The Tree of Life Oracle
The Tree of Life Oracle combines stunning watercolour artwork, myths and legends, symbology, and colour to share meaning. Together it works so well. From the opening pages, creator David Wells non-judgemental approach and conversational tone creates a welcoming vibe. He acknowledges that people come to oracle cards for many different reasons and with many different intentions. You can use it purely as an oracle, as a launch pad into the study of Qabalah, or at a level somewhere in between. The choice is yours.
The Tree of Life Oracle Cards
The Tree of Life Oracle has 44 cards. These are divided into three sections. Firstly, is the section of the Magical Forcers. Here you will find the Tree of Life based cards. These include the three pillars, (the Middle Pillar, the Pillar of Severity and the Pillar of Mercy), and the triangles, (the Spiritual Triangle, the Soul Triangle and the Personality Triangle). In this section there is also a card for each of the elements. Below are the cards for Earth and Water. Next, due to the inclusion of Daath, are the eleven Sephiroth, followed by a card for each of the twenty-two Paths.
The Paths link to the Major Arcana yet it is the Sephiroth that equate to the bigger picture role that the Major Arcana fulfils in the tarot. In the Tree of Life it is the Paths that provide the details. The naming of the Paths align with both the RWS and the Thoth Major Arcana. For example, the 25th Path is Art/Temperance and the 19th Path is Strength/Lust. Details like this add to the user friendliness of The Tree of Life Oracle.
However, I did find I had to “unlearn” certain things. For example, my mind sees the two numbering of Chokmah: Wisdom and it leaps to II The High Priestess. Yet, the Sephiroth align with planetary energies, so 2 Chokmah is linked to Uranus and the Divine Masculine. I let myself get a little more confused when I started researching further and saw that some people link Uranus with Kether and Neptune with Chokmah. I have also seen Daath linked to Uranus and Pluto with Kether. This all messes with my logical mind but it helps me intuitively because it encourages me to tap in to what feels right to me. If I didn’t allow myself to do, that my head would still be spinning.
Personally I know I will do more research but until then I am happy working with the cards as they are. Although I am keen to understand the reasoning behind the different viewpoints. Nevertheless, until I understand further, I am going to focus on the ideas and energies associated with the Sephiroth rather than which planet goes with which. It is only Kether, Chokmah and Daath that are contentious.
What isn’t contentious is the amazing artwork. There is so much incorporated into each picture. For instance, as you can see above and below, each card includes the relevant astrological associations. In the case of the cards above it is the planets they align with. 6 Tiphareth clearly shows the symbol for the Sun and 9 Yesod shows the Moon.
Most of the Path cards will feel very familiar to those who work with tarot. For example the cards for the 18th and 28th Path – The Chariot and The Star respectively, would not look out of place in a RWS clone deck. Each shows the star sign symbol, Cancer for The Chariot and Aquarius for The Star. Although whilst very clear on The Chariot, the Aquarius symbol is less obvious. It is contained within the tattoo on her arm. If I didn’t know to look for it I am not sure I would have noticed it.
Others, such as the 23rd Path Hanged Man and the 31st Path Judgment, maintain the same idea as their RWS-inspired tarot counterparts, but represent them differently. The Hanged Man is an original take that I think is really clever. Both these cards, featured below, show the planetary alignments. The symbol for Neptune is on the cup on the 23rd Path with Pluto on the chest of the Phoenix on the 31st Path. When I look at the Judgment card I wonder about the eggs. If phoenixes are reborn from the ashes, why the eggs? This made me start to think about this path in a different way. If you have read many of my deck posts, you will know that I love it when the imagery makes me see cards in a whole new light.
At 9 x 12.75cm the cards are a fairly typical size for an oracle deck. They are on the thicker side but are still easy to shuffle in any manner. As the picture below shows, the card backs are not reversible. This may be may be an issue for some but it doesn’t bother me at all. Unless they appear without any direct action on my behalf to create them, I don’t generally work with reversals. With this deck, if a card did appear in reverse, regardless of how the reversal occurred, I would turn it the right way around. That may change in the future but for me this an uprights-only deck.
The Tree of Life Oracle Guidebook
The Tree of Life Oracle‘s card-sized, 133-paged guidebook, is written in a light, conversational tone. Nevertheless it still manages to incorporate a lot of information. This ensures it does not come across as cursory or superficial. Rather I believe it will inspire many people to dig deeper even if that wasn’t their initial intention. David Wells just presents it in such an accessible manner. If that’s not the case, there’s still a lot to work with.
