Behind the Deck: The Dreamgate Oracle

 

Authored by dreamwork practitioner and creator of the wildly successful The Moonchild Tarot and The Starchild Tarot decks, Danielle Noel,  The Dreamgate Oracle and its companion journal invite readers to unravel the secrets of their dreams and offer profound new ways to nurture introspection, self-care, and creativity. We had a chat with Danielle about what inspired the deck, and her voyages through the world of dreams.

  Polly Angelova: What was the inspiration behind The Dreamgate Oracle? Danielle Noel: I’ve been drawn to exploring the hidden language of my dreams since childhood. These interior worlds have profoundly affected my waking life, especially with the direction of my artwork. Since I first started creating oracle and tarot decks, I’ve always had a clear vision for the type of messages I wanted to weave in with my visuals. There were a myriad of themes and portals I also wanted to share, but the topic of dreamwork always lingered in the background. The Dreamgate Oracle was the next world to explore after everything I’ve made up until now. I really wanted to make something special and helpful for readers that bridged beyond the typical understanding of oracles. It almost feels like a sweet and tender homecoming.   PA: How did you first begin your journey into connecting with the secret of dreams? DN: I think it all began when I was quite young. I’ve had a handful of profound dreams since then that have deeply shaken me. The first involved a visitation dream from my great-grandmother, who shared beautiful details about my family that I’d had no previous knowledge of. That was when I first realised there was something beyond my understanding of dreams at the time. After this, I started recording my more vivid, lucid experiences. Then came dream interpretation and a greater deep dive into the more extended discourse of it all as I grew older.    PA: Could you tell us about your first experience with exploring the liminal spaces of the mind through dreamwork? DN: When I first became aware of lucid dreaming – the type of dream in which the dreamer wakes up within the dream and knows they are, in fact, dreaming – my creative urge to see what I could do in dreamtime became stronger. Around then, I experienced astral travel for the first time. I remember floating above my sleeping self and drifting into various other rooms in my house. Seeing my parents and brother asleep, then flying throughout my neighbourhood, all the way over to my elementary school. After this experience, I could tell when I was entering an astral state, and I learned to effectively work with this skill, like building a muscle that became stronger over time.    PA: How can your oracle deck help individuals connect with the deeper meaning of their dreams and their importance in our lives? DN: The Dreamgate Oracle was designed to enhance your own journey with dreamwork while also crossing into the threshold of your days. It is not a typical dream interpretation deck. Its language is slightly different, as the visual portals of the cards drive it, so I feel it is much more open-ended for the unique reading experience of each person. The cards offer a well-rounded approach to a personalised reading process through sacred spaces, energetic self-care tips, and visual ignition keys.  Each card can also be used as a focal point for your meditative practice or as a doorway you can cross into before you head to sleep. In the morning, you may also want to draw a card as a touchstone for your day. Every key offers a portal filled with gentle wisdom to activate your own discoveries.    PA: Oracle decks have seen an apparent explosion in popularity in recent years. Why do you think the practice is attracting so many newcomers? DN: It’s been incredibly fascinating to see the progression of decks that have emerged over the last decade. With the expansion of social media, we have been gifted a window into so much creativity but also a front-row seat to the shadows of our world. I think we are all feeling a collective shift, and with this comes a yearning for ways to support our hearts even more. Oracles are tools for introspection and self-care. They are designed to be a balm, but also a mirror. People are waking up in mass amounts, and I think the need to look within is becoming paramount to our spiritual and mental nourishment.    PA: Do you think there are still misconceptions about oracle decks, and how would you respond to them? DN: I definitely do. I have also experienced this first hand as a tarot creator, especially from my more conservative observers over the years. I think that oracles can sometimes be grouped into the realm of ‘fortune-telling’, which is not something I believe. I do not think the cards are meant to foretell the future – far from it. They merely act as reflective touchstones for our own inner knowing. I have often thought of them as sounding boards or someone I am conversing deeply with. The feedback we receive can be interpreted however we wish, and we will always come to our own conclusions in the end. I think oracles offer a similar sort of medicine to journals. We can pour out our hearts, reflect, and dig deeper into our thoughts and feelings.    PA: What does spiritual empowerment mean to you, and how can we ensure we encourage and foster it in our lives? DN: I think spiritual empowerment comes from feeling safe and free in your beliefs. Your practices. Your identity. No matter what these may be, no one else should tell you what you can or cannot believe in or who you want to be. I think that on a collective scale, we each have a responsibility to respect the spiritual empowerment and identities of others. I think by first coming home to yourself and nurturing your own spiritual truth you reflect freedom for others to do the same. Shining your light outwardly sets a beautiful precedent for all of us.    PA: Which of the cards in The Dreamgate Oracle deck have you found yourself most strongly resonating with on this journey? DN: Oh wow. This is a tough one. As I was creating the cards, I felt like I was on a sort of evolutionary journey from the beginning to the end. The Quest card opens up a sweet dialogue to trust your heart with the pivots and turns you take throughout life. I also feel deeply connected to the Ancient Muse card because the hidden mysteries of our world inspire and motivate me to create. I feel like I’m an explorer when I dive into the cards, have the privilege of travelling to sacred lands, and learn to read in between the lines of history. So I would have to say, Ancient Muse is pretty close to my heart these days.    PA: Finally, what's one thing about your new deck that no one has asked yet but that you wish someone would? DN: I am really interested in seeing how people read into the visuals for themselves. I know there will be questions about some of their deeper meanings, which excites me. I hope new readers feel like they can reach out to me if they have any sparks of inspiration to discuss.    To find out more about Danielle head on over to her website now. For another Behind the Deck feature check out Sophie Bashford's article.