Sarahkkas Pathfinder (Wizard) Cards--The First Oracle Deck from Samiland

Sarahkkas Pathfinder (Wizard) Cards

The first ever Oracle Deck using Saami (or Sami) images and spiritual principles has been created by a Sami Shaman or Noaidi named Astrid Ingebjørg Swart who is based out of Oslo, Norway. She established her practice over eight years ago and teaches Astrology, Natural Healing, Shamanism, Reflexology and much more--she also teaches internationally.

Astrid Ingebjørg Swart

For those of you that don't know, the Sami or Saami people are the only indigenous people of Europe that the UN recognizes and they live in the far northern parts of Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula of Russia, mostly above the Arctic Circle. The land, spanning four countries that used to have no borders was called Lapland and the people, Laplanders, but this term is no longer used as it is considered derogatory. They are the reindeer herders of the North and many still make their living this way. They are also known for their love of yoiking or joiking, a form of ceremonial singing and chanting. Since many of the Sami are a nomadic people even to this day, singing was the only art form that could travel with them. They are also called the people of the Sun and the Wind. The ceremonial drum, the four directions and the eight seasons are sacred. The Sun is their main deity. This is a culture that is steeped in shamanistic traditions and has been around for thousands of years. The people still live as one with nature not unlike the First Nations, the indigenous peoples of North America.

Painting of a Sami Reindeer Herder.
Artist Unknown.

The guidebook for this deck has just been translated into English and I was sent a copy of this deck to review and have been using it for the past week. The images on the cards were painted by Margit Berg from Germany who illustrates books and has an interest in Sami culture and has studied shamanism under another noaidi. Her images are beautiful and the ancient drawings or pictographs that were used on the old ceremonial drums are what is depicted for the Gods & Goddesses in this deck. 

The deck has 48 cards with images and is divided into what I would call suits or themes: the Sami Gods & Goddesses, Sami Culture, Nature, Animals, and Heaven & Earth--ten cards in each suit except the Heaven & Earth which has eight cards. There are instructions for four different types of spreads in the guidebook: using one card, three cards, seven cards and eight cards. I have also shuffled both my Rider Waite and the Pathfinder decks together and done readings that way and done different spreads and used the deck to enhance the Tarot spread or Oracle spread that I am already doing for a more in depth perspective.

The Pathfinder cards are the same size as my standard Rider Waite and printed on a medium card stock and very easy to shuffle. The back is not a reversible image, but a beautiful one; a photograph of a lake with a gravel beach, a green landscape with trees behind it, a boat and the purple and green Northern Lights in the sky with Astrid's logo at the top. 

You can order this deck directly from Astrid's website and there is more information on the page including a description of the spreads, testimonials and more. If you are a new age or metaphysical store anywhere in North America and would like to have some of these decks to display and sell, please go HERE and fill out the form for more information.