Harmonious Tarot), Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and Dante Rossetti.
There is no collage or tweaking to the artwork, just the original painted image. Some cards are portrait-oriented, others landscape-oriented, which I didn’t find ideal but is probably a limitation placed by the source image. My favourite card of the deck was ‘Wisdom’, which has a painting of A Portrait of an Old Woman by Balthasar Denning. It has such wonderful lighting, and such wry wisdom in her face, a perfect image for the feminine archetype.
The 33 cards are on the large size - 11cm wide by 15cm high – and the backs have an aged looking orange background. The words ‘Oracle of the Grail Code: The Book and Card Collection’ printed in the centre. The cards are packaged in a sturdy, matte, flip-top cardboard box along with an equally sturdy 176-page hardcover book. The inside lid of the box is also decorated with a full-size image of the ‘Honoring’ card.
The book talks initially about Amy’s journey to create the concept of the Oracle of the Grail Code, and the purpose of the deck. Following are two original spreads for use with the Oracle: a three-card and five-card spread, both explaining with a sample reading as well (which is always handy). The back of the book also has a quick ‘Index of Cards and Qualities’, for those who want to know more about the origins of the image – it lists the card name, the title of the painting and the artist. The following pages of ‘Illustration Credits’ also give the copyright details and often the location of the painting itself, should you be inspired to go and see the real thing.
The 33 card meanings make up the bulk of the book. These are simple; each card is divided into a Meaning (which explores how that attribute may appear in your life, offers advice, and asks pertinent questions) and Meditation, which takes you through a guided step-by-step meditation and visualisation linked with the energy of the card.
The Oracle of the Grail Code can be used in multi-card spreads like those outlined in the book, but I preferred to use them as single cards, drawing one a day for guidance and going through the meditation, or leaving one out to remind me of a particular quality. It’s a very gentle, encouraging, and feminine set.
“At the heart of the Grail legacy lies the profound power of the Feminine, which carries with it the key to creativity, insight and transformation.”