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Here's a quick and dirty walk-through of my latest release and self-published oracle card deck. Take a peek at all of the cards and some of the original artwork from the Divine Muses Oracle.
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The Divine Muses Oracle seeks to explore creativity, mysticism & healing using the archetypal forces found in alchemy, magic, Greek mythology and daily life. This deck was created with handmade mixed media collage techniques using artwork and cabinet card photography from the Victorian era. Each card was intentionally crafted to form a functional deck for the practitioner of magic & divination working in the mystical & healing arts. Novice and adept readers can use it as a tool for self-realization. Any reader can use it as a guide alongside tarot cards or other oracle decks. The Divine Muses Oracle has 53 cards and the book examines 106 meanings, including the Essence (or general meaning) for the archetype of each card, and its Shadow, or reversed definition. If you work with archetypes, some cards will be familiar for you, however there are a few that merge traditional archetypes into “new” ones. They aren’t new archetypes, really, as they already exist in the collective unconscious. They are being renamed since any archetype that can be named prevails on the spectrum of perennial spiritual truths. The following excerpt is from the Divine Muses Oracle Companion Guidebook. ©2019 Divine Muses “Archetypes are ancient and universal. They reflect recurring themes, characters, images or patterns that exist within the collective unconscious and show up in literature, art and mythology. The idea of archetypes was first analyzed by the Greek philosopher, Plato, in his theory of Forms. Forms, or images, are described as the non-physical essence, or spirit, of all things in the physical world. Reinterpreted by psychologist Carl G. Jung (1875–1961), the concept of archetypes show age-old patterns that exist in the psychic part of one’s instincts. They are usually hidden at first, but when recognized and named, can be brought to conscious form and explored by the individual for potential growth. Essentially every idea can be examined through archetypes! They can be reflected in the characters and symbols of tarot, fairy tales, religions and paintings; and can even be found in our dreams. Everyone can access them as they are either dormant (unknown) or alive (known) within us. When we start working with archetypes we will begin to see their inherent truths functioning in our lives. They transcend the individual, yet magically seem to explain our situation so uniquely when accessed. When you draw a card, chances are you are expressing or experiencing that archetype somewhere in your life. It’s why tarot and oracles work!” With this oracle, I will also share the alchemical process as I have learned it from the spiritual perspective, based in large part on Jung’s work (and contributions from his students/contemporaries.) It was the rich symbols in alchemy that led him to see the power of archetypal forces found in the collective unconscious. Jung believed that the alchemical process of the ancients wasn’t an actual transformation of lead to gold, but was an inner and spiritual work. A metaphor for what he termed the individuation process—steps to becoming aware of oneself for personal growth. The alchemical archetypes he encountered ultimately guided his theory of the collective unconscious. Jung believed that the blackening, whitening, yellowing and reddening phases of alchemy were archetypal and symbolized individuation. In the Divine Muses Oracle, I created six cards that connect the alchemical archetypes to spiritual realization. Each of the cards have an animal representative to depict the alchemical evolution. See photo of the Alchemical Animals below. ©2019 Divine Muses. All rights reserved.
Additional Archetypal energies explored: Nine Greek Muses—including an extra non-traditional Muse. Four Magical Elements—represented by totems as seen in the 4 Tarot suits. And, other Mystical Creatures, Magical Influences & Divine Prompts. (You can read a little more about these in a previous blogpost Divine Muses Oracle Update.) ABOUT THE DECK There are 54 cards total: 53 archetypal cards & a signed title card Backs are reversible w/ a Victorian wallpaper design Cards come in a matching padded zipper-case CARD SIZE & TYPE Standard: 2.75''×4.75'' (70mm×120mm) French linen card stock ABOUT THE GUIDEBOOK Divine Muses Oracle Companion Guidebook has 263 pages with a linen cover. It goes into detail about each card's archetype with a definition for the essence (the upright position) and shadow (the reversed position) meanings for the card. There's a section on how to use the cards with several spreads and layout ideas that can be used by the novice or adept reader. GUIDEBOOK SIZE Linen cover, 273 pages (including front pages): 4.25" x 7" x .5" (108mm x 178mm x 13mm) I hope this information gives you a better idea of what to expect from the Divine Muses Oracle. The set will be available online March 4th! The NW Tarot Symposium is March 1–3 weekend at the Monarch Hotel in Clackamas, Oregon. Divine Muses will have a table at NWTS Vendors Bazaar, a free admission Psychic Fair and Metaphysical Market open to the public Saturday and Sunday. The vending room is also open Friday, but for NWTS workshop attendees only.  NWTS attendees will have the first opportunity to get a hold of my latest offering. A new oracle deck with handmade mixed media collages using nineteenth century artwork and cabinet card photography. Each card was intentionally crafted to form a functional working deck for the practitioner of mystical and healing arts. Hope to see you at NeWTS!  UPDATE: Click through to the Gallery to see the photo reveal!
