*This page may contain affiliate links which may allow us to collect a commission when you click and make a purchase through the links on our site. There is no additional cost to you for doing so.*

Created By: Sandra Caputo & Laura Caputo
Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
Number of cards: 40
Card size: 5 x 3.5 in
Box size: 5.25 x 3.75 x 1.25 in
Guidebook pages: 128; 40 in english
Purchased or gifted?: Gifted Llewellyn (Lo Scarabeo’s US distributor)

Absolute favorite card: Forgiveness
Other favorites: Seer, Death, Dignity, Saint, Goddess, Witch, Healer, Wiseman, Warrior, Birth
Notable detail: Unique spread concept
Season: early spring and fall

Element: Water
Sabbat: Samhain
Sign: Scorpio, Pisces
Tarot Deck compliment: TBD

First Impressions

Right away, this deck reminded me of one of my favorite decks of all time which is also published through Lo Scarabeo and called Angelarium - Oracle of Emanations. This deck, based on the Kabbalah, is so beautiful and while I don’t know a lot about the Kabbalah, I have found myself drawn to the Angelarium - Oracle of Emanations over and over again. Otherworld Oracle immediately felt like the same energy and I find myself completely captivated by it everytime I pick it up. It feels, as the name suggests, otherworldly, mystical and downright transcendent. The box isn’t the flashiest or the guidebook the meatiest, but overall, pound for pound, this deck is immaculate. So let’s dive in.

The Packaging

The box is just a box. There’s nothing special about it but it is beautiful. The artwork selected for the cover is captivating and the box itself does the job. It’s sturdy and easy to open. The cards are what I consider to be the perfect thickness; not to thin, not to thick. The backs of the cards have an ok pattern but I do wish the pattern had been something a little more thoughtful. I can imagine the figures from the witch card (see image below) or perhaps the portal from the ancestors card being very powerful options for the backs. I would’ve loved to see an indication of some kind of portal. Imagine having the cards face down, looking at the back of each card as though they were a portal to this otherworld? Not a big deal by any means but a missed opportunity in my opinion. The guidebook is straightforward. It's just black and white so nothing special in terms of color or unique details but well made nevertheless.

Allow me to rant for a second though. Publisher’s, for the love of content creation, please stop making shiny cards!! I beg you, please stop making shiny cards. They pick up so much glare and the answer is so simple: matte cards. Matte cards make content creation so much better and frankly, we are in the age of content creation. These things matter.

The Guidebook

I think the most notable thing about this deck is the unique spread. At first, I was pretty irritated to see cards numbered 1-22 and then a second set of cards numbered 1-18 but in Roman numerals. Not to be rude but it honestly pisses me off when cards are divided in say three sections and each section starts over again with the number 1. I don’t think it's intuitive or even practical. I like reading guidebooks in addition to using my intuition. Somebody went through the trouble of writing a guidebook so I feel like it's only a matter of respect to read it.

Not only that but I am a firm believer that you don’t have to use your intuition for everything. I’m getting a bit off topic here but there are times when, try as I might, I’m just not feeling connected to my intuition and honestly, those are the times I reach for oracle decks the most. One of the main benefits of working with oracle and tarot cards is that it shows you what you can’t to see on your own. That could be a belief you need to let go of, a way you’ve been self-sabotaging, or a deeper understanding of a feeling you don’t immediately recognize or understand. All this to say, it's 100% ok if you want to read out of the guidebook, even as a professional reader. I think it's complete bullshit to say you aren’t ready to read professionally unless you read without the guidebook. You still have to interpret the guidebook as it relates to the question which is using your intuition!!!!!!

Ok, now bringing it back from that detour. At first I was annoyed by the numbering system but then I read through the whole guidebook and now I understand why it's the way that it is. But perhaps I’ll save that for “Reading with these cards'' down below. For now, know that the guidebook has an introduction, how to use this deck, a paragraph for archetypes and one for allies, and then finally some information about the cards themselves. There are no spreads but I’m not sure that you need them here. The intention behind the use of the cards really serves as the only spread you need. One thing I don’t like is having “How to use these cards” at the back of the English section. I think that should’ve been upfront, especially here considering there is a specific way the authors have intended the deck be used.

