- Memento Mori – 36 Mini Affirmation Cards to Embrace Life
- Created by: Red Wheel / Wieser
- Published by: Red Wheel / Wieser
- Publication Date: October 2025
- RRP: US $12.95 / GB £11.99
- Reviewed by: Clair T
What can we really appreciate about life when death is inevitable? I had often, in my twenties, woken up in a sweat at night, worrying that there was nothing when we die. Maybe I’m not alone in thinking that. Fast forward to last year, and I saw a dear friend of mine become progressively poorly, and was by her side an hour before she passed away. Now, I no longer feel the dread because she actually gave me one final thing to hold on to; that through all her pain she gave me a sense of calmness that I didn’t know existed. I will always be grateful for her love and compassion toward me, and to have the energy to laugh with her for a few short hours before she died.
I know that this oracle did something for my mind and soul in the form of a deep embrace in the few weeks I had to give my honest thoughts about this creation.
First of all, the deck itself is small, palm sized (approximately 8.5 cm x 5.5 cm) and beautifully gilded with gold. The box is a two part sliding drawer, similar to a matchbox, which brought back childhood memories of using such to collect pieces of nature that included acorns, flower seeds and the occasional dead bug to look at under a magnifying glass.
On the back of the box we are greeted with the words:
Cherish every moment.
Thirty-six life-affirming messages to seize the day and live each moment to its fullest, to love those around us more deeply, enjoy our work and daily activities more fully, see beauty in all things, and embrace fearlessness as we encounter the unknown.
What do you need to focus on to be here now?
There is no guidebook to this deck, no QR code to scan, just an invitation to “seize the day and live each moment” from the little card that you see upon first glance. It is almost like a business card size with rounded corners that feel quite dainty to hold. As I began looking through the cards, I realised some of them were stuck together. I made sure to check them individually from that point on, as getting to the last card I had to go back and double check as at first I could only count 35!
I was sent this deck for review prior to it being released in the UK, and spent a couple of weeks exploring some of the cards, which happened to coincide with Samhain and Halloween. Now, this deck isn’t for one minute a gimmicky product. In fact, it nurtures and offers a deeper appreciation of the season. Most of the cards feature a skeleton, either human or animal, and there are full images, like water colour paintings, with a gold frame surrounding the picture itself. The cards have a matt finish so the texture is not too slippy.
You will find cards with titles like “carry hope”, featuring a skeleton holding an umbrella whilst sitting in a puddle. There is a rainbow through the clouds and giant raindrops that fall. As an intuitive reader you can take as much or as little as you want from these two words alone. That is the beauty of this deck, without a guidebook, there are no limitations. Occasionally, you will see a human face, for example in the “future past” card, with a skeleton holding a mirror, reflecting a young woman’s face. How would you interpret this card?
One of my favourite cards is “choose to be present” – a human skeleton looking at a mobile phone. This reminded me of “Memento Mori – Remember you must die”, along with “Memento Vivre – Remember to live,” (on the title card). I know we are in an age where everything is so accessible via mobile devices yet are we truly present in the moment? Are we really living?
Some of the other cards that stood out to me were:
- Your body is time – A skull in a sand timer
- We are grains of sand – A skeleton couple holding hands whilst walking across a sand dune under a cloudy sky
- Rewind and reset – A skull with a pocket watch above its head, a rose below and a snake behind it
- Make your move – Two skeletons sat playing chess
Again, I will leave you to decide what your thoughts are on these images.
I did use these to give an added message to some of the readings I have done recently. One querent liked this deck so much that she ordered it without hesitation. Some of the other comments were endearing, and just what made sense in the moment.
Overall, I think that this works perfectly to bring you some gentle and some not so gentle (for example, Choice brings fate – a skeleton smoking a cigarette) ideas. You can definitely take them anywhere with you as the box is quite robust to go in any bag or pocket. The cards feel like they will certainly last a long time too. A great product from Red Wheel / Weiser.
To purchase this deck, please visit
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