Encased in a sturdy box the Stone Circle Oracle is a 45 card oracle deck created by Sophia Kelly Shultz. The cards are quite large; 5" tall and 3 1/2" wide. The book is 8" tall and just under 5 1/2" wide. The box is large enough to fit the book, with a inset spot for the cards to fit in. Though I wish it had come with a pouch as I prefer pouches for my card decks, the box is quite sturdy and will easily allow anyone to simply slip it on a bookshelf for storage. Physically speaking the cards are glossy and solid and they can withstand frequent uses. The back of the card has a beautiful greenman style image on it which is the enter of the 12 card The Greenman.
The artwork is in a hand painted hand drawn style. They are extremely beautiful and real looking with a lot of detail in them which one can use to help them interpreting the cards during reading. The styles and themes vary, from nature to African artwork and mythology to Egyptian mythology and artwork. These are so vibrant and beautiful I can see them used in spiritual dedication purposes or even spellwork so long as one keeps drips off of them.
Shultz created a transformative oracle with imagery inspired from the Stone Circle in Allegheny Mountains in south-central Pennsylvania. This oracle has 3 sections, or "suites" as the creator describes them in the introduction; self-awareness, cycles of nature and forces. Organized via these suites, each card has it's own page(s) in the book. They each include a journal section where you can write your impressions of each card, keywords, a meditation and information/interpretation for the card. As this is an oracle deck and not a tarot deck, it has different cards such as Shall We Dance?, Anubis, Ganesh, Protector and Mother Stone Awaits.
In the end this is an amazing deck that can give one a very unique perspective. The messages that the cards pass through to the reader are warm and transformative, even if it is a warning. The messages are clear and the meditations included for each card can really help the querent in their life. I found that you can draw single cards and do 3 card spreads with equal clarity and authenticity. Highly recommended for anyone who likes unique oracle cards.
~review by Jessica Elizabeth
Creator: Sophia Kelly Shultz
Schiffer Publishing; 2013
45 Cards, 112ppg book & box; $39.99
