Mermaids and Dolphins by Gillian Kemp

room: Appreciate your taking the time to provide the information.

Mine is ISBN 978-1-904991-76-2.

Based on the list of ISBNs on the inside of the title page (two for U.K. & two U.S.), it is one of two U.S. editions. Published by CICO Books in London & New York.

I got this deck for my bday back in August...haven't used it extensively.

I have to say the art is not at all like her other sets (GWBW, Faerie Wisdom, Tree Magic) it's done by another artist, not Emma Garner. This was talked about here, but I was hopong I'd like it just as much. The art is just not as vibrant, whimsical and full of life. Some of it just looks badly done, "off". What's weird is Emma Garner did the borders.....why not just use her for the whole deck again?

The book is I think her best yet. Great history and background info, much better and more in-depth descriptions and meanings given for each card. Shame about the art.

Anyone else use this deck, thoughts on it?

I've orderd this deck, but I have a few weeks to decide whether to cancel or not.

I can't make up my mind from this thread, I waver: I'm worried about some of the comments that the art is 'off' in places because that would annoy me.

How does this deck compare to Doreen Virtue's Mermaids and Dolphins deck?

And what are the religious references? Might they be annoying? (In a schmalzy way I mean.)

Aerin

room said:

Jacqui Mair

http://www.jacquelinemair.co.uk/index.htm

This is the woman who illustrated the Mermaids and Dolphins deck. I knew I'd been to her page before. I think someone was talking about the Gillian Kemp Love Spells deck which Jacqui also illustrated.

She also illustrated The Destiny Tarot by Jane Struthers

She's done books, wallpaper, gift wrap, and fabric designs too. The site hasn't been updated since 2003, so she's probably got even more stuff out there.

I love her artwork.

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Hey, I have the Destiny Tarot and never knew the name of it. That's a great name for it considering it was the first deck I ever bought. Thanks!

Hmm the scans of the dolphin mermaid deck seem to have disappeared? I was thinking it would be a good gift for my neice.

There are scans of four of the cards on the Amazon.ca site -- the other Amazon sites don't seem to have them.

I wish i had more Gillian Kemp decks. I only have the Good Witch, Bad Witch, and it was very hard to get. The Love Spell Box, Amazon lost. Twice. And so i gave up

But i love the GWBW! And the Mermaids & Dolphins, Tree Magick and the Faerie Wisdom look all lovely

Maybe some day when i leave Crappy Land and go to a decent country, where i don't have to pay 25284727827 of shipping...

Marina said:

IBut i love the GWBW! And the Mermaids & Dolphins, Tree Magick and the Faerie Wisdom look all lovely

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Well, that's the trouble: I love the GWBW, want the Tree Oracle BUT...

Mermaids and Dolphins seems to have mixed press.

Aerin

(Sorry, completely off topic but it shows a weird synchonicity. For days, I've been only looking very superficially at your avatar, Aerin, thinking it was a soccer ball. Today, a colleague and I got into a discussion of sacred geometry which led to talk of Platonic solids, and then to rhombicosidodecahedra, which she'd never heard of -- not the kind of topic that comes up very often for me. Kind of funny to go back into this forum after that and see that that is what your avatar is. )

motsa said:

(Sorry, completely off topic but it shows a weird synchonicity. For days, I've been only looking very superficially at your avatar, Aerin, thinking it was a soccer ball. Today, a colleague and I got into a discussion of sacred geometry which led to talk of Platonic solids, and then to rhombicosidodecahedra, which she'd never heard of -- not the kind of topic that comes up very often for me. Kind of funny to go back into this forum after that and see that that is what your avatar is. )

Click to expand...

Yup, that's it. I love those shapes .


so about that Mermaids and Dolphins.. do I cancel?

Or buy??????

Aerin

You know I started this thread, got the deck and book...then was disappointed with the art.

But seeing this thread revived got me curious, so I pulled out my set the other day....it had been looked through a few times then packed in my "rarely use" box. Sure glad I did!

When I got the set, I think I was just so disappointed the Emma Garner wasn't the artist that it set me at odds with the cards.

Looking through them and reading the book....these are actually quite beautiful cards! Very soothing and a serene aura to them. They're a great size and I do love the backs.

The book is much more in-depth than you would think for this little set. Lots of fascinating info on the faery lore of the merpeople and dolphins!

So on a 2nd run through many months later.....I am enjoying this little deck and book.