Review: Sacred Hags Oracle by Danielle Dulsky and Janine Houseman

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I received a free copy of this deck in exchange for an honest review.

I love Dulsky's work, having reviewed both Holy Wild and Seasons of Moon and Flame here on the blog over the years. In fact, I was reading Holy Wild while going through abdominal surgery and I will never forget how it helped get me through that trying time. Needless to say, when I was sent a copy of Dulsky's new oracle deck, Sacred Hags Oracle, I was excited to start working with them. If you have read Dulsky's prior works, or are looking for a way to delve deeper into the lessons she outlines in her books, I highly encourage you to pick up her new oracle deck. It's the perfect companion, and I am shocked these cards were not released sooner.

The deck consists of 56 cards, divided up into four suits: The Sacred Hags, The Seasons, The Stories, and The Spells. The Sacred Hags represent "elderly guidance and grandmotherly wisdom," some of which are featured in her books, while The Seasons, 14 cards total, represent the lunar cycle and pertinent times in your life such as childhood. The Story cards, on the other hand, represent major life events, lessons learned, challenges, etc on your journey of life. Finally, The Spells cards are "medicine cards," offering meaningful advice on the next steps you should take. Each card is beautifully designed by Janine Houseman who offered insights into the cards meaning through the illustrations, colors, and overall design. However, each card is also clearly labeled and numbered, with each suit containing a custom-designed sigil. Houseman is considered the sigil witch after all. Her cards would not be complete without the incorporation of sigils. Furthermore, each card is thoroughly explained within the guidebook, so you can work intuitively with the cards or with the guidebook to determine meanings and revelations. 

The guidebook is clearly written by Dulsky herself, as the text is beautifully poetic and magical. Dulsky not only opens the book with a poetic journey but also offers six detailed opening rituals to begin working with the cards. You read that right, SIX. This provides the user with a number of ways to work with these cards, making the deck accessible to all those that pick it up. I greatly appreciated the variety and inclusivity of the rituals. She then offers up a variety of spreads the user could potentially work with before finally delving into each of the card's deeper meanings. Each card description includes a picture of the card, a "Grandmother speaks" introduction (a concept found in her other works), a morning ritual, and a moonlit ritual to better connect with the card. I love the morning and moonlit rituals as they help you connect with each card individually. Like the process outlined by Lara Veleda Vesta in Wild Soul Runes, Dulsky promotes developing a deep relationship with each card over the course of days or weeks to fully connect with the oracle deck.

Despite how much I love the concept and the guidebook, I am unimpressed with the quality of the cards. They are glossy and printed on a rather thin card stock. With multiple uses, these cards will degrade quickly and require a replacement which defeats the connection and energy you have with the deck. However, if this is a deck you plan to only use once in a while, then it should last you longer. Again, if you are looking for a new set of oracle cards or looking for a way to connect more deeply with Dulsky's other works, I encourage you to give this lovely deck a look! Sacred Hags Oracle by Danielle Dulsky and Janine Houseman and available now!

Dulsky even shows up in the cards as Blood of the Warrioress!

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