Deck Review: Oracle Belline

I've been meaning to review the Oracle Belline for a long time now, because I consider it so underrated in the divination community! I have owned the vintage Grimaud 1961 edition for years, but it was only when it got published in Brazil recently that my interest in it peaked, and that I discovered what a good reading deck it actually is.

The deck has 53 cards, and its entire structure is based on Astrology. The first three cards – Destiny, The Man's Star and The Woman's Star – have no astrological correlation. There's also a Blue Card, which some authors consider to have a special meaning, while others say that it's just a replacement in case one of the cards is lost. All other 49 are inherently astrological: 7 cards for each of the 7 classical planets. Each card represents a particular aspect of that planet, for instance, amongst the Mercury cards we have ones such The Book (representing knowledge), The Bat (representing theft), The Caduceus (representing exchanges), and so on. The Venus cards include The Lyre (representing the aesthetic pleasures of life), The Two Hearts (representing love) and The Wounded Heart (representing passion), etc.

This decks uses Traditional Astrology, so there are no outer planet cards. Also, planets like the Sun and Jupiter have more beneficial associations, while Mars and Saturn are more "malefic". Knowing Astrology might add more depth to the readings, but the truth is that you do not need to know it in order to use to read the cards, because they are very self-explanatory. 

As for the deck itself, the 1961 Grimaud edition comes in very sturdy lift-off-lid box, with a leather-like texture. The deck and its booklet fit very snugly into it. The cards have a good size for small hands – 6 x 9,7 cm (~2.4 x 3.8 inches) – , and the corners are sharp, not rounded. The card-stock has a very good quality, with a glossy but not overly shiny finish and a smooth touch (the cards slide delightfully well while shuffling). The colours are very beautiful and well-preserved, considering the deck is nearly 60 years old. All cards have a golden Art Deco-ish filigree border around the main image, and the back of the cards show golden stars on a dark blue background.

Each card has the symbol of its ruling planet on the upper right corner and, below it, a keyword written vertically. In some cases, the name had been written above the image, which makes me think they might have been a later addition. Also, the cards have a number on the upper left corner.

The booklet has 72 pages and is fairly complete compared to other vintage booklets I have seen. It has instruction in three languages – French, English and German – , and tells a very interesting tale of how the cards came to be. Apparently, a clairvoyant named Belline found these cards amongst some documents that were about to be discarded by one of his clients. They were originally designed in the 19th century by another clairvoyant called Edmond, who lived in Paris and claimed to have predicted Victor Hugo's exile and Alexandre Dumas' success, amongst other events. Belline decided to reproduce this deck so that it could used once again.

New Moon Reading: In the eye of the energy storm

I did this reading during the New Moon on 8th August, during the Oracle Tide hosted by Ana Cortez, but I am only posting it now. To be honest, I am still finding it a bit hard to make sense of it...

Let's start with the most obvious signs. First of all, this spread contains only even numbers, and most of them low, so this probably will not be a cycle filled with big changes or instabilities. Even numbers speak of being receptive and stabilising yourself before taking the next step. 

That said, the two suits we have here – Diamonds and Spade – are not exactly... laid-back. Being one black and the other red, these suits do balance each other out, but in a rather rough manner. So, we have a very productive and goal-oriented energy in this spread, but the numbers say that despite this potential for activity, there is a certain hesitance to actually become active.

Contradictory, uh? And it's interesting because the individual cards reinforce this.

The top and bottom cards are two highly energetic ones. The 2♦ (The Rivals) is all about getting that special creative spark, usually through a dynamic partnership with someone who complements or opposes you. The 4♠ (North Wind) has an uneasy energy, one that does not allow us to feel comfortable and safe and that often makes us look for protection and security. Together, these cards speak to me of a challenging atmosphere, not necessarily in a negative way... There's something about this Lunar cycle's energy that will unsettle us, provoke us.

Now, if we look at the middle cards – 6♦ (The Tower) and 10♠ (Terrene) – the energy is very different. Both the Tower and Terrene are rather conservative cards. They are not the type to risk and take impulsive action. The 6♦ speaks of finding security in a "high place", from which you can have a clear view of what's going on and plan accordingly. It's a card of strategy and vision. And the Lady of Spades... she's someone who tends to stay on the safe side and focus on the essential small things of everyday existence, rather than thinking big and being ambitious.

So yes, this reading has clearly two opposing tendencies to it (and The Rivals at the top should already be an indication of that). What gives?

My opinion is that, in the coming cycle, our inner energy might not be in harmony with the outer energy around us. Perhaps the world will demand things from us we are not yet ready to give, or impose situation we are not yet sure how to deal with. We have to face the challenges without getting carried away by their apparent urgency.

The geomancy for this reading was Populus + Acquisitio = Acquisitio. Populus speak of instability, especially one that comes from a collective context. But the double Acquisitio says that there is a lot to be gained from it, if one can handle the uncertainty. So no, it's not time to withdraw from the challenges or to be intimidated, but rather to find a way to stay grounded and secure when things around us become agitated. 

And the advice of the cards for this is: look at events strategically (6♦) and take it day by day (10♠). Also, take good care of your body and physical well-being in general.

The Playing Card Oracles © Ana Cortez & C.J. Freeman

Rites of simplicity

It is Imbolc here in the Southern Hemisphere. It's the second Sabbat that I celebrate ever since returning to my Neo-Pagan practices. My idea is to try to complete the customary a-year-and-a-day period in order to reacquaint myself with my own beliefs and also to restructure my practice. 

I have been keeping it simple. In the past, I used to fantasise about making fancy rituals for each Sabbat, involving a formally cast magical circle, a complex altar and all... and what usually happened is that I felt they were never quite as good as I had envisioned, which often put me off of celebrating altogether. 

One of my goals is to overcome my own – often hindering and self-sabotaging – perfectionism. Doing something, no matter how small and simple, is better than doing nothing. I am happy that at least for this Imbolc I managed to get crafty and create two altar decorations: a "bride" doll made of wheat stalks and a Brigid's Cross made of twine. You can see the doll on the photo above the text, on my altar with the candles. The doll is a bit on the skinny side, but she looks cute.

All in all, I am happy. I feel like my practice is more organic and less idealistic, therefore less frustrating. As much as I wanted to be the sort of person capable of naturally doing fancy, Instagram-worthy rituals, I confess that casting a circle and calling the corners still fills me with imposter syndrome. I don't know if I will ever overcome this inner insecurity of not being "witchy" enough, but I also know I need to give myself time to rediscover what works for me and what doesn't. 

What I know so far is that I enjoy observing the holy days, for they connect me with the passage of time in Nature and with the ever-changing aspects of Mother Earth. I also enjoy lighting a candle and drinking some wine during the Full Moons. I like having an altar, because it's a place of devotion and reconnection. I am still working on starting a proper "grimoire" but I'm not sure yet of what I will write in it. A lot of my experience with Paganism is heavily influenced by Wicca, which is how I first learnt about Pagan practices, but I do not know if I will continue to follow a Wiccan-inspired path or if something different will call to me.

I feel like I am walking a well-worn path, but seeing everything with new eyes. The candles of Imbolc guide me as the wheel turns. I follow, one small step at a time.