REVIEW: Art Through The Eyes of the Soul Oracle

R E V I E W

Art Through The Eyes of the Soul Oracle
Paintings & Text by Cheryl Yambrach Rose
Published by Daghda Vision S.R.O.
Distributed by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-57281-722-7
52 cards (3.5" x 6"); 108-page Guidebook
Also available as an iPhone or iPad app, with animation and music 

TOP LINE (formerly Bottom Line)

If you don't like or don't use oracle decks, you obviously won't rush out and get this one. However, if you do enjoy oracle decks -- whether for reading, meditation, or other purposes -- this one is certain to spark your imagination and awaken your intuition.

The advice offered on the cards is practical and understandable. I really like the way the artist/author pairs those qualities with art that evokes mystery and mystical realms. There is a keen sense of "as above, so below" or "as within, so without" in these cards.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Guidebook, which offers much historical, mythological, and spiritual food for thought.

I decided to pull a card to represent "myself as I need to be this week." The Irish goddess Eriu (namesake of Ireland) came forward for me on a card titled "Eriu's Eyes." As you can see, my message for this week is "Look Through the Mist, Find the Mystery." Expanding on this, Cheryl Yambrach Rose writes, "Don't cloud your judgment with doubt - believe! The secret of Divine creation is within you. The Goddess is waiting to help you manifest your dreams." The Guidebook tells me: "In the 6th century, monks settled on Skellig Michael, eight miles from shore. This was one of the storehouses of literature, music, and history that saved European culture from extinction in the dark ages."

I love the way Eriu gazes out through the mist over Skellig Island, like the creative spirit within each of us "gazes out" at the physical, material world in which we live. Whether noticed by our eyes or not, she is there, and her eyes see everything. So if you need to find me this week, I will be looking through the mist to find the mystery!

THE PUBLISHER'S PRODUCT SUMMARY

"For those in search of personal intuitive guidance, this luminescent oracle deck provides a powerful vehicle for accessing the wisdom of mythic beings and divine entities. The deck is comprised of 52 over-sized, gilded cards with stunning original artwork. Meditating on a card image reveals deep insights and profound answers. The illustrated guidebook allows you to delve into the meaning of each card and connect with your higher self."

BASIC INFORMATION

In the Guidebook that accompanies this deck, following the Contents page, Cheryl Yambrach Rose provides an introductory section containing entries on How to Use the Oracle, Clearing your cards, and an explanation of the deck called "Art Through the Eyes of the Soul." Rose writes, "This oracle deck is a vehicle to provide personal intuitive guidance from the mythic beings and Divine entities that inhabit sacred sites and spaces."

Each card has a two-page section in the Guidebook featuring a black-and-white image of the card, an Expanded Meaning for the card, and a description that provides information about the subject and setting of the painting. The cards are not numbered, but the Contents section is arranged alphabetically by card title.

For example, the entry for a card called "The Burning of the Sage" explains that the painting is about "a sacred ceremony of the Shasta Native Americans who live near the base of Mount Shasta." In the foreground we see a female Shaman with her white spirit bird, Raven. The background shows the pinnacle peaks of Castle Crags located to the west of Mt. Shasta, said to be the site of the last tribal conflict. The words of advice for this card: "Visualize Healing". The Expanded Meaning: "Address health issues with positive visualizations. Use your intuition to connect into your energy field and identify the causes of your distress. Research may be necessary to get a balanced view."

Among the places included in this deck and Guidebook are Russia, Ireland, Scotland, Skellig Islands, Cornwall, Glastonbury, Dartmoor, Prague, Suriname, Egypt, the Isle of Avalon, and California.

There are no spreads in the Guidebook, but Rose suggests drawing a single card to ask a question for daily guidance or meditation, a three-card layout of present situation-influences-guidance, "or any layout of your preference."

In addition to stunningly gorgeous women and noble-looking men, many of the cards feature animals such as wolves, birds, dolphins, whales, horses, butterflies, deer, a cougar, and a dragon. One of my favorite cards is the last one (alphabetically) in the deck, titled "Wolf Child."

APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY

The glossy, gilt-edged 3.5" x 6" cards are printed on sturdy stock. The Guidebook is the same size as the cards. Both are packaged in a high-quality cardboard box with a lid, for easy storage and protection. Cards are not numbered.

Card faces are bordered in gold "picture frames". Within the frame is an image with a cream-colored text box below it. The text box contains a title in light italic type and words of advice in a "Glastonbury" style font. For example, the card titled "Ariadne and the Stellar Wheel" offers the advice "Weave Your Own Destiny."

The illustration on the box and the Guidebook is also found on the card titled "Lady of the Lake."

Card backs in shades of blue, black, and a bit of green depict a face peering from behind a stone. In the background we see a shadowy, mystical looking setting. The illustration used on the back is also seen on the card titled "Welsh Faery Glen." Card backs are not reversible, and reversals are not encouraged when using this deck.

The cards are too large to be shuffled "poker style" but I had no trouble using the push-pull method, which is my normal shuffling method.

ART

Cheryl Yambrach Rose-Hall

Cheryl Yambrach Rose-Hall is a portrait painter, visionary artist and researcher. Using historical data along with her psychic impressions she creates empowered works of art based on sacred sites and their mythology. Her artwork has shown world-wide, including the Nelson Rockefeller Collection, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. In Prague, she is co-founder with her husband, of Daghda Vision s.r.o., a company dedicated to global cultural exchange, art, film and publishing.

Whether cool or warm in tone, the colors in these paintings/cards are deep, vivid, and rich. The subjects are so life-like, it is easy to imagine entering the pictures and engaging in conversation with them or even becoming them. Whether real-world or otherworld, the settings draw the viewer in.

Many of the paintings in this deck are also featured in Rose-Hall's full-color 128-page book, Art Through the Eyes of the Soul (Rosehall Llc). The book, which contains 120 photographs and 60 original oils, explains her journey as a visionary and Neo-Mythic artist, as well as her technique of 'tuning into' the subject through the eyes to paint a psychic impression. Four mythic lands are included -- lands where Rose-Hall herself "lives and paints": Narnia, Avalon, Bohemia, and Lemuria. For more information about this book, click HERE.

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In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.