Review by Allan Ritchie
By Dinah
Roseberry
Published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
www.schifferbooks.com
ISBN-13:
978-07643-457-39
Retail $24.99
Released 2016
The First Light Tarot out of the box can be a bit overwhelming but with a little time and some focus it quickly becomes a deck full of possibilities. The First Light Tarot is actually a set of decks. The set contains a Majors-only Tarot, a twenty-two card Insight oracle deck and a twenty-two card spread builder. The full color, borderless cards are filled with starscapes with text boxes in two corners. The backs of the cards are not technically reversible with but it is difficult to notice if the cards are reversed. The backs for each of the three sets have an independent pattern.
The set includes not only a guide book but a nice laminated reference card. Schiffer makes great deck boxes and this one is no exception as it is sturdy with a magnetic closure. The card stock is right up my alley with it being a bit on the thinner side. The card are wider than most decks and are nearly square shaped. The cards measure 5 inches tall and three and a half inches wide. As part of the small hands club I know that big cards are a turn off but the smaller number of cards in the set with sixty-six cards is manageable.
In the Major Trump deck each card has a number, standard card title and then a few keywords. The title and single keyword is found in a text box on the top right corner then a few more keywords in the bottom left. The cards are not heavily symbolic and read mostly from the titles. The twelve trumps which correspond with the Golden Dawn traditional astrological sun signs are depicted with a glyph. These twelve cards are the only ones that are linked to astrology. It is strange that they did not carry over the symbolism of the planets which would have been easy enough to do. The card images have a great energy as they are both bright and dark at the same time. One of the best Sun cards I have seen as the image of the actual Sun is dynamic, warm and draws the eye. I also love the Devil card as the nebula pictured is foreboding. I would have loved a great shot of the Earth from space for the world and the Emperor cards seems . . . well let’s just say very male.
The treasure in this set is the Insight oracle. These cards are titled but rely heavily on numerological significance. Each card has two text boxes for the title and keywords in the same manner and the Tarot trumps. Every card has its individual number and the numerological reduction. As a standalone reading deck it works well. A downside is that I wonder if the cards need the second text box in the lower corner. The power of an oracle deck is the ability to pull out the intuition. It seems that at times the Title and the Keyword on the card seem to compete. An example is on 2 Attraction the keyword is Manifestation. The guidebook and reference card give little information on how these link. Even this is a small issue and could easily be overlooked, I have used the bottom keyword to be a reversed title in a reading and that worked better than I expected.
The twenty-two spread cards are a comprehensive set of positions that will meet just about every spread position need you have. Some of my favorites are Who May Hurt, Others Looking In, Strategy, Why is this Happening and Wild Card.
Gorgeous space images and the variety of cards lend the decks to a freedom of use that is empowering. The most fun has been when I have shuffled all three separately and then laid out three spread cards, then three Trumps, then three Insight. This creates the spread, a reading with both a tarot and oracle card working seamlessly together. Shuffling the spread positions works a bit better than I expected. I like to have a bit more control over a reading but this is very open. Here you pick a topic and allow the cards to completely form the message and response.
If
you liked the Quantum Tarot and were looking for a space themed deck
then this is perfect. The complete information on the photos is
provided in the guidebook. This is a deck that might be great for
those clients that are put off by esoteric images and those who love
space. Not a deck for a beginner but a great set if you are
looking to figure out how to learn to read Tarot and an Oracle
cooperatively.
Review copy provided by Schiffer Publishing
Ltd.