The Faeries' Oracle

This is an excellent deck for Froud fans who like the playful nature of his artwork. (I can see why his other deck, which is out of print, is commanding such high prices right now.) I really enjoyed reading the book and learning the process behind making the deck -- there is a charming anecdote about a waitress's reaction to the artwork for the Faery Godmother card, for example. Although Froud professes to believe quite firmly in the Celtic sort of faery, these cards are not those. You will not find most of the traditional Celtic fairy types (with exceptions -- the Piskies are traditionally Cornish critters, for example) or dispossessed members of the Tuatha Dé Danaan in here. You get instead names like the Gloomish Doom, or the Fee-Lion, which I thought was just going too far in the twee pun direction until I thought about it and looked at the card. Some of the beings illustrated are abstract and beautiful rays of light. Some are gnomes that cause chaos. Some are types of fairy that are more obscure in mythology and that were interesting to meet. The backs of the cards, interestingly, use an illustration that is also the front of one card -- it can be looked at either upside down or right-side up, and the faces will look slightly different from either direction. Bear in mind that Froud designed all of the goblins from the film "Labyrinth" that weren't David Bowie. The card backs look a bit more like the goblins from that movie than like the currently popular "fairy" idea of pretty naked women lounging in flowers -- although, having said that, not all of these creatures do wear clothes, so if that bothers you, this might not be the deck for you. We don't really see any Naughty Bits (tm), but you can readily see how some of these creatures -- including, to be fair, the beams of radiant light -- would find it impossible to put clothes on (e.g. over wings, or frog-like feet). Even the long tails some of the more animal-like faeries sport would make frilly gowns a bit impractical. I have enjoyed doing readings with these. A note of caution, however. Play with the cards, lay them out, look at them, but these are disturbingly powerful. I would not recommend actually divining with these if you are young or inexperienced with reading cards. Get to know them a while first, in any case. That said, I hope with all my heart that his other deck, the Heart of Faerie cards, will come back into print and be available to the average consumer at a more usual price point, because the writing is really endearing, as are the majority of the creatures (I would use a different word than "endearing" for the first several cards, because you don't cuddle a light beam so much as you stand there in awe), and I was entirely pleased with my purchase. Remember that this is an oracle deck, not a standard 78-card Tarot deck, so there are no suits or Major Arcana. You just get whomever you get, which is a lovely assortment -- and I found this a valuable addition to my toolbox for reading for others, as well as cards to contemplate for myself.

The art on the cards is great and the book is well written. The card stock is a little thin, but that is about the only negative I can say. I love to use these. (And hope I can take good care of them.)

Beautiful deck and very well made. This is the second set of this deck i have purchased. I bought these over 20 years ago and finally bought a new set for a friend. Brian Froud is one of the best fantasy artist, in my opinion. Just stunning artwork.

My original disappeared! So I purchased a used selection of these, and thankfully they were in excellent condition. This is a very special deck, for those who want to truly connect to the woodland and other highly evolved faerie creatures. The guidebook is incredibly thick, and has a hardcover, and over 200 pages. My only complaint, would be the card stock being so paper thin.

Amazing oracle, and an amazing journey. I can't say enough about how much I love this deck. If you are of Celtic descent and want to know of the lore and energy of the Anglo/Celtic lands, this is for you. If you feel drawn to the Faery realms, and the elementals and green magick, then this is for you. If you feel drawn to this oracle at all, get it, because this deck will transform you, and is no doubt calling out to you. A few things I think are important to mention: The beings in the Faery realm and elementals and the green world are absolutely real. The beings on the cards do exist. Many of the images on the cards depict the appearance and the energy of beings that do exist in another dimension of reality. The other thing I will say is: Just because you finish using the cards and put them away for the night, that doesn't mean the faerys are locked away. They may visit you, and interact with you in many ways, so be prepared. This is not something to fear. In fact, knowing the faery realm is like getting to know another culture or foreign country. The people there aren't bad, they're just unknown to you until you get familiar with them. Same with the faery realm. You will get to know the different characters in the faery realm, and just stand back and be prepared for an amazing journey of a lifetime. As for the readings, the cards are beautiful, and convey lots of wisdom. They will speak to you in surprising and wonderful ways, always enlightening. Work with this deck, and let it work with you, and the journey will be an enchanted one.

Probably one of the most stunning decks I have ever seen! The drawings on the cards are more of an older style depiction that most people dislike. Some of these cards depict beings of light that make certain shapes, and other cards depict non-human like creatures that look a bit strange and unusual to most humans. The human-like features of some of them are still very strange, their legs may appear differently, animal like in nature (human-like on the top but also having frogs legs for example). If you're into this kind of style and depiction then this deck is for you. I feel that this really shows what some of the faerie may look like. Faerie is also a general term that relates to more than just human-like people with wings, it relates to all manner of creatures that would be considered otherworldly. So you have gnomes and tree spirits in this deck as well as little people with wings or even creatures with wings or what some would consider goblins. Either way, they have a very interesting way of coming across to people. The people who didn't like this deck I think were expecting something humanly beautiful. But these beings are not humans, they are other creatures depicted on these cards. Expect unusual appearances here! For me, that's what makes this deck so unique, it is what I love about this deck, because it isn't based on a Victorian style of fairy, but instead of a more natural appearance in nature. I've used this deck a few times already and I truly feel this deck speaks to me with the faeries depicted. As a lover of older lore, I am in love with these cards!

This is the third time purchasing this deck because I’ve used them so frequently over the years that they got worn down, and the second deck got lost in a move. Normally, these would come with the gold edges, but mine were all white this time and printed on fairly flimsy material. They’re still beautiful cards, and the messages are always wonderful, I just wish they were the same quality as my first deck. Still, I can’t say enough regarding how accurate they are in a reading, and the people I read for always leave with positivity and hope, even with the cards that are darker in nature. They’re intuitive and well thought out, and Brian Froud put so much detail into each one that the longer you stare at them, the more they “speak” to you. Despite the slight quality issue with the cards, I will always recommend this deck!

I have had this particular deck for quite some time, and it has become my absolute favourite to work with. Please note before buying, if you want to buy this deck for "pretty images of childlike fairies", do not bother. The artwork shown is done by Brian Froud (one of my favourite artists), and the images on these cards is in his particular style of artwork. I have noticed a few reviewers who bought these cards for a younger audience who seem to have not done their proper research before investing in this deck. With that said, these are ORACLE cards and should be used as such. Each card definitely has a mind and personality of its own, and it's important that you build a relationship with each one before beginning your divinatory practices. What you put into working with the Fae will come back to you. I love the detail put into each of the cards, and find that they have a way of showing you a different meaning each time. Take special note of the various colours used, the facial expressions, and use your personal judgment and intuition in how you perceive each card. Reading these cards is a lot like reading the personalities and mannerisms of other people. Overall, an Oracle (and tarot) deck should speak to you before you buy it. What works for one person may not work for another. Do some research (Google is your friend!!!), and find the deck that is right for you. I'd also like to note that these cards are slightly larger than a few other decks I have. These cards are about 3"x5". if you want to know how they wil fee in your hand, cut out a piece of cardstock and play with it a bit. These vibrant cards are filled with the images of the Faery; not the sweet images of childhood imagination and gossamer wings, but the Fae as true beings. The good, the bad, and the ugly.