There are some great ideas in the Tips and Hints section that I look forward to using. Some are astrologically based ways to use the cards. Another idea I like, combines the Sephiroth cards of The Tree of Life Oracle with traditional tarot cards in order to explore how your energy is flowing. I will share my experiences with these in later posts.
The Card Meanings Section
Each card has two pages of information. The layout is consistent throughout. Beneath the card title are three keyword/ keyword phrases followed by a paragraph about the card. Next is a paragraph headed Features which expands on the card image. For example, 10 Malkuth: Kingdom reads, “Malka, Goddess of Earth, the bride of Kether, the below of the above. She is all the elements, all the elementals, all that feeds your senses in the world.”
Guidance is the longest section. In part, the guidance for 7 Netzach: Victory suggests, “Hold yourself in a state of grace, learn to walk with your head held high, be victorious over your feelings by seeing them for what they are – fleeting.” It also alludes to the card imagery. He writes, “Perhaps an old lover is returning now. Ask if a leopard can truly change its spots.” I like the direct link and I’m fairly sure that will come to mind if the card appears even if it’s referring to something apart from an ex.
The final section for each card entry is Activate. For the 13th Path: The High Priestess, it states, “One of the most powerful things you can do is journal, communicate with your inner being.” David Wells suggests to “write a small paragraph headed ‘This is me.’ Let the words flow.” He recommends doing “this once a month, every six months, on a full moon, whatever feels right.” This idea of doing what feels right pops up often.
The guidebook wraps up with a symbols guide chapter called Symbolarium. In this chapter he covers the symbols for the planets and the astrological signs and provides keywords for each. There’s also a section for Animals and birds, and Things. Some examples from these sections are:
- Basilisk – Animal of Geburah, ‘if looks could kill’, a warning shot
- Toad – fertility, birth, transformation
- Pearls – wisdom through experience.
Although he states,
I would trust your own interpretation above all others. What these cards bring to your own awareness through your own experience, beliefs, and life path is your ‘A’ game.
David Wells
He presents each table in alphabetical order which makes it quick and easy to find what you’re looking for. The last section in this chapter shows eight glyphs: Air, water, fire, earth, infinity, pentagram, ouroboros and sulphur.
At the end of the book you’ll find short About the Artist and About the Author entries. I always enjoy reading these. It’s nice to know where the creators are coming from personally.
Wrapping it all up
The Tree of Life Oracle is a beautifully presented oracle that can be used in many ways. Roberta Orpwood’s brilliant artwork has helped me to connect with my knowledge on a more intimate level. This aspect makes this deck invaluable. Knowledge without connection lacks meaning and is therefore hard to integrate. I have dedicated decades to working with and studying tarot and that will continue, but I look forward to spending time learning more about the Tree of Life on both a personal level and as an adjunct to my tarot practice. This deck will be part of the process.
I really connected with the Tree of Life Spread featured in the book, however, if you’re after a more traditional spread, The Celtic Cross is offered as well. All in all, I believe that if you are looking for an accessible oracle, with attractive and well thought out artwork, then this one is worth considering.
Summaries
The Tree of Life Oracle Cards
| Artist | Roberta Orpwood |
| Card Size | approx. 9cm x 12.75cm |
| Card Stock | Sturdy yet flexible, low sheen cardstock |
| Shuffle | Okay to shuffle in any manner straight out of the box |
| Fan & Flip Through | Easy to fan, okay to flip through and generally handle but the larger size might make these cards a little more challenging for people with smaller hands |
| Sections | Magical Forces, Sephiroth & Paths |
| Miscellaneous | Solid two part box Non-reversible backs. |
The Tree of Life Oracle Guidebook
| Written by | David Wells |
| Pages | 133 pages |
| Appearance | Perfect bound, no card images, |
| Contents | Introduction – What is Qabalah? – The Tree of Life How to Use Your Tree of Life Oracle Cards – The Deck Explained – Bonding with Your Cards – Reading the Cards – Laying Out the Cards – Consolidating Your Knowledge Interpretations of the Cards Magical Forces – Each are listed with page numbers Sephiroth – Each are listed with page numbers Paths – Each are listed with page numbers Symbolarium – Planets – Astrological Signs – Animals and Birds – Things – Glyphs About the Artist About the Author |
| Spreads | A Daily Card The Three-Card Lay The Celtic Cross (10 cards) The Tree of Life Spread (11 cards) |
Publishing Details
Deck Creators:
David Wells (author and creator) with artwork by Roberta Orpwood
Pictured Version:
Published by Hay House Inc in 2023
Websites/Socials:
