A surprise. I found The Phoenix Cards by Susan Sheppard in a local used book bookstore. I was there to sell or possibly trade some of my books for something new. I found this set - will all cards intact (gasp!) - and had no other choice: i had to take it home. It was cheap, so no problems. And, as i just found out, it’s OOP here in Brazil.
The idea behind the deck is quite interesting. Twenty-eight cards show you different cultures, and help you to explore different past lifetimes. I know that 28 cards are hardly ever enough to show all the cultures in the world - a hundread still wouldn’t be - but then, i don’t want to figure out every single life i lived. Just some would be nice. And the deck seems useful for that.
You have to lay all the cards face up, and choose the seven that best get your attention.You shouldn’t think too hard - let your unconscious pick the for you.
I decided to try it. But i thought seven cards was way too many lives to explore all at once…specially because the ‘conclusion’ of each card’s description is about the querent’s personality.I thought it would make the reading more confusing than enlightening, so i picked four cards instead.
I don’t have the scans to show you, and i only have the names in portuguese. I’ll try to give you an idea of the cards, in case you’ve got the deck. They were:
1. Card XX - Medieval Illuminated Manuscript
2. Card XIV - Elizabethan Dancer
3. Card VII - Gypsy Amulet
4. Card XII - Viking Stone with the Runes
I was quite surprised to read the descriptions. The cards matched, mostly, to the places/cultures i imagined i had lived in once. I remeber going to Paris and knowing part of me belonged there…that’s the place shown in the first cards, for instance.
The surprise was the Viking Stone…can’t imagine myself a Viking, lol! But then again, this was lifetimes ago. In the ‘Gypsy Amulet’ description, she says that the people who choose this card probably wash their hands many times during the day, specially when they are going to deal with divination. Bingo! I started laughing because it’s so true. Many description were accurate, except for the Viking one…but i figured it might be a side of myself i deny. Reading it again, it probably is.
And of course, the descriptions will never fit you 100%. I was surprised that most made sense to me.
As i said, i’m still just playing with this oracle. And, surprisingly, i’m enjoying it. I’ve read many reviews saying it’s a limited deck, because once you do this past life reading…well…it’s over. I don’t think so. I think the cards may have other uses, even for the everyday divination. You just need to be open minded.
I don’t know if i recommemd this deck or not…if you are curious about this past life thing, you may feel like trying it. If you think it’s bullshit, don’t bother…unless you have this secret curiosity inside yourself. C’mon, you know you have it… 
PS. The first picture is the Brazilian edition; the second is the English one.
This does sound interesting. I’m not sure I personally believe in past lives, and as you say, the number of cards seem to limit this to certain “high-profile” cultures. I have no doubt that, as you have suggested, these could be used just like any other oracle deck, since there are certain characteristics associated with each culture.
Yes Foucault, i think there must be a way. At least they can be used for advices…each culture has it’s own pattern of behavior, and you could get an advice of how to behave in certain situation and all. Pretty much like we do with Tarot
Hi, Marina. I just came to your blog from Foucault’s site (which I also just discovered). I, too, received the Universal Marseille on a trade train and just embarked on an IDS (no time restrictions, though). How is your study going? I’m so intrigued by the Marseille, but it’s only been a few days for me. (I was just IDSing Thoth and after six weeks, threw it all out the window for TdM. Back to the very basics!)
Cheree