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Tag Archives: affirmation

Daily Light Affirmation Deck, by Joanna Hunter

Daily Light Affirmation Deck, by Joanna Hunter and illustrated by Stephanie Wicker-Campbell
Muse Oracle Press, 9780645885033, 60 cards, August 2024

With her Daily Light Affirmation Deck, Joanna Hunter combines vibrant light codes and beautiful art with positive affirmations to support you. These divine messages can guide your daily activities or be used as a prompt for morning journaling.

Hunter is a teacher, author, speaker, podcast host and intuitive life and business coach. She is also High Priestess of the transformative group she calls Lightweb®. Hunter transitioned from marketing executive to spiritual coach after a major health scare several years ago. She channels a group of beings she calls Skyler and carries the sacred Codex of Light™ teachings. She serves as a spiritual guide for transformation and ascension.

Hunter has written two other books and published a previous oracle deck on abundance. After being born in Sweden, she moved to the Scottish Highlands at the age of 9. She lives in Scotland today and balances her spiritual work with her life as a mom and wife. Learn more about her at her website.

Stephanie Wicker-Campbell is a gifted illustrator and designer, who has illustrated Oracle decks, journals and book covers. She is also a keynote speaker and author in her own right. In a recent post, she expresses that she is stepping back from design work and focusing more on her publishing house, Muse Oracle Press.  Wicker-Campbell resides in Australia. Learn more about her projects here.

What really interests me about this deck is the beautiful artwork of light codes, which can only be described as divinely inspired. Each card is designed with a beautiful pastel palette and a bright light that radiates from the center of each design.  As I flip through the deck, I quickly notice that each card design is unique, with no two designs repeating. The quotes on each card are printed in gold and are brief enough to capture in your heart and mind and then take with you during your day.

There are two extra cards in the deck. One provides a bit of information about Hunter and a QR code to connect with the publishing house to learn more.  The other card is double-sided and contains a personal note from Hunter that includes how best to work with the cards. She talks about shuffling the deck or placing the cards in some type of vessel and “gently swirling them.”1  I’ve learned many ways to shuffle decks, but I have never heard of placing the cards in a bowl or box and moving them around. I’m going to use my singing bowl and try this! She goes on to suggest:

“Allow serenity to wash over you, then draw a card – your affirmation for the day awaits. Let this affirmation dance through your day or pour your heart into journaling its significance to you.”2

At my monthly lunch with friends, I fanned out the cards and asked each friend to set an intention, form a silent prayer, or ask a question before selecting a card. One friend had an important choice to make about her business.  She drew this card:

“I always make the choices that align me with happiness and greatness.”

Another friend had upcoming minor surgery. She read this quote: 

“I love being healthy and wealthy.”

She also told me later about a silent prayer to resolve a financial issue. She received a 2 for 1!

For myself, I asked for support for a family issue I am struggling with. This is the message I received:

“I love feeling courageous and I choose to stand up for myself.”

I invited each woman to take a photo of her card and refer to it daily for the next week. One woman said she was going to make it her phone wallpaper!

The cards are square, much the same size as a drink coaster. They are printed on nice cardstock with rounded corners and gold edging. The paper has a nice matte coating with a satin finish on both sides. It’s very relaxing to hold the smooth cards and flip through the deck. Again, the stunning light codes seem to leap off each card and speak directly to my heart and soul. The cards feature a mix of pastel colors, with a light beaming from each one, as if Hunter is opening a portal into the Divine. The entire deck is very calming and affirming.

The deck comes in a beautiful heavyweight box that is only about an inch thick, making it the perfect size to tuck into a purse or bag. Inside the deck is a beautiful invocation:

“May daily light infuse your days and years with infinite blessings.”3

Daily Light Affirmation Deck is great for anyone who wants to set the tone for her day with a positive affirmation. I plan to keep them on my desk for a few weeks and draw a card each day, as part of my daily practice.  I can also see how holding one while I meditate can infuse me with the energy from the light codes and further instill the affirmation. I will also be carrying these in a bag to share with friends at lunch or my Friday coffee and cards group. I absolutely love these cards and the positive messages that they embody!