The Artwork

Oh my goodness, the artwork is STUNNING!! It's dreamy, magical, mystical, psychedelic, and thought provoking. The figures portrayed are beautifully weird but feel amazingly powerful. You truly feel as though you’ve stepped into another world when looking at them.

My favorite card is Forgiveness. Wow, this card is just everything. There’s this wise old tree or maybe it's a mountain, I don’t know but it looks like it's made entirely of roots. You get the sense this being is old and incredibly intelligent both intellectually and emotionally as well as spiritually. The figure is blowing smoke on perhaps a tree or bouquet of some sort and it feels like they’re taking an exhale, releasing everything they’ve been holding. I honestly couldn’t tell you if this card resonates with me so deeply because of the art or because forgiveness has been a big deal in my life recently, probably both. But I can tell you reflecting on this card has been deeply moving and restorative.

“By drawing a card and thus discovering the current needed energy, you have a better understanding about the direction of your personal development and self-discovery at this moment.”

My other favorite is called Birth which is funny because I didn’t even notice it the first few times going through the deck. I just didn’t feel anything until I pulled it one day and it just struck me. The color palette especially is like everything I love in life. A greenish gray, beige, creamy limestone and black. That’s like my ideal palette in a nutshell. And then down in the bottom right corner is a figure, watching this much larger figure emerge. I’m deeply moved by this card mostly because it's so subtle and I think that really speaks to creativity.

I think there’s this idea that a creative spark always means a big flashing billboard but most of the time, it's something soft and subtle that slowly blooms into something else. It may start off as grey and then you give it color. It may begin as unremarkable but then something shifts and suddenly, it's pulling at your heartstrings. Even my journey with this card started with me completely ignoring it until one day I became ready to accept the beautiful gift I had been offered in this image. No idea is flawless right away. It takes time and patience and a willingness to let something evolve before greatness can truly take root. If you get this deck, I would urge you to reflect on this card but also, on any card that strikes you. Take the time to let your mind, body and spirit absorb what you’re drawn to. Then step away and revisit the card the next day. Then do that again for several more days and see what emerges in your thoughts and especially your feelings.

Purchase Otherworld Oracle

Reading With this Deck

I hadn’t read the guidebook before working with the cards so I did my card interview without taking into consideration the intended use of the deck. And I think that’s ok. I believe you can still use this deck as you would any other deck but I do think the specific way to use this deck is incredible and something you should do at least once. So I’ll start with my first reading which is always a deck interview.

By the way, if you’ve purchased my deck Seasons of the Witch: Litha and feel called to leave a review, follow this link here to submit a screenshot of your review and get a free download for my 21 guide to get to know your new oracle deck. You can use it for any deck, both tarot and oracle to build a deeply intimate relationship with your new divination tool. Now back to our regular programming, lol.

The interview is actually the first time that I saw the birth card and that’s when I was like, wait, how did I not see this card before now? I pulled birth as the deck's personality and I feel that. This deck feels very transformative and I believe those of you who choose to purchase it are doing so because a part of you is ready to dive deeper into what makes you, you. You’re ready to explore your unique “otherworld,” the part of you that isn’t bound by everyday rules and expectations. The rest of the reading seemed to support this idea. I also pulled vision, virgin, sandman, forgiveness, healer and oracle; not in that order.

Now as promised, this deck’s unique spread. The deck is broken down into two sections, the first being archetypes and the second being allies. The idea is to keep the sections separate. Bring your question to mind then pull a card from the archetype deck. This card tells you what energy you need most right now, as it relates to your question. Then, draw a second card from the allies section, keeping the same question in mind. This card tells you how to go about achieving the goal set by the archetype card. What you get is a “here’s the answer to your question,” and then the second card tells you how to go about achieving it. I found this practice unusual and clever. The archetype cards also have a few shadow words which represent challenges you might face in attempting to achieve your archetype’s goal.

