I didn’t plan on not writing during December, but folks was it a busy month! There were meetin

I didn’t plan on not writing during December, but folks was it a busy month! There were meetings, there were deadlines, and after all of that… there was relaxation and family time to be enjoyed. So this is, officially, the first review of 2022! I have chosen one of those decks that I keep rediscovering and falling in love with every time. Like even when I was on my draft of the review I kept saying to myself: honestly wow. And which is it? The Ancestor Spirit Oracle! Created by Jade-Sky, with art by Belinda Morris and the top-notch quality from Blue Angel Publishing, this deck was an amazing discovery of 2021. “The knowledge of those who came before us can never be lost. It is alive within our hearts, our souls and our DNA”. With this in mind, the deck invites us to “answer the call of the ancestors to connect to their wisdom, discover their truths and accept their support”. Aside from the main ancestral theme, what has captivated me the most is its diversity, not only in the obvious geographical variety with people from different ethnicities, skin colours, and cultures; but also in body sizes, genders, and ages. It feels extremely natural and human, and it is very easy to connect with. The cards are superb: colourful, saturated and very expressive. In her artwork, Belinda Morris uses watercolour, gouache, pencil, and digital touches, so they are very detailed and lavish. Most of them are very character focused, and each of the faces is different in features and expressions - and I also love the attention to the clothing. The cards that do not feature characters are very atmospheric, in the sense that you feel transported to the places being shown. It feels open and expansive because it covers many areas of the world, but it also feels interconnected, homely, intimate. Within the sturdy two-piece box you can also find the guidebook: at 103 pages, features a short introduction and the card meanings. Within the introduction we find a foreword, a way to prepare the cards, a how-to on using the cards, and card layouts. Then, for each card, we find its title, three keywords, its cultural background, Ancestors Speak (which is the message of the card itself), and it ends with a divinatory meaning. The writing is beautiful and respectful, and you can go beyond the cards and actually research the cultures that are represented in each card, so the amount of hours that you can get from this oracle are endless. Although the backs feature fire, I think this is an oracle that you cannot associate with a single element, and if I had to choose, it would be humanity on itself, Spirit. Aside from being a stunning work of art, a great useful deck, and a lovely collection piece, the Ancestor Spirit Oracle is also a great too to learn about other cultures. It shows the utmost respect and love that went into its creation, which makes it approachable and deep. It is a comforting deck, but one that lays many lessons in our way. Honestly, what a treasure! Without a doubt, this has become not only one of my favourite oracles from Blue Angel, but also one of my favourite decks of all time. -- source link

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