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Title: Horse Wisdom Oracle
Created By: Kathy Pike
Artwork by: Laurie Prindle
Publisher: Blue Angel
Number of cards: 44
Card size: 5.5 x 3.25
Box size: 6.75 x 5 x 1.5 in
Guidebook pages: 120
Purchased or gifted?: gifted by Llewellyn
Absolute favorite card: Vision Horse
Other favorites: Run, to Freedom, Alchemy, Midnight Dreamer, Wind Shaper, Stardust, Daughter of the Wind, History, Journey with Wild Stallion, Grace, Dancing on Terra Firma
Notable detail: Horizontal cards
Season: Autumn
Sabbat: Lammas
Sign: Sagittarius
Element: Fire
Tarot Deck compliment: Unbridled Spirit Tarot
Collective Pull: Dark Mythos

First Impressions

Immediately I fell in love with the sideways cards and box. I’ve only ever had one other deck like that and it also came from Blue Angel. The independent version of Seasons of the Witch: Samhain Oracle had a few horizontal cards and was one of my favorite details before it became mass market. I love little quirks like that. Anything that’s unusual really stands out to me and makes a project so much more memorable.

The Packaging

I love Blue Angel boxes, what can I say. Still to this day, they are the only boxes that leave room for me to add crystals and herbs comfortably. The boxes are sturdy with full color and most importantly, they’re consistent which means I can put them all together on a shelf without having variations in shape and size. And that's so satisfying. Recently, I’ve switched from arranging my decks by chakra color order to arranging them by publisher and the Blue Angel boxes look pretty darn good.

One thing I’d like to point out about the box is the embossed writing on the creator’s names and the information on the back. I love decks and books with something tactile. Texture on publications really makes me happy. Like I get pretty giddy whenever I see something like this. It's a small detail and the box would’ve been fine without it but that little extra mile sent this over the top for me. I fully believe in the power of engaging all of the senses and elements like that contribute to that experience.

The cards are nice and thick but still very easy to shuffle. I think they feel thicker than they actually are because they’re pretty flexible. At first, I was a little afraid I would have a hard time handling them especially because they’re a little bit longer I think than you would normally find with Blue Angel. But honestly, they shuffle very well and though it was a little challenging to hold them in my hands at first, I quickly got used to them. Love the backs of the cards by the way. Sometimes I feel like Blue Angel doesn’t put any effort into the card backs and honestly this isn’t the most amazing card back ever but it is nice and I thought it fit the theme of the deck rather well.

The Guidebook

The guidebook is gorgeous! Its full color with pictures of every single card, layered over a pretty floral motif. You also have various images of the horses spread throughout and there’s a little bit of that embossing on the back of the book. I’m not sure but it seems like the black ink might not be a true black. It looks a bit muted like a very deep purple that just reads as black. And the paper is a much softer ivory as well. I’m all for muted, softer colors. Much, much easier on the nervous system.

The Artwork

So, let me start by saying I am terrified of horses, lol, but I love them and love these cards. One thing I’m going to point out right from the beginning is that I’m not sure if the author and artist are Native American. The author looks like she could be I’m honestly not sure. The reason why I bring this up is because the artwork has an obvious Native American influence. And, the artist seems to be heavily influenced by Native cultures. Her website says her grandmother is Welsh but that’s really all that I could find. If that’s an issue for you, then you may want to investigate further.

I’m not sure how I feel about that to be honest. I think cultural appropriation is a really complex subject and I don’t have the solution. I don’t think it's ok to appropriate someone’s culture but I do think there’s some argument to be had about being inspired by another culture. However here, you can clearly see some obvious symbols that may not be theirs to share. Having said that, I still really love the deck and I really love the idea of having a horse specific deck to work with.

“If a card does not resonate, release any judgments and stay in a place of self-acceptance, remaining open to what you may yet understand. Sometimes the answers are not apparent at first glance but come later from a deeper place of knowing. ”

My favorite image is Vision Horse. The color of the sky really reminds me of the High Deserts of California where I spent many weekends and holidays growing up and where my parents now live. And that’s part of the reason why I’m so attracted to this deck. Pretty much every street in the town where they live is named after Native Americans and the obvious indigenous influence is everywhere you look. Not to mention, many people in the community have horses and you can turn down just about any street and see someone out riding. Vision Horse felt like my childhood, wrapped up in one card.

My second favorite is probably Alchemy. I absolutely love this midnight horse. The face, the mane, how zoomed in it is. It's absolutely stunning and the highlights of purple, pinks and blues really shows the skill of the artist.

