Ashley Stinson is the creatress of Energy Archaeology, an energy healing modality and personal discovery method that uncovers the energetic wisdom in our bones. She is based in Charlottesville, Virginia. After signing up for the course in May 2020, Ashley launched her much-awaited Energy Archaeology Card Deck in 2021 and is now in her second print run. Having begun the process of creating this deck long before the course, she was able to fill in some of the missing pieces in getting her deck into the world.
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Can you share a little about the inspiration behind the deck and why you wanted to create it?
The Energy Archaeology Oracle is a synthesis of my work with the energy in the bones. It’s been a creative project not so much from my own desire to create a deck, but more of a need to present what I see in the body in an easily accessible way. Each of our bones holds an energetic resonance – whether it’s one of co-creation, our inner child, ancestral inheritance, or integration. Not everyone wants to take a course or join a membership, and that’s been reflected back to me as I’ve been creating. People wanted a way to engage with the foundational energy in their bones on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis – and that’s what this deck provides.
In what stage of the process were you before joining the course?
When I joined Oracle Creator I had sketched almost half of the cards and already had hired an illustrator to help me take them into final form. She had been digitally painting them as we went. Once I joined the course I committed to getting it done quicker. I sketched the remaining 20+ cards and they’ve been coming back to me for edits over the past few months.
What decisions did the course help you with?
I have a background in art and graphic design, so I was never worried about the creation part of the deck – that always flowed easily and intuitively. But the idea of printing was almost paralyzing. When I was going about this on my own and inquiring with other deck creators, I found that so many wouldn’t share who had printed their decks. So I spent months contacting printers and getting quotes (not quite knowing exactly what I was doing) and inputting them into a spreadsheet! And was still undecided! The transparency in Oracle Creator, not only from Jo, but from others who are creating decks was so refreshing and supportive.
What was the most valuable takeaway for you?
It’s hard to choose just one, because at different points in the creative process I’ve needed each of the modules inside Oracle Creator, but I think the biggest overall takeaway is no matter how prepared you think you are to create a physical product, there are always things you didn’t think of. So you can make it hard on yourself and try to find it all through Google, or you can get a mentor who has put it all in one place – which is exactly what Oracle Creator is.
Is there anything that surprised you about the process so far?
The impulse and guidance to create a deck of my work came very early on, and I’ve been sketching cards as the pattern and meaning in particular bones would fully land. It isn’t a deck that came together all at once – it has come together intuitively and morphed a few times. On top of the fluidity of the process, this project has been so much more in every way possible. More time and money than I thought, more surrender, more patience – but also more rewarding, more fulfilling, and more excitement from my community.
Would you like to share any details about the launch of your deck?
The Energy Archaeology Oracle is now out in the world. During the production period, I created my Oracle Insider portal. This is a digital space I’ve created to share the process with you – half behind-the-scenes, half deep-dive course on the Energy Archaeology Oracle! There are videos about the deck overall, and then a card gallery, where you can explore each of the 48 cards, the artwork progress, timelapse videos, guidebook entry, and a teaching video to take you deeper into your own relationship with that particular bone. You can find out more and join here.