In July, I started pulling a card for my readers and I’ll do the same here but, I’m pulling a card from each section just as the creators intended. Here’s what you need to know most right now:

Collective Pull

The archetype card I pulled for you is the Sage. This card represents the balance between compassion and truth. This sage has lived many, many years and because she has done and seen so much, she no longer has time to sugarcoat anything. She delivers true and sometimes harsh words but does so in the most compassionate way possible. She never seeks to hurt, only to encourage but she also knows lying won’t help anyone to evolve. She can be a gatekeeper in her shadow aspect, hoarding her hard earned knowledge out of fear of being replaced or losing her value. As a goal, this card urges you to be wise with your words, both for yourself and others. You can stand in your truth without being unkind. You can be honest with yourself without self-bullying. Contemplate how you can embody the qualities of a rose, that’s soft and expressive but also strong and ready to defend itself with sharp thorns when necessary.

The ally card I pulled for you is fear. This card speaks strongly to the shadow aspects of the sage who hoards their gifts or lashes out in cold retorts out of fear. Most people don’t come into life with hatred, anger, jealousy or sadness. That is something that you learn over time, likely from hurtful experiences. No one can blame you for the ways you’ve learned to protect yourself. In the moment, you did what you thought best and that’s all you could’ve done. But at some point, you’ll have to look back on what caused this fear in your life and take back your power.

Each fear is simply a seed of strength. It takes a lot of work in the beginning but with time and nourishment, it will grow mighty and strong until it no longer needs your support to thrive. When you lash out, ask yourself what you’re afraid of at this moment or why you chose anger instead of kindness. When you feel compelled to keep information to yourself that could help someone, ask yourself what you’re really protecting. Is it truly the information or what value you believe this information gives you. There’s always an opportunity to go a layer deeper when you have enough courage to face your fears.

Season, Sign and Sabbat

I’ll start with the zodiac sign because I am a scorpio after all and otherworlds are kind of our thing. The “otherworld” portrayed in this deck is dark and I imagine it like going down, not into a bad place but one that has depth and shadow and murkiness. Scorpio is all about diving deep for treasure. Its job is to go into those shadowy parts of your psyche, bringing light to dark places and restoring the soul. That’s why Scorpio is associated with death because a part of you does have to die to allow a new part to be reborn. That’s also why Scorpio is connected to “otherworlds” and why its archetypes are usually the shaman and the witch. This sign is truly about stepping out of the world you know and into a new world that will challenge you and force you to mold yourself into something completely different from anything you’ve ever known.

I also like pisces for the zodiac sign because this deck is so fantastical and has such a psychedelic quality to it which is jointly Scorpio and Pisces I would say. And of course, both of these are water signs which is why I chose the water element. Not to mention the abundance of blues in this deck.

Samhain is the sabbat all day long. Crossing the veil between worlds, well, that’s the big thing about Samhain that we all love right? And of course, Samhain occurs during Scorpio season so it seemed on brand to me.

Finally, the season is spring. I really wanted to say autumn and I actually do feel the connection to fall but that didn’t feel completely right. There’s so much life and chance for renewal when I look through the cards which really reads spring to me. Just imagine it as spring in an otherworldly rainforest.

Who is this deck for?

Well it's not for the faint of heart. I don’t think this is an “easy” or gentle deck at all but not quite a shadow work deck either. It's a deck for those who are fully embodying the archetype of the healer, shaman, witch or spiritual warrior. I think this deck is for those of you who are ready to exist outside of society and by that I mean, you’re ready to be your full self even when that means having to face odd looks or harsh criticism. I believe this deck is for those who care more about being authentic than what other people have to say and to do that, you do have to dive deep into your soul and connect with the part of you that is transcendent.

Now that’s deep work which is why this deck isn’t for everyone. So read the last paragraph again and if you get fired up by the idea of being truly unique and unlimited then add to cart immediately and check out. But if the idea of confronting yourself, the good, the bad and the ugly isn’t something you don’t want to be bothered with, then perhaps this isn’t the deck for you, at least not right now.

Tarot Deck Companion

Thanks for reading all the way through. If you found this review to be helpful, informative or entertaining in any way, please be sure to leave a comment down below. It really helps me know what you’re enjoying so that I can provide more content based on what you love. In the meantime, please enjoy a variety of photos from this deck.

And of course, if there is something you’d like me to consider reviewing, please comment below or email me at hello@spiritelement.co