my new toy - the Bamboo Oracle

December Fairy

I don't have it, but I did a search for it. All the reviews look good. Let us know how you like it after it arrives.
 

WooMonkey

I got this deck fairly recently, and am still learning it. My initial impression was that the art was very peaceful, and good for meditations.

If even half of what is said about Ms. Chen is true, then she's a darn impressive woman!
 

Logiatrix

I liked the cards...

They're a great means of building an I Ching hexagram;
at least that's how I used it.

Drawing six cards, one at a time, and laying them out
from bottom to top will give you a hexagram. After you
look it up in your favorite I Ching translation, you can
build another hexagram with six more cards to create
the changing lines.

Another way I determined the changing lines was to
look at the number of the top card in my original draw,
and designate that as my second hexagram. I also tried
mixing the six cards "face down" (picture side up) and
then choosing one, for the same purpose.

I also decided that if the number of the main hexagram
that I built with the cards was on any one of those six
cards, then that meant that there were no changing lines.

I don't recall if any of those techniques were in the book;
I gifted my set to a friend a few months ago. Actually, I
honestly didn't use the book after my initial perusal, and I
didn't make use of the little bamboo sticks at all. Please
understand that this does not at all reflect on the quality
of the set as a whole product; it's just me and my need
to mess with things (and to not follow directions). ;)

Overall, I think the Bamboo Oracle is very elegant and
unique. I enjoyed it all the way up to the moment it
called to my friend and went to a new home. It's one
I'll probably be replacing at some point.
:)
 

Emeraldgirl

I have just won this item on Ebay and I am now REALLY looking forward to receiving it. Can anyone tell me if the book goes into any detail on i-ching? It also looks as though it would be a great deck for meditation.
 

Logiatrix

Emeraldgirl said:
I have just won this item on Ebay and I am now REALLY looking forward to receiving it. Can anyone tell me if the book goes into any detail on i-ching? It also looks as though it would be a great deck for meditation.
Click to expand...
Hi, Emeraldgirl...
You're right about the meditation application. On the other
hand, I don't think there is much in the way of explaining
the I Ching with any detail. You might consider another text
for that, but the book for the Bamboo Oracle has plenty of
it's own merits. I think it's purpose, in conjuction with the
cards, is to be a gentle and soothing personal advisor.

It would be great for meditation. Each hexagram in the book
is beautifully presented in bold Chinese calligraphy with the
respective traditional title; that aesthetic along with the deck
artwork will give you plenty to meditate on for hours! Also, the
judgements (summaries) for the hexagrams are presented very
poetically, then move into prose: a paragraph or two of advice,
with some predictive insights here and there. Overall, the writing
has a meditative style well suited for that purpose.

The changing lines are not included, which is a major reason
why I accompanied the cards of this set with my own favorite
translation of the I Ching. However, if you are not concerned
with changing lines, then the book from the set will be quite
adequate. In fact, this package is a great doorway into the Book
Of Changes, and may even be all you'd ever need. For serious
study, I've turned to other books on the subject, but I'd still go
for the Bamboo Oracle if I needed some simple, gentle
guidance from the I Ching.
:)
 

LadyofDreams

It arrived yesterday! The images are gorgeous and the instructions were simple to follow. I did a reading using the cards and the bamboo sticks, and the answers/advice that it gave me was very clear and relevant.

I have not yet tried meditating on any of the cards, but I think they will be very effective. it doesn't go into any detail about I Ching, other than to briefly mention that it is based on that system

always,
~lady~
 

Sophie

This looks wonderful! Thank you for the recommendation, LadyofDreams, a definite must!

Chao-Hsiu Chen, the author of the Bamboo oracle, also created the Tao Te Ching Cards - she translated Lao Tseu's Tao Te Ching and calligraphed it beautifully on the back of the cards. With the help of others, I have been exploring those cards for some time in the Spirituality section (for Subscribers only: Tao Te Ching Wisdom).

Now I can look forward to the Bamboo Oracle, too. All the more if the cards can be used to build an I-ching hexagram (it strikes me as an artistic alternative to coins and yarrow sticks, which I generally use).
 

Jewel-ry

I have this deck. My daughter gifted it to me months ago but I have never even looked at it (shame on me!). I have just dug them out and the artwork is quite beautiful. I need to read the book to comment any further but thank-you for starting this thread, without it this gorgeous deck would still be tucked away.

~
 

Emeraldgirl

I have received this today and it is stunning. Haven't had a chance to have a proper look through them yet but they appear to be quite close on what I was expecting.
 
Is anyone familiar with The Spirit Wheel Shamanic Healing Deck? Bella Sara Cards