As Hunter says:

“Remember, inviting in more light and joy need not be a daunting endeavor; it can be as effortless as this daily ritual. Each affirmation is a stepping stone, gracefully guiding your life toward the realm of infinite possibilities within the light that surrounds us.”4

Affirmations of Light in Times of Darkness, by Laura Aversano

Affirmations of the Light in Times of Darkness: Healing Messages from a Spiritwalker, by Laura Aversano
Inner Traditions, 9781644112717, 174 pages, June 2021

We all need to be reminded that we don’t walk through this life alone; that there is spiritual guidance afforded to us if we listen to our intuition. There are also people among us, spiritwalkers, who also offer us such guidance and reminders. Laura Aversano is such a spiritwalker. In her book, Affirmations of the Light in Times of Darkness: Healing Messages from a Spiritwalker, Aversano provides the reader with “activated” prayers and affirmations on eight major topics: light calling from the abyss, forgiveness, courage and grace, the pause, balance, reconciliation, changes of worlds, and healing voices from the pandemic.

Aversano comes from a line of seers or spiritwalkers. In her encouragement for the reader to remain in the present, Aversano states that “holding space has become a discipline for me and for my writing. And that is what I hope to achieve when you read my words – the ability to hold space in both the darkness and the light for us to heal individually and collectively.”1

At first glance one might be tempted to quickly read through the book as it has some affirmations that are very short. Other guidance is offered through a synopsis of what was experienced by her work with clients. Still other writings offer her observations on the world at hand. But these writing are anything but simple. They are multi-layered, giving one pause for thought. They are to be savored before being digested and absorbed into one’s psyche and daily practice.

In reading my reading, I sometimes found myself reading just a one-line affirmation and then closing the book to ponder what I read. Other times I enjoyed immersing myself in the topic at hand. She writes a lot on communicating with the “darkness” for as the darkness says, “you are as much afraid of me as you are of your light.”2

She walks with the reader through fear, anger, and one’s seeming powerlessness, offering a way to experience things in a more empowering manner. Her writings guide the reader to feel empowered by the beings of light that we all are. She encourages us to remember how powerful we are as these beings of light, if only we believe it. One beautiful line reads:

“The sun never realized the light of its own being until it paused one day to see all that blossomed in its path.”3

I found myself saying “yes” as I read her words, her suggestions, and her soulful prayers.

“When the mountain seems too difficult to climb, some choose to change their path. I choose to change my shoes.”4

A strong line, certainly, but how can I change my shoes in my own life? The writings are prompts, bits of encouragement, and constant reminding of how supported we are, but that we need to take this support to make changes.

“One of the greatest challenges you will ever face is the struggle against your own unworthiness.”5

When we truly believe ourselves to be worthy of love and peace in our lives, then we can move through challenges such as forgiveness and anger.

Aversano engages the reader throughout the entire book. She’s like a true best friend who helps to see you through the hard times, is your greatest cheerleader, calls you on your delusions, and refuses to come to your pity party. But like any best friend she does so without judgment. She engages the reader with every line, with every story. You can put the book down and pick it up where you left off – but hopefully as a bit more radiant being to the world. She reminds us that “You don’t chase dreams. You live them. You chase illusion.”6

She asks us to trust our hearts, to notice our perceptions of things, to not be afraid of how powerful we are. As you use her words to change your life, to change your perceptions, you might notice people leaving your circle. “When people leave your life, it’s not because they can’t be in your personal space. It’s because they can’t be in their own space while they are with you.”7

Through her writing, I’ve come to view Aversano as an elder, even though she is too young in her chronological age to be considered such, for as she writes, “An elder doesn’t show you the path. He shows you your strength, so you can walk the path.”8

I highly recommend Affirmations of the Light in Times of Darkness. Aversano’s words are a balm to a weary soul, a lighthouse in times of darkness, a reminder of the light within that we all possess. Her writings empower the reader to remove the dust and dirt that have clouded the light of our being. Sit with the book and then do the words justice by making them part of your life.

