot Game with Jude Alexander

May 26, 2011December 31, 2018 innowen

Every now and then a new product comes out on the tarot radar that makes all us enthusiasts go “ooh” and wonder how it revolutionizes, and challenges, current tarot structures. A few years ago, Emily Carding did this with her Transparent Tarot deck. Well, now Jude Alexander has done it with her fun and insightful, Tarot Game. Read on to find out how much fun I had playing my first game with the creator Jude Alexander and what The Tarot Game can do for you as a tool for transformational change.

I purchased The Tarot Game right before going to The Readers Studio and since returning home, I haven’t had much time to read the rules or play. Much to my surprise, Jude was offering two person games via Skpye. So I jumped on the chance to play and learn from the creator herself.

The following game notes are one sided only. While Jude graciously gave me permission to write about our session, I felt uncomfortable posting the details of her side of the game. However, my side should give readers an idea of the variety of gameplay offered by The Tarot Game.

The goal of the game is to fill in the reading sheets to receive wisdom and knowledge about your question or theme. Since we were playing a “short” game (we were on Skype for an hour), we used the Beginner sheet which had us go until we both filled in 4 cards. Alternatively, you can use a tarot journal and go until you’re satisfied with the cards and answers you’ve got.

We started out the game by swapping questions or themes we were exploring in the game. I choose the theme of alchemy because I am preparing to work with this element for a whole year next Wednesday. I told Jude that my definition of alchemy was, “transformation and synthesis of my life and tarot knowledge to get me to the next (or higher) stage in my life.”

Then we picked out blessing coins. Usually this is done by each person playing the game but as Jude was the “game keeper” she randomly picked three coins for me. These were: vision, charity, hope. Blessing coins are fun items that players get to keep or swap and give to other players as the game progresses.

We then rolled the dice. I asked her to roll a single dice (the game comes with me) and we got a two. This put me on the Spiral spot. Jude drew a card from the Spiral Deck and told me to tell her a story about a time where I had to compromise–focusing on the benefits of doing so. So I pulled my 4 of Swords out from the deck and told Jude about a time where compromise helped me out in my marriage. I then jotted down notes and she took her turn.

On my next turn, Jude rolled two dice and I got to move forward 7 spaces. This put me on an infinity symbol which gave me “free will.” I was free to stretch or do anything I wanted. So I decided to grab my own set of 6-sided dice from my bookcase and stretch.

Then I rolled three dice for a total of 18. I landed on the “tell the player to my left something nice about them.” And so I gushed a bit about Jude. Based on my response, she gave me her passion blessing token.

Then I rolled two dice and got a total of 8, which put me on a roll again spot. So I rolled one dice and landed on The Hanged Man Spot. This gave me my second (of four) card for this reading. Jude then asked me a question from the Major Arcana sheet, “Tell me about a turning point in your life.” And I told her about the time I had mono and what I learned from it. These were how to take care of myself, focus on one thing, that it’s okay to say no, and how to ask for help.”

Once more, my response solicited Jude to give me a blessing token. This time, it was balance. Little did she know that balance is something I try to strive for throughout my life. Thanks Jude!

I rolled two more dice and moved 7 spaces more. I landed on a star card. This is not The Star card from a tarot deck but another one of the special spots from The Tarot Game. Jude pulled a card from the star deck and asked me to take a full deck and grab a card from it. I was then to create an affirmation from this card, based on what I saw. I grabbed my Pocket Universal Waite and the 4 of Cups jumped right out at me.

Now I’m not good at crafting affirmations so my first attempt was “I push through to succeed.” Jude helped me refine and hone the affirmation, so that we came out with, “When I am feeling myself unfocused, I push through to succeed.” I’m also supposed to find time to integrate this affirmation into my life for a week.
We then had a small discussion on productivity techniques and she gave me some good advice on some new techniques I can use to integrate into my self-employment practice.

By this time, Jude already filled out her reading sheet. Apparently, in the game, it is okay if players finish before one another. The rest can either keep on going or end the game there to go onto the Completion phase. Wanting to get the full benefit of playing, I opted to move on.

I rolled the two more dice and got a total of 9. This put me on the Sun card. She asked me, “How do I express myself?” And I answered by talking, writing, making collage and doodle arts, graphic design and crochet.

