“Sacred Sites Oracle Cards” Review
I am a lover of Oracle cards, their beautiful illustrations and the thoughtful way the Guidebooks are written. This is a review of the “Sacred Sites Oracle Cards”, a 53-card deck by Barbara Meikle John-Free, with Flavia Kate Peters and illustrations by Yuri Leitch.
At many times during my life, I have felt a pull to be somewhere else, geographically speaking. I sometimes get that same feeling when watching a documentary or film, when a particular location appears on the screen. This also happens when I hear certain traditional instruments being played, such as the Egyptian Sistrum and the Chinese Pipa, or lute.
When I’m triggered in this way, my go-to is to sit in Meditation to uncover the hidden, personal messages. However, in today’s sped up world, it becomes increasingly difficult to set the time aside to properly feel into it all. After all, I already have a busy self-care schedule of meditating briefly in between client bookings, journaling, practising Qi Gong…and so on.
Fortunately, the Sacred Sites Oracle Cards caught my attention earlier this year. Whenever I feel that calling, this deck has been a quick and great guide to help me find the answers I seek.
Here’s what I love most about this deck…
1. The guide book is easy to comprehend. The history and symbology of the sites are given in short, punchy sentences. The stories behind the characters on the cards are delightful too. Unlike certain dry history volumes, the author is able to maintain the reader’s attention, while filling the pages with interesting facts and spiritual hints for a happy life. It’s easy to want to keep reading more!
2. The artwork is not overwhelming. There are a lot of different images within each card, but all are presented in a way that makes each image stand alone. I often look for spaces around the images when using cards, as cramming things in to a card without a clear distinction between pictures means a lack of flow, which can hinder our receptiveness to the messages coming through.
3. The deck is educational as well as spiritual. If you’re not expert in Mythology, Symbology, Anthropology, Geography, or History, it’s perfectly ok! You don’t even need to be a strong psychic to interpret these cards. The guide book has you covered with a detailed knowledge of each Sacred Site and what you need to know for your spiritual journey. Also, don’t be too disappointed if certain facts about the sites are not mentioned – if anything, the deck has often inspired me to pursue satisfying, further research!
4. The cards themselves aren’t paper thin, nor are they super thick. They could be bent if handled roughly, but that’s up to the user to take care of them. They also have a decent “slip” when shuffling and are slightly smaller than some of the other Oracle decks I have. This deck I can shuffle comfortably with my small-to-medium sized hands!
5. I liked being able to do a Past/Present/Future reading around a particular concern, with just one card! This felt more effective than when I tried a 3-card Past/Present/Future spread. It was overwhelming dealing with the energies and lessons from too many Sacred Sites, as each site has a real potency and it’s own powerful message. Due to the richness of each card, a less-is-more approach felt best.
6. The images and their meanings on each card are presented in a bottom-to-top formula. This felt like a spiritual ascension roadmap of sorts, perfect for working our way through our pasts, present and potential futures. Below are some examples of what I mean (I won’t spoil any specific card meanings – you’ll have to see what they mean for yourself, in the guide book!):
The Past, or “Lower World”
The pictures at the bottom of the cards represent this aspect. I noticed tangible, archaeological influences often popped up at the bottom of the cards, such as the lion on the 8th Blue Gate of Babylon (on the Ziggurat of Ur card). Other pictures were fabled relics, such as the Ark of the Covenant on the Axum card. Part of our evolution, is to learn from the Past, so it seemed like a good place to start my reading with the messages at the bottom of the card.
The Present, or “Middle World”
The images and descriptions around the centre of each card addresses the present. Symbolic signs and talismans appear in many of the Middle (and Lower) Worlds, such as the Celtic Trisekllion on the Newgrange card, or the Manaia on the Tongariro. Meditating on such symbols are a great way of remaining present. Dealing with the here and now is another step to becoming the best version of ourselves.
The “Potential”, or “Upper World”
I like how the creator has used the word “potential”, not “future”, to describe what’s going on at the top of each card, reminding us we have a choice. These pictures often reminded me of the rewards to be gained, when working through the lessons of the Lower and Middle worlds. I particularly loved the image of an illuminated Ameterasu, a Japanese Goddess, at the top of the Mount Fuji card, inspiring hope that we too, may ascend.
There wasn’t much I didn’t enjoy about this deck.
The only thing I found tricky was trying to find the page number for my card. The cards aren’t listed alphabetically, as many other Oracle decks do, so it takes some hunting to find your card description.
In fact, the cards have their own unique classification system of being in the North, East, South or West parts of the world. I also noted under each compass direction, the sites and their page numbers aren’t listed alphabetically. Most sites that are considered north and south are easily enough to find, but some of the the east and west groupings surprised me. It guess it depends on where the user is located and what is to their personal east or west.
Overall, I feel this was a lovely deck to work with – and a must for those who love travel, culture and especially the way different societies have celebrated the Divine.
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