As an oracle aficionado, I was pleased to receive the Angel Gemstone Oracle cards from Margaret Ann Lembo. In addition to being oracular, they are also an excellent source for learning the many gemstones and their basic properties. Lovingly written and evocative, each card contains a perfectly executed photograph of the gemstone it represents. On the “back” of each card is a short affirmations paragraph that one can recite to help tap into the message of the stone. The fronts boast the photo image and questions to ask yourself about the situation in question.
Lembo and Victoria Rose Martin include only basic instructions for readings—using a seven-card layout, or simply drawing a card daily. Like any other sort of divinatory deck, Angel Gemstone cards can be enlisted into the service of any other layout that the reader prefers. I have found them to be useful in an astrological layout of the twelve houses, for example.
When selecting a card for the day, try holding or carrying an actual stone that is described on the card. If you have a collection of stones, this can help enhance the message carried in the cards.
I would like to see a book to accompany the cards—perhaps one that elaborates on the uses of each gemstone, and the relationships to the chakras, as well as, perhaps, the astrological associations. But even by themselves, they will join my regular roster of oracles as another useful tool for gaining greater personal and spiritual insight.