The Lacking Witches Deck of Oracles: Feminist Ancestor Magic for Meditations, Divination, and Spellwork was launched earlier this 12 months in July 2024. It’s a 52-card deck that invitations the reader to attach with the histories of ladies who defied conference, and infrequently those that had been marginalized. There’s a little bit of an implied conflation of “feminist” and “witch,” which can resonate with some, and may not resonate for others.
The playing cards function line drawings of the historic figures that usually tackle a extremely summary method, not essentially with the aim of capturing their likeness or essence, however moderately, going for a extra experimental and interpretive creative perspective. Thankfully the identify of every determine depicted is printed proper there on the cardboard, so there received’t be any ambiguity. Under the identify, an oracular key phrase is attributed to every card, corresponding to “Ritual” for Starhawk, “Hermitize” for Sor Juana, or “Symbiosis” for Lynn Margulis.
When it comes to packaging, it is available in a easy shiny tuck field with pretty metallic lavender accents. The cardstock appears to have a linen end on one facet, with that woven cloth texture, whereas the opposite facet is easy. I actually just like the graphic design consistency all through the deck’s aesthetic.
The reverse facet provides a brief biography of the determine depicted. Doreen Valiente, with the key phrase “Fertility,” is described because the mom of recent witchcraft. The underside of the playing cards additional develop the oracular message of the cardboard. For Valiente: “Be alive and very important and inventive. Give delivery to your individual reality.”
Vandana Shiva, with the key phrase “Seedling,” is the co-author of Ecofeminism and fought in opposition to the patenting of vegetation, calling it biopiracy. When that is the cardboard you attract a studying, the message is “to review, cherish, and plant one seed. What grows in your life while you nurture your inalienable proper to care?”
The construction makes this deck extremely accessible and straightforward to make use of. What actually stands out about Lacking Witches: Deck of Oracles is its dedication to presenting actual, typically forgotten, feminist histories. Every witch represents a pillar of counterculture—figures who challenged the norms of their time and used their knowledge to reshape the world round them. The deck fosters an interdisciplinary method to witchcraft, mixing historical past, artwork, and activism.
For meditations, this deck is well-suited for feminist-oriented introspection. Every card may be drawn to replicate on a person’s present state or to hunt steerage on private struggles, invoking the spirits of those that fought for the liberation of themselves and others.
The figures showcased in Lacking Witches span totally different continents, totally different millennia, and totally different areas of activism– 4,000 years of historical past, voices echoing from Scotland, Benin, Turkey, the Americas, and past. There’s a powerful deal with the Craft, as you’ll anticipate. Mama Lola, a Vodoun priestess, Cheng Jinggu, a Fujianese shamaness, Paula de Eguiluz who was tried for witchcraft on a number of events, and Genesis P-Orridge, pioneering occultist, chaos magician, and counterculture activist simply to call a number of.
The place this deck shines is the range and vary of inspiring figures you’ll find out about in these playing cards. Included are archaeologists, scientists, researchers, and writers who themselves have by no means recognized as witches, in order that’s an attention-grabbing matter for dialogue, and I don’t suppose there are any straightforward solutions.
I really like having these playing cards simply as a examine deck, as a result of these are pioneers and street openers we need to know, and bear in mind, and study from. But it is an oracle deck and is efficient as one. In divination, this deck provides clear, actionable recommendation that resonates with the values of collective empowerment and social justice.
The creators Risa and Amy affiliate the New Moon with anti-capitalist, re-enchantment magic, and so a method readers are invited to work with Lacking Witches Deck of Oracles is to do a New Moon Pull. Solid a circle round you in your thoughts, invite somebody from the deck to return ahead with steerage for the following moon cycle, and pull a card. Place that card in your altar for the month, to have conversations with them, to meditate with them, to take heed to what they need to say.
One other supplied observe is Calling Council, to open a ritual container and invite in those that have your highest good at coronary heart, then ask the playing cards: Who’s exhibiting up for me proper now? Pull as many playing cards as you desire to and place them in your altar. Really feel held by them.
As a software for spellwork, the Lacking Witches deck is a superb companion for feminist magic. The deck’s mix of empowering figures may be woven into spell rituals that target private and collective liberation, transformation, and justice. One would possibly incorporate the cardboard of Lozen, Chihenne Chiricahua Nde (Aparche) warrior, healer, and hero in ritual to summon braveness. Poets and writers would possibly need to invoke Enheduanna, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, Diane di Prima, or Donna Haraway. I really like seeing Pixie Colman Smith and Woman Frieda Harris within the combine.
One of many preliminary ideas for this deck was as prayer playing cards, which is present in many alternative religions– Catholicism, African Conventional Religions, and Buddhism.
Lastly, there are two clean playing cards so that you can add your individual feminist ancestors for magic, meditation, divination, and spellwork. Who would you add to this record? The creators suggest that you just add your individual blood family members– your grandma, your auntie, your nice uncle.
Amy Torok and Risa Dickens, who co-authored the Lacking Witches guide in 2021 and have been operating the Lacking Witches podcast since 2018, convey their distinctive background in artistic community-building and interdisciplinary arts into this venture. Their work is a testomony to the ability of collaboration, each within the artistic course of and within the wider scope of societal change. The deck is a pure extension of their mission to create a coven of witches that honors the misplaced, marginalized, and radical voices of historical past.
FTC Disclosure:In accordance with Title 16 of the U.S. Code of Federal Laws Half 255, “Guides Regarding Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Promoting,” I obtained this deck from the writer for potential overview, who additionally occurs to be the writer of my books! =) All the things I’ve stated right here is honest and precisely displays my opinion of the deck.
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