Raven’s Wand Oracle
Author: Steven Hutton
Artist: Steven Hutton
U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
2019
ISBN #987-1572819511
The “Raven’s Wand Oracle” is a 44 card deck with a 59 page companion book. The box that the cards and companion book come in has a magnetic closure on the side. Based on Hutton’s “Dark Raven Chronicles Trilogy”, featuring a black wand, the witch Valonia (keeper of the wand), the people that populate her world of witchcraft. (It is not necessary to have read the books to be able to read with this oracle.)
In his introduction, Hutton talks about the Wildwood-coven (from the “Dark Raven Chronicles Trilogy”), the witches that call it home, and the energy that they carry. It is noted that while each card carries both upright and reversed meanings, the reversed meaning is not necessarily the opposite of the upright meaning, nor is it necessarily a negative interpretation. Reversed meaning are meant to add an extra dimension to the card, and to encourage the creative nature of the reader.
The cards are presented, in alphabetical order, by name, followed by both upright and reversed meanings. At the end of the book is a one card spread entitled “Way-Beware”, a seven card spread entitled “Earth and Thunder”, and a three card spread entitled “Dark Raven”.
The cards are 3.9 inches by 5.9 inches, of quality cardstock with reversible backs. The card faces are borderless, with the artwork continuing to the edge of the card. The card name appears at the bottom of the card, in white against a black background. The artwork is done in a fantasy style, with wonderful imagery throughout, creating … magic!
Throughout the cards we see many different symbols to encourage our creative imagination – a black cat, ax, and a figure with a cat’s head and a human body in “Independence”, a lovely lady in purple petting a dragon in “Ebb and Flow”, a lovely lady in white, seated, looking into a mirror with rabbits at her side in “Commemoration”, a beautiful child in a white dress with a mother duck and her babies in “Taking To Heart”, and a magical looking young girl, dressed in purple and holding what appears to be an egg, facing a frog with a flying creature in front of her.
These cards are both fun to read and informative, whether read as a card a day, or in a defined spread.
© October 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.
Bonnie Cehovet 