That last roll completed my reading so we moved onto the last phase of the game. This is where each player takes time to look at their cards and create an integrated affirmation or action plan that will help them answer their question or address their theme.

I spent time looking at my cards. In order I drew: the 4 of Swords, The Hanged Man, the 4 of Cups, and The Sun. Using what I knew about these cards I came up with the following affirmation:

Rest, perspective, reach out to accept help, do the work, and enjoy the fruits of my labor/success.

When I told Jude this, she said that it was fine but not exactly what she was hoping for. The hardest thing for tarot readers to do in the game is to create affirmations based on the card meanings themselves. Instead, Jude says that the affirmations work best when they integrate aspects of what was said in the game.

Together we created the new and improved affirmation:

I accept the support of my husband while I rest and push through to do the work to express myself and make art.

She then recommends that you work with this spread and affirmation by journalling about it and meditating on what was said for awhile.
I plan on using both affirmations that I created to help bring forth the transformation and success that I want for myself and my tarot business.

It’s my hope that this review/reading of The Tarot Game fuels your desire to give it a try for yourself. I’m already chomping at the bit to try this game out with Kender and all my friends. Have you played it? Let me know by commenting on this post!

Blog, Decks, Reviews

Review: Konxari Cards

January 21, 2011December 31, 2018 innowen

Konxari Cards
IRM Foundation, 2009
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Konxari (pronounced kon-zar-ee) Cards is a new spirit-focused divination deck, created by the IRM Foundation and featuring the photography of Paul Michael Kane. The idea is that you take the deck with you to a spooky location, shuffle and let the spirits relay messages to you through the cards. An updated version of the ouija board, the cards use photographs, words, and symbols to give you many ways to connect with spirits. The publishers of the deck claim that Konxari has roots in ancient Egypt and that it, along with tarot cards, have come from this era. Erroneous information aside (as far as the tarot goes), my curiosity got the best of me and I had to check this deck out.

The deck of 88 cards comes in a long rectangular box. The whole package of box, book and 44-cards sitting next to one another, gives the impression that this deck is more entertainment designed than to be used as a true spiritual tool. The cards themselves measure two by three inches and are printed on a light-weight card-stock with a semi-glossy coating. Their size, along with the glossy coating, makes the cards hard to shuffle when stacked together. Each card features a image, a title, a symbol (or color spot), and a letter (or number). Some cars are printed in a landscape rotation. The instruction booklet has 32 pages and contains “Quick” and “Expanded” rules for using the cards. It also provides meanings to some of the cards; symbol definitions; and includes two alternative spreads to use with the cards when you are not out searching for ghosts.

My partner and I put the Konxari Cards to the test at Samhain. We followed the rules of the booklet (“never play Konxari cards alone”) and we sat in a darkened room of our home. We hoped that the cards would connect with something and relay a message that we’d understand. We shuffled the cards and laid them out according to the main layout found inside the booklet. We removed four cards and were left with eight remaining cards: hiding, attic, door, prophesy, thermal, suffering, aura and shadow. The images and words caught our eyes and from this we figured that the impressions came from something we call “the house fae”. There is a closet on our first floor that tends to be popular with our cats. They’re always running in and out, as if they’re chasing something into that space. We also tend to use the space as our “attic” in that we store boxes, and decorations in it. Therefore the first few cards seemed to align with our experiences. Since the booklet also recommends playing with the cards and rearranging them to spell out words (remember, each card has letters on it) we shifted the cards around so they spelled words or phrases. We came up with Requim B6 (or 6B), and Be Quirm 6. Neither seemed important or seemed meaningful.

As I do with my tarot decks, I asked the Konxari Cards if they had anything to share about themselves. I drew the moon card for my first question, “What can I learn from you?” This card suggests using Konxari Cards could help expose or draw us closer to the mysteries we commonly associate with the moon: magick, death, and nature itself. I drew the Mirror card for my second question, “What is your speciality?” Here, the card represents the deck’s desire to show us reflections of the spirit world as they mirror or our lives and pasts. It is also said that mirrors are a portal to other realms and that this deck could be seen as a portal for contacting those realms. Finally, I drew the Hallway card for my final question of, “How does your personality differ from other decks?” The Eye of Horus drawn on this card suggests that the deck give “the dead the ability to see again”— a trait that other decks do not address.

