Womb Rites - The Sacred Spiral Thresholds of Womanhood

Womb Rites - 45 circular cards on the feminine cycle

Most oracle cards are rectangular. Womb Rites is not. The 45 cards are circular, and that choice runs through the entire system: creator Cas Watene describes the womb as moving in spirals, and that shape informs both the structure and the language of the deck.

The focus is specific: the feminine cycle, body-based wisdom, transformation, ritual, and what Watene calls the sacred thresholds of womanhood. This is not a general oracle for daily reflection. It addresses a particular experiential territory.

What you see on the cards

The artwork is by Alexandra Gallagher, a British multidisciplinary artist with international exhibitions and several prize credits, including second place at the Saatchi Showdown Surrealism Prize. Her practice spans collage, painting, and mixed media.

The cards show botanical motifs, celestial patterns, animals, and fragmented human figures layered into surrealist compositions. The imagery is rich and symbolically dense. Gallagher's style is full and detailed, with deep colour and a quality she describes as transforming complex themes into something beautiful and thought-provoking.

The circular format also changes how you hold the cards and how they read together. Without a fixed top and bottom in the way rectangular cards have, some readers use the orientation differently in their practice.

What the guidebook contains

The guidebook runs to 192 full-colour pages and includes card spreads, guidance per card, and practical exercises rooted in the deck's themes. Watene writes from her background as a kinesiologist and reiki master teacher.

The exercises draw on somatic work, meaning awareness located in the body rather than purely in the mind. That is a particular approach, and one that is built consistently throughout the guidebook rather than mentioned only in passing.

About Cas Watene and Alexandra Gallagher

Cas Watene lives in Queensland, Australia, where she holds retreats and trainings on womanhood, ritual, and nervous system healing. She is a kinesiologist, reiki master teacher, and mother of four. Womb Rites grew directly out of this work.

Alexandra Gallagher is a British artist whose style has been described as 'Rococo meets the Lower East Side.' She has collaborated with brands including COAST Fashion and Crown Paint, and is recognised internationally for her surrealist symbolism and layered visual language.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 45 (circular)
• Guidebook: 192 pages, full colour
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781922574718
• Box dimensions: 130 x 130 x 35 mm
• Packaging: Hardcover box with gold-foil stamping on cover
• Author: Cas Watene
• Illustrator: Alexandra Gallagher

Questions we often get

Does the guidebook include spreads and instructions for new users?
Yes. The guidebook contains card spreads, per-card guidance, and practical exercises, which gives enough structure to work with even without prior experience of oracle cards. That said, the subject matter is specific: the deck centres on the feminine cycle and body-based wisdom, so the content will resonate most with those drawn to that territory.

Are the cards and guidebook in English?
Yes, both the cards and the guidebook are entirely in English.