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By: Oliva Rose
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems
Number of cards: 78
Card size: 4.75 in x 2.75 in
Box size: 6.5 x 4.25 x 2.25 in
Guidebook pages: 172
Purchased or gifted?: Review copy gifted from U.S. Games Systems

Absolute favorite card: The Hermit
Other favorites: Four of cups, the High Priestess, eight of pentacles, ace of pentacles, ace of wands, The Hierophant, The Hanged Man, four of wands
Season: autumn
Sabbat: Mabon
Sign: Sagittarius/Virgo
Oracle Deck compliment: Mermaid’s Purse Oracle

A *look at my favorite cards from the deck*

First Impressions: I noticed the packaging immediately. I’ve had my fair share of decks from US Games over the years and I can tell you, they’ve really stepped up their packaging. I actually have a story about talking to a US Games rep about packaging at INATS a couple of years ago but that’s a story for another time. The point is, they’ve clearly put a lot of effort into their packaging and I’m impressed.

This box is quite heavy and the quality of the book and cards are excellent. The card stock is matte and I find myself saying a silent hallelujah every time I see matte cards these days. They’re easier to shuffle, the desaturated nature of matte is much more soothing, and they feel nicer in your hands. Some of my absolute favorite decks have gloss cards including the Seasons of the Witch series (not my choice and often not the author’s choice in general) but I find myself enjoying matte cards more these days. I’m also happy to report there is gilding. Its your regular gold but fits the deck as shades of gold are spread throughout the cards. In addition to the matte, the cards have an interesting texture that’s reminiscent of linen or canvas.

The guidebook is full color but don’t expect too much more than that. It only has an introduction and just one 3-card spread. If you’re looking for a very in-depth guidebook as an intermediate reader or just in general, then this isn’t that. The author is also the illustrator and I do consider this one to be an art deck in my opinion. Beautiful, but not really doing much to reinvent the meanings or add any layers to them. Having said that, the interpretations in the book are enough to get by for sure and definitely an upgrade to those old school white booklets. Perfectly fine for a beginner.

Some of my absolute favorite decks are what I consider to be “art decks.” But I’ve been reading tarot for over a decade and rarely consult the accompanying guidebook unless it's someone like Kristoffer Hughes who I greatly admire or there’s a particular perspective I’ve remembered that I want to revisit.

With that said, buy the deck if you connect with the artwork which is stunning and truly its on style. It looks like a coffee table book and honestly, I’d love to see it printed in that size. It reminds me of Cocorrina’s decks a bit but with a more folk art like style. I couldn’t tell you if the figures are fairies or mermaids, humans or a combination of all three and I kind of love that. The art feels fluid and open to interpretation although I do wish the artist had included more information. I love to know what inspired the deck, how she envisions using it or why call it Mind’s Eye? Someone on Instagram told me about her oracle deck but other than this deck, I’m not familiar with her work. So I would’ve loved a brief introduction here seeing as this is my first interaction with her work.

Despite that, I am truly blown away by the art, especially considering the medium the artist chose to work with. It’s no small feet to illustrate 78 cards, let alone having to write them too. That’s 78 painting’s Oliva has done by hand. So when I say this is an art deck, please don’t mistake that as a negative comment. In truth, the artwork is more important than the book. The art is how you connect with the work.

So let’s talk about the art and my favorites. My favorite card is the Hermit. At first, I thought of her underground but then, I started to see her as under the sea. Either way, it feels like her personal haven. It really reminded me of a series from paranormal romance author Kresley Cole. I can’t remember the name of the book (the series has like 40 books, no joke) but in one, the main character would lie down on the ground and plants and animals would cover her completely, almost burying her. I never forgot that part of the book and I will often visualize it when I need to rest. This card gave me that same feeling of healing and safety. I’m looking forward to pulling it out to mediate upon when I feel the need to have that visual again. Continued below…

Purchase The Mind's Eye Tarot

I really like the four of wands. It reminded me a lot of the Handfastings card from Seasons of the Witch: Beltane Oracle (see image below). And to be honest, I said the Hermit is my favorite and it is but the Sun is really growing on it. It just caught my eye when I was doing photos when I more or less glossed over it while going through the deck. I love the energy flowing from her hands, her long fiery hair, the eyes on the sun, and so much dynamism in the image. This is another card I’m looking forward to work with in meditation. My thought is that this is going to be a strong visualization deck for me.

My final thoughts are about the eyes on just about every card; I didn’t see them on the ace of wands. You see them in unexpected places like the hilt on swords, in the middle of flowers or seashells, and as the center of butterfly (or perhaps fairy) wings. To me, they represented your subconscious mind and how its always watching, listening, and picking up everything around you even when your conscious mind isn’t aware. And perhaps that’s why working with this deck as a visualization tool resonates with me so much. Each image feels like a little key, unlocking a different part of my psyche.

Season, Sign and Sabbat

I chose Mabon and Autumn for this deck because of the warm tones. It’s dark but just didn’t feel like Samhain. It feels homey and comforting. Something about it feels familiar and gentle which are not things I associate with Samhain so Mabon it is. I went with Sagittarius but I do feel a touch of Taurus too. On the one hand, this deck feels fiery and dynamic like Sagittarius and the artwork feels psychedelic as if you’re going on a spiritual journey. That felt very aligned with Sagittarius but I can’t overlook the grounded nature of the deck. There is an element of groundedness that doesn’t quite fit in Capricorn or Virgo. This deck is sensual—-a Taurus quality—-in addition to being very earthy.

Who is this deck for?

Get it if you’re a fan of Olivia Rose. She seems to have a very distinct style and I’m looking forward to getting a copy of her oracle deck which seems to match this one perfectly. I’d also recommend it if you’re someone who likes to meditate on your card’s images. I think that’s what I’m going to use mine for. There were so many images I wanted to sit in mediation with right away. There’s a lot to pick out and many layers to explore.

Oracle Deck Companion

See has a new deck called the Mermaid’s Purse Oracle which I discovered while looking for her website and promptly ordered it so I will happily do a review on that soon. I kind of got lost in her artwork— I’m a big fan now. She also has the Heart’s Eye Oracle although I can’t seem to find where to purchase it so I’m not sure if it’s still in print. She has such a unique style that I think it would be a shame to use anything other than her own oracles in companion with this deck.

Thanks for reading all the way through. If you found this review to be helpful, informative or entertaining in any way, please be sure to leave a comment down below. It really helps me know what you’re enjoying so that I can provide more content based on what you love.

And of course, if there is something you’d like me to consider reviewing, please comment below or email me at hello@spiritelement.co