Deck Review: The Moon Oracle by Caroline Smith & John Astrop

Today I want to talk about a deck that I have been wanting to review since I first started this blog: The Moon Oracle, by Caroline Smith & John Astrop. It was one of the first decks that I ever got (the Brazilian edition of it, back then), and one I have owned on and off for many years.

The Moon Oracle comprises 72 cards, which can be divided into three minor decks: the Goddess cards, the Moon Phase cards and the Moon Mansions cards. There are 12 Moon Goddesses from different cultures, like Artemis, Ishtar, Lilith, Kali, Freya etc. The Moon Phases include each of the eight lunar phases in each element, so you have a total of 32 cards. And the Mansion cards are related to the 28 segments of the sky through which the Moon travels as it orbits the earth.

The cards and the book of instructions come in a very sturdy pull-out silver box, which keeps them protected when not being used and makes it easier to leave the set on display on a shelf. The quality of the material and the design of this oracle is not to be underestimated: the cards are big (~ 8x13 cm) and gorgeous, with vivid colours and a non-sticky glossy finish that can endure a lot of shuffling. I believe this is a deck that can stand heavy use and transportation, without you needing to worry that cards will bend or disintegrate in your hands. The art by Caroline Smith is drop-dead gorgeous and distinctive, with a slightly indigenous vibe to it. And for each lunar phase, Smith created a unique mandala, one more beautiful than the other. It's a veritable feast for the eyes!

The book is also very well-designed and well-organised. There is a small introductory part explaining the moon phases and mansions, and some moon-related astrology. Then you jump into the cards, first the Moon Phases, then the Goddesses and then the Moon Mansions. Finally, you have instructions on how to read the cards, with two original spreads (The Elemental Cross and The Seven Sisters) and the good ol' Celtic Cross. The last past of the book includes detailed moon tables, so you can easily find the exact date when the moon changes and also what sign and element it is in, which is important when you are using the Moon Phase cards.

Animal Spirit: The vulture and the fox

After doing that relationship reading for a friend, I decided to do a different one for myself. Not that L and I we are having any big issues right now but I do feel that soon I will be confronted with important decisions regarding what I want and expect from our relationship of nearly 4 years.

This time, I chose the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit oracle and used one of the spreads that come in the book. It's a very straightforward 4-card spread, but I have added a 5th card in the centre for advice. The author, Kim Krans, doesn't really explain the positions of the spread in depth, and two of them – shadow dynamic and illuminated dynamic – felt very… vague to me. So I chose to interpret the shadow dynamic as that which is lacking or not developing naturally and the illuminated dynamic as that which flows naturally in the relationship.

 

1. You ~ Vulture
At first, the vulture does not seem to be the sort of card we would like to draw for ourselves. But as I read the description in the book and gave it some thought, the meaning of this card became very clear. According to Krans "the vulture appears when there's a situation that needs to be purified or brought back into balance". In my relationship with L, I often feel like I take up this role, of processing the dark and negative stuff and 'flushing it out' of the relationship. It's a difficult position to be sometimes because L is a very rational person, and so I end up seeming the crazy one of the pair, since I bring up and deal with the unconscious emotional 'waste' that he doesn't see (or ignores).

Mythic Oracle: Speaking of Mr K

It's been a while since I last did a relationship reading for anyone. Recently though, a friend has asked for one, as she is trying to understand her connection with one of her colleagues. Her name is A, and we are calling him 'Mr K' (because it sounds fun, mind you).

They actually met long before they even worked together and, while there has never been anything romantic between them, she says they have always had this... mutual spark. According to A, their communication is easy and fluid, with them often thinking the same things and naturally complementing each other's ideas.

Now, A doesn't really believe that any relationship more than friendly and professional is possible between her and Mr K, if only because she is engaged already, and would never jeopardise what she has over a mere 'spark'. But that fact is that her fantasy is being kicked into motion whenever they happen to be together, and she is self-aware enough to know that this can muddle up the way she perceives reality.

So, A asked me for this reading in order to gain some clarity about the actual nature of her connection with Mr K. Let's see what the Mythic Oracle has to say about it.

1. The nature of the relationship or how we relate to each other ~ Hades (The Underworld)
My first thought was that this card relates the fact they both work in a field that explored the unconscious mind and the hidden sides of human matters, which are connected with the idea of the Underworld. On the other hand, the Hades card also speaks of the shadow aspect… the more reprehensible desires and impulses, the ones that people usually deny and feel ashamed of. So maybe there is an undertow of hidden emotions that connects A and Mr K, one that they must acknowledge but not act upon or allow to surface.

2. Lesson to be learnt from the relationship ~ Heracles (Strength)
Heracles is a card of strength, but one that is applied with discipline and focus. The lesson to be learnt here is one of restraint – not repression born out of denial ('let's pretend nothing is happening'), but conscious, focused strength of character to endure an uneasy situation until the task is completed. So, A must learn to keep her eye on the prize  – that is, her work – and avoid following the siren song of fantasy. It helps to remember that Heracles' labours were not just him being heroic: they were his punishment for killing his wife and children during a bout of madness. So clearly, the strength to be learnt here is one that can withstand powerlessness, frustration and the fluctuations of emotions.