“Angels and Ancestors Oracle Cards” Review
Try before you buy: today, I’m reviewing “Angels and Ancestors Oracle Cards”, a deck of 55 cards created by Kyle Gray, with artwork by Lily Moses. All opinions are my own.
You can purchase your own copy here.
(This is an affiliate link which supports me if you make a purchase).
My Star Ratings
1 star = disappointing / 2 stars = meh! / 3 stars = pretty good / 4 stars = terrific / 5 stars = sensational
The Artwork 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Card Meanings 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Guidebook 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Card Quality and Packaging 🌟🌟🌟
Why you may be drawn to this deck
If you like the idea of Spirit Guides with an approachable vibe and warm, open, friendly faces, this deck may resonate well with you! This deck is great for beginners and advanced Oracle Deck users and the guidance on how to use the deck is really clear cut.
The Artwork
The images are just beautiful - and so human. I enjoyed seeing characters from across the globe and the respect paid to the wisdom of the Ancestors. The colours in the cards tend to be quite earthy, with splashes of contrasting colour, like the jade earring on the Warrior card (below).
I also appreciated the balance of male and female Guides in the deck. I do love Goddess-only decks, but I feel spirituality in the recent past has been heavily marketed to women. Here are some images of male Spirit Guides I felt an instant connection with.
The artwork gently encourages us to increase our bond with nature and remember we can find wisdom in the great outdoors.
Below are images of Spirit Guides inspired by the plant and animal kingdoms, including the Stag with the Ivy and the Spirit Fox with the element of Water in the background. One of seasonal cards, Summer shows us the sacred Bee. There is something solid and comforting about the artwork here. The bee and stag with the circle image behind them reminds me of cycles, unity and wholeness.
(I wonder if the artist will get people asking their permission to have tattoos done of some of the images, as these images contain really powerful “medicine”!).
The Card Meanings
In the guidebook, each card has a general “Message”, an “About” section and an “Extended Message”.
The Message is usually a couple of sentences outlining the main concern, with some general advice. For me, these simplified Messages have hit home with exactly what I needed to hear at the time.
The About section is great if you like to learn more about the symbols in the illustrations and how they may reflect parts of our own lives.
The Extended Message section of each card is a lengthier version of the initial Message, which I found often picks up on deeper layers to a problem.
The Guidebook
The card descriptions are really relatable, it reads as if the author is chatting directly with us in conversation. The author comes across as a person who deeply understands the human condition and the concerns we all go through.
Each card is described in a simplistic way that instantly engages. It’s easy to feel connected on some level to the characters and the lessons described in the cards. In many ways, this type of simplicity often equates to perfection.
The author recommends different card spreads you can try, which is useful when you need more insights beyond what one card offers. I particularly liked the Celtic Compass spread, with the eight compass directions.
I especially loved the special ritual they suggested for connecting with your cards before use - a nice additonal touch you don’t always find in Oracle Decks. Taking responsibility for how we work with sacred tools is vital, so it’s nice the creators of this deck encourage this.
Card categories
Now you’ve seen the artwork, let’s talk about how the cards actually fit together. The 55 cards are broken up into four categories.
I’d like to start with the Seasons category first. Obviously, only 4 cards are in this category. Interestingly, the Extended Message part of each card tells us what a particular season means if it appears in the future part of a spread. This future guidance doesn’t appear in the other 51 cards.
We then have the 9 Warrior Symbol cards. These depict either human-made tools or things found in nature, that a spiritual warrior may call upon energetically to help them in their quest, such as Snake or Drum etc.
The 12 Guardians and Messengers cards offer us friendly and warm beings. You get a sense that they’re on your side. Apart from the Guardian Angel card, the other beings represent things from the Earthly Realm, so they’re very relatable. I particularly liked the Mirror Guardian (you’ll have to see what you think when you use the deck!).
And finally, the 30 Sacred Ones cards make up the rest of the deck, These can vary from Earthly or Interdimensional beings. There are also animal spirit guides and figures from Earth’s history (I loved the Shield Maiden the most!).
Card Quality and Packaging
These cards are big. If you have smaller hands, you may struggle shuffling them. Also they are not coated enough to provide a good “slip” when shuffling. And they aren’t the thickest card, so if you can shuffle and you do it vigorously, you might damage the edges.
For me, this problem was easily overcome! I felt guided by placing the whole deck in front of me on a flat surface, then I lovingly mixed them up with my hands, making a wonderful mess! As I did this, I set an intention before drawing the ones that grabbed my attention.
The packaging is nice and while it’s not the strongest box, the large box and artwork is a delight to have. I have my box sitting upright on a shelf (retail style!) among my crystals.
Some Final Observations
I highly recommend this deck if you want guidance that feels friendly. The wisdom within this Oracle is sound too - the whole thing is just so beautifully put together.
And best of all, you have some beautiful artwork to enjoy. I like to leave the card I draw out on my altar for as long as I need the inspiration. I hope you enjoy your “Angels and Ancestors Oracle Cards” as much as I do.
Here are some other Oracle Decks you may like that also present our Spirit Guides beautifully:
The Angel Guide Oracle by Kyle Gray and Jennifer Hawkyard
Archangel Oracle Cards by Diana Cooper
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