Creating your own Oracle

[Little Baron]

Are you going to make more Dragon cards - I'm a big Bruce Lee fan and want more!

I will, but have been short of time lately. And when I have had time, I have been ill. But yes .. there will be some more along soon. Going to take Chronata's advice and plan the next ones before making them.

LB

 

[Gardener]

Hi again, Little Buddha,

Planning, eh? We think planning is a good thing? I guess it's wise in your case, because you are giving graphic form to your own ideas. I'm just borrowing...

(Here's a pic)

 

[SunChariot]

Recently i've found in a shop the book A Witch's Runes, by Susan Sheppard. It was interesting, it taught you how to make your own set of Which Runes (a kind of runes created by the author) and i almost bought it - except that i had little money and the book was in such bad condition (apparently someone spilled Coke over it...yes, in the shop) that i didn't do. But the idea stayed in my mind.

Have you ever created your own oracle? Runes, cards, pieces of glasses...anything that made sense for you? I don't mean creating a new tarot decks or your own set of Futhark Runes...i mean, a whole different oracle. With your symbolism, your meanings etc.

The idea is taking an important place in my mind...but i'd like to hear some epxeriences.

If you haven't created your oracle, then what would you put in one? What symbols you would choose, would it be a set of cards, runes, colourful stones...

~Yuko

Don't laugh! LOL

I just saw an episode of Star Trek last night. One of the characters, by the name of Robin, had a list of 106 things she had learnt in her life that were deep and infallably helpful and accurate. She called them "Robin's Laws".

That's what I would do. I would write down pieces of wisdom that touched me on a deep level, either things I heard that I could add my personal experience to, or things I had learnt on my own. I would make a list. And try to find images that gave me the same inner feeling as each one. Or better still, some photos I had personally taken.

When the list was long enough I would paste the images one cards with the words nicely written, perhaps darkish cards with gold ink. Or black cardboard with silver ink, like the night sky. Then I would have my oracle. I see it as an ever expanding things. As I learnt more and more, new cards would be added.

You know, I may just try this one day. Sounds like not too bad of an idea at that.

Bar

 

[Elven]

I love the idea of Alpha Stones! Is it one stone for each letter of the alphabet? And how do you use it? How do you know how many stones to draw?

The stones can be drawn in many ways - either from the bag or a scatter throw is how I usually choose them. You can use them with an Oracle or tarot reading - sometimes the letter just prompts a word or a name of someone or something. They have a yes and no stones in silver and a direction stones as well - north South, East West. There are also numbers too
You interpret them intuitively. If you are familiar with Numerology, you can also use that system of divination.
They work well with the pedulum if you place them in a circle and hold the pendulum in the centre. Im still practising this method though


Ankou - the Dreamstones are beautiful - and they are one of Chronatas wonderful creations. In the picture, I made the box for them.

There was a question about what are the stones in the Dreamstone Oracle;
They are:
The Sun King, The Moon Maiden, The Star, The Key, The Faery, The Dolphin, The Tree, The Hour Glass, The Cat, The Sword, The Dragon, The Bird.

I have also made some Planet Stones, Sabian Symbols and other glyph Stones by engraving glass beads - pic below - Good for use with tarot and Oracles too.

http://www.tarotforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=7475
http://www.tarotforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=8299
http://www.tarotforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=7474

Blessings
Elven x

 

[roppo]

And while we're at it, I wonder how you chose to assign divinatory meanings to each card. Did you follow numerology and elemental associations? Or personal meaning? Or both? Or something else?

And where did you find the 1826 pictures?

Hi Gardener and friends
In fact, the assigning was very easy because "The Book of Fate" gives DM verses to each playing card. For example,

Four of Spades.
Woman.
A wanton young wife, or a peevish old maid,
This card will be certain to fix on;
The men will be sure to avoid the young jade,
And the woman despise the old vixen.

Man.
Your blustering, bullying, swaggering blades,
Will commonly meet with the four of spades;
From whence they may learn, that in spite of their thunder.
'Tis four to one but they're force'd to knock under.

And the usual correspondence is spade-sword, club-wand, heart-cup, and diamond-pentacles(in this case pomegranates).

For the Book of Fate chapbook I use,

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~elfindog/refbfate.htm

It's quite a rare fortune telling chapbook; even the British Library doesn't have a copy (or so the antique bookseller said).

The pictures are taken from William Young Ottley "A Collection of One Hundred And Twenty-Nine Fac-Similes Of Scarce And Curious Prints By Early Masters"(London, 1826). The cards themselves are far much older, probably made in 1490s for the gift to Spanish Royal wedding (had something to do with a mad queen).

The other suiｔs of Trappola Oracle are
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~elfindog/oratrac.htm
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~elfindog/oratrap.htm
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~elfindog/oratraw.htm

And the cards with DMs you can see at
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~elfindog/atelier.htm
but I translated DMs into Japanese, so unreadble to many, I'm afraid.

 

[Cerulean]

Thanks for the beautiful engravings to see...

I checked out the William Young Ottley because of the reference...

http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpages/long_william_st_john_groupinthefrescobyraffaello.htm

The trappola cards are beautiful...at first I thought they were something from the Magical Realist Press, it's such a beautiful style and work you have done...

Cerulean

P.S. I'd love to buy this as an oracle set with English meanings written out!

 

[Gardener]

roppo,

Beautiful, beautiful work! Both the orginal engraver (of course) and the lovely coloration. Just marvelous. And your system for applying the divinatory meanings from that old chapbook is brilliant. I'm really impressed. Have you printed yourself cards yet and tried reading with your new oracle? It looks like it will be a joy to work with.


Oh, and thank you Cerulean for that link. Yet another awesome resource from the queen of web research. Now I want to buy 19th century Parisian engravings...

 

[Elven]

Oh this thread just gets better and better!!!

Cerulean - I have never imagined so many wonderful buttons! Makes the haberdashery shop around here look very meek and mild - theyre fabulous! And the Art Of Print Site - Ive been looking on it for the last half hour - had to drag myself back here to post - awesome - and so much good info!

LittleBuddha - Your cards are so COOL!!! They are so dynamic! They are such a statement - you can read so much from them. I luv'em!!

Gardener - You're cards are beautiful! I can understand why you are drawn to the art work - the colours and technique are perfect - and the make GREAT Oracle cards!!

roppo - they are just gorgeous! What a beautiful set of cards - and such a great idea with the text too!

Sunchariot - So some time soon we will see the 'BarLaws'!!! or was that 'StarLaws' - Im sure it would be perfect what ever you made

Thankyou so much for sharing everyone - this thread is such fun!!!

Blessings all
Elven x

 

[Little Baron]

(Here's a pic)

Thanks Gardener

You have inspired me to get up off of my sel-indulgent backside this evening, and do something, rather than sit around moping, which I have been doing for quite a few hours.

LB

 

[Cerulean]

Here's a freebie...

http://www.spiritproject.com/oracle/coffee_ground/kaffeesatz.htm

I think it takes awhile for the graphics to load...sometimes I do not see pictures for a bit...and in the tarot portion, the Crowley cards aren't explained. Not quite a friendly oracle, but I could see people who want to just read intuitively liking it.

I was looking for a coffee or sushi oracle. I could have sworn I had seen both online!

"You are what you eat" kind of oracle. I'm a veggie, likely Californian by the added preference for avocados when I can get it...this isn't on the spirit project site, but I think I'll be hunting around...anyway, hope this helps the 'mopes' for those feeling down and helps 'get-one's-finger's to do some talking or walking to do your inspiration!

Cerulean