Deck Reviews – Rebel Deck: The Oracle With Attitude; Rebel Deck: Couples Edition; and Rebel Deck: The Game by Shannon Gomez
Deck Review
Rebel Deck: The Oracle With Attitude;
Rebel Deck: Couples Edition;
and Rebel Deck: The Game
by Shannon Gomez
Publisher: Weiser Books
Release Date: 2018, 2019, and 2020
All three of these decks come in a playing-cards type tuck box with a matte finish full color outside. The front of each box and the front of each card have the Rebel Deck logo: a unicorn peeking out of a “no symbol”; each box has a different color front, with pink for the original deck, black for the Couples Edition, and blue for The Game. The backs of the boxes have instructions for using each deck and sample card images.
The original Rebel Deck and the Couples Edition each have 60 glossy full color 2 3/4 inch by 4 3/4 inch cards. The colors are brilliant (and the website assures us that the cards are coated so the colors should last) and the card stock is thin enough to enable easy shuffling even for those who don’t shuffle cards often. The cards themselves are 2-sided, and in order to use these oracle decks the seeker asks a question, shuffles the deck and throws cards. The “front” of each card in the original Rebel Deck offers an answer to the question in white typeface within a black circle; the backgrounds of the cards are brilliantly colored in orange, indigo, green and pink. The seeker then turns the card over to receive further insight, offered in black text with a white background. The front of the Couples Edition presents the answers in white typeface within a colored circle (also orange, indigo, green and pink) on a white background, with the same black typeface on a white background for the reverse of the cards. Both decks contain cards with more detailed instructions for using the divination decks.
The Game has 112 glossy full color 2 1/2 inch by 3 1/2 inch cards, consisting of Scenario cards colored blue and Answer cards colored orange, with black typeface on a white background for the reverse of the cards. These cards have the same brilliant colors, a coating to preserve those colors, and thin but durable card stock; however the smaller size makes them a bit more difficult to shuffle. The game, inspired by Mad Libs, is played by selecting a Scenario card and then filling in the blank with one of several Answer cards dealt to each player. The instructions cards included in the box offer further instructions for using the game yourself, or variations for playing the game with others.
These decks do not come with a LWB or guidebook. However their use is pretty simple, and between the descriptions on the backs of the boxes and the instructions inside the box, anyone can use these decks for divination or fun. Shannon also offers a website, rebeldeck.com, with more information about the decks, how to use them, and the meanings of the colors (party colors meant to be bright and fun, with no particular meanings attached).
Be warned, if you are uncomfortable with profanity, (or a bit of sexual innuendo from the Couples Edition) you might not like these decks. But if you can look past the occasional cuss words and listen instead to the messages of each card, you will find the in-your-face style cuts through the garbage and gives you a no-nonsense slap with the cosmic two-by-four.
Surprisingly, these Rebel Decks are fun!! I played with all three of them; bear with me as I’ve bleeped the cuss words. My message from the original deck: “Believe What You See,” with a further insight of “Face reality or live in f#$@ing lala land. Choose bravely.” Perfect message for me, as I joyfully live in my own little world. My Couples Edition message is: “Spend time with bae.” Further insight offers: “Make art, love or music.” Again, insightful because The Hubs and I love music.
If you are turned off by the cuss words, Shannon has your back. She has created a Rebel Deck called “So Fresh. So Clean – The Teen Edition,” released in February 2022. This deck contains 112 cards with a more PG focus. In the works is a Rebel Deck Limited Glam Edition containing 90 cards that is available for pre-order now.
Most Tarot and Oracle decks require the user to at a minimum delve into the symbolism of the particular deck. They usually contain a guidebook with detailed instructions for throwing spreads and interpreting the messages of the cards. The Rebel Decks don’t need that kind of time and
focus to use them effectively. Whether you are solving a personal conundrum, grabbing a quick message for the day, or just having fun, these decks will not disappoint.
About the Author
Shannon Gomez, MSOM, LAc has a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine and is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist. She worked as a health promoter in the Peace Corps and has done two internships at Guang An Men Hospital in Beijing, China. Shannon is also an intuitive who created REBEL Deck LLC, home of the Rebel Decks. She created these decks with the mission of offering spiritual and self-help tools that are relatable. Shannon is also the founder of Indie Deck Hub LLC, an innovative sales channel that supports and empowers fellow deck creators.
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About the Author:
Raushanna is a lifetime resident of New Jersey. As well as a professional Tarot Reader and Teacher, she is a practicing Wiccan (Third Degree, Sacred Mists Coven), a Usui Reiki Master/Teacher, a certified Vedic Thai-Yoga Massage Bodyworker, a 500-hr RYT Yoga Teacher specializing in chair assisted Yoga for movement disorders, and a Middle Eastern dance performer, choreographer and teacher. Raushanna bought her first Tarot deck in 2005, and was instantly captivated by the images on the cards and the vast, deep and textured messages to be gleaned from their symbols. She loves reading about, writing about, and talking about the Tarot, and anything occult, mystical, or spiritual, as well as anything connected to the human subtle body. She has published a book, “The Emerald Tablet: My 24-Day Journal to Understanding,” and is currently working on a book about the Tarot, pathworking and the Tree of Life. Raushanna documents her experiences and her daily card throws in her blog, DancingSparkles.blogspot.com, which has been in existence since 2009. She and her husband, her son and step son, and her numerous friends and large extended family can often be found on the beaches, bike paths and hiking trails of the Cape May, NJ area.