Cult of Tarot Forum

This is a deck of 52 cards based on prehistoric cave paintings. The illustrator, Wil Kinghan, who also illustrated other John Matthews decks, painted copies of existing prehistoric paintings on stone using reference photos. The deck has five suits: Spirits (spirit), Hunters (air), Dancers (fire), Shamans (water), and Ancestors (earth), plus The Journeyer and The Companion. The signature spread is based on the five suits, represented by the five fingers of cave-painted hands. (I have a fabulous bag for it, too!)



I have a fraught relationship with John Matthews decks. It’s like we’re not on the same wavelength. I like them and dig into their systems, but then feel like I have to improve the system somehow. I did that with the Sherlock Holmes Tarot and the Lost Tarot of Nostradamus, and this deck. (And the Grail Tarot is so complex, I haven’t figured out how to fix it yet!) When I first got the Shaman’s Oracle, I was compelled to reorganize the backstory and order of the five finger spread. But I think this week, I’ll concentrate on the cards and the art itself and see if it has something to tell me, instead of trying to get deep into the system of the deck.

So let’s try an interview and see if that’s going work!



Most important characteristic: Dancer of Life
The deck is full of life and energy. I encourages us to be bright and celebrate all forms of life, plants, animals, and humans, and all life. This sounds kind of dumb, but it makes me think of black lives matter. And that all lives don’t matter until everyone is included and valued.

Strength: Spirit of Healing
Before looking in the book, I see a very powerful spirit healing the world, animals and plants. The deck not only teaches that all life matters, but its strength is helping us to see that we can help heal the world, and when we do, we heal ourselves too.

Weakness: Shaman of Birth
A bit meta, but I’m not so sure this is a picture of a baby inside or of giving birth, so maybe the deck’s weakness is not connecting with the original intent of the art. Although how can we know what the prehistoric artist meant?

What deck can teach me: Spirit of Empowerment
A giant spirit holds up a human figure. Is he empowering the human, or is he exerting power over it? The deck can teach me about both, personal power and power over.

How can I learn that: Ancestor of Protection
Ah, if I have power, so do others, so perhaps protection is in order. This is the most realistic of the pictures here. Looks like swift and ferocious wildcats running together. Lions work together for hunting, childcare, and yes, protection.

Outcome of our work together: Shaman of Tradition
This is probably the most well-known of cave paintings. It’s thought that it depicts an actual shaman, a human wearing animal horns and acting as an animal in a ritual. I can see how that can symbolize tradition. Ritual is probably the oldest human tradition. The outcome of my working with this deck is that I’m being prompted to think back further than middle ages to think about the deeper history and prehistory of our current traditions.

This reading is missing only one suit, Hunter/air (which is fine by me because I’m a vegetarian!) But I’m sure it will show up later in the week.

I only used the book for the first card, and the rest of the interps came pretty easily from the titles and pictures.

I hope you enjoy the deck this week! See you tomorrow!

Monday
My re-engineered five fingers quest spread.



All Spirit cards but the outcome. Must be a real quest!

Fire, What have I received?
Spirit of Destruction
I learned a lot in my life about destruction and devastation. I sometimes think there is something to the whole your soul chooses the life it wants to live so it can learn. If I didn’t have such a terrible time, I would never have known how bad things can get for people and I would have had a lot less compassion. And been just dumber. I used to think, “no-one would ever do something like that,” and then I saw people, that I cared about!, do that horrible thing right in front of me. Learning things the hard way is still learning. This spirit of destruction is so full of energy, so colorful, and coming right at you! Once it gets started, it’s hard to stop it.

Earth, Where am I coming from? What do I already have?
Spirit of Truth
I learned some truths, but I also trust myself that I know some things are true. No matter how sophists and idiots try to teach that selfishness is good. Or god.

Air, What is my quest (what am I searching for)?
Spirit of Healing
Had this card yesterday. I like that healing is my quest. I’m pretty much healed. Do I need to start trying to work with healing others? I shy away from trying to be an authority on really important things, but if my understanding can help someone, why not?

Water, What help do I have for my quest?
Spirit of Challenge
Oh. That’s the challenge. The help for my quest is to understand that I’m strong enough and good enough to really do it.

Spirit, What will be the outcome of my quest? What lesson will I bring back?
Ancestor of Skill
Helping people (and myself) is a skill that can be learned. It won’t do to go off half-cocked when other people’s welfare is at stake, so I need to learn the skills. And taking care of yourself (what I would be helping with) is a skill, too, that can be taught, not some airy-fairy nebulous concept, but a practical skill that can be used to get where you want to be.

Well, this took me totally somewhere I wasn’t even thinking about. I’ll need to think about it seriously for a while!

Happy Monday to you!

Tuesday
All-Purpose Spread



One from each suit today, except Spirit. I think I’m going to have to go to the book for some of these! Let’s see what we get!

Me: Ancestor of Hope
One of my favorite cards, of the horses. They’re so dynamic and cute! Hope is one of those perennially unclear concepts for me, so let’s see what the book says. Ah, hope is the energy to move forward, like a horse! Today I will be eager to move forward, and will feel like I can do that.

Issue: Dancer of Life
All life is connected, and that’s something to celebrate! I will see those connections and feel like celebrating and honoring living things today.

