Review: The Transparent Oracle 2nd Edition

The Transparent Oracle 2nd Edition

Author/Artist: Emily Carding 

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2022

Description: 77 card deck, 207-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size - 5 1/4 circular

"The devil is in the detail."  

The second edition of The Transparent Oracle is now a 77-card deck. Seven archetypes have been added to each direction. 

"...the addition of archetype cards will add extra clarity to readings about your relationship with people around you, as well as aspects of your personality."

The Transparent Oracle follows the Transparent Tarot in creating a new way of reading cards. The transparent quality of these decks allows the reader to stack the cards and create a fuller, deeper reading. The decks were so popular that the author came back with 2nd editions of each with added information and cards. The application of the decks separately, combined or even added as an overlay to another deck is amazing, thought-provoking, and a nice escape from the normal reading. 

The cards come in one of Schiffer's signature boxes with the magnetic closure lid. Inside you find the circular deck, a white reading cloth, the guidebook, and a large square insert of the Below Guide: Sidhe, creating a layered image of the guidebook's cover when in the box. 

Do not enter this deck lightly.  You will need to put in some work to get the full benefit of these cards. 

Let's take a look at some of the cards and the system.

The deck is structured into seven directions - North, South, East, West, Above, Below and Within. The four directions: north, south, east, and west include: one gateway, four animal guides, weather, a landscape, a time of day, an element, and an elemental. While the Above has ten gateways, one guide, seven planets, and a polarity. Below has a gateway, four guides, four grail hollows, and a polarity. Within includes a gateway and nine ways in which the self relates to the rest of the world. 

Above you see, 23 West - Element: Water - revealing the energy of emotions, healing, and intuition, 76 Below - Archetype: Nurturer - the healing of others, and 11 South - Gateway: Summer - revealing the abundance of joy.

My overview of these three cards would definitely be of a caregiver who loves his/her job. But that is very simplified. The guidebook goes into more detail and dives deeper into these cards. For instance, when 11 South - Gateway appears with cards from Below, it can possibly reveal the discovery of a family secret.

When you overlay the cards, you see Summer frames Water, creating a sense that the center of attention is the emotions which radiate from the caregiver. Again, the system is a little complicated and what you have here is a very simplified interpretation. It will take some time and study to get the most out of the deck and its message.  

Before we discuss the guidebook, I'd like to show you the amazing results of using a light box. The author makes the suggestion in the Care of the Cards section. Because I needed this tool for other projects, I decided to make the purchase.  

Below, you can see the details explode!

If you plan to go the distance and dig into the depth of the Transparent Oracle, or even the Transparent Tarot, I suggest you spend a little money and purchase a light box. You can find a wide range of prices on Amazon.

I went with a wireless version, because I wanted the mobility - Golspark Wireless Light Box @ less than $30. There are more expensive versions, but also cheaper, depending on your budget.

The guidebook begins with a Foreword to the Second Edition, which discusses the additional cards, the archetypes. A Foreword, by Sorita D'Este and David Rankine, follows with an outside look of Carding's creations. "This deck crackles with arcane emblems and themes and reminds us how art, like music, can be a form of magic as effective as any ritual."

After a short introduction from the Author, there's a short section which briefly explains the oracle's system and energies.

Section Two dives into the card meanings. Each Direction has a short overview, followed by the meanings of each card in that direction. The cards of directions, North, South, East, and West, include their direction, an image, the card name, keywords, meaning, and 'if combined with cards from other direction' meanings.  The cards of Above, Below, and Within include their direction, an image, the card name, keywords, and meaning.

The archetypes are separate from their suites. Each card includes an image, the card name, direction, keywords, and meaning. 

Section Three includes using the cards, shuffling and focus intent, suggests combinations of three and then gives sample readings for divination, storytelling/brainstorming, visualization and combining with Transparent Tarot. Section Four shares three spread suggestions by David Rankine. The guidebook closes with a bibliography and an about the author section.

I highly recommend this deck to anyone who took a special interest in the Transparent Tarot. The Transparent Oracle gives the reader a new way to read and goes deep into the ways of life with its many possibilities. The deck can be used with simple keyword interpretations. But I suggest taking the time to dig into the deck to receive the full messages available. 

For me, shuffling presented its own challenge. The size and flexibility of the plastic make this deck difficult to shuffle, but I suspect a technique will develop in time. The results of the readings are definitely worth the extra effort. 

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

59 Grail Hollows: The Stone, 13 Element: Fire, 55 Guide: Mermaid

Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: The Transparent Tarot 2nd Edition

The Transparent Tarot 2nd Edition

Author: Emily Carding

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2020

Description: 78 Card Deck, 304 page companion book, Schiffer signature box with magnetic closure lid.

I'm very excited to have this deck. I own the original, but this second edition has so many improvements.

The new packaging is so much better. The original came in a big bulky box that didn't fit into my collection. Now it's in one of Schiffer's signature boxes with the magnetic closing lid.

The dull cloth has been replaced with a shiny layout cloth. The cards no longer stick together as in the original. And the companion book has added material. There's a new chapter on combining this deck with other decks and a new keyword table for quick reference. 

With all the improvements, I would definitely seek out the 2nd edition over the original.

Of course, if this is your first look at the Transparent Tarot, you may be wondering what this deck actually has to offer over other Tarot decks. This is a very unique deck that allows for layering your reading.

As single cards, the images are relatively simple. The Fool features a butterfly and a small white rose. Why a butterfly as the main feature of this card? The author says, "The butterfly and its incredible journey from caterpillar to chrysalis to winged beauty are a powerful symbol of transformation, and it is that potential for transformation that the Fool represents."

A look at some card combinations shows the complexity of this deck as a whole.

The layering of these four cards shows a very active creative project from the burst of ignition all the way to the final steps of creation. You have a team working toward the completion of this project.  

This layering shows a time of mental anguish. The fears and negativities of the situation is mostly in your head, but as the Ace of Swords slices through those fears, leaving you with the reality of the moment, you feel like the whole situation was a waste of time. Although this may seem dark, with every end, there is a new beginning. Getting through this moment is in itself an achievement.

I recommend this deck to anyone who wants to go a little deeper into the Tarot. The layering effect is sure to bring you a better understanding of the individual cards and more clarity to your overall readings.

Grab your copy from Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

See other posts on the original deck for more card images and thoughts on this amazing deck.

Review: The Transparent Tarot (originally published on The Examiner)

The Transparent Tarot by Emily Carding (a sample reading)

Do You Dare Succeed? (a sample reading)

Review: The Transparent Tarot

The Transparent Tarot is an original, unique deck with a new approach to the tarot. The deck follows the basis Rider-Waite system, yet brings to life a new understanding and a new view of tarot reading. 

Hesitant to obtain this deck when it first came out, my only regret is that I waited so long. The deck is truly amazing and will open your intuition and creativity to new levels. 

The cards are made of a sturdy plastic. At first, I thought I would have trouble, for they wanted to stick together. The simple solution was to flip through the cards one by one and mix them up extensively.  

The images are simple and are made for layering and overlapping. But, you can really use these cards in many different positions - creating collages and stories, sure to be different with every reading.

A companion book is included. Emily Carding covers the uses and meanings of the cards. She also emphasizes on making this deck your own, follow your intuition rather than the meanings in the book. What she gives you in this wonderful book is meant to be a jump off point for you to grow from.

A thick white cloth is also included and needed. The white background allows for the images to be easily displayed and enjoyed.  

I’d recommend this deck to just about anyone. From beginner to expert, you will find something wonderful within these cards. 

Originally published on the Examiner, October 2012