Konxari Cards offer a new and portable tool to reach out and connect with the dead. If you’re a ghost hunter looking for a compact spirit communication tool to add to your arsenal then give these cards a shot. I also recommend Konxari Cards to the divination curious and would like to uncover a new type of cartomancy. To learn more about Konxari cards, visit www.konxari.com. The site contains the deck’s history, descriptions of the cards, and some videos of the cards in use and creative direction.

Blog, Classes, Reviews

Tarot Intensive Wrap-up

July 29, 2010December 31, 2018 innowen

Last week, I attended the first Tarot Intensive held by Katrina Wynne at her home along the coast. The weather was beautiful for the entire week and I’ve come home with new ideas, tricks, and a whole new crew to support me on my tarot journeys. I have also attained Level One Certification in Katrina’s Tarot Counseling Certificate program. Now that I’m settled in and have hand time to recuperate, I feel ready to write about this wonderful experience.

I left early Tuesday and picked up my companion. We both agreed to help Katrina set up and prepare for both the Intensive and the Retreat. And boy did we work our butts off. We folded large tarps that threatened to carry us away like huge sails. We dodged the monkey-dog Mookie, and we also scrubbed the floors of Katrina’s wonderful yurt so that they’d be polished and ready for the week’s events. I was so tired Tuesday night that I crashed early.

Wednesday morning was cool and I headed to the yurt early to claim my spot and to have a few minutes of quiet. An hour or two passed and the rest of our ragtag tarot crew showed up. All in all our pod, as we decided to call ourselves, numbered five. Which I thought was the perfect size. Big enough to do readings for one another and small enough to have personalized attention from Katrina.

The Intensive started out with a Beginning Tarot course. While I think I was a bit beyond this level, I was excited to see how Katrina taught it. She doesn’t teach any one set of meanings for the cards but the way she does teach what the cards mean is very universal and integrated into the personal meanings of both student and deck imagery. I rather liked it and gained a few extra insights into how I could incorporate this style into my own. We broke for a wonderful Swiss dinner (yes, I’m still savoring how good the cook did), we worked on giving our first set of readings between each other. I slept well that night, even though I felt the first strings of anxiety coming up for the Certification test I was going to take on Thursday.

Thursday started out much like Wednesday, except we went into the more Intermediate Tarot items. We drew daily cards and talked about how they reflected what was going on. I drew the 9 of Wands which perfectly represented the protection, fear, and swirl of emotions over the tarot test and my bright personality. Then, Katrina took us through many types of spreads and also shared a real reading to show us how she performs readings with clients. Seeing how she incorporated her techniques into a real reading was key for me as I’m trying to learn her style of Tarot Counseling. Seeing it live really helped put all the pieces that we learned together and helped give me a more rounded idea of what goes on and how her methods differ from mine and other readers.

After another superb dinner, we spent another two hours reading for each other and taking the written part of the Level One Certificate. This time, Katrina took notes on those of us who were working on our certificate levels. Despite my anxieties, I loved being coached. This was the first time I had ever had another reader really give me feedback on my style and technique and “performance” and it felt good to receive positive and constructive criticism for something I am 100% committed to.

Everyone then left for their tents or hotel rooms and Katrina and I spent another hour and a half talking about my tarot goals and how she could help me. Once we were done chatting and getting a loose game plan going, she printed out a copy of my Level One Certificate. This means I’m now certified! Wahoo!

It was hard to sleep Thursday night but somehow I willed my body and mind to sit still enough to do so. Friday morning greeted me to a hawk flying over Katrina’s wonderful woodland property. I packed my campsite up and with help from another student, we got it all loaded into my car just in time for the last day of class to start. Katrina spent this final session on sharing some psychology counseling techniques with us. This was immensely helpful to me as there’s not enough books out there on tarot that delve into this deep and intriguing topic. My Powell’s wish list has now grown leaps and bounds with all sorts of books that she (and others) have recommended for me.

After swapping emails with everyone else and saying good byes, we all left to return home to our normal lives. I spent most of the drive processing the things I learned and the advice I’ve been given from my new tarot friends. Just after turning down Highway 34, I was gifted with a final sight… a black bear lumbered his way across the highway in front of my car. Which made me revert to childhood age as I exclaimed, “Bear bear! Bear bear!”, while bouncing in my seat for the next mile or so.

