Thank you for the presentation of this oracle. I didn't know it.
I find the drawings magnificent.
I would find this oracle perfect if the keyword was not the author's interpretation, but the description of the symbol.
For example, for the butterfly, the author puts the keyword "travel".
For me, the meaning of the butterfly is "transformation". So I would simply see more as the keyword "butterfly" on the card and the author's interpretation in a LWB (or here on a card).
Re: some examples of different indie oracle decks
Posted: 01 May 2020, 18:36
by Papageno
Abigail wrote: ↑01 May 2020, 15:25
For example, for the butterfly, the author puts the keyword "travel".
For me, the meaning of the butterfly is "transformation". So I would simply see more as the keyword "butterfly" on the card and the author's interpretation in a LWB (or here on a card).
Hence the difficulties of "keywords" and even a literal description.
All image interpretations are very subjective according to each person.
Cultural and spiritual beliefs are important considerations.
For instance, the Owl.
In many, if not most European derived traditions, the Owl is associated with the virtue of Wisdom and Athena, etc.
Some N. American Native American tribal traditions consider the Owl to be an ill omen, dark magic or a harbinger of Death.
A really radical and original approach to an oracle deck would be images without any titles or especially keywords.
I'm certain this will be a very unpopular idea.
The image of an Owl, and how it is interpreted, also depends a great deal on how the Owl is depicted.
Is the Owl in flight, and if so, is it at night or during the day under blue skies?
Is the Owl in a nest or on a tree branch?
Either of these examples can conjure multiple emotional responses, but then again, you can't please everybody.
Abigail wrote: ↑01 May 2020, 15:25
For example, for the butterfly, the author puts the keyword "travel".
For me, the meaning of the butterfly is "transformation". So I would simply see more as the keyword "butterfly" on the card and the author's interpretation in a LWB (or here on a card).
Hence the difficulties of "keywords" and even a literal description.
All image interpretations are very subjective according to each person.
Cultural and spiritual beliefs are important considerations.
For instance, the Owl.
In many, if not most European derived traditions, the Owl is associated with the virtue of Wisdom and Athena, etc.
Some N. American Native American tribal traditions consider the Owl to be an ill omen, dark magic or a harbinger of Death.
A really radical and original approach to an oracle deck would be images without any titles or especially keywords.
I'm certain this will be a very unpopular idea.
The image of an Owl, and how it is interpreted, also depends a great deal on how the Owl is depicted.
Is the Owl in flight, and if so, is it at night or during the day under blue skies?
Is the Owl in a nest or on a tree branch?
Either of these examples can conjure multiple emotional responses, but then again, you can't please everybody.
wow, this is so interesting! i think you are raising a very important issue. and a complex one as well, because as an artist, i create my images with at least a keyword in mind, and i think, if we want to create a ‘coherent’/ cohesive oracle deck we probably need a kind of keyword ‘system’ or theme to get us started. but i think it would be a really good idea to let the printed images speak for themselves, by giving the cards numbers and providing a kind of companion book where the artist can explain the keyword and underlying ideas that inspired the creation of the image.
Re: some examples of different indie oracle decks
Posted: 03 May 2020, 18:01
by stronglove
inner compass oracle by heather hoeps
collage art deck, 50 very small cards, quirky images and mainly positive keywords, 11 page pdf guidebook
love the watch in ‘divine timing’ and the tv in ‘blocked’
almost no ‘difficult’ cards in this deck, it is more like advice from your favorite aunt....
i really like collage art in an oracle deck, especially when it has a vintage look like this one
the size is quite small, even smaller than the earthbound oracle
here it is next to the devas of creation and the oracle of mystical moments
unboxing video by lisa from supportive tarot
Re: some examples of different indie oracle decks
Posted: 03 May 2020, 18:23
by stronglove
third eye oracle by branson norris and brittany burkard
50 cards, square format, pdf guidebook, one page per card with image
nice mix of ‘positive’ and ‘shadow’ keywords
also some interesting, less ‘run of the mill’ keywords
size compared to standard oracle (oracle des runes) and standard tarot (oracle des reflets)
Abigail wrote: ↑01 May 2020, 15:25
For example, for the butterfly, the author puts the keyword "travel".
For me, the meaning of the butterfly is "transformation". So I would simply see more as the keyword "butterfly" on the card and the author's interpretation in a LWB (or here on a card).
Hence the difficulties of "keywords" and even a literal description.
All image interpretations are very subjective according to each person.
Cultural and spiritual beliefs are important considerations.
For instance, the Owl.
In many, if not most European derived traditions, the Owl is associated with the virtue of Wisdom and Athena, etc.
Some N. American Native American tribal traditions consider the Owl to be an ill omen, dark magic or a harbinger of Death.
A really radical and original approach to an oracle deck would be images without any titles or especially keywords.
I'm certain this will be a very unpopular idea.
The image of an Owl, and how it is interpreted, also depends a great deal on how the Owl is depicted.
Is the Owl in flight, and if so, is it at night or during the day under blue skies?
Is the Owl in a nest or on a tree branch?
Either of these examples can conjure multiple emotional responses, but then again, you can't please everybody.
I’m with you, every Oracle deck I see, even if I like the artwork, the keywords turn me off. I don’t like the keywords in the Thoth tarot either. I’d be most interested in an oracle deck where the images were aligned to a theme and had a LWB that explained the creator’s intentions/ideas, but no keywords on the cards at all.
Re: some examples of different indie oracle decks
Posted: 15 Jun 2020, 07:17
by Merrick
After my last post I ended up stumbling across this oracle called Falnama, based on a Turkish/Iranian form of bibliomancy where the answers to queries were divined in a combination of a powerful image and a corresponding poem or verse. Benebell Wen reviewed it here: https://benebellwen.com/2019/02/06/faln ... on-system/
While I haven’t done readings with these cards, looking at them, I feel like the keywords are an excellent match for the imagery. I think it’s the fact that this system was designed from the ground up to work in tandem with verse makes it click for me. The keywords don’t feel arbitrary or limiting, they feel like an integral part of the process.