About this item
- The Visual Zodiac is a 78-card oracle deck that illustrates all possible combinations of astrological signs and the zodiac.
- Although the structure is based on astrology rather than tarot, it can be used as a divinatory tool. The deck is complete,
- and seeking a publisher.
Specifications
Name
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Visual Zodiac
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Creators
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Alejandro C. Luna,
Nil Orange
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Publisher
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Seeking a Publisher
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Deck Type
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Oracle Deck
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Cards
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78
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Card Language
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English
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Reviews
right? Well, maybe not. Despite the number, the Visual
Zodiac oracle is based not on tarot but on astrology. By
an intriguing coincidence it works out to be the same
number of cards as a tarot. The first twelve cards are
each assigned a sign of the zodiac. The rest of the
cards each get two signs. All possible combinations are
covered, and this is what gives us 78.
The art is
atmospheric, minimalist, and evocative. It's a simple style
that conveys a lot of emotion, and expresses clearly
the personality types of the zodiac. There's some
clever takes on the individual signs: a circus ringmaster
for Leo, a magician of dark arts for Scorpio, a court
jester for Aquarius. But in the combinations of signs the
creativity of the artists really shines. On the Aries/Gemini
card, two people are in a heated debate after a car
accident, but they are identical twins. On the Taurus/Pisces
card, someone sits on the ground, under a tree,
meditating. The Leo/Libra card shows someone kissing his own
face in a mirror. And Gemini/Pisces shows a tarot
reader.
The cards have no words on them. There are no keywords
or phrases, no names of goddesses or angels. The only
notations are the astrological symbols. According to the
deck's creators, the deck is intended for astrology
professionals and students. A familiarity with at least the
basics of astrology would help very much to appreciate
and use the deck. So would the use of our wits and our
hunches.
Using our hunches seems to be the best way to go with
this oracle, for the Visual Zodiac is aptly named. It's
78 pictures of personality, endeavor, thought,
activity, and opinion in visual form. We need to feel our
way around this deck, as we look at these pictures
which suggest, imply, and insinuate a multitude of
feelings and circumstances. I'm reminded of something I
read once by the British fantasy author Angela Carter,
who had one of her characters say, "Don't think, look.
When you begin to think you lose the point."
For
those who like to read divination decks via the
illustrations, gleaning information from symbolism and visual
clues, this is a captivating deck. The artwork spurs
imagination. Dreamlike and always hinting at something just
beyond the picture, the art encourages us to fill in the
blanks. Interestingly, the card backs are reversible. It's
up to the reader to determine whether or not to take
advantage of this and use reversals with this deck, but it
does seem worth the experiment.
The cards are a
comfortable size for handling, and are nicely laminated. The
card stock though, is a bit on the thin side, and might
require extra care when shuffling.
The pamphlet says the
deck can be used for self therapy, divination, and
deepening our understanding of astrology. The aspect of
therapy, for self or for others, seems especially easy to
read with this deck, since every card is an expression
of a different facet of human nature.
This is a fun
deck for those who love astrology. But it's also easy
for someone new to astrology to use. Though some
background would help, it's not essential. The main power is
in the pictures. And indeed the creators, astrologer
Alejandro Christian Luna of Argentina and astrologer/artist
Nil Orange of Germany, say that the deck is also for
those interested in symbolic languages. They feel that a
picture is worth a thousand words. And I think their deck
proves that it's true.
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