After yesterday’s pink super moon (in Scorpio), I vowed to be more active with reviews. The we
After yesterday’s pink super moon (in Scorpio), I vowed to be more active with reviews. The weather seems to disagree though, as it’s been stormy and cold - not that I’m complaining, I thrive in cool spring weather. Anyway, since it was an astronomical (and astrological) event, I wanted to get back to business with a cosmic deck: the Cosmic Allies altar art deck, by Nicole Piar (creator of the Spirit Cats Oracle, reviewed here three years and a half ago).This is not the first altar deck in my collection, so when I got it I knew I was going to like it and put it to use right away. Nicole says this is a deck to “connect you with your new cosmic friends”; she also adds: “the Cosmic Allies are the embodiments of the 7 planetary energies in astrology ~ Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. You can see them as archetypes that exist within us all and you can see them as our helpers – our allies”. Since each one is “a lens through which to perceive reality”, the cards become tools to hone our intuition and to welcome new perspectives. They are also talismans, in the way that they can be part of your sacred space (which is my case).The deck features eight cards with matte, heavy, thick cardstock. You can see the thickness of them in the detail pic (where I also capture the beautiful holo gilding). They are rigid in order to keep straight in the moon stand (which is optional with your order, laser-cut from thick, strong wood and hand-painted in metallic gold); and they are big (2.5 times bigger than a standard tarot card). Seven of them are the Cosmic Allies, while the eight is an additional “As Above, So Below” card. But let’s focus on the artwork: these cards feature a dual design, having the characters (mostly animals) on one side and the planetary symbol on the other. The artwork is dream-like, soft but with rich colours, a good balance between colder and warmer hues. The fronts are textured and feel alive, while the backs are more abstract and focus on bringing forward that cosmic energy, resembling galaxies.The companion guidebook is a treasure trove: its 64 pages are brimming with creative suggestions for working with the Cosmic Allies. It features a Quick Start, a note for sceptics, a complete intro to the deck, a how-to with different ways of using the cards, and sections for each Cosmic Ally. The latter includes a description of its energy, a “helps with”, associations (day, colours, tarot, zodiac, food and drink, minerals and metals, actions), offerings, a poetic invocation, creative inspiration, mantras, and (listen up) a bespoke tarot spread for each. The production quality is excellent, with a sturdy spot-foiled box, the also spot-foiled paperback guidebook, and the thiccc gilded cards. The Cosmic Allies is a beautiful altar deck that doesn’t only offer a point for focus and meditation, but also juicy and creative ways of incorporating the cards into a well-rounded practice, highlighting the fantastic tarot spreads that make them even more present in your rituals. Thar artwork is dreamy, rich but soft, and captivating; and the backs are not neglected, offering twice the display options. There’s even more information I couldn’t cram in here, so head over Nicole’s site to read more about the deck! -- source link
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