It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices in divination methods when you are seeking to connect and receive advice from the spirit realm. In this new column, I hope to share reviews of a variety of divination tools and methods of use.
Review: Life Purpose Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue
At first glance, although this deck looks beautiful, I was skeptical that it has anything to offer me. I mean, I have never been drawn to angels or sought out their guidance, but this deck seemed to really catch my eye, so I thought I would give it a try!
Guidebook
The deck comes in a small cardboard box with a tiny, softcover guidebook that gives you insight on the meaning of each of the cards, and a couple of ideas on spreads that can help you more clearly interpret the cards. The booklet is offers the standard brief introduction to how to cleanse, consecrate, shuffle, and perform a spread. Nothing particularly exciting there, but I can understand that this deck might be someone’s first exposure to divination.
Physical Cards
The cards are made of a lightweight cardstock with a high gloss finish. They are very slick to the touch and shuffle with ease, but you really have to hold on to them while shuffling because otherwise they will slide right out of your hand. All four edges of the cards are beautifully gilded, and gold does not seem to flake off and leave your hands sparkly.
Card Features
Each card has a title, image, and description. The card titles are described in the guidebook as “life missions” to help give you guidance and clarity about your life’s purpose and path. Some examples of card titles that reflect an actual career ideas include: “Environmentalist” and “Author.” Other cards are more geared towards actions; examples of these cards are “Practice” and “Study.” Then there are other cards to help you deal with any issues at hand, like “Time to Decide” and “Let Go.”
Artwork
All the artwork in this deck features angels. The guidebook explains that Doreen Virtue believes that before we are born, angels help “orchestrate” our life’s mission, so they play a central role in our journey on the earthly realm. I understand that many Pagans reject the concept that we all have a pre-determined destiny, but you don’t have to subscribe to that belief in order to enjoy using this deck.
The artwork style of these cards is varied, because different artists contributed to making this oracle deck. Some images are more classical in nature, and others are modern interpretations of what the angels would look like if they walked among us. An example of this would be the “Children” card that features children riding on the back of a lion with an angel walking beside them, and the “Travel” card that features a male angel, dressed in a suit, sitting in an airport terminal and typing on a laptop. Now, I know you are probably thinking that these modern images sound hokey, but I found them kind of charming. The cards do not have a border, which I prefer, but they do have scrollwork near the bottom that gives the cards a touch of elegance in an otherwise plain design.
The reverse side of each card features a drawing of a brunette female figure with angel wings wearing a blue dress holding a painter’s palette and brushes, standing in a doorway. The background color is a sage green that fades darker at the edges of the card with a mottled and textured appearance. I find the image appealing, because the figure appears to be in a contemplative yet creative state of mind.
Interpreting the Cards
The short descriptions on the cards give the reader enough information to quickly understand the card’s message and begin to apply it to their situation. The reader can go to the guidebook for a little more information about the card, but the booklet doesn’t elaborate too extensively. The reader will still need to draw heavily upon their intuition like all other forms of divination.
Suggested Use
I like using this deck for what I call a “Waterfall” reading. I ask a question, and then select a card. Then, this card raises yet another question, so I ask it, and draw another card, and the answers “cascade” out of the deck. I usually do three questions, but I have done up to five questions and gained really good insight from the experience.
For example, I ask the oracle “How will I know what the right career is for me?” I draw the “Healer” card. Okay, my instinct tells me that I have to heal before I can find my path. So, I ask the oracle “What do I have to heal?”, and draw the “Trust” card. Hmm…okay, so now I ask “What do I have to do to help heal my trust issues?”, and I drew the “Infinite Abundance” card. This card is about devoting yourself to your path. I interpret this as saying that before I can find the right career path for myself, I need to work on trusting my instincts and forging my own way.
Impression
This oracle deck has really grown on me! I find the images soothing and reassuring, while the card’s messages are broadly focused to slowly guide me to the answers I need in the moment. I don’t think I will be using this deck for daily readings, but I definitely see the potential in using it on a cyclical basis, perhaps as part of my solstice and equinox observances, when the seasonal shifts bring times of change and new possibilities.
Resources
If you would like to watch a video from Doreen Virtue herself about this deck, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR1YmfFbGd4
If you want to see a video that shows the cards in more detail, check out this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AfVGwjIbBM
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If you have had any experience with this oracle deck, please post a comment and share you thoughts!
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~Poppy
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