The Shaman's Oracle by John Matthews

lark

I find these a lot more consistent than Shining Tribe - I bought that a few years ago hoping to find ancient wisdom from prehistoric times but the guidebook was crammed with confusing mythology from virtually every religion that's ever been invented, and I couldn't read the images without looking in the book to find out what all the crudely drawn coloured dots and squiggles meant, so I sold it in the end. The images of the Shaman's Oracle by themselves don't stimulate great wisdom within me, but they're all derived from genuine cave art and the text in the book offers very clear and straightforward advice with no mumbo jumbo. It's also a nice book, hardback with colour images of the cards and well laid out :thumbsup:.

I think that is the point with cave art...those weird dots and squiggles did have a meaning...and we just scratch our heads and guess at what it could be.
Any little insight is a bonus.
If we drew icon symbols or texting lingo on a wall centuries from now people would be making oracle decks out of it and wondering what it all meant.
I love to think cave art had a deep mystical meaning...but maybe be it was just a bunch of teenagers goofing around in a cave. :D
Shining Tribe is a hard deck to work with, but as a interesting pull it out once in awhile deck I like it, you often get profound reading from decks like that.
 

Satori

I must have the first edition because mine has borders and titles. AND I'm thinking about giving it a chop but now that I see there is one that is borderless and titleless I may just have to get it.

This deck is more of a personal deck for me. I've used the Rock Art to read for others with and it works amazingly well, but I love this one for the special treatment of the images and the fact that they haven't been turned into cartoons.
 

2dogs

Is there a borderless one? I didn't get that impression although I'm not going to read the whole thread again to check ;). I have the reissue in the green box and the cards are fine, the thin cardstock makes them shuffle very easily. I am finding the cards work well with others in my collection, the meanings in the book have their own unique viewpoint, but after a deck interview I'm not going to take the prehistoric or shamanic theme seriously, I see it more as a way of packaging the wisdom :livelong:.
 

Le Fanu

Is there a borderless one? I didn't get that impression....
No there isn't. The illustrations on the front of the smaller box version don't show the borders or titles, but the cards in all editions are exactly the same. The newer, greener box version has thinner cardstock, the orange box ones have glossier cardstock. I prefer the glossier version though if you got the green box one I can imagine how some might prefer that one.
 

celticnoodle

I also have the orange boxed one and I love the deck. I don't use it often enough, but have seen it give excellent results when I do use it.