Stacey Demarco and Jimmy Manton, Viking Oracle. Victoria, Australia: Blue Angel Publishing, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-9872041-4-1.
 |
| Promo photo of deck box |
This kit includes a 45-card deck and a companion book. Part of the reason I picked this up is the creative team of Stacey Demarco (author) and Jimmy Manton (artist). They made decks such as the Earth Power Oracle and the Halloween Oracle (links to my reviews). This deck features Nordic runes and other Viking images.
The book is simply organized. You get an introduction and the card entries. In the introduction, the author discusses her experience reading and learning about myths and eventually making it to Norse stories. We also get a very short overview of Norse mythology. If you are not familiar, consider supplementing the companion book with a good Norse myths and stories book. The introduction then describes the deck's structure, instruction on how to use the deck, and six card spreads. If you want to cast runes, you can do so by using the rune cards only.
The card entries feature a small black and white image of a card, the card name and number, and interpretation text. For runes there is an explanation of the rune, message, reversed meaning, and element. For the remaining cards you get story and explanation.
The book is a relatively easy read. A detail I liked was it includes a simple dedication ritual for the cards. The text overall provides the basics of Norse runes and other characters and places of Norse beliefs and stories. You get enough information to learn some basics and do divination with the deck.
The card art is colorful. People are drawn in a bit of a muscular heroic style with a bit of stern expression on the faces. The faces show emotion, but they are mostly pretty serious. If you already got their decks like Gods and Titans Oracle Cards or Goddesses and Sirens Oracle Cards, it is the same style. For the record, I do not at this time have those two decks.
I am not sure an intuitive reader can use this deck effectively. I tried reading it that way, but I did need to keep the book nearby. If you are not familiar with Norse myths or have a basic knowledge, like I do, you'll need to study the book.
I do like the art overall, but for me this was not an easy deck to use. I used it mostly for single card draws. I probably need to study the book further so I can use the deck for spreads down the road. I may need also to bring my Norse myths and stories book off the shelf to reread.
The cards measure about 5 1/2 inches by 3 3/4 inches. The cards have a glossy coating that tends to stick, so the cards are not easy to shuffle. The card art in the back is nice, but it is not reversible thanks to a small art design on the warrior's shield. Had they left the shield plain the cards would have been reversible.
I like the deck, but this is not a deck I see myself using regularly. It may be that I need to read and study more about Norse myths, runes, and stories, but for now not one I feel a need to reach for it. I am thinking I could try using it in combination with the Runic Tarot (link to my review). That Tarot deck does work well for me. While I am happy to have the Viking Oracle, I'd consider it a very optional deck.
3 out of 5 stars.
This kit qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge:
No comments:
Post a Comment