The Divine Muse Oracle is now complete! Timed right with the closing of the Eclipse Portal. ;) I have ordered the cards from the printer and am waiting to make final choices for the companion book, which has 263 pages and the same dimensions as the Antiquarian Tarot Companion Guidebook. The deck will be released with a matching padded zipper case, similar to the one that came with the Antiquarian Tarot. I was tempted to also add a box to hold the deck, case and book, but this was going to raise the cost of the set a fair amount, so I decided against it. A proper reveal will be done soon! If you read my previous post, you'll know that I've kept this project close to the chest for various reasons. For now, I've included this online sneak peak of three of the cards: Lattice of the Soul (which reflects albedo, the whitening phase in alchemy), Astral Ascent and the Wounded Healer. My plan is to share more about this deck and how I'm using it soon. I'm finishing up last minute details and will have more time to contribute online after everything is at the printers. I hope you are having a great start to 2019! Blessed Be, Maree I have completed the artwork for the Divine Muses Oracle cards! If you don't know know about it, it is a project that seeks to explore archetypes in alchemy, magic and the Muses as a way to practice further realization of our creativity and inner truths.
There are 53 cards and the guidebook has 106 meanings, including the “essence,” or general meaning for the archetype of the card, and its “shadow,” or reversed definition. If you work with archetypes, some will be familiar, however there are some cards that merge traditional archetypes into “new” ones. They aren’t new archetypes, really, as they already exist in the collective unconscious. I’m just naming, or renaming them, since these archetypes prevail on the spectrum of perennial spiritual truths. If you're unfamiliar, archetypes and the collective unconscious are terms that were coined and explored by Swiss psychologist, Carl G. Jung. To pay homage to the Muses, I incorporated into the deck the Nine Muses of Ancient Greek mythology. They, too, are archetypal! Specifically, creative archetypes for artists and writers to work with. I’ve added a tenth Muse to make up for the lack of a “Muse of Art.” Even though the Nine Muses are considered the “Muses of the Arts,” connected to writing, the performing arts & even sciences, there is no Muse for the visual arts. I explain further in my book about the addition of the Tenth Muse. There are also four mystical totem creatures, which connect to the tarot's suits: salamander, undine, sylph and gnome. They link to the magical elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth, bringing the four elements as archetypes into this oracle. The six alchemy cards feature animals that represent a stage in the the alchemical procedure, or individuation process, as described by Carl Jung. In fact it was the rich symbols in alchemy that led Jung to realize the collective unconscious. He saw a connection in the work of self-realization with the Great Work of alchemy. The process of creating this deck has been an exploration and discovery of alchemical healing, magic and archetypal forces. It has been a sacred and private journey for me. For this reason, I have yet to post any photos of the cards online. For one, I am not participating on social media at the moment, which I addressed in my previous post. I also like to keep what I’m creating close as I don’t want my artwork or magical practice to be influenced by outside forces. During the past year, as I worked more intensely with the oracle cards (for those of you who are versed in astrology) Jupiter in Scorpio has been aspecting my chart in a particular way, which contributed to my period of solitude and inner contemplation. Saturn also crossed the bottom of my chart (IC) conjuncting Pallas Athena and my Moon, two times this year! It’s going to cross one final time in a couple weeks. In short, this year has definitely been one for inner work. Now that Jupiter is in Sagittarius, I'm ready and excited to share this project with you. My plan is to officially release the deck in March at the NWTS 2019. The cards will have a companion book, which is almost complete. I will hopefully have the first draft done to send to my editor soon. This project will again be a self-published, independent release. I will share photos of the cards with you...when I get the demo from the printer. Hopefully in January. Stay tuned!  Hanged Man from the Mystical Tarot, by Giuliano Costa I've been at work on the Divine Muses Oracle! I think I'm halfway through the cards. The thing about oracle decks is that one can create as many cards as they want. There's no exact system, but the cards need to be readable and evocative for intuitives. Pretty artwork isn't always enough. It's no easy task, I'm finding out, but I'm exploring and enjoying the process. I have 50 cards planned and 26 completed; merging archetypes, bringing in alchemical & mystical animals and the Greek Muses, of course! I'll post pictures soon.
