Which Kuan Yin Oracle do you prefer?

Gwynydd

I'm feeling called to work with Kuan Yin, and would like to get a deck related to her. I know of the Kuan Yin Oracle and the Wild Kuan Yin Oracle.

To me, the former seems as though it could teach a beginner more about the goddess in depth, and the latter appeals to me more because I'm attracted to the artwork.

I'm tossing up which one I choose, or both? lol. Which do you prefer?
 

Laura Borealis

I've thought about both of these too, though I haven't got either one yet.

I prefer the art for the Wild Kuan Yin oracle. But the name is all wrong. Kuan Yin is Chinese; sticking her name on a deck with Tibetan imagery doesn't sit well with me given the political situation with China's occupation of Tibet. It seems like they just used the name to make it a "sequel" to the Kuan Yin oracle since Alana Fairchild wrote both books. But, I do love the art so I've considered getting it.

The Kuan Yin oracle artwork is lovely, but for me it's a bit too eroticized to relate well to Kuan Yin. Nudity doesn't bother me but I don't think of the Bodhisattva of Compassion as posing sexily in various states of undress. It seems more like a pinup deck of exotic "Oriental" art than anything. Which is problematic in its own way. I also read Benebell Wen's review and that clinched it as a deck I won't be getting.

So of the two, I'd choose the Wild Kuan Yin oracle, though I think it would be better with a different name.

From what I can tell, both were put together out of their respective artists' prior work, not created for the purpose of an oracle deck. I think only some of Zeng Hao's art in the Kuan Yin is actually meant to represent Kuan Yin. I suspect that none of Wang Yiguang's art in the Wild Kuan Yin is meant to be Kuan Yin. Nor does it depict Chenrezig (the Tibetan form of the Bodhisattva.) It's Tibetan girls and flying yaks. I can totally get behind a Flying Yak oracle... :D


It might be nitpicky on my part, this focus on the name and also the representation of Kuan Yin, but I honor her (as Avalokitesvara) in my spiritual practice so it's important to me.
 

Le Fanu

I have the Wild Kuan Yin Oracle. I love the dizzying artwork, the unexpected perspectives and the use of horizontal imagery. In terms of artwork it is very different from the more soft-focus Kuan Yin Oracle.

I honestly only bought it because of the very unique artwork.

In terms of learning about the goddess - in fact learning anything from this deck - forget it. It is the total appropriation of something vaguely empowering that can be sold to women and money can be made.

Alana Fairchild's books are the very worst of their kind - pages upon pages of meaningless New Age ramblings that really won't teach you anything. The least one could expect might be a sort of Chinese Water Torture approach to "love yourself. You're worth it" spread over a few hundred pages. The books that comes with these decks are breathtaking for all the wrong reasons. And there'll be another next week. And the week after.

But in answer to your question, I still think the Wild one is better because the artwork is so unusual and dynamic, but the book will make you smash your head against the wall until bloodied. :D
 

Gwynydd

Sorry, I've been busy and only had time to answer now.

Thanks so much for all that feedback :) Knowing that Kuan Yin is the goddess of compassion an mercy, I was getting very confused by both oracles, because I wasn't really seeing that theme playing out in either deck. I think I'll have to sit both out. Thanks for mentioning Benebel Wen's review, that was, I felt an important insight to consider.