Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, felt compelled to liberate all creatures from suffering. Able to manifest as many different genders, ages, and shapes, Avalokiteshvara looked out upon all the beings in the universe and saw how many of them were embroiled in their sufferings by their attachments and delusions. Being chained to their egos trapped them in the cycle of death and rebirth, and the creatures of the universe were unable to achieve enlightenment." The art of Yoshi Yoshitani is stunning and faithfully reproduced on the cards based on my side-by-side comparison of the actual companion book, Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World, which is sold separately. Yoshi Yoshitani is a California-based artist whose vibrant illustrations draw on inspiration from across the globe, with a particular focus on multicultural identity. Past clients include Disney, DC Comics, Valiant, Image, DreamWorks, and Netflix. Yoshi spends time researching world mythologies, listening to audiobooks, creating fashion inspiration boards, and attending comic conventions and art expos across the country.

The idea of linking fairy-tale folklore and the Tarot is very interesting. These phenomena have a lot in common. Legends and fairy tales are the concentration of the wisdom of our ancestors. This is a collection of symbols and archetypes, ideas about the world, about good and evil. The path to enlightenment is unique for each of us, but many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations. With rich, vibrant art and a keen understanding of traditional tarot archetypes, illustrator Yoshi Yoshitani infuses Tarot of the Divine with worldly insight and an intriguing selection of fables and folktales from cultures across the globe. The Emperor is the ideal father figure. A warrior and conqueror, King Arthur rules over his kingdom and his sometimes-unruly knights with a just and firm hand. He unifies the fractious, defends the weak, and lends his knowledge and understanding to all his subjects.After login, wordpress sets this cookie, which indicates when you’re logged in, and who you are, for most interface use. Our servers are getting hit pretty hard right now. To continue shopping, enter the characters as they are shown I can visually access the Six of Cups as “sharing” and the “joys of childhood” even though I am not familiar with the fact that this image relates to The Snow Queen (Denmark, Danish Fairy Tale), who I am familiar with from the Chronicles of Narnia. Tarot of the Divine' is all about tarot and fairy tales from all across the globe. How inspiring and creative, with such beautiful illustrated cards! The companion guidebook provides insight into how these fables from around the globe support traditional tarot imagery and themes.

Tarot of the Divine The idea of linking fairy-tale folklore and the Tarot is very interesting. These phenomena have a lot in common. Legends and fairy tales are the concentration of the wisdom of our ancestors. This is a collection of symbols and archetypes, ideas about the world, about good and evil. Yoshi has done a great job of reworking the heritage of world folklore and combining it with traditional Tarot symbols. Here are stories from all parts of the globe. These are children's fairy tales known to everyone, and legendary heroes of the epos and small magic stories. The print quality is superb – the integrity of the delicate colour schemes is brilliantly reproduced, and the fine lines and detail have been maintained. There are no misprints, no colour bleeds, and no blurring. The other strange error is The Nightingale, which the LWB says "Denmark, Danish Folk Tale" but the book says "China, Danish Fairy Tale." The imagery is Chinese and the story takes place in China, so it appears the book is correct but the LWB is wrong. Tarot of the Divine brings traditional tarot archetypes to life with a lustrous series of fables, including the Little Mermaid, Aladdin, the Crane Wife, Sleeping Beauty, King Arthur, and the stories from lesser-known legends and deities from all over the world. Just as the tarot provides ways to interpret the world around us, so too, do these illuminating folktales.

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I personally found dark undertones in even celebratory images like the 3 of Coins, which shows a child performing joyfully near Banjhakri and Banjhakrini having successfully completed their shaman training. Further reading revealed that they kidnap children and put them under physical and other rigorous testing, and kill the ones who don't succeed. I don't personally believe this matches the cooperation traditionally implied by that card considering the story itself has children under duress. Each card is reproduced in full colour and afforded the same amount of space and information. The corresponding myth or fairy tale is listed directly under the illustration, as well as its country of origin, and a clarification as to whether it is a fairy tale, a myth, saint or deity. Beneath this is a description of the qualities each card embodies and what the fairy tale or myth represents. This is followed by a few keywords for both upright and reversed divinatory meanings – which are very much in line with traditional interpretations. The path to enlightenment is unique for each of us, but many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations. Take a step forward on your spiritual journey with this gorgeously illustrated celebration of deities, folklore, and fairy tales from all over the world.

The first is The Beauty and the Beast, which the LWB says "China, Danish Fairy Tale" but the book says "China, Chinese Fairy Tale." As far as I can tell, the creator used the Chinese folktale “The Fairy Serpent” in the book, but kept the Western, Disney-inspired Beast imagery rather than a serpent for some reason. The Fool (The Little Mermaid), Danish; The High Priestess, Scheherazade (Anansi), Akan); Justice (Amhaeng Eosa), Korean); Temperance (Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara), Buddhist); and also the World, Hinemoa as Tutanekai (Maori). Both of Cups, Enkidu and Gilgamesh (Sumerian), Three of Cups, Apsara, Hindu, Seven of Cups, Aladdin, Arabic. The Four of Coins are Condor’s Wife (Aymara), Six of Coins are (The Woman Who Was Kind To Insects), and Seven of Coins are (Nanahuatzin (Zatec). However, the Kings are non-human numbers. Yoshitani keeps Tarot tradition by keeping the initial names of the cards. Since the cards really do draw from stories from around the world, some may be very familiar while others will be completely foreign. Since I grew up in the United States, with Western history and storytelling tradition, I can easily recognize the Emperor as King Arthur (with the sword in the stone): This tarot set is based around the Rider Waite system. The box is so lovely, not too big and bulky, simple, and the texture is really nice. Using a simple ribbon pull to get the cards out. The cards are sturdy, smooth and nice to work with physically. Each local story has its own national flavor, but many of them have common motifs and similar plots. Myths and legends are passed down from generation to generation and unite different cultures and peoples around the world.Opening this tarot is like entering into a fairy tale. You set about laying out the cards and find they whisper in sing-song voice. “Once upon a time,” entrances the High Priestess as she opens her book to read to you. “In this story, YOU are the fairy godmother,” declares The Magician as they wave their wand. “Here be dragons!” cautions The Devil. And on, and on, they go into the “happily ever after,” with The World. The path to enlightenment is unique for each of us, but many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations. With rich, vibrant art and a keen understanding of traditional tarot archetypes, illustrator Yoshi Yoshitani infuses Tarot of the Divine with worldly insight and an intriguing selection of fables and folktales from cultures across the globe.