Ostara Tarot (Deck and Guidebook Box Set)

Wow, this is a beautiful set! I've collected off and on for years now - some I don't care for, or like but they are poorly made - well this has to be one of the most lovely and high quality decks I've gotten. I love almost everything about it, but let's just move straight to the bullet points of Pros and Cons!1. Artwork - Wow! I like them all but some are just awesome. I like all of the artists, but I think I like Iredale's and Applejohn's overall work the best. That said Cooke's Strength and Death cards - among others - are gorgeous. And Gibbard's 1 of Swords makes me smile and the 10 of Swords makes me want to cry. And Gibbard's card back is one of my favorite card back designs on any deck ever.2. Card Quality - These cards give a wonderful first impression of quality. They are thick - as my image shows in the comparison of the individual card and the deck to a quarter. They have a nice quality slick feel. The artwork is vibrant. There is a nice silver lining on the edge of each card. Now, I have to mention... the thickness of these cards means they are very stiff and a bit hard to shuffle and I couldn't get anything close to a bridge... Lol. This may change with time, or not. It doesn't bother me but is worth a mention.Please note: The metallic silvery lining is sturdy and the cards will probably be stuck together. I carefully peeled them apart and the lining stayed perfectly in place and they separated cleanly. I had no issues with peeling of corners or cards with artwork on the face or card backings being adhered as I have with other cards with thick linings like these have. Just be very careful! :-)3. The Book - Lovely as the rest. Soft and velvety smooth cover, with slick pages and stellar full color art depictions of each card. The card descriptions are apt, but not terribly long and you will find no information about anything but the cards and the artists. If you are adept in reading this is no bother. If you have other books then this is also no bother. If you are a newbie - or giving this to a newbie - you will want to include a book on spreads.4. The Box - So, as often happens with an outstanding box - the inside slightly disappoints. The outside is coated in smooth velvety paper, and there are thick, firm cardboard sides, with a magnetic clasp and a ribbon pull - of course with the same pretty full color artwork. So swoon-worthy! Inside, however, the cards must be separated in half to fit, but the "holder" to keep them from slopping about the box is two pieces of firm paper that are removable. The top one isn't the length of the box, which looks plain unfinished. I assume this allows you to pry the cards out, but this part feels slapdash when the rest of the set is roses and cream. What I would give for someone to line a box in even cheap velvet that the deck can nestle into with a ribbon to gently dislodge them from their bed when needed? Sigh, I guess we have to dream.5. The "Feels" - So there is artwork of beauty and artwork of feels. These cards have good feels to them. I love the ladies being so present. I love the animals being so prevalent. Some of the cards have art that is so dynamic they just pull you in to their story - be it sweet, bold or sorrowful. I love this. It makes it easier to read, in my opinion. I very much like these cards and to give you a reference - while I love many decks - my favorites so far are So Below and Everyday Witch. If you like those you may also like this. It's not the same as those two decks but I still think you could vibe with this one, if you did with the others. :-)Bottom line: Overall these are high-quality, stunning cards with a lovely box - a perfect gift for you or a loved one. I will update if something wonky happens - if they fall apart in an unexpected way - but if there is no update please know that they are as lovely as ever and I am enjoying them thoroughly.P.S. I am attaching some images to show a sample of the deck - the vibe of the deck - and comparisons to a quarter for sizing, along with details of the box. Also, included my first reading. I would suspect shuffling issues, perhaps, but things have been a bit rough around the edges the past few months. It happens! Hope this all helps and that if you get this deck you love it as I do. Enjoy! :D

So, for starters, this deck is absolutely gorgeous. Right out of the box I knew it would be among my favorite decks. There are very, very few things I can complain about.Cardstock: I'd say average. There's nothing particularly special about this, but it doesn't feel super cheap to me either. It's flexible, but not super thin. The cards are nice and shiny, almost a little too shiny for my taste but it doesn't distract from the images at all.Backs: Almost reversible, if that matters to you. The design itself is reversible, but the background looks like a watercolor wash and it's not *quite* reversible. One side is slightly lighter than the other, but it's pretty easy to overlook.Edges: The deck is edged in silver. As some other reviewers pointed out, it does seem to make your hands a bit sparkly at first--but with regular use I haven't noticed much wearing off. The gilding *does* make the cards stick together at first, more so than any of my other gilded decks. But if you're careful separating them and give them a few good shuffles there are no issues (I recommend a few different styles, I generally shuffle overhand but that wasn't enough to unclump the cards)Packaging: It's okay, though not my favorite. I have to admit that the box it comes in *is* pretty nice. It's a good size, feels well constructed, and is much better than those giant boxes filled with thin cardboard that a lot of tarot sets come in. This box is small and compact, and easily fits the deck and book. My complaint is entirely personal: the deck is meant to be laid in two separate piles within the box. It does come with a thin, loose cardboard divider, but that's it. So yeah, I'd just prefer to be able to keep my deck in a single stack within the box.Book: I like the book. It's simple and clean, every card has an entry with a full color picture and brief description. It doesn't go into much detail, but I feel that it gives a nice little bit of insight into each card. I also like the size of the book--it's kind of short and squat and feels more portable than most.Miscellaneous: As other reviewers have said, one of the corners was bent up slightly on all of the cards. At first, when I was separating them, this really bothered me. Over the past few weeks though I just sort of ignored it, and now it's barely noticeable. I wouldn't call this an issue at all, and definitely not a reason to avoid the deck.Overall: This deck is absolutely beautiful. If you like the images you've seen, get it--I don't think you'll regret it. This deck feels magical to me, and not just because of the artwork. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again

Amazing quality - very beautiful product.

The media could not be loaded. Adorei a composição, a paleta de cores desse deck é de um frescor digno da deusa da primavera(Ostara). As cartas não são muito grossas, são flexíveis sem se deformar, o detalhe prateado das bordas é sensível a dano mas é lindo. As cartas são bem subjetivas, não é um deck para iniciantes. O livro, ilustradíssimo e colorido, esta dividido pelo Arcano, suas palavras-chave, breve contextualização da imagem da carta, significado do Arcano na posição normal e invertida. Está em inglês.

Está muy bien, la calidad y el material de las cartas es mejor de lo que me esperaba.

Dwa rozmiary kart w jednej tali? Srebrne brzegi kart już po wyjęciu z opakowania były porysane. Nie wspominając o okropnie krzywo wyciętych kartach. Nigdy nie widziałam czegoś takiego

The size of the tarot cards are split into 2 sizes that I cannot accept it.For the art work is wonderful.