Permission Granted, by Regina Louise

Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Love, by Regina Louise
New World Library, 1608687268, 320 pages, June 2021

In a world filled with many voices claiming to be able to easily and quickly show readers the pathway to self acceptance, Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Love by Regina Louise is really the only book you need ever pick up. Packed full of information and actual real-life strategies that make sense, this book cuts through the noise and provides the tools needed to go on this journey and find the pot of gold at the end.

As a speaker, coach, author, and teacher, Louise is no stranger to hard work and dedication. Her frank prose allows you to connect instantly with the source material and to make connections within yourself that previously you might have overlooked. With fourteen “Kick-Ass Strategies” in the table of contents, readers can jump to whatever they need in the moment or go through the book in a methodical way. Personally, I always read the whole thing front to back, although in this case I was sidetracked by Kick-Ass Strategy #6: Be Big (and Small).

In this chapter, Louise explores what it means to take up space and to lean into it. Having been told for much of my life that I need to tone down, be quieter, watch my language and all that, this chapter resonated with me so much I needed to put the book down and take a few breaths  Louise pinpointed precisely what I feel during those moments, saying:

“…if you’re anything like me, and you’ve been told that you’re a big personality, that you’re too much, which you translate as ‘I’m not wanted’ and ‘I’m about to be abandoned’, then the next thing you know, you’re lost in a big-ass trauma response.”1

I hadn’t thought of it like that, in terms of a trauma response. In reflection, it makes sense, and it’s these moments of realization that makes this book so worth the time investment. Louise writes with such authenticity and awareness that only comes from someone who has walked this path before.

Along with this is the sprinkling of personal anecdotes, a skill that not all books in the same realm as this one can say they’ve mastered. I find that in most situations, anecdotes can be overused as the writer might not have enough content for the actual book, and so it ends up reading more like a memoir. Not that I mind reading about other people’s journeys: I am completely interested in hearing about their challenges and how they overcame them. I just want the book that is sold to me to be the actual book I get after purchasing. This book is precisely what it says it is and I couldn’t be happier.

Subsequent chapters deal with big topics that could actually be books in their own right. This meaty book delves into a lot of muck that we tend to ignore in our quest for happiness and security and love: things like championing yourself, reconnecting with our inner child, fully engaging in our messiness, and giving ourselves permission. In Kick-Ass Strategy #5: Compose a Permission Statement, Louise takes us through the challenging exercise of drafting a permission statement that ultimately gives you mentorship of yourself. Louise says:

“Drafting a permission statement is an act of enormous generosity toward yourself. It’s evidence of your willingness to get on board with who you are, and it offers you the chance to examine your values and beliefs and to own your inherent right to flex your personal power.”2

It’s writing like this that pulls you in and helps you bypass some of the resistance you might feel around doing the exercises. This chapter also raises interesting questions around being fully seen and feeling psychologically safe in those moments and challenges the reader to fully engage with the material.

Part of this exercise includes selecting words from a list that best describe you. In doing this particular exercise, I found it hard to pick only the suggested number of twelve adjectives, and harder still to reduce that number down to six. Challenging, but not impossible.

It meant I had to sit with myself and really dig deep to find out which words actually resonate with me and which ones I wanted to be. There is a huge difference there. It’s exercises like this that teach us how to connect with who we really are and to start to accept ourselves as just that: not good, not bad, just who we are. 

The combination of anecdotes and writing exercises makes this book an absolute treasure. Louise’s way of taking the reader through the self-discovery process is delightful, if a bit painful at times. Part of this process includes uncovering those parts of the self that might be resistant to change and helps to uncover the roots of why that might be. If this sounds like shadow work, it absolutely is. While it might not take the usual form of what would normally be classified as shadow work, Louise’s book most definitely falls into that category.

