Wisdom of Avalon: Yay or Nay?

motsa

I briefly met Colette Baron-Reid at the "You Can Do It" conference in Toronto this weekend, and I asked her about the marker cards. Making them all the same was apparently her choice, so that people would not get bogged down by the imagery on the cards when interpreting them. I'm guessing she and Hay House received lot of comments about those cards because they reissued the deck a few months ago with unique scenic marker cards.

If you like the deck but are put off by the repetitive marker cards like I was, I'd recommend the new version (she also added symbols to all of the cards in the new version of the deck). I feel much more open to the deck now than I was.
 

Satori

Nice update Motsa. I ended up giving this deck to a friend of mine who has never even thought about owning her own deck. She really likes it, and I think that she uses the book most of the time, but I plan to talk to her about using her own ideas as well, when and if she feels like she should.

I will keep my eye out for the new edition, just to see if I like it any better. I too love the artist and would like to see more from this person.
 

Mellifluous

So, interesting that this thread is up. I was just coming to do a search for it.

I resisted the urge to throw this one out, just put it away for later. Pulled it back out a couple days ago and I think I'm finally starting to connect with it. It's giving accurate readings and I don't feel so critical towards it. I think I'm slowly starting to love it actually, which vindicates my general opinion that I'm drawn to buy certain decks for a reason. So, yay to that. :)

I'm curious to see how the cards have been changed if anyone comes across links to scans of them.
 

Satori

Yes, I was just wondering what Solandia does with a reissue if the cards have changed. Does she just add the second deck? I know this sounds a bit ridiculous.

I would have asked the deck creator about that Wasp card. That card was one that really bothered me...in fact it was the card that convinced me to let the deck go. But something about the deck must intrigue me because I still think about it. I love the name, the idea, just wish it had been more thoroughly researched and thought out.
 

Aulruna

Interesting news about the re-issuing.

So far, the marker cards haven't really bothered as much as I think they would, because like others said, they didn't show up too often yet.

However, I do like visual stimuli and clues, so this might make me go for the new release.
 

faunabay

Well I guess I'll be buying another copy of this deck then. }) I like the first edition, but the marker cards did both me as well. So I'm really curious to see the second edition with different scenes on these cards.

It'll be interesting to see if I end up using the second, or if I just stick with the first - since I'm used to it now.
 

faunabay

I wonder how we'll know whether it's a first or second edition? Is there any differences on the box to beable to tell?
 

Mathki

I'm quite excited to read about the second edition of the deck; thank you for sharing this information with us, motsa! :)

I really do like the deck - the beauty of the deck spoke to me at first and when I bought it, I instantly felt a connection to it.

I don't know if you guys put any significance into which card is the first you see when you open the box for the first time. Well, I do - and the first card I saw when I opened the box was Merlin (strangely enough since it's the first card of the deck... :p ).
I call one of my spirit guides Merlin - so that just confirmed that this was a deck for me ;)
Of course it's not that strange either that there's a Merlin card in an oracle deck with the name of Avalon, but still - the deck seemed to speak to me, and it still does, half a year later :)
 

motsa

I wonder how we'll know whether it's a first or second edition? Is there any differences on the box to beable to tell?
Unfortunately, there is zero difference in the boxes themselves (not the layout or UPC or even the prices) so you won't know which it is until you open it. Bad production on Hay House's part, IMO.

I bought my second deck directly from Hay House at the conference so I knew it was going to have the new cards. Unfortunately, I've just now noticed that it also has a mistake -- it's missing the new 50 (Birth/Rebirth) and 51 (Truth) cards and has duplicate 11 (The Hawk) and 12 (The Swan) cards instead. So I'm going to have to nag them to send me replacement cards. Hopefully it's just a bad batch.

I've attached scans of a couple of the cards.

avalon49_new_old.jpg shows the new (on left) and old (on right) versions of card #49 (Forgiveness)

avalon52_new_old.jpg shows the new (on left) and old (on right) versions of card #52 (The Mystery). You'll notice that the picture that used to be on all of the marker cards is now just the picture on card #52.
 

Attachments

  • avalon49_new_old.jpg
    avalon49_new_old.jpg
    172.4 KB · Views: 122
  • avalon52_new_old.jpg
    avalon52_new_old.jpg
    185.1 KB · Views: 129

Mathki

motsa said:
Unfortunately, there is zero difference in the boxes themselves (not the layout or UPC or even the prices) so you won't know which it is until you open it. Bad production on Hay House's part, IMO.

I bought my second deck directly from Hay House at the conference so I knew it was going to have the new cards. Unfortunately, I've just now noticed that it also has a mistake -- it's missing the new 50 (Birth/Rebirth) and 51 (Truth) cards and has duplicate 11 (The Hawk) and 12 (The Swan) cards instead. So I'm going to have to nag them to send me replacement cards. Hopefully it's just a bad batch.

I've attached scans of a couple of the cards.

avalon49_new_old.jpg shows the new (on left) and old (on right) versions of card #49 (Forgiveness)

avalon52_new_old.jpg shows the new (on left) and old (on right) versions of card #52 (The Mystery). You'll notice that the picture that used to be on all of the marker cards is now just the picture on card #52.

Could you also ask them to write "second edition" on the box now that you're at it? ;)

Because it really sucks if one has to buy numerous copies of the set just to find the right one... :bugeyed:

Of course, I guess it's very good for their sales! :rolleyes:

As I wrote earlier, I really like this deck (though I really get all of your points), but apart from that I'm not a great fan of Hay House - I think they are making money too easily compared to the quality of their products. Well, just an afterthought ;)