Outcome: Shaman of Birth
This new outlook on life will lead me to bring forth something new.

Advice: Hunter of Death
Death as advice. I need to let go of something permanently. Oh, I think I know what that is. Now the question is should I let go of it and then let it be born anew? I’ll work on that today.

I’m liking these cards! They’re great pictures, and, with the keywords, seem to be making sense to me!

I hope you're having a great Tuesday!

Wednesday
Elemental Star



Earth: Hunter of Dreams
My physical surroundings will be affected by my desires and intuitions, and even actual dreams. I’ll try to find comfort in making them real.

Water: Shaman of Sorrows
This so looks like a muppet eating something it shouldn’t, which will make it sick. I need to learn the lesson of sorrow: most of it is of our own creating.

Air: Ancestor of Skill
I have intellectual skills. I should appreciate them.

Fire: Hunter of Honor
I don’t think honor is a real virtue. Honesty is, and wanting to be good because you want others and yourself to know you’re good is ok, but honor, caring what others think of you, is asking for trouble, dishonesty and conflict. One should do things to BE good, not to LOOK good. Doing what’s right when no-one is looking isn’t honor, it’s actual virtue.

Spirit: Hunter of Strength
Another virtue, that’s only a virtue when you use it in the service of good. Strength, even spiritual strength, can be used for very bad purposes. But it’s good to have it when you need it. Spiritual strength is for overcoming obstacles, including ones of your own making, and forgiving yourself for making them.

Thursday
Full moon in Aries, Harvest Moon



The harvest: Shaman of Purification
A new broom sweeps clean. My harvest this season is really, really letting go of old stuff, clearing my life and clearing my mind. I’m ready! Actually, I’m almost there.

What did I sow? Spirit of Truth
The truth is you reap what you sow. But that’s kind of a painful truth bomb to lay on someone. I still kind of feel bad about saying it. But it’s true. And sometimes people need to face the truth to move on.

What did I reap? Hunter of Vision
And I saw the pain that can cause. But I also see that the truth is necessary. I’m reaping a vision of the future without planting more seeds of trouble in my life.

What did I learn? Shaman of Sorrows
Same as yesterday, I’ve learned that so much sorrow is self-caused. Now to learn how to stop causing it!

What should I plan next? Shaman of Courage
But the answer is not stop doing anything because I might be causing more sorrow, but be brave and cause more things. Trust that I will be causing goodness and happiness!

Happy Harvest Moon!

Friday
Abbreviated Celtic Cross just because I can.



Me: Dancer of Beginnings
My vague question was about starting some new tarot project over this long weekend I have off from work. It looks like I’m ready to begin something new!

Cover: Spirit of Challenge
But it won’t be easy. But I don’t want it to be easy. I want something challenging that I can really get into and work on, use my head and my energy to create!

Cross: Spirit of Destruction
Here it is again meaning the same thing as before. If I really want to begin something new, I have to let go of something old that I’ve really been hanging onto for far too long.

Crown: Spirit of Empowerment
My goal, as I said above, is to use my strengths and my strength so I know I can. To be empowered through my own efforts.

Beneath: The Journeyer
What I already have is the ability and willingness to step onto the path of creation. (This is the kind of permanent significator card of this deck, but I’m reading randomly, as it came up.)

Behind: Dancer of Frustration
Well, it’s good that I’ll be leaving frustration behind! I won’t have the emotional and life distractions that I have had in the past.

Before: Ancestor of Illusion
This could be good or bad. I will be deluding myself that I could do anything real or good. OR I will use creativity and imagination to do something special and different. The white deer makes me think it’s saying success could be illusive, or it could simply be elusive, but possible if I search for it.

Happy Friday to everyone!

Saturday, last day for Shaman’s Oracle
Elemental star filling in one card from each suit



Ancestor of Memory (earth)
What a beautiful bison! I should remember that I’m a child of the universe and of earth, not separate from them, just as animal and prehistoric people are.

Shaman of Courage (water)
Courage can be an emotion, but it is beyond emotion. It can override feelings of fear and ennui through sheer will. When you see a dark figure emerging into the light, will you face up to it?

Hunter of Honor (air)
I already dissed honor. But valuing your good name and wanting to be seen as a good person can be a very good motivator. Although there’s a lot of shamelessness going around lately, maybe someone still cares about their reputation . . . ? This dapper deer-headed shaman is very conscious of how he appears.

Dancer of Friendship (fire)
It takes some energy and effort to maintain friendships. And friendships can be energizing, too! Especially when you dance together!

Spirit of Initiation
I don’t quite know what initiation means. I mean I know the dictionary definition, but it’s one of those concepts I don’t connect with. I guess I’m a real Buddhist at heart because I think spiritual insight and progress have to come from within yourself. Sure you can have teachers and read books, but no other person or ritual can take you to a higher level. A ritual can certainly help, but the real step up has to already be inside. The ritual just helps you bring it forth. Well, maybe that’s what it means after all. Maybe we all have higher insights within, and we need a ritual to bring it out. . . . Something to think about.

That’s it for the Shaman’s Oracle. It is lovely and has given me much to think about.

I’ll see you tomorrow with a new deck. Still deciding!