After the review we did on the Akashic Tarot deck, we thought we would start reviewing more of the decks we have around the house (we have a lot!). Therefore, in this article, we will look through the Wisdom of the House of Night oracle cards by P.C. Cast (the book has an outdated website for P.C. Cast) and Colette Baron-Reid.
This deck is quite different from many Oracle cards in the fact that they have a very Wiccan feel to them. We will have a look at the cards, the guidebook, and how they may fit into your spiritual practices.
Table of Contents
Wisdom of the House of Night Deck Overview
The Wisdom of the House of Night deck contains 50 cards and a 128-page guidebook.
4 of those pages are the contents, one internal front page, one internal back page, and 23 pages of learning about the cards and how to use the cards. However, we will go into the book in a little more detail further into the review.
SPOILER: I like the book a lot! Well, I love the whole deck, to be honest.
Again, with this deck, the book is the same size as the cards, so keeping it all in the box is simple and clean. They are also all the same as a standard size of Oracle cards, at 3.5 inches wide and 5 inches high. That can make shuffling them feel a lot different for people who are used to playing cards. However, there is a little trick that I like to use, and that is to hold them lengthwise in your hands while shuffling them. Try it – it might help you.
First released in October 2012, they have stood the test of time very well. There is very little about the cards to indicate that they are over ten years old at this point. Obviously, if you have owned the cards for that long, you are going to have some wear and tear on them, but stylistically, they still look very appealing and relevant to the spiritual scene.
The artwork is beautiful and witchy, with different feels to each of the cards. And while the witchiness may put people off, they do not feel like some of the darker cards that are on the market.
- Illustrations: Jena DellaGrottaglia-Maldonado (Jena DellaGrottaglia on the book)
- Design: Danielle Deschenes
Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle Card Descriptions
The first thing you notice when looking at the deck box is the very nice mix between a mat black background and glossy, intricate detailing. The figure on the box has one hand of fire and one of ice, giving it even more of a witchy feel, and the O of Wisdom is a moon, only adding to the mysteriousness.
In this deck, as we have mentioned, you get 50 cards – all of which are numbered with the name of the card at the bottom. The first seven cards (1-7) are people, such as the Warrior, the Fledgling, and five high priestesses, one for each of the elements (including spirit). The rest of the cards are named as actions or thought-provoking single words, with 9 of them having extra words in brackets to tell you their name from the book’s story.
There are no suits or major/minor cards other than the high priestesses that I have already mentioned. However, the book explanations of those first seven cards do talk to you slightly differently.
The cards themselves have a very nice, shiny silver edge, which you can see in the right light. However, when you have the whole deck together, it almost looks like they are wrapped in silver, as if you will see the silver in the cards themselves, even though you don’t.
Card Meanings
Each of the cards has its own meaning, with no groupings like a tarot deck would have. But, most of the cards do have a single word that you can use for a reading, whether that is for yourself or someone else. Furthermore, the illustrations on all of the cards add to the word in a way that makes it easier to understand without the book if you are confident enough to read without it.
For example:
Card number 45 is called “Message” and has an image of a raven majestically flying toward a half-open scroll with the same symbol on it from number 11, the Complicated card.
There is a lot of information that you can gain from the image and single word, which is not that common in a lot of Oracle decks.
You can see the same pattern throughout the cards, making them a pleasure to use.
Deck Quality
Both sides of these cards are glossy, which makes them a little slippery in the hand. While that may often put people off, it is great for readings where you use cards that “jump” out of the deck while shuffling. However, what it can do, too, is make them stick together in some circumstances. If you have the whole deck flat on a table and pick a stack of them up, a few cards from beneath your grip will lift up too.
That is not too much of an issue, but something that you should be aware of.
If you want to know why that happens, read this small answer.
The card stock is thick and hard-wearing, but you should know the corners. They are sharp 90-degree corners with no curve, which will tend to lead to higher wear on them than rounded corners.
The Guidebook
You get an interesting story about “The story of the Oracle of Nyx,” which I am not going to go into much detail about, as I think it is something that you should read yourself. However, what I will tell you is that the story fits the style of the cards very well, and it is interesting and captivating enough for me to read it all the way through – maybe even more than once.
Each of the cards has a 2-page spread dedicated to them (with an image of the card itself, which is a nice addition), but only with a small write-up on each. Even though they are only small descriptions, they are all very concise and easy to read and interpret.
Wisdom of the House of Night Review – Suitability and Intuitiveness
While your first thought of these cards is that they may be too advanced for some beginners, that is not the case. As we have said, the cards alone are very well thought out and designed with the reader in mind. You can easily turn the cards into answers to questions using the single printed word and artwork alone.
If you have ever thought that you like the style of these cards, you should definitely give them a try. You will probably surprise yourself and gain some great knowledge and practice while doing so, too!
Price and Availability
The price on the back of the box is:
- US $12.95
- CAN $15.95
The price at the moment is slightly more than that. However, you have to remember that these are old cards now, and it is going to become a lot harder to buy them brand new. They are still very cheap for the value you can gain from using them.
We receive a small commission at no extra cost to you when you buy through this link. It really helps us to continue our work. Thank you.
Conclusion
I had not looked at these cards for quite a while before today’s review. However, they are certainly getting a dust off and going back to the front of my set of oracle cards. I am going to use them a lot more than I have done recently.
The ability to pick them up, do a reading, and put them down without having to feel the need to read the guidebook is a huge bonus for me. Because, let’s be honest, we don’t always have the time for a full reading with looking through the book and interpreting what it says to individual circumstances.
Many of the reviews on Amazon say similar to what I have said throughout this article, and with 5 stars at 1,841 ratings, you know they are going to be well worth the money.
I would highly recommend them if they look like cards that you could resonate with.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many cards are in the Wisdom of the House of Night deck?
50
What is the theme or concept of the Wisdom of the House of Night deck?
Witchy but “down to earth” and relatable, even if you are not into the witch scene.
Can this deck be used by beginners?
Absolutely, yes!
Where can I purchase The Akashic Tarot deck?
Amazon (paid link) is the best place. However, some book retailers may still sell it.
Are there any limited edition versions available?
No.
Is a guidebook or interpretation guide included with the deck?
Yes.