Review: The Oracle of Portals

The Oracle of Portals
Tess Whitehurst, Artwork by Laila Savolainen

$34.95
Available online at www.blueangleonline.com

In time for Yule, I was given a beautiful new deck by Tess Whitehurst to review! I love working with my cards during this dark part of the year. Often by candlelight, or first thing in the morning, there is something mystical and magical about choosing a deck, and seeing what messages reveal themselves.

This new deck, The Oracle of Portals, is one I will turn to often. The artwork by Laila Savolainen is ethereal. The box itself has the words: Traversing Gateways of Power and Possibility. When I choose a deck, I see if the artwork resonates with me, and then move onto the guidebook. As I do with cooks, I open it up randomly to see if the writing resonates with me.

Entries in this book are clear and concise, with each entry being 2-3 pages. I tend to appreciate very clear descriptions, and this guidebook has those. On the back is a blessing for the deck, and the introduction goes over how to prepare your deck for use, along with different ways to read the cards from the deck.

Artwork of the cards is stunning, a mixture of realism and ethereal. At first glance, many look like actual photographs, yet when you look at the details of the card, there are many. When cards draw you in, to me, that’s a sign of a great deck.

Each deck contains 44 cards, and the theme of these cards is the in-between. Especially nowadays, I find portals and liminal space meaningful. The power of the in-between is to look upon possibilities, and these cards provide clear and incisive guidance.

A Quick Reading for Myself

For a quick three card reading, I drew Peace, Underwater Realm and Awake. The first card asks (via the guidebook) for me to take a deep breath and know that I am safe. The card is a portal to the path of least resistance, a reminder that all will be well, and ends with the words relax and enjoy.

Moving onward to the Underwater Realm card, I notice the details of the card, a woman diver in deep water, swimming upwards to the glowing surface. Yet when I read the guidebook, that is not the surface, it is a portal to even deeper waters. I love when cards have concrete action steps, and this one advises to turn off the technology and swim in the space away from linear language and thought. Unplug, heal, replenish, and recharge. Surprisingly (but not really surprising) on-point exhortation to do the very thing I need to be doing, in spite of my to-do lists. Clear guidance, I love that.

The last card is Awake. The first words in the guidebook are Rise and Shine! Which are not my favorite words, as I am so not a morning person. Yet, I keep reading, and the card is assuring me that yes, I am awakening to my power. Very insightful, as I am about to start a new venture this month, and today is the day I really start organizing to meet that goal. It is assuring and clear, soothing yet firm.

Would I recommend this deck?

I highly recommend this deck, especially if you experience a twinge at the in-between. I love portals, possibility, and gateways. Yet, there is always a twinge of fear, a sense of “what if?” behind the headlong rush into the new and unknown.

This deck is wonderful for gift-giving, and as I noted, just in time for Yule! This is a great addition to your own collection of oracle cards, or as a present for the person in your life always on the verge of their own possibilities. Personally, I am glad to have this as part of my own collection, and am looking forward to using it often!