Purchase Horse Wisdom Oracle

*With Tarot Companion - Unbridled Spirit Tarot*

Reading With this Deck

I found myself pulling very similar cards while reading with this deck. Now that could very well be the energy I’m in right now in which case, not entirely sure how I feel about that. Putting that aside, nearly every card I pulled seemed to be about transition, change and navigating uncertainty. Having said that, horses correspond well to these ideas so while the urge is to say it's me, I really think it's the deck. Let me explain.

I feel like this deck is one to grab when you have a lot of movement in your life. Sometimes a deck’s theme is just an easy way to organize ideas or to connect a creator’s art in an obvious way but in this case, the creator really seems to have fully embraced the energy of the horse; as it should be.

I don’t believe this is the kind of the deck that will be the best choice when things are easygoing but I would 100% grab it when I feel like I’ve lost my way, things are changing a lot or when I feel overwhelmed. That’s the sense I got while reading with it: that Horse will lead me to where I need to go.

I can’t say reading with this deck has felt positive. It's not that it feels like a negative deck as there are plenty of encouraging words. But it feels like every card, at least the ones I’ve pulled, have been a response to a crisis. I suppose I expected a lot more talk about freedom and wildness but instead I found a lot about uncertainty, doubt, fear, transitions, and overwhelm.

Collective Pull

I’ve drawn Dark Mythos for you. This dark horse guides you to learn to be with darkness rather than try to overcome it. To sit in your fear, panic, distress or chaos, holding space for these feelings without judgement. Imagine coming to a friend with tears in your eyes seeking support only to have that friend turn you away; to say things like you disgust them or that who you are in this moment is a problem for them. That’s how your emotions feel when you try to bury them, avoid them, or shrink away from them in terror. They need you to be their friend by offering your support and understanding.

What you’re feeling inside has no other pathway to acceptance but through you. Your feelings have no way to find support other than you. By learning to be present with what you feel, not only are you helping your emotions but you’re also learning. You’re learning the source of the pain, what the pain needs to be free and ultimately, you’re learning to accept yourself regardless of how dark you may feel inside. You’re learning that this darkness is a part of you that will always be there and while challenging at times, it still only wishes to aid you in whatever way it can.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

This deck is all day autumn energy for sure. The tones are what I would describe as muted jewel tones and the scenes have that hazy, late summer, first of autumn vibe to them. So I would even say late summer too.

There’s a lot of wheat spread throughout the deck and also on the backs of the cards which is what made me think of Lammas too. But also, August, at least to me, has that hazy, orangey gold hue to it and this deck really reminded me of that. More so than it reminded me of Mabon although that’s probably a close second for me.

I chose Sagittarius as the zodiac sign. Horses have always reminded me of Sagittarius, I suppose because horses remind me of freedom and intelligence which is a uniquely Sagittarius combination. And because of that, I also felt called to assign this deck Fire. Because of the zodiac sign connection but also because of the hues which are all warm tones. And Horses are explosive, agile and powerful, all qualities shared with fire.

Who is this deck for?

If you love horses then it's obvious you need this one but it's pretty beginner friendly too. I’d also recommend this one to someone who likes something a little different or special about their ritual tools. The horizontal orientation is such a cool feature and I think these cards will look stunning on an altar.

If you feel horses are part of your spiritual support team then I would also say this deck is for you or if you have seen horses a lot lately. And that includes on tv, in print, or in real life. Take that as a sign to work with this incredibly majestic creature.

Tarot Deck Companion

The tarot companion for this deck is actually last week’s review: Unbridled Spirit Tarot. It seemed an obvious choice as the main theme for both decks are horses. However, I find they balance each other out. Unbridled Spirit Tarot feels more positive in my opinion while Horse Wisdom Oracle seems to focus more on dealing with crisis. Together, they feel grounded offering enough guidance to get you through a tough time without it being grossly cheerful or overwhelmingly negative. Be sure to check out my review for Unbridled Spirit Tarot here if you haven’t read it already.

Buy Unbridled Spirit Tarot

Thanks for reading all the way through. If you found this review to be helpful, informative or entertaining in any way, please be sure to leave a comment down below. It really helps me know what you’re enjoying so that I can provide more content based on what you love. In the meantime, please enjoy a variety of photos from this deck.

And of course, if there is something you’d like me to consider reviewing, please comment below or email me at hello@spiritelement.co