Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There's a TL;DR and a pros/cons list at the bottom! My grandmother always told me that each witch in our family who used tarot had at least one "soul card". My mother always furthered the point by clarifying that some would have a few "soul cards", others a handful, and special witches, like me, just had one or two. I liked her saying I was special, it made divination more... *magical*! (lol) I remember my mother catching me staring at my two cards one night. Mesmerized, I sat totally still and silent as I stroked their creased images, memorizing the images. She'd cleansed her space and left her childhood deck out to bathe in the moonlight. It was a traditional Rider Waite deck, all beat up and worn from always being shuffled in a riffle-style with an ending bridge to prevent curling; Horrifically marred, but used with such immense love. And there I was, 8 years old under the waning crescent moon, mucking up her careful cleansing ritual by disturbing the deck on the windowsill. I'd cut the deck twice and found two cards that called to me. Though I couldn't yet recognize the sensation, I could feel the threads of fate tightening around me, vibrating with energy, pulling my fingers to their proper places; The threads guided me to my "soul cards", they brought me to life-long consistent truths about myself that have never once led me astray. I try to keep their advice in mind in everything I do. My mother sat me down and explained things to me that night. She broke down the essential meanings of those two cards and what they might tell me about myself. She helped me remember their guidance again and again over the years until one day, *poof* she became a god-fearing Christian. My grandmother had died, and with her, she took all the knowledge that had only just started to be passed down to me; Our lineage, all of our family's history in the mystical and magical. Now, my mother gets angry when I ask for advice on the cards. "We can't interpret God's will," and all that. She's taken away my heritage, my ancestral inheritance. She's locked it up inside her head and has since done everything she can to keep me from remembering it, too. But, she couldn't take away my "soul cards". The Fool, and The Hanged Man. And that brings me back to this deck. I'd gotten a deck gifted to me about 4 years ago. It was nice to be connected again, but it was an oracle deck and, as such, left gaps in the disjointed stories I tried to decipher and connect with the threads of fate I felt around me. Though beautiful and accurate, it was just a bit too vague. And, without my "soul cards", it couldn't ever be enough. The threads just wouldn't bend enough around my astral touch as I plucked at them like an ethereal harp. But, that oracle deck at least let me know I still had the magic within and around me. That deck started a hunger, a feral longing that only grew over time. So, I began searching for my deck. I knew that if I just kept looking there would come a time that I wouldn't be able to stop myself. The deck would choose me in it's own time and I would have no choice but to answer its call. My "soul cards" would have to awaken my wonder and shake me back to my foundation. I went to every local mystic shop in my area, I googled, I even looked through e-bay. All in vain. I searched for years never quite feeling that irresistible pull from any deck I found. I slowly gave up after the first two years. And then, one day, I stopped looking altogether. Finally, one day about a month ago, just browsing Amazon, trying to find new headphones... I found the Light Seer's Tarot. I'd given up on finding a deck, but something was prodding at me to look closer at the preview image on the "recommended items" bar that was going across my screen. I couldn't understand this urge; The deck was some shade of blue, I'm a purple, white and black kind of gal. There was no reason for me to notice it because typically my eyes naturally skip right on over anything in the blue shade range. It's just not my thing. So, I dismissed the idea of clicking. I assumed it would just be one more false lead to my long-sought deck. But then, the next day, there it was again! Now it was a bigger image on my Amazon home-page and I could see what I'd missed before, what was calling to me: The Fool. It was right there in its main preview image! I knew I had to see it clearer! I clicked and began to delve into the other preview images searching for my Fool. It wasn't there! I moved onto the reviews bouncing in my seat with the hope that I just might see my Fool; I dared not even think of The Hanged Man, I couldn't ask for my luck to be that good. But then which card do I see first? None other than The Hanged Man! And when I found The Fool... Let's just say, I still don't remember adding this deck to my cart nor going through the checkout process. I just remember the sound of my gasp when I saw I'd purchased something when I couldn't even afford to replace my only pair of shoes which at the time had multiple holes and tears in them! But, I couldn't bring myself to cancel the order. I just stared at the confirmation on my screen until my alarm went off telling me to get outside for my son's school bus drop-off. Two days later when they arrived, I found my hands shaking while I carefully cut open the packaging. I felt a physical shock of familiarity as soon as I touched the box they came in. And when the cards themselves were finally in my hands, the urge to shuffle was overwhelming. I was able to connect myself more securely to the threads of fate than I ever have before! The cards seem to know my every question even before I ask! The connection I felt to my magic and my ancestors was such a welcome sense of relief and comfort. These cards felt like home and that was enough for me to never regret my purchase. However, I've found so many other unexpected perks! For instance, since buying these I've even been able to do PAID tarot readings!! This was never something I even dreamed I could do, yet, here I am able to do it! I've even made enough money now to replace my old beat to death sneakers! TL;DR: I couldn't be happier with my purchase of this deck! Also, if you find the deck that speaks to you, you'll know! And when you find it, don't let it pass you by! You never know how much it just might change your life!! Pros: -Stunningly beautiful artwork -Sturdy box -Accurate and creative guidebook included -Updated card descriptions to better fit modern life without losing the original meanings -A modern take on the Rider Waite classic in both style and substance -Cardstock isn't so glossy that you can't see the artwork when working around brighter light sources (less glare) -Slightly larger sized cards (which for me is good because I have huge hands that can easily palm a basketball) -Shipping was fast! They arrived a day early! Cons: (NOTE: All of these can be easily remedied with either an overhand, Hindu, pile, or corgi shuffling style!) -The cardstock is non-glossy and feels a bit "dry" which can sometimes lead to a bad shuffle (traditional riffle style) -Some might find the size to be a bit longer, therefore harder to shuffle (traditional riffle style) -Some might find that the halves of a split deck are too thick to properly shuffle (traditional riffle style)