Akasha Oracle: Unlock wisdom from previous lives, by Emily Nicolle with illustrations by Carla Cartagena
Rockpool Publishing,1923208195, 128 pages, 48 cards, September 2025

The Akasha Oracle: Unlock Wisdom from Previous Lives by Emily Nicolle with illustrations by Carla Cartagena is a one-of-a-kind deck that invites readers to explore the limitless depths of the Akashic Records. Through its richly symbolic imagery and intuitive divining boards, this deck opens a channel to the soul’s timeless journey, offering glimpses into past lives, karmic patterns, and spiritual lessons that continue to shape the present and future.

The imagery in this 48-card deck has a striking aesthetic: detailed black-and-white illustrations accented with selective bursts of color. When looking through the cards, I see how the images reflect the deck’s core intention of guiding readers into the shadowy archives of the soul while illuminating hidden truths with the light of wisdom.

There’s something timeless about the monochrome tones of grayscale images, almost as if mirroring memories or echoes of the past, perhaps even the liminal space between lifetimes. Yet the vibrant color accents shine through, reminding me of the flashes of insights that emerge from accessing the Akashic Records: the lessons, gifts, and revelations waiting to be unlocked.

Plant life, specifically flowers, herbs, and trees, also play an important role throughout the deck. Each card pairs its theme  with a specific plant ally—camellia, sunflower, and many others. This connection grounds the cards in Earth-based symbolism, reminding us that even while exploring the soul’s eternal journey, we are still rooted in nature’s cycles and healing energies. The flowers act as guides, softening the heavier themes that come from exploring the Akashic Records. Each card has the plant ally’s name written on it, and there’s also more information about the plant’s symbolism in the guidebook.

 I do find these cards work best with a mutli-card spread, where the cards give insight into each other. Working with this level of guidance requires creating the space to really delve in, draw a full spread, and take the time to sit with the messages that come through. As someone who prefers to pull one card for a quick answer, this deck was an invitation to settle into a more thorough reading, slowing down to really integrate the potent information coming through. Nicolle provides quite a few spreads to choose from in the guidebook, offering a range to fulfill reader’s intentions.

As for the guidebook description of each card, the entries are fairly short. For each entry, Nicolle states directly what the card is showing you, but only in a few sentences. She leaves quite a lot of room for readers to tap into their own intuition and decipher how the message is relevant to their personal circumstance. There’s also a sentence about the symbolism of the plant ally featured on the card for further insight.

This deck is especially powerful in that it bridges the gap between divination and deep spiritual memory work. The spreads aren’t just revealing insights about what is to come. Rather, the cards act as keys, unlocking hidden wisdom and forgotten experiences that can shed light on past blockages or reveal opportunities for future growth; seekers can uncover patterns from past lives, gain clarity about present challenges, and receive guidance on how to align more fully with their soul’s purpose. Yes, this does add the layer of needing to then intentionally work with the information that’s come to light, which isn’t always easy but holds the potential for true spiritual integration and transformation.

Additionally, the inclusion of the divining boards, which Nicolle teaches how to use with a pendulum, offers even more pathways for deck readers to receive information. This enhancing inclusion makes the Akasha Oracle not just a tool for reflection, but a living channel for higher knowledge. The deck becomes more than just another oracle, serving as a portal to higher channeled wisdom.

These first divining board, Place and Era, allows readers to uncover the time period (prehistory, antiquity, middle ages, modern era, and contemporary times), location (Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, and America), and if the lifetime was as a man or a woman. The second divining board, Date, goes even further into specific times, offering the chance to figure out the exact day, month, century, decade, unit, and whether it was BCE or CE. These boards can be used to find out more about a past life or to divine the timing of future events.

I definitely recommend journaling the readings done with this deck, as it can be a lot of guidance to take in all at once, and readers may need time to integrate what comes through. I’ve often found that when working with Akashic Records that pieces of a certain lifetime or specific wounds that span lifetimes are revealed in bits and pieces, so as to not overwhelm. Having a detailed record of previous readings will help to keep track of the information that’s coming through, better allowing readers to put together the whole story in a holistic way. Similarly, it’s always great to write down divinations about the future to see how they ultimately manifest.

Overall, Akasha Oracle is perfect for anyone drawn to soul evolution and karmic healing. This deck offers a rare and transformative way to access wisdom that transcends time. The Akasha Oracle serves as both a guide and a key, helping readers access forgotten knowledge, heal wounds from past lives, and realign with their soul’s purpose. Whether looking to understand recurring challenges, discover hidden gifts, or simply connect more deeply with your higher self, this deck provides a sacred space for reflection and revelation.