Everyday Witch Oracle

I bought the Everyday Witch Oracle because I really like reading with the Everyday Witch Tarot and lately I have a bit of a thing about “sets”. If that wasn’t the case I probably wouldn’t have bought this deck and I would have missed out on adding a great oracle to my collection. I don’t identify as a witch though and maybe that was part of my initial resistance. The back of the box begins, ‘Improve your craft with magic cats, pointed hats and spell work galore.’ and whilst it fits with the whole vibe of the deck I don’t connect with the blurb. Yet there is nothing off putting within the deck itself.

The Everyday Witch Oracle Deck

The Everyday Witch Oracle has a very upbeat and inspirational slant and I believe this can be a great way to introduce people to cards. The “darkest appearing cards” are ‘Affirmations for healing the heart’ and ‘Tears of joy and sadness’. The messages are gentle and yet they’re totally on point. There’s a lot of sound advice plus they encourage you to consider your own role in the situation. For example, ‘Affirmations for healing the heart,’ encourages you to consider whether you’re wallowing in your own misery. That’s a pretty direct question that people might not expect in a deck that, at first glance, could easily be dismissed as light and fluffy.

The Everyday Witch Oracle cards are “deeper” than they may initially appear. They tell you what you need to hear without causing affront. They walk that line very well. For me though, the best thing about these cards is how action-oriented they are. They always suggest you do something – nothing drastic but something nonetheless.

The deck is divided elementally into the four groupings (Earth, Air, Water and Fire), with ten cards in each. Numbers are said to have relevance but the cards themselves are not numbered. Therefore, initially you only know the number through the contents page. It would be easier if the number and the element were alongside the card title. With the exception of the Water cards, I didn’t manage to divide them into their correct elemental piles on my first run through. I saw ‘Joy and delight,’ (pictured at the top), as associated with Earth and abundance and yet it’s Fire. Most fire cards include an actual fire though and for the most part, once you start to recognise the focus for each, they are quite recognisable. However, I don’t believe adding just a number and a letter, (E 2 for Earth two), to the title banners would have been detrimental in any way. But, they could be considered beneficial especially in a deck intending to connect people with elemental energies.

The cards themselves are big. They measure 9.5cm x 14cm which is considerably larger than their tarot counterpart. The colouring and artwork style is very similar; however, this deck incorporates the diversity that was lacking in the Everyday Witch Tarot. Different body shapes, ages and nationalities are included.

When they mentioned cats on the box they weren’t kidding. Only five cards in the deck don’t have cats. Some aren’t as obvious as others but they’re there. Since they are such a prominent feature, I’m actually surprised they aren’t included on all cards in some way. But, that’s neither here nor there. I imagine their lack of presence may play into a reading sometimes. I know I find the colour of the cats in the Everyday Witch does quite often.

The Everyday Witch Oracle Book

The set comes with a 99-page, card-sized, well-written and easy-to-read, book. It draws everything together and adds so much. While the card imagery is symbolically rich and therefore open to easy interpretation, it is the calls to action in the book that take this deck from a pretty, fun and whimsical set of cards to something with the power to help people who are willing to put in the work.

The book opens with a page each for the author, Deborah Blake, and the artist, Elisabeth Alba, which I like. I always enjoy learning a bit about the creators. This is followed by a very necessary Table of Contents. Without it, locating the card you’re after is not as easy as a quick alphabetically-driven flick through.

The cards, as previously mentioned, are divided into elemental suits of ten. Since their numbers have relevance they are not grouped within their element alphabetically. Therefore, to look up a card quickly, you need to have recognised its elemental association. At least then you’re only looking through ten entries to find the page you’re after. The numbers aren’t based on numerology but they do align internally. For example, all “3” cards are meditation cards. All “5” cards are the ‘magic of the element’ and “8” cards are all affirmations.

The Introduction explains three approaches that can be taken when working with the cards: Action, Divination, Magic. This is expanded upon in the card meanings section. For each card there’s an opening statement followed by sections dedicated to each of these approaches. I found I naturally read all three and depending on your intention, each has its place. Card images are not provided.

The book concludes with some suggestions on how the Everyday Witch Oracle and the Everyday Witch Tarot can be used together.

This deck is said to be ready to use straight out of the box and indeed it is. If you’re after guidance, a focus for the day, or you’re interested in spell work then it can definitely serve those purposes quickly and easily. It’s an attractive deck that lends itself to easy interpretation and it combines well with its companion Tarot deck. What I like most though is its direct calls to action.

Insight without action is like an unrubbed genie lamp.

If you like the Everyday Witch Tarot, or you’re looking for a deck that gives you suggestions on how to move forward with situations, or you’re after a witch-themed oracle that doesn’t take itself too seriously and yet still delivers then this is a great option.