Deck Review – Seasons of the Witch – Imbolc

 

It is coming up to Imbolc here in Australia so what better time than to review the Seasons of the Witch Imbolc Deck by Lorraine Anderson, Tijana Lukovic and Juliet Diaz. I received this deck for my birthday in March and I am slowly working my way through getting the whole collection; I adore them, they are so fun and are good way to connect with the energy of each Sabbat season if you work with the traditional Sabbat calendar (I don’t typically, but I also don’t like unfinished collections so I need to buy each one!).

The back of the box reads:

“This season get ready to ascend from darkness, reaching for your hopes and dreams as you step out of winter and into the light. Imbolc is associated with patience, hope, transitions and beginning the ascent back to the light after the darkness of the winter months. This is the perfect season to represent the self.

Each of the cards in this oracle deck is a seed of spiritual guidance inspired by ancient Imbolc traditions, so you can find answers to your most profound questions. Along with thoughtful meanings are powerful word spells to invoke the energy of each card and send your intention of spiritual well-being out into the universe”.

The Season of the Witch oracle series is published by Rockpool Publishing (they do such beautiful work) and is the fairly standard hard box presentation with book and cards inside. The cards are edged with beautiful blue gilt – the blue being the theme that carries through the deck. They are shiny cards which means they can stick together and not always be easy to shuffle; the cards themselves are tall but not wide – if anything the cards are probably standard oracle card width. There are 44 cards in the deck with messages relating to Imbolc and the winter season; be mindful that they are quite Northern Hemisphere directed so you may not resonate with all of the cards, especially the ones that have animals or weather that isn’t often present (or present at all) in the Southern Hemisphere. The book is full colour, a touch that seems to be a Rockpool signature, and offers up a lot of information and ideas for using the deck with Imbolc Themes and Focus, How to Use the Cards, Imbolc Card spreads (8 in total) and the cards. One signature of this series is that the books contain a variety of magical workings that you can use in conjunction with the cards such as spells, rituals, simmer pots and recipes. 

Now that we have the standard information out of the way, what do I think of the cards? I love them, they are beautifully illustrated and have such a dreamy quality to them, almost as if you are stepping into another world. The artist and authors have really worked hard to capture the essence of the Sabbat and the magic that can be woven into every day life – and I think that is what sums up these cards. They are cards that represent every day life and when you look at them you recognise some of that in yourself. It has a very cosy, wintery feel that invites you in to take moment, breathe and relax, to find your inner voice and connect. Cards such as Casserole and Cinnamon Rolls invite in that winter warmth, that feeling of being wrapped in a cocoon of solitude and quiet, it gives evenings by a roaring fire while you warm your hands with steaming hot tea or chocolate. Cards such as Brigid, Coming of Spring and Greenhouse point toward the warmer weather, where seeds can be planted, action can be taken and where new ideas are sown, small seeds of thoughts and dreams that will begin to sprout into strong, focused ideas and goals. Candle Dressing, Consecrate Tools and Self Ceremony are cards that invite you to look deeper into your practice, encourage you to look inward, to focus on what you need and to take charge of your life. Each card has a message that connects with the different areas of your life whether it be magical, spiritual or mundane oftentimes bringing those things together to help focus and guide you.

Through the coming together of the magical and mundane, the meanings on the card are well thought out and really sync with the images; it also offers practical advice in some areas which is refreshing, some examples are:

Card 6 “Bathing Ritual” – With you, water spirit, I wash away what no longer serves me and drink in spells that call for healing.

Card 10 “Brigid” – May the Serpent wake, bellowing with the rising flame and beckoning the wisdom that awaits your return.

Card 22 “Garlic” – It is unwise to walk beyond the boundaries you have yet to expand on. Protection above all else.

Card 29 “Keening” – Hold on for just a moment in time, acknowledging before release and liberating what needs to be freed.

Overall I really do like this deck and I think I will likely be working with it on Imbolc doing a reading for the season ahead. If I do a themed reading for the Sabbat, I tend to lean into the idea that the reading should be for the entirety of the Sabbat from one to the next. I find a more in depth reading like that can give a larger perspective and overall view of the coming weeks. Each Sabbat is roughly 7 weeks apart so it is a long enough time to give you some guidance but also contained within a shorter time frame.  I find the cards in this series do offer some really deep insight and guidance, so I would definitely recommend them especially if you love to work with the energies of the Sabbats and observe them throughout the year.