By Allan Ritchie
The Oracular community loves the next new thing. Many of us look toward the metaphorical horizon just to glimpse what might just be on the verge of coming into view. have indulged this urge in myself this year by trying out a new oracle each month. Mostly to disappointing results as I have found that not all oracle decks are created equal and there is a wide range of depth and usability of systems. One deck that caught my attention was the Kipper cards.
It was at the end of summer that I first heard about it and I decided to try it out. Then I heard that Ciro Marchetti was creating a deck then I knew that I had to give it a try. For study of the deck I worked with the Mystical Kipper. This is currently the only English language Kipper deck that I could find. Thirty-six cards and a smaller sized card it was easy to hold and I took to the deck pretty quickly. It was clear that the cards had some differences and its own flair. I wanted to share my experience with you.
The People, oh so many People.
One thing that stands out with the Kipper cards is the sheer number of people cards. Ten cards depict people. For those that struggle with Court Cards in a tarot deck will also find this a challenge. Nearly a third of the deck is a direct representation of a person. The groups do break down into a few categories. There is the Main Person. This is a singular title for two different cards, one woman and one man. These are the main significators. Then there are the Good Lady and Good Gentleman. There is also the Rich Lady and the Rich Good Gentleman. Three sets of couples. The Good Lady and Good Gentleman have worked for men and women older than the client. I see these are often parents. Rich Girl and Rich Good Gentleman are taken to be younger than the client. In addition these are often used as alternate significators in a same-sex significant others if necessary. So these six card readily establish a net of understanding for personal relationships. You also add a little Child card you have a card for children.
Then we are left with the three extra cards that inject an interesting element. Court Person, Military Person, False Person are not the cards I would add, however they do round out the deck. Military person adds an authority figure with force or strength. The Court Person suggests a person with legal, moral, ethical leadership. The False Person might just be my favorite card in the deck for the straight up accusation power. We all have people that we can not trust in life no matter how much we think that we love everyone and everyone loves us. Knowing how close that person is to the client is good to know. Even in the few weeks I have been using the deck I have been surprised how useful this card is in a reading.
Kipper and Justice.
The social order is something that is illustrated in the Kipper deck. There are seven cards that I place in the category of Social Justice as a primary meaning. (False Person, Military Person, Court, Theft, High Honors, Prison, Court Person) This nearly twenty percent of the cards. The deck in readings places a strong emphasis on what is right, wrong and who makes the decision. Using the deck I was forced to become aware of issues of equality and integrity. This deck will give some room of ambiguity but not much. This enables, empowers and demands that the reader make choices and decide on important issues.
Kipper - Romance and Family.
With all effective oracle decks they must address the area of romance, our love lives, and the family. With the Kipper deck there are cards for Marriage, Success in Love, Meetings and House and Living Room. These cards are in addition to the numerous people that are in the deck. With these cards we can track the progress of a relationship or lack of relationships.
There is a feeling I get using the deck that it is built for women as the main audience. When doing a reading there often a question that clients want to know what their partner is thinking. Here in this deck there is the unique card sixteen. "His Thoughts" is an odd card by itself but when considered in a full deck spread then the cards around it can give the client insight into the other's mental state. This for my taste is a bit of the psychic eavesdropping that can blur the line of third-party readings. Still the possibilities that this card provides in use is pretty genius and priceless.
Kipper - Money and Work.
The old saying goes, "People want to know when they are going to get paid and when they are going to get laid." In the Kipper cards there is a strong emphasis place on money and work. n its direct manner there is a "Work. Occupation" card. No doubts and clear. This is an easy go to card to examine what was surrounding the issues of actual employment. As a side note it was a great card for advice in a situation. Beyond the Work cards there are two cards that cover the acquisition of monetary funds. There is the almost dreamy "Gaining a lot of Money" card. Who doesn't just want so see this card come up in a reading? Then there is the not as sexy but still relatively attractive "Unexpected Money" card. If you can't gain a lot of money, unexpected money might be just as good. Then I guess if those don't make your day then getting the "Receiving a Gift" card might do in a pinch.
Here are four cards that together give the deck a voice to the need of clients to know what funds are coming their way. If doing a full deck spread, I watch where these cards all fell in regard to each other and to the client to see what their financial situation looked like.
Kipper’s Negative Cards
People come for readings for answers. Answer to questions from the stress, difficulties or trials in life. The Kipper cards do not shy away from depicting the struggle. Nine cards in the deck address negative issue or circumstances. Specifically “Sad News”, “Bereavement”, “Short Illness”, “Grief and Adversity" and “Gloomy Thoughts” are go to cards to examine where a client may be facing challenges and stress.
So what do I think?
At the end of the month, I am a fan of the deck and that there is a depth to the system as well. I am not drawn to the Mystical Kipper as a go to deck but I am starting to get the hang of the imagery in the original so the German titles do not bother me as much now.
The Kipper is a masculine deck. It also seems created for female clients. There is a directness in the cards that characterizes a male voice. This is my humble opinion but as a contrast, the Lenormand deck that feels more feminine with its dependence on loaded symbolic references. The best contrast would be the Snake versus the False Person in the Kipper deck. It might just be my own personal projection. Still it is comfortable to me and one thing that I can connect with on a basic level. I have much to continue to discover about the deck but we are off to a great start.
Box image from the English Edition - Mystical Kipper, by Regula Elizabeth Fiechter, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Card images from the German Edition - Mystisches Kipper, by Regula Elizabeth Fiechter, published by AG Muller.