by Scot Howden

U.S. Games, April 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64671-082-9

The theme of an Oracle deck is important. That might sound obvious, but it can be more important for an Oracle than it is for a Tarot deck because with Tarot, you already have one layer of meaning. Generally speaking, you know what Tarot cards ‘mean’, whether yours are illustrated with Magick or Outer Space or Shadow imagery. But with an Oracle deck, there is no underlying structure. Each deck creates its own and that is a huge task – to create a deck that functions not only from card to card, but as a whole. A theme has to be sustainable for a deck of 40-50 cards, and also give each card enough room to bring a message of its own to a reading.

Working with the Oracle of Light & Dreams deck has made me look at Oracle decks in general with a fresh eye. It finds its strength in releasing the boundaries that can restrict creative vision. You have a definite world. But whereas in an otherworldly deck, you might expect to find yourself in the forest most of the time, or in the mountains, here you are in both – and more. This world is as vast and expansive as our own. Each card introduces you to a new corner of this world through a character who lives there along with their own, unique story. One of the best things about this deck is that when you draw a card, you don’t know where you will end up! In the sea? In a wild bed of flowers? On the Moon? You never know, and that is a delight.

The deck starts with Kingfisher, whose message is ‘Develop resilience’, illustrated with a confident elven rider sitting between the wings of a large kingfisher. Her message is about how to apply the concept of resilience to your personal situation; her keywords are Positivity, Balance, Stamina, and Determination. We are given her unique fairy tale, and there is a quote by Nelson Mandela underneath it. I really like that the cards are structured like this, ending with a quote from a famous person to inspire you to bring the card’s advice into the real world in a tangible way.

There are 49 cards in total. The colour scheme is pastel and mostly greens and blues, but with some colours making a definite statement, as in the card called Red, whose motto is ‘Be gentle’. The key words are Strong, Kind, Considerate, Tender. This is one of my favourite cards in the deck for the subtle description of what it means to be strong and gentle at the same time – a balance that makes me think of this is an otherworldly reflection of the Tarot Strength card.

Another favourite is Pumpkin Patch, with the motto ‘Take time to contemplate’. Just what I would love to do in a pumpkin patch! Its keywords are Observation, Thought, Mindful, Understanding, and the story is told in the first person, which brings you right into that pumpkin patch, looking over the countryside and into the town below, and thinking about everyone who lives there. The quote on this card is just perfect, from Thoreau: “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” Me too!

There are some familiar fairy tales here, but with a new and charming twist. Red Riding Hood focuses on the wolves this time. Red is definitely there, but the wolves are protectors. The card’s motto is ‘Practice loyalty and respect’, with the keywords Trust, Commitment, Support, Loyalty. The quote from this card comes from Tolkien, but I will let you find that one for yourself.

It is a vast, almost limitless world: you have warriors like Joan of Arc and Shield Maiden; flora like Magnolia and Peony; fauna (most cards have an animal in them) like Nightingale and Fennec Fox; you have spaces like Daydreaming and Close Encounters; and you have fantasy cards and characters like Unseelie Throne and Selkie.

The cards in the Oracle of Light & Dreams are borderless, and matt with a slight sheen. The deck comes in a sturdy box with a separate lid, and with a 102-page guidebook. A lot of the work of this deck takes place in the guidebook, and I mean that both for the deck creator and for you, the reader. The images are beautiful and the titles definitely evocative, but when you look at the card and then read the story of each character, that’s when everything is brought together. That’s when the magic happens.

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