John Waterhouse Oracle Deck

by our own Seven Stars!

I thought I'd start a new thread to follow on from this one (so it's easier to find).
http://tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=213935

I just got this deck in the mail today and love it. (Right now, it's nestled in a cream colored Jessica McClintock evening purse.) I haven't tried to read with it yet. I thought I needed to at least know what the paintings are called. (Maybe I just don't trust my intuition . . .)

Anyway, I got obsessive online, and put together a list of all the paintings in the deck (in date order). If there were literary references, I included those, too (just titles and authors).

I couldn't find a date for the Touchstone Jester painting.

Otherwise, it's all here. I put so much work into it, I thought I better share. So here you go. (If you need it in a pdf instead of Word, let me know, and I'll do that on Monday.)

ETA: I have added Lamia. Thanks for the info, Hemera!

Rachel, i bow to you!
i am so grateful for all your painstaking research and providing us with this fabulous list...What a fantastic present. Thank You so very, very much!

Grateful Hugs and Eostre Blessings,
MoonGypsy xox

Rachelcat, that is a great service you did for Seven Stars and those who might buy the Waterhouse Oracle! I'm not sure I would have put out money for this deck (though I love the art) without having some sort of information about the paintings. Thank you VERY much!

Holy cow I didn't see this thread! Thank you - I didn't collect all the details you did.

I'll tell you, a list I really wouldn't mind having that I'll probably have to do myself is what each painting is titled & what the story is about the painting along with a thumbnail - there is so much depth in Waterhouse's paintings & just the more you know about the paintings themselves, the easier it is to read the cards. For example - Narcissus & Echo - in this deck they're 2 separate cards & if you don't know the story of Narcissus you don't get the full gyst of what it means to draw the Narcissit card (although, obviously, you can come up with your own interpretations). It's kind of like an art appreciation class via an Oracle deck, lol....

MoonGypsy said:

Rachel, i bow to you!
i am so grateful for all your painstaking research and providing us with this fabulous list...What a fantastic present. Thank You so very, very much!

Grateful Hugs and Eostre Blessings,
MoonGypsy xox

Click to expand...

BodhiSeed said:

Rachelcat, that is a great service you did for Seven Stars and those who might buy the Waterhouse Oracle! I'm not sure I would have put out money for this deck (though I love the art) without having some sort of information about the paintings. Thank you VERY much!

Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more! This deck is just gorgeous, but...eep!...you mean I'm completely at the mercy of my intuition?!! Definitely not a talent of mine. But your list should help tremendously. Thanks Rachelcat!!

desertrat said:

I couldn't agree more! This deck is just gorgeous, but...eep!...you mean I'm completely at the mercy of my intuition?!! Definitely not a talent of mine. But your list should help tremendously. Thanks Rachelcat!!

Click to expand...

You goof you have eyes - here, tell me what this card means? (make up a situation it could mean different things in different situations) What is she doing? What does she see through that gate? Too much "explanation" of really good art takes away from the art itself - these aren't simple images they're very complex which is what makes them so interesting.

With that said - I still think learning about the pieces specifically, what the artist was making the painting for - only adds to the depth to which you can make interpretations.

seven stars said:

You goof you have eyes - here, tell me what this card means? (make up a situation it could mean different things in different situations) What is she doing? What does she see through that gate?

Click to expand...

She's thinking "Where the eff is my husband with the burritos. I'm so freaking hungry."

Not to worry, people, I don't read for others. I only use tarot and oracles for my own pleasure, enjoyment and edification.

Seven stars - I do love the deck. Thank you for getting it to me so quickly.

desertrat said:

She's thinking "Where the eff is my husband with the burritos. I'm so freaking hungry."

Click to expand...

I am trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard... nice to know a woman whose mind works a bit like mine!

I've been on the fence about the deck, but RachelCat's list pushed me over on the "buy" side.

Burritos! HA! I love it! LMAO! ..... Let's see, if I were looking at this card, in relation to husbands & burritos, to me she looks like there's a little trepidation going on there. She's hesitant. Spying, maybe. He said he was going out for burritos, but I'll bet he just wanted an excuse to go out to his car to call his "other woman" on his cell phone...


Actually, here....let's flip another card to see where THAT's going....

And the next card is....(attached)

Anyone? What happens next? (just for giggles)

seven stars said:

Burritos! HA! I love it! LMAO! ..... Let's see, if I were looking at this card, in relation to husbands & burritos, to me she looks like there's a little trepidation going on there. She's hesitant. Spying, maybe. He said he was going out for burritos, but I'll bet he just wanted an excuse to go out to his car to call his "other woman" on his cell phone...


Actually, here....let's flip another card to see where THAT's going....

And the next card is....(attached)

Anyone? What happens next? (just for giggles)

Click to expand...

Okay, for the earlier attachment, I see the woman wanting desperately to go through that gate to a new phase/place/etc., but she clings to the safety of what she knows even if she does feel like she's in a rut. Will she get the nerve to move out of her comfort zone? <@desertrat: I'm going to go get my own burrito, dammit!>
For the second attachment, I see it as what will happen if she does go through that door - the "magic ingredient" she's been missing in her life (excitement, passion, enthusiasm) will be added to her "cup." And it looks like she might have some support or company along the way...
<I think I'll wash that burrito (it was delicious) down with a large soda - and add a shot of Jack Daniels for good measure! >