Work Your Light Oracle Deck Review
The Work Your Light Oracle is a stunning, pastel-toned deck of 44 cards, rich with collaged, magical imagery and filled with inspiration. Immerse yourself in readings that are focused yet able to conquer just about any spiritual question. It’s like having a good friend or guide sat by your side.
I have always been drawn to tarot, even before oracle decks came along. I like the narrative, the shared current that runs through their imagery. A tarot deck tends towards structure, story, and weaving strands of meaning. On the other hand, oracle decks are often more specific to their creator, expressing meaning with clearer intentions. They seem to frequently expect you to have a goal in mind, or to be willing to focus on one particular area of life. I used to worry that I wouldn’t chime with them so well.
That all changed when I ordered my first oracle deck some time ago and was immediately blown away and filled with a sense of joy when it arrived. It was, of course, the Work Your Light deck. Now, I’m a big fan of pastels (particularly pink and purple), so when this deck fell from the Amazon box into my hand it may as well have been a solid block of candy. It’s so, so packed with delicious colour and sweetness. It’s a real rush working with it.
A quick word on the creators before we take a deep dive into this aesthetic treasure trove: Rebecca Campbell is the author of Rise Sister Rise and Light Is The New Black. She also runs workshops which help people connect with their inner wisdom. The artist, Danielle Noel, is a visual artist who has created tarot decks, oracles and all sorts of lovely branding for yogis, wellness coaches etcetera. The collaboration of these two creative spirits has resulted in some serious spiritual goodness.
So let’s take a long, close look at the Work Your Light oracle deck itself…
Presentation
Have I mentioned this deck is gorgeous? Because this deck is GORGEOUS. A sturdy ‘telescope’ style box – a separate top which slides neatly over the bottom piece – houses the deck and accompanying booklet. The cards themselves are a heavy stock. They are smooth to the touch but matte, the perfect choice for the light-coloured artwork.
One thing to note is that this thick stock and matte style mean the cards won’t spread very easily and can catch on each other when shuffling – so shuffle carefully! The large size is ideal for appreciating the artwork and really feeling centred around the cards while reading.
The Work Your Light cards and system
Work Your Light features 44 cards organised into 5 sections or suits, each varying in size and complexity.
Firstly, you have ‘Confirmation’ cards. I love this mini-set, because unlike tarot cards you can get a quick, simple answer – yes, no, and two cards that explore what’s already happening.
Suit 2 covers ‘Inquiry’, or cards that make you examine yourself and ask questions.
Suit 3 is the ‘Action’ section, encouraging you to jump to your feet and do something to change your situation.
Suit 4 holds the ‘Activation’ cards, the soul stuff – they’re for sparking energy and healing.
The previous three suits are all larger, but the final suit is another small one – ‘Transmission’. The cards in this suit about connection, branching out and listening to some worldly wisdom.
It’s a lot to take in, but fortunately the guidebook is thorough and logically laid out. As well as offering guides to all the cards, there are tips on stepping into the role of the oracle, and reading for others.
The artwork
Every card in this deck is a little work of art. The overall impression is mystic and radiant- a very meditative yet nurturing vibe. The dominant colours are pink, lilac, blue and aqua, but the occasional shock of yellow pops through too (for example, on The Crumbling card).
Photographs and different effects are layered one over the other like dense collages, and there’s tonnes of play around the transparency and overlap of different elements.
As you might imagine from the title, light is a key theme that runs through the visuals, appearing as stars, lightning, mirrors, the Moon and more. Other recurring images include archways and windows (thresholds), towers, rivers, and depictions of floating. Traditional religious/historical imagery appears too – most notably Gautama Buddha and other depictions of buddhas, the Virgin Mary and Jesus, and Egyptian iconography such as sphinxes and pharaoh’s masks.
Drawing on this wide range of philosophies makes the deck feel very useable – most users will be familiar with the associations. As I’m not super tied to the idea of set, personified deity, I like taking the Christian-influenced cards for example and pointing them towards overarching narratives, such as seeing Mary as a ‘mother’ and working with themes of nurture and protection. There’s a lot of room for personalising the experience once you’ve got the hang of the wealth of info available.
Feel and experience
Reading with these cards is relaxing and solution-focused. Pulling just one or two specific prompts can help open your mind and guide you to new answers. It’s perfect for personal one-card pulls. To me, many cards feel like guided diary prompts, which might make it more suited to reading alone, although it could be a good introductory deck for reading for others.
It’s a lovely deck for beginners, with each card being very clear and having a textual description right there and ready to go. On the other hand, more experienced readers will want to explore more of the implicit symbolism to prevent the cards from feeling too obvious or prescriptive.
Some example readings with this oracle deck
Grab the ‘Confirmation’ cards for a speedy answer to a simple question that doesn’t have too much weight to it. For a relationship question, try the ‘Activation’ cards, perhaps bolstered with an ‘Inquiry’ card. For a career or development issue, look to ‘Inquiry’ and ‘Action’.
For the mostpart, this deck will come into its own while asking questions related to your selfhood, your spiritual life, your confidence, and your growth. Grab a soothing crystal (like amethyst, clear quartz or rose quartz), light up a scented candle, and spend some quality time with your inner self.
Overall, this deck is excellent for those starting out, or those who are looking to dabble in some self-inquiry but aren’t attracted to the tarot or other more intense oracles. That said, it is also nothing short of a collector’s item: more experienced readers will also love it for its beauty and high production value.
I haven’t yet found another oracle deck with this look and feel: It is truly unique, and worth at least a longing look next time you’re in an esoteric store.
