Hands down my favorite deck
I love this deck - the images on the cards are beautifully done and correspond perfectly with the written interpretation/instruction book. They are also guides in and of themselves - meditating upon the artwork in its own right can lead to further insights. But more than that, the Oshu Zen Tarot is my favorite because no matter what question is at hand or which layout I use, it seems to be perfectly and *exactly* what I need to know in that moment, every single time.
If you are looking for a replacement for an existing Oshu Zen deck, the one I purchased here as well as a second one I purchased elsewhere were not identical to my original deck. The cards are quite a bit smaller than in the one I purchased some 10+ years ago - they are now just slightly larger than a deck of standard playing cards and for me, at least, are actually a bit easier to handle. The card stock seems to be slightly thinner as well, and you might want to reinforce the ouside box somehow if you are planning to store it in the original container, as the outside sleeve is a little bit on the flimsy side. As I opened it for the first time, I carefully slit the shrinkwrap "opening end" on mine and kept it intact to help protect the case's cover for now. I may buy some clear self-adhesive wrap and cover it with that at some point.
This is not a traditional Tarot deck - although if you are familiar with such (and can remember and correlate the corresponding suits and cards) it may be used as one, as it has similar suits, Minor and Major Arcana, etc. It is not a deck for prediction, per se, but moreso a tool for meditation and achieving understanding, and when used in this way can certainly help you achieve clarity and focus in almost any situation and about any concept.
As this is a "Zen" deck, however, an additional card has been added, "The Master". From the guidebook, "This card allows us to leave the spiral behind, to take a jump off of the wheel of desth and rebirth. The Master card symbolizes the ultimate transcendence of journeying itself, a transcendence that becomes possible only through the dissolving of the separate, individual ego in enlightenment."
I personally was drawn to this deck from the very first time I saw it. If you are feeling that pull yourself, I strongly suggest that you take the plunge - you won't regret it. Take a little bit of time to handle, shuffle, and attune yourself to the deck prior to using it the first time and enjoy!Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