In other news, the Antiquarian Lenormand is being retired this year! It's been 5 years since its release and I thought it was time to put it to rest. I reprinted 30 more poker decks in the black tins. This makes 600 copies total, including first edition decks. There are also mini lennies available. I've moved them all to the divineMuses Etsy shop. I'm also taking pre-orders for the Antiquarian Tarot. I've deactivated my Facebook account, which meant unpublishing my Facebook Divine Muses, Antiquarian Lenormand and Tarot Pages. I'm not going to post the reason, but I'm sure you can understand the FB dilemma. So I'll just leave it at that. My Youtube channel has not had a new video in quite some time. Alas, I'm so focused on my oracle deck and running my business, that videos are not a priority. However, I do reply to the comments and will update the Edge Treatment video, as there's new information to share. I invite you to post a comment here if you wish or contact me via email. (There's an email icon at the top of the page or contact button in the About tab.) I appreciate the emails I've received and I love to read them, so don't hesitate to write me if you have any questions. I'm still here, just not on social media right now. Things have been SUPER intense in the world and astrology seems to reflect this. Uranus entering Taurus in Mid-May didn't make things easier. Uranus wants freedom, evolution and progress, but Taurus is nostalgic and resists change. Uranus' heart is on the future, Taurus holds to the past. Sound familiar? Can you feel the progress that wants to be made, however things keep holding us back? Oh, the growing pains of revolution and evolution. Hang tight! It's not easy and no amount of fairy dust is going to help. It'll just get in our eyes and irritate more than help. So don't sugar coat, be real with how you feel! All we can really do right now is surrender and trust that we will get through this time. I have pulled the Hanged Man from the Mystical Tarot, by Giuliano Costa, several times in the past few days, so this message has been especially clear. Look at that volcano in the background! It's reflecting Hawaii's Mt. Kilauea and Guatemala's Volcan del Fuego's eruptions. And it's the Hanged Man card! Sigh. The message is strong and reflects much of what's happening in the world. It's been difficult and painful for many of us to witness or even bear. But we may find the answer lies in this Hanged Man card. The card of reversal. (Can we see the situation from a different perspective?) The surrender, trust and sacrifice card. But, also the card of detox (not just food and drink, but toxic people and situations), self-reflection, patience, pause, faith and acceptance. Neptune rules the Hanged Man and is nebulous, sensitive and idealistic. Neptune's energy is creative and intuitive, but also hopeful. How can we be as calm as the Hanged Man with all that chaos going on around him? I suppose we can be more compassionate with ourselves and have faith—so Neptunian. We can remember to check out of the chaos at times and check into a short meditation or contemplation. Tap into our artist/healer self and stay devoted to our dreams. Onward and upward!  The Antiquarian Tarot's Companion Guidebook is now available as an eBook! It's in the Divine Muses Etsy shop HERE.
Obtainable via immediate digital download of the following two file types. .epub (EPUB files can be opened in most eBook readers, including the B&N Nook, Kobo eReader, and Apple's iBooks app.) .mobi (MOBI files can be read by eBook readers like the Amazon Kindle and many smartphones that support that format.) Image shows the eBook on an Ipad mini, which was from the EPUB file. Please note: I cannot provide assistance on how to open these files on your particular device. The best I can offer is to point you to a google search of how to open EPUB or MOBI files for your specific gizmo. It's coming up on that time again! I've been getting together my vending table for the 4th annual Northwest Tarot Symposium (NWTS), also known affectionally as Newts. I'm so grateful this is in Portland. I've come to this every year and it's such a fun conference! Wonderful people, workshops and vendors. Jay and Jadzia DeForest have really put something special together.
