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Ritual Earth Oracle, by Andres Engracia and Selena Moon

Ritual Earth Oracle: Spiritual wisdom through rituals, festivals and celebrations, by Andres Engracia with illustrations by Selena Moon
Rockpool Publishing, 1922579599, 128 pages, 36 cards, October 2025

Ritual celebrations, no matter which culture they come from, remind us of our shared humanity. Whether it’s gathering around a bonfire, honoring ancestors, dancing in the streets, or sharing food in sacred company, these moments root us in community and tradition. Even when the customs are from cultures different than our own, they speak a universal language of joy, remembrance, and connection. Marking the turning of time, the cycles of nature, and the milestones of our lives, rituals remind us that across the world, people have always celebrated, mourned, and honored together.

Ritual Earth Oracle by Andres Engracia with illustrations by Selena Moon draws upon the spiritual energies, insights, and celebrations of 36 rituals and festivals worldwide to create a potent oracle deck. With great reverence, Engracia honors the specifics of each culture’s rituals to honor their “own indigenous spirits, folklore, and ceremonies.”1 In the introduction, he also offers guidance on how to use the deck, offering tips for cleansing the deck as well as spreads readers can use for structure.

For each card;s entry in the guidebook, he shares the location of the ceremony or festival, keywords, the card’s significance from an oracle perspective, and information about the ceremony or festival. There’s also a ritual included for readers to tap into the card’s essence, attuning themselves to the spiritual energies of the ceremony or festival described. Most of the rituals are accessible, easy to plan, and doable with supplies on hand.

While I haven’t pulled every card yet during a read, I did take some time to read through the guidebook and found it all absolutely fascinating. Engracia has done a wonderful job in both choosing a diverse array of ceremonies and festivals as well as capturing the heart of what their spiritual intentions are within the oracle advice. Many of the ceremonies and festivals I had never heard of and it was thrilling to learn more about each location’s regional celebrations.

Some of the ones that were new to me included Songkran in Thailand, Butter Lamp Festival in Tibet, Inti Raymi in Peru, Guelaguetza Festival in Mexico, and Matariki in New Zealand. I loved discovering more about the spirituality of these traditions and how they’re celebrated. Even the festivals I was more familiar with – Green Man Festival in Wales, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Walpurgisnacht in Germany, and Bacchus’s Feast in Rome – were expanded upon by Engracia’s oracle interpretation and informative background context.

Meanwhile, Moon brings these ceremonies to life on each card with vibrant colors and exciting illustrations, inviting readers to physically connect with the energies. There’s distinctly sensual energy to the deck’s images, drawing readers into their bodies as much as their spirits. The lush, layered artwork pulses with rhythm and movement—pulsing fire, swirling cosmic backgrounds, evocative floating masks, and liminal places that seem to breathe on the page.

Moon’s artwork awakens the primal side of ritual that taps into the passion, ecstasy, and the raw joy of being alive. There’s something almost tactile about the imagery, as though you can feel the drumbeats, the heat of the sun, or the press of bare feet against the earth just by holding the cards. She does a wonderful job blurring the line between sacred and sensual, reminding readers of the humanity of these festivities and celebrations, often creating large gatherings of people in which bodies come together to make magic through performance, dance, feasting, and ritual.

The way Moon captures the desire, vitality, and pleasure as powerful forces that are undercurrents to the spiritual expressions of these different ceremonies through her illustrations provides a great balance to the more informative and insightful writing of Engracia in the guidebook. Readers have the opportunity to engage both mind and body, learning about the ceremonies and then also having an image portal to tap into the energy, for spiritual insight.

This balance comes through too in the way the cards are still named for the higher divine lesson they offer rather than the name of the festival or ceremony; the focus is on the spiritual transformation happening while the information about the ceremony provides more insight within the guidebook for spiritual seekers to learn.

Having the cards designed this way offers people the opportunity to do readings without necessarily referring to the ceremony since the name of the card and keywords can be enough for psychic guidance. Though, I still think becoming familiar with the ceremonies, festivals, and rituals associated with each card is the real source of power of this deck!

One of my favorite cards pulled so far is Marigold Dreams, depicting the celebration of Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. Engracia talks about how this two-day festival happens on the first two days in November, coinciding with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, describing how families create home altars of departed loved ones adorned with yellow marigolds and photographs. The sage oracle advice he offers is as follows:

“This card urges you to seek comfort in the loving embrace of friends, family or your partner. It is time to rest your body and settle for a while, so slow down, take a breath, and relax. You are not alone and you are not without support.”2

I loved this reminder to tap into the loving support systems I have in my life, including my ancestors who have passed on. I felt so calmed after pulling this card during an especially hectic time. While I didn’t fully perform the ritual Engracia suggests of creating an altar for my loved ones who have passed on, I did take the time to look at photographs I already had up and remember their loving presence.

Overall, Ritual Earth Oracle offers a fresh take on deck design by weaving global cultural celebrations into a spiritual tool. It’s ideal for readers who feel drawn to ritual, folklore, and creative community expression as paths to intuitive insight. This deck invites readers to dance in spiritual heritage, explore multi-culturalism, and discover new perceptions about how their spirit can learn and grow from joining in the celebration. Engracia is a wonderful storyteller who has a knack for distilling the spiritual wisdom within these festivals, while Moon does a wonderful job bringing the essence to life through the deck’s artwork.

