Jan 31, 2017

Oracle Deck Review: Angel Inspiration Deck


The Angel Inspiration Deck by Kim Dreyer is a lovely angel oracle, suitable for every day use. It's a well-rounded deck, offering messages from the angels, advice, questions to ask yourself and affirmations.


The Cards
The deck has 44 cards, and includes a LWB and a shiny fold-out reference guide.  The cards measure 3.5" x 5".  They have a nice matte finish and are strong yet flexible enough to shuffle comfortably. The backs have a reversible design (see the card on the right, in the last image at the bottom of this review).

The accompanying fold-out reference guide is a "List of concepts and their corresponding Angel for guidance". On the left is listed qualities (Acceptance, Flexibility, Knowledge, Support, etc.). The middle column lists the corresponding angel(s) for each trait (some cards have more than one angel listed). And on the right is the card number for said angel(s) for easy reference. The guide is double sided and lists 104 different traits. So if you were looking for an angel to help you with "moving on", you would find that trait on the list, and see the angel Balthial, card #38. From there you could take the card out and meditate with it, and look in the LWB for more information on that angel. I thought this reference guide was a really helpful tool.

According to the LWB, the deck is divided into four groups. There are 8 Archangels, 8 Spiritual Strengths, 16 Action Cards and 12 Traits. Before I read the LWB, I thought there were only three groups (Archangels, Action Cards, and Traits). I cannot tell the difference between the Spiritual Strength cards and the Traits cards, and there appears to be no division of them in the deck or LWB, so I don't know which is which. But it doesn't really matter. It does not affect reading with the cards in any way.

I love the way the colors are done in this deck. It's very colorful. Most cards have a primary color scheme, which makes the deck quite the rainbow. Because of this, I discovered another use for the deck. In addition to your usual reading, you can also use the colors to add to your reading. You can either "read" the meaning of the color, according to your personal associations, or you can incorporate the color into your day (by wearing the color, eating food of the color, selecting a similar colored crystal, etc.)


How it Reads
During the time that I used this deck for my daily draws, I didn't receive many OMG moments. There were no huge revelations, but I really enjoyed having this deck as my daily companion. It has an indescribable magic to it that I can't quite put my finger on.

There was one day when I drew a very synchronous card. My oldest daughter (14) was upset because she missed childhood. I gave her some consolation and advice. Then the next day, I drew the card Cherish Innocence, and the LWB was full of the very same advice I had given my daughter the day before! I showed it to her for further confirmation. So that was really lovely.

I find that the deck is good for both general readings ("What do I need to be aware of today?") as well as specific questions. For specific questions, due to the nature of the cards' messages, I find it best to address your inquiries with something like "What will help me do/accomplish this?". Rather than asking for an answer to a question ("What will happen if I choose this?"), I find it best to ask what you can do to help your life along, in whatever area you are concerned about. You will either get a specific action to take, a trait to embody, or and Archangel who will help you directly. This deck does not offer fortune-telling answers, but instead provides you with ways you can help yourself in life.

The action cards will give you something concrete to do. The trait cards will offer something you can contemplate and try to incorporate within yourself for positive results. And the Archangel cards are like friends you can turn to when you feel overwhelmed and feel you just can't do it all yourself. It's a lovely blend of cards, giving you everything you need for support, no matter what your inquiry.


The LWB
The 60-page LWB measures the same size as the cards. It begins with an Introduction on angels. This is followed by a brief breakdown of the four card groups (though, as I said, no indication on the differences between the Strengths and Traits cards). Next is a section on "How to Use this Deck", describing the sections found on each card page, along with a general introduction to reading cards.

There are no images of the cards in the booklet. There is a page dedicated to each card. Each begins with a few keywords, followed by the angel's name and area of expertise. In the case of the Archangel cards, instead of the name (which is already in the title), you will instead see the meaning of the Archangel's name. So for example, for the card titled Honor Life's Cycles, you will see Angel: Ophaniel - Angel of the Moon. But under Archangel Michael, you will see Meaning of Name: "Who is like God".

The bulk of each page is the message, the card's meaning. Then there are two sections at the bottom of each page. First are two questions to ask yourself from the Angel of the card. Then two affirmations.

Again, I'll use the Honor Life's Cycles card as an example of the questions and affirmations:

The Angels ask:

1. Are you ignoring the cycles and messages of your body?
2. Do you feel that you have to always push yourself because society expects you to?

Tell Yourself:

1. I allow myself to flow with the natural changes of my body and nature.
2. I honor each cycle in my life and take action accordingly.

At the end of the book are four card layouts: A One-Card message, A Two Card Message ("An Angel by my Side Layout"), A Three Card Layout ("Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow"), and a Five Card Layout ("On the Wings of Angels"). There is an About the Artist page, followed by a photo of the artist. The last page is a blank Notes page.


Final Thoughts
For decks that I will be reviewing, I insist on working with them daily for a week, so that I can honestly report how they read for me on a consistent basis. This one I kept in use for two weeks. And if I didn't have other decks in the queue awaiting review, I am sure I would have kept it in rotation longer. Even though I didn't have any huge revelations with it, I didn't seem to want to let it go. It was a comforting companion. It's a great deck for every day use.


Deck: Angel Inspiration Deck, by Kim Dreyer, published by US Games Systems Inc.