Looking for ways to self-reflect? Oracle decks are a magical practice to add to your inward ritual. Upon digging deeper into self-work, we had to bring in an expert on oracle decks. Allow us to introduce you to Iya Osundara aka Bruja Banton. The Baltimore, MD resident is not only a Osun Priestess in the African Traditional Religion of Ifa/Isese but she's also a tarot and oracle reader, shadow worker, and spiritual bath maker.
"I got into oracle decks by way of tarot cards. I started teaching myself tarot in 2014/2015, and it goes with most things that I find an interest in, I stumbled down a YouTube rabbit hole. That's when I discovered another method of divination in the form of oracle cards," Iya explained.
Courtesy of Iya Osundara
Without a shadow of a doubt, mama knows her stuff! xoNecole had the pleasure of chatting with this queen to talk oracle decks, why they are important, and insights on the rest of the year.
What do you love most about oracle cards?
"Oracle cards are free-spirited and can be about anything. You like affirmations? You can find an affirmation oracle deck. You into plants? There's an oracle deck for that. Crystals? A deck for that. Oracle decks also are a great example of the variety of ways Spirit communicates with us. Sky's the limit, they each have their own structure and feel and there's a freedom in that to me."
How do oracle decks differ from tarot cards?
"Tarot decks, while the artwork may vary, generally follow a structured system. There's always going to be a major and minor arcana of more or less 78 cards. Tarot is also good for getting down to the nitty-gritty of a topic; you can really get in-depth with them. As I mentioned earlier, contrastingly each individual oracle deck has its own structure and feel; this is great for folks who feel like tarot is too rigid or structured.
"Oracle decks are good for insight on a macro level, not too in-depth but just enough to get you started with broad concepts."
Why are oracle decks important?
"Using oracle decks is a form of divination, even on a basic level. To me this question is really asking, why is divination important? Using oracle decks as a tool to divine helps us to strengthen our connection to Spirit, whether that be God/Universe, benevolent ancestors, etc. These are tools that can provide us with insight and/or encouragement in our lives. Clients often ask me how they can strengthen their intuitive gifts, and using oracle decks, pulling cards for yourself is one way to do so."
Getty Images
Can you give us a breakdown of some of your favorite cards?
"This varies as I work with a lot of decks and rotate through them a lot. Currently, my favorite card is "No Short Cuts" from the Chalks of Kikongo deck. It's a reminder that we can't shortcut our way to our goals. The only way is through even if it takes longer than you'd like. Another is Abe Dua from the Adinkra Ancestral Guidance Cards. Abe Dua is an Adinkra symbol that represents the Palm Tree. My government name in Hebrew means Palm Tree, so this card is special for me for that reason, and also because it symbolizes the resourcefulness and resilience that is inherent to the palm tree and also me. It's a reminder that I can create the opportunities I need without waiting on others to bring them to me."
Share any insights you have from your decks that may shine a light on the remainder of the year.
"If you're trying to become more in tune with your intuition, you can no longer ignore or turn away from what is being revealed to you. You have a choice to make a conscious decision on how to proceed.
"Take time to reflect on your choices and don't be afraid to make the choice you intuitively know is right. It may not be comfortable, it may shake the table, but the choices that are best for us cause us to feel this way. Lean into it."
What are your favorite decks?
"I own an obscene amount of decks and my favorites vary depending on the season or how I'm feeling. But some of my go-to oracle decks are: Adinkra Ancestral Guidance Cards, Work Your Light Oracle by Rebecca Campbell and Danielle Danielle Noel, Starseed Oracle by Rebecca Campbell and Danielle Noel, Okana Oracle deck by Akamarot Tarot, and the Chalks of Kikongo Deck by Sharifa of Ageno's Sweet Things."
For more of Iya Osundara, follow her on Instagram @_brujabanton.
Featured image by Getty Images
RELATED
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy