by Lucy Cavendish and Jasmine Becket-Griffith
If you’re a fan of the artwork of Jasmine Becket-Griffith, then you’re probably already aware that this is one of many Blue Angel decks (often paired with a Lucy Cavendish guidebook, though sometimes with other collaborators) that use Becket-Griffith’s artwork to approach different Oracle deck themes.
That means: If you have one and like it, you’ll probably like most, if not all of their other collaborative decks. If you dislike one — that means you might not end up liking any of the decks.
There is a definite formula to these decks, and as mentioned: you’re either a reader who likes it or doesn’t; rarely any in-between. There is sometimes crossover artwork between decks, meaning that a particular painting may appear in several different decks, sometimes with the same significance, sometimes not.
The guidebooks are always substantial, and I enjoy how each card meaning is given several different sections to interpret:
*Les Vampire Speaks — a first-person narrative interpretation of the card, with the character depicted speaking directly to the reader/querent.
*Blessing – What would traditionally be the upright card meaning — with Oracle decks, some readers use card reversals/inversions; other incorporate the shadow meaning as part of the card’s holistic meaning and assign no special significance to an inverted card.
*Curse – the Shadow interpretation (or reversal interpretation)
*Working With the Card – Notes on how to approach this card within a reading, what its emergence signifies, etc.
There are three bespoke card spreads, created specifically for use with this deck, which can be used with other decks (though note that because these spreads have Les Vampires energy, they’re better suited to other decks of similar dark energy.)
As with all Cavendish/Becket-Smith Oracle decks, I appreciate that even with a Vampire theme, there is a kind, gentle energy to the cards and their meanings. The art is lovely and to me, this feels like a deck Claudia from Interview with the Vampire would like — there’s a certain beauty in monsters, and the monstrous within. This deck is about taming your appetites, and knowing when to strike and when to rest.
Like other Oracle decks created by this author/artist/publishing group, the cards are oversized, with a glossy finish, so that the art is prioritized. Shuffling can be difficult for those with smaller hands. The cards and guidebook are packaged in a heavy, glossy lidded box so they’re easy to transport and difficult to lose, with enough extra space in the box to tuck a crystal point, talisman, or pen.