If you thought you could bypass doing any actual work just by reading a book, Louise’s book will change your mind and encourage you to engage with the material. Honestly, digging deep into your own psyche is not fun, but feeling like Louise is right there with you, telling you how they managed to get through it and what the results were make a huge difference and helps you to feel less alone while you root around in the darkness. Trust me.

Those who identify as being on a journey of discovery through self-awareness of behavior and societal triggers would benefit from this book. In fact, I would suggest that most people even interested in the idea of being self-aware would derive a lot from Louise’s fantastic book.

Permission Granted is about more than just accepting yourself. It’s also about finding space for otherness, for those who aren’t like you but exist in the same space. Once we discover that those around us aren’t really that different, perhaps that knowledge could lead to a better, more stable foundation upon which we can build a more sustainable society. 

Moon Magick, by Stacey Demarco

Moon Magick: Deep Moon Messages, by Stacey Demarco, designed by Sara Lindberg
Rockpool Publishing, 9781925946154, 40 cards, April 2021

Moon Magick: Deep Moon Messages by Stacey Demarco is a charming deck of affirmation cards to help one connect with the cycles of the Moon. Stacey has a strong background in paganism and moonology and has published other items such as Queen of the Moon Oracle and the annual Lunar and Seasonal Diary.

The tiny deck is pocket-sized and avails itself to pulling a card a day. As Stacey recommends, “Pull a single card each morning; it is a simple act that will help guide your day with a solitary insight. Hold the affirmation to your heart and integrate it for the day.” 1  There are 40 cards in total, each measuring 2 inches by 4 inches. Each card contains an image on one side and a one-line affirmation on the other. 

“Our ancient ancestors often relied on divination to gain insight. We, too, as modern people can also benefit from receiving regular messages from the energies.”2

The illustrative side of each card is connected to either a Moon god or goddess or a phase of the Moon. Gods and goddesses represented include Dionysus, Diana, Artemus, Tu’er Ye, Hina, Hekate, Mani, and Baiame. The illustration for Tu’er Ye, or the Rabbit on the Moon, depicts a white rabbit standing on its haunches positioned against a full moon with varying shades of blue against a star-filled sky. The accompanying affirmation is “I choose to take a higher perspective and widen my views.”

The remaining cards focus on the phases of the moon: dark, waxing and waning crescent, first and last quarters, waxing and waning gibbous, full, super moon, blue moon, micro moon, and eclipse. I was most drawn to these images that just depicted the Moon, as some illustrations included images of people or animals.

The New Moon card was illustrated with a tiny sliver of a pinkish moon against a navy sky, with white clouds below and a few stars in the sky. “I accept renewal and delight in fresh starts”3 was the accompanying affirmation. 

The waning gibbous card depicts a woman sitting cross-legged on a rocky ledge, palms resting upward on her knees, as she stares at the yellow rising sun, large white moon above. “I seek balance and grounding”4 is the affirmation.

While I recognize that the deck is an affirmation deck, I think a small accompanying booklet describing the phases of the moon and the gods and goddess would have deepened the meaning of the affirmations for me. It’s nice to read the affirmations, but I don’t know enough about the deities or moon phases to make a personal connection, and going off the affirmations I don’t really get a full message from the cards, just an affirmation with no explanation of how its related to the card’s imagery. If you want a deeper dive into the Moon I recommend Demarco’s items previously mentioned.

However, I would recommend using Moon Magick to connect to the wisdom of the Moon and for its use to start your day, as long as you are looking for a bit of inspiration. The card can be quite calming to one’s mind and soul. For instance, to begin my day today, I pulled the waning crescent card that affirmed “I am loved beyond measure.” Priceless! I enjoyed this affirmation very much and have carried the sentiment with me through the day.