Shadow & Light Oracle, by Selena Moon

Shadow & Light Oracle: Reflection Cards to Unlock Your Unconscious Mind, by Selena Moon
Rockpool Publishing, 9781922579638, 96 pages, 36 cards, April 2023

Shadow & Light Oracle: Reflection Cards to Unlock Your Unconscious Mind by Selena Moon is a beautiful deck that presents opposing or complementary views on practical issues in daily life. Within the 36 cards and full color guidebook, Moon has created magical imagery with digital collage, drawings and line art. She writes the guidance from her personal experiences. 

Selena Moon is an award-winning designer, digital artist, and author.  Born and raised in Sweden, she currently resides in Sydney, Australia. With a bachelor degree and years of experience in graphic design, she has created a number of card decks and a journal for card readings. Moon firmly believes that art can positively impact people’s lives. From her website:

“Inspired by diverse sources, Selena enjoys exploring new avenues to avoid being confined to a particular style or technique. Her multidisciplinary approach allows her to combine various skills and techniques to create unique pieces of art. In addition to her artistic endeavors, Selena has a keen interest in psychology and draws on her knowledge and experience to create products that inspire and motivate people in their lives.”3

What drew me to the cards was the tagline: “Reflection cards to unlock your unconscious mind”4. On the day of my first experience with the cards, I was preparing to go to a family event. I was anxious and stressed and asked the question:

“What do I need to know to calm myself before this visit?”

I drew the card: #35 Physical Pain-Emotional Pain.  It talked about how the body and mind are closely connected and that troubles and worries can manifest as physical pain. The guidebook went further to ask me to “make note of any physical pain you might be experiencing.”5

At first, I questioned how this card was going to benefit me in my current situation, but as I read the affirmation and exercise, it became clear.  The affirmation encouraged me with these words: 

“I am calm; I am grounded; I am safe.”6

I took a photo of the affirmation with my phone and read it several times during the party. This really calmed me and helped me through a tense time with people who try my patience at every turn!

Next, I did one-card readings for a few friends.  For the first friend, who is a district manager for a corporation by day and an intuitive reader by night, I drew #21 Asking – Telling.

This card is related to communication with others and the delicate balance between asking a question and telling your point of view. Moon encourages us to stop making assumptions or rehearsing in your head what you want to say, and really try to understand and listen. 

My friend said that the reading really encouraged him with a current work situation and that he really liked the affirmation:

“I show up in conversations to understand, not to prove I’m right.”7

He thanked me for the reading and said that he felt like these cards would be ideal for further self-discovery!

For another friend, who was struggling with some major changes at her workplace, I drew #4 Reflection-Overthinking. She said this was the perfect card for her! 

This card shared information about the troublesome habit of asking “What if?” repeatedly and overanalyzing everything about a situation. This was exactly the current mindset of my friend, regarding her work changes.  She 

loved the way that Moon suggested that your thoughts can “bring you peace and harmony”8 instead of frustration. She felt that she would benefit from both the affirmation and exercise that Moon included for redirecting and reframing your thoughts.

Finally, I drew another card for myself and drew #32 Relaxation – Activation. This was on Monday, which is a day that I typically try to do all the things! Instead of stressing over my to-do list, Moon encouraged me to step back and relax a little by moving my body in a way that I enjoy, like walking.

“Activating your body will help calm your mind . . .see if you can shift your focus and let the stress out by moving your body.”9

It really worked!  After a quick walk around my neighborhood, I came back refreshed and ready to do some work on my website and create my weekly blog post. 

This deck is so beautiful and easy to use. The colors are rich jewel tones and the various photos and graphics that she uses to create the visuals are stunning. I connected with the cards and the visual art easily and the guidebook was written in a very conversational style.

Moon includes written guidance, an affirmation, and an exercise for each card. The guidebook is printed in four color, so that you can also see the card you chose inside the book. Although each card is numbered, Moon also added a Table of Contents.  In the introduction, she shares that these cards are good for those times when you feel stuck, directionless or unfocused. She also includes how to cleanse your deck, how to phrase a question and three different spreads to use.

The cards are standard size and printed on glossy card stock in a very nice weight.  They are easy to shuffle, but do not bend easily. Each card is lined with silver metallic edging.  The cards and guidebook came in a sturdy two-part box that holds each piece of the set.

My favorite card in the deck from a visual standpoint is the Energy – Motivation card, which is #20.  It features a woman looking down on a winding pathway that is covered in handwritten words and a scattering of letters.  It almost looks like a walkway to the beach, with beautiful clouds in the sky.  I could get lost in that card for days! 

My favorite card in the deck from the guidance presented is #27 Offended – Enlightened. This guidance reflected the wisdom in stopping when I am offended and seeing the trigger.  By loving that part of myself, I can move from “offended” to “enlightened.”10

Shadow and Light Oracle would be good for anyone from a new oracle reader to a more experienced reader of tarot or oracle cards.  The language is easy to understand, yet it presents great messages for self-reflection and personal growth. I plan to add this deck to the stack of decks I use to close out a tarot reading for clients. Many times, I choose an oracle card to share a last bit of guidance for clients and the wisdom from Selena Moon will be a nice addition!