If you're in the area, come say hello! I'll have: *Sample cards from the up and coming Divine Muses Oracle. 1st time reveal! *LTD ed signed & numbered decks of the Antiquarian Tarot Gold (GILDED) *The Antiquarian Tarot Companion Guidebook *The Antiquarian Lenormand, poker and mini sizes, and *NEW: Divination jewelry! Power pieces created by me specifically for practitioners of the Mystical and Healing arts. As a professional card reader and bodyworker, I find certain crystals help to enhance my work. I have been inspired to create something I could wear while doing readings and massage work. It's useful to have on a power piece when working, especially when mobile. FYI, I closed my online shop temporarily to make sure I had products for this event. (Plus, I needed a short break.) I'll reopen if I have decks leftover. Whatever I don't sell I'll list here again, as well as in my Etsy shop. I may have to order more, so it may be a few weeks before I have decks & books up for sale again. Thank you for your patience! Posted below is the info for the vending area of the tarot conference. I hope to see you at NeWTS! FREE PSYCHIC FAIR & MARKET Saturday & Sunday, March 3rd & 4th, 9am–5pm Monarch Hotel & Conference Center 12566 SE 93rd Ave Clackamas, OR 97015 Held in conjunction with the Northwest Tarot Symposium, the Psychic Fair and Metaphysical Market is free and open to the public! We have readers and merchants from all over the US and beyond coming to Portland for the symposium, and to offer their goods and services for your benefit! Please note: Admission to the Psychic Fair & Metaphysical Market is Free. Readers and Merchants charge for their goods and services. Admission to this part of the event does not include the symposium workshops and related events. To attend conference workshops and weekend social events, please sign up for the Northwest Tarot Symposium here.
Lo Scarabeo is celebrating 30 years with this limited numbered edition of 1,987 copies to honor the year they were founded in Italy. The gorgeous, colorful artwork is by Fabio Listrani, artist of the Night Sun Tarot. LS says this limited edition is printed on the highest quality paper. It is, indeed, a thicker card stock, but it's also glossier than their standard decks. Coffin box: 7" x 4" (178mm x 102mm) Deck: 4.75" x 2.75" (120mm x 70mm) Book: 4.75" x 2.75" (120mm x 70mm) 128 pages on glossy paper with a few of the cards in color. English (pg. 5-54), Italian (55-68), French (69-82), Spanish (83-94), Portuguese (95-106), Russian (107-118) and Chinese (119-128). At first glance, I like how the suit colors are similar to the Albano Waite Tarot's color system. It is the RWS-style deck I read with the most and prefer to most RWS. So the suits in this familiar color palette work very well for me. I also LOVE how the 10 of each suit is a painting of a butterfly or moth showing the culmination and completion of each level! I still need to read with it to give it a better overview, but my first impressions are very positive. UPDATE: I purchased the standard edition of this deck and have been using it and decided to keep the coffin edition unused. My initial impressions have stayed with me. I really love this deck! It was a joy to read with during the last Halloween and Autumnal season. I notice that skeletons make a great subject to read for just about anyone. It'll definitely be in my rotation of reading decks for next Fall. Here are the photos of the cards. Click on each image to make it bigger.  The Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers and Chariot.  Strength, Hermit, W. Fortune, Justice, Hanged Man, S. Muerte (Death), Temperance and Devil.  The Tower, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement and World. Ace and 2 of Cups.  3 through 10 of Cups  Court cards of the Cups and Pentacles suits.  Ace through 8 of Pentacles  9, 10, Page, Knight, Queen and King of Pentacles. Ace and 2 of Wands.  3 through 10 of Pentacles  Court cards of the Wands and Swords suits.  Ace through 8 of Swords  9, 10, Page, Knight, Queen and King of Swords. Title card and the back of the cards.  The 10 of each suit with butterflies and moths. Brigit of Biddy Tarot invited me to do an interview for her podcast. We talked all about the Antiquarian Tarot, my process of creating it and a little bit about my journey as a card reader and healer. I met Brigit this year at the Northwest Tarot Symposium in Portland, Oregon. She flew in from Australia to do a workshop at NeWTS. It was a real pleasure to meet her and an honor to get an invite to do the interview. One of the things I love about the Biddy Tarot podcasts is that they make transcripts available for them. Sometimes we can't listen to an interview, so it's nice to still be able to read it when we don't have earbuds. So if you can't listen now, scroll down below the podcast for the full transcript of the interview. I hope you enjoy it.  |
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