All in all I had a wonderful time and learned so much from everyone. Katrina plans on having another Intensive for us, to continue our learning in a few months… in Portland, even. I’m looking forward to continuing learning and growing and experiencing a new way of reading tarot from a very wise woman.

For more information, and pictures of the intensive, check out the wrap up post on Katrina’s blog. I’ll add some images to this post as soon as I get the images off my camera and get permission from the others to post them.

Blog, Reviews

Review: Renaissance Art 3×5 Case and Pocket Moleskine Cover

August 29, 2009December 31, 2018 innowen

Modified from the original post at D*I*Y Planner.

Leather products these days are a sign of class and longevity. I’ve always loved the smell of leather and its cool, slick feel. By now you’re probably wondering why I’m including a case review here? I know I would. Well, this case is unlike any you’ve ever seen. Enter Renaissance Art (they’re now called Innovative Journaling). This small company builds amazing leather products. They produce a wide variety of handmade journals, bags and cases.

Recently, Renaissance Art added a few new products to their line. Products that cater to journalling enthusiasts all over the world. I’m here to tell you about my experience with just one of these new products, the Moleskine Cover with Single 3×5 Card Case for a pocket-sized Moleskine. Bottom line, I think this little leather case is worth the price for tarot enthusiasts to invest in. The idea that you can keep both a Moleskine journal and a card in the same area was just too good to pass up.

I purchased a two-tone Moleskine Cover with Single 3×5 card case from Renaissance Art a few years ago. This little gem is the perfect cover and companion to any small pocket-sized journal. It’s made of rugged leather so has that worn in and well loved look. This little case combines my two passions into one location: tarot and journalling. Opening the case exposes a slide in area that you can slip in a tarot card of the day, or index cards, on the left side and still have easy access to a journal on the right.

My Renaissance Art case open showing tarot journal and card of the day.

This case comes in three different colors: brown, black, and a two-tone brown/black combination. Renaissance Art even gives you three choices for your pen loop (small, medium and large). The leather Renaissance Art uses feels like it’s been around the globe and well traveled; unlike other companies whose fine grain leather feels too smooth and clean. The price is also right, at $50.00 to start (the price does quickly add up as you select various options like monogramming, adding a starter Moleskine, and a gift pouch.) But is this little case worth the price? I think so.

You can place 5 tarot cards (or 10 index cards) snuggly in the pouch area. Sliding cards into the case is easy: first you place the small set of cards into the bottom holder, then you bridge them as if they were a slim pack of playing cards and slide them up through the top strap. This holds them down so they don’t slip out.

Immediately upon purchasing the Cover from the online store, my mind flooded with ideas and uses. My first thought was how I could use this with my tarot practice. Barring the traditional uses for a Moleskine (like journals or planners), here’s what I came up with for various types of people and how they could use this case:

Tarot enthusiasts: Slide a daily personal card or meditation card into the pocket. Use the Moleskine to capture thoughts and meditations on the card as the day progresses, or various spreads done to clarify goals.
Writers: Use the pocket to keep track of story scenes, characters or settings. Use the Moleskine to write out the actual story.
Students: Use the pocket to keep track of essay ideas or cram notes for tests. Use the Moleskine side to take class notes, write essays or compile study questions to use before your tests.
Artists: Use the pocket to keep a paper-style watercolor palette of colors. Use the Moleskine side when you travel to capture sketches and scenes from your journeys in a watercolor Moleskine notebook. Replace the pen in your pen holder with a water brush for quick and anytime painting.
Programmers: Use the pocket to keep track of current stories in your Agile development project. Use the Moleskine to keep track of meeting notes, extended story and feature requests, and comments from potential users.

I’ve now owned this case for a few years and I’m still very happy with the purchase. The snap enclosure still works and the leather holds up to a constant battering of being jostled around in various bags. Just looking at it makes me smile. Ordering was a breeze and the product came very quickly. Renaissance Art’s craftsmanship is of high quality and I know that the case protects anything inside of it throughout any weather. I’ve even gone camping with this case and it’s protected my cards from being warped and my thoughts from being smudged in some serious Pacific Northwest rain.