A Week with the Arthur Rackham Oracle

[Rachelcat]

Here’s another deck from Duck Soup, Doug Thornsjo, this time an oracle. As I mentioned in the deck stork thread, I hoped that the illustrations would be easier to see than another deck of Rackham art that I had. This deck IS better, the colors are more colorful and things look sharper. However, the backgrounds are mostly very dark, and they’re card size, so still a challenge to my aging eyes!

It’s a nice two part box, with a very slim LWB. The cards are edged in shiny gold. There are 80 cards, so a substantial deck, which I like. Each card has two keywords, a word and a short phrase.

The booklet says the deck is mostly made up of illustrations to Grimm’s Fairy Tales, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Peer Gynt. There are male and female significator cards, which are Brunnhilde and Wotan (I think) from the Ring Cycle. I’m pretty sure of my Dream, I think I know most fairy tales, and I don’t know anything about Peer Gynt. (I going to make a quick visit to Wikipedia for that.) So this should be interesting!

Wash and shuffle and soldier on to the interview!

Most important characteristic: Male Significator
Umm, maybe I shouldn’t have shuffled in the significators? This is a masculine deck, even though it’s fairy tale based. It’s active and powerful. Or thinks it is.

Strength: Intemperance, Lack of Self-Control
Imps and goblins are having a gay time, dancing and laughing. A strength of the deck is it’s not all bunnies and light. It shows some out of control stuff, some fun, some not so fun.

Weakness: Beginning at the End
It’s difficult to follow if you don’t know all the stories. The keywords are limiting. Is it judgy (in this case of the old people who dare to become parents)?

What deck can teach me: Strength, the Beast Tamed
This is the illustration of a beauty and beast type story in which the father promises his daughter to a pride of lions. When she finds out, she goes with the lions willingly. So her strength is resolution and self-determination. She hasn’t tamed the lions. She has tamed herself. The deck can teach me inner strength and resolution.

How I can learn it: Fortification, Arrayed in Confidence
I’m going with the keywords here: I can learn personal strength with confidence that I know what I’m doing and am right to be in charge of myself. And how I present myself to others.

Outcome of our work together: Obstruction, Obstreperous Personage
Well that doesn’t bode well! And I’m not sure how the two keywords work together. Except that the sprite (Rumpelstiltskin?) is blocking the way of the girls, and is loud about it! The outcome is that the deck will have a lot to say, but I might not be able to hear it all.

Well, we’ll see if that’s how it ends up! Have a very happy Sunday!

[Rachelcat]

Monday
Just tell me it’s going to be ok!
Opportunity Challenge Resolution

Opportunity: Complication, Unexpected Development
What may seem like a complication is an actually an opportunity. When Titania falls in love with Bottom, it certainly was an unexpected development! But not unexpected for Puck!

Challenge: Perseverance, Hanging On at the Edge
My challenge is to stay with the unexpected and not give up on it. I can deal with it! Not sure how the woman ended up on the roof, or why the other women are laughing at her for it . . . ?

Resolution: Delusion, False Attraction
And here are Bottom and Titania again. The resolution is to go along with the unexpected, but not to the point of delusion? The best way to deal with things is to keep my eyes open and be careful to stick with the truth. I guess . . .

We’ll see how this goes! Have a great Monday!

[Rachelcat]

Tuesday
Are the new dark ages here? Why or why not?

Well, this probably wasn’t the best thought-out spread in the world, or question, for that matter. And now it’s even more confusing because of so many similar cards. But it looks like the key is Discovery. Things aren’t getting worse, they’re just getting different.

Yes: Strength, The Beast Tamed
Beasts are out there and in here, but we just need to know that and be strong.

Why? Courage, Defensive but Daring
And sometimes it feels like we’re on the defensive, but we have to keep trying. Fake Strength, and at least we’ll get to Courage.

No: Perseverance, Hanging On at the Edge
The end of the world isn’t here, and it’s not coming soon, it just feels like we’re on the edge of something scary. Like we might fall into it at any second. And some people seem happy with the fall, as long as it’s not their own.

Why not? Discovery, New Horizons
But we’re not falling off the edge of the world. It’s a step into the unknown. Which can be scary, but it can also be an inspiring trek to new horizons.

Well, this is definitely not an impartial reading, but it still makes me feel better about things . . . Have a great day!

[Rachelcat]

Wednesday
Since this deck has illustrations from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I thought I’d try it with this spread created by Lunaea Weatherstone for the Victorian Fairy Tarot. It’s called Titania’s Dream, and it features the “language of flowers” meanings for the flowers featured in Oberon’s description of the garden where Titania sleeps. I don’t think I need a question for this one.

Wild thyme (“activity”): What action will bring you delight? Exingency, Unpleasant but Necessary
When I’m all caught up in all the little tasks that I don’t want to do and they’re all done, then I will be delighted!

Oxlips (“pensiveness”): What needs more meditation and thought? Magnetism, Charming Properties
I need to think about why certain people are drawn to certain things. Just deciding they’re stupid and I’m smart doesn’t help mutual understanding!

Violet (“faithfulness”): What requires your devotion? First Light at the Breaking of the Storm
I need to have faith in the good, and that no matter how bad things look, nothing lasts forever, not the bad and not the good. The storm will always break.

Woodbine (“loving friendship”): Who supports your dream? Obstruction, Obstreperous Personage
Just because someone is loud or annoying doesn’t mean they don’t care about me and/or things I care about. Sometimes it’s good to be obstreperous in a good cause.

Musk rose (“capricious beauty”): What is not as it seems? Forbidden Fruit, Mind Your Own Business
This seems quite appropriate, although I’m not sure how it applies to me. That thing that looks so attractive to me isn’t for me, and isn’t good for me. I know what I should be doing. I should just do it!

Eglantine (“poetry”): What requires expression? Perseverance, Hanging On at the Edge
This goes with First Light. I’ve been expressing such negativity, at least to myself. I need to express hope and faith that the light is here already and is increasing. Just hang on and watch for it!

Titania’s dream: Where will your dream take you? Beginning at The End
I’m very happy with my new life, and it’s still changing for the better. I’ve begun again at the end (at least the last third of it), and it’s still improving. The simple joy of just being generally happy and ok and positive seemed like an impossible dream. But now I’m living it every day. And that’s enough for me!

I’m very pleased with this positive reading today. Have a great day, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Thursday on Friday
New moon in Scorpio, Blood Moon
I’m not totally sure about the meaning details of this spread, and it might be a challenge to do with an oracle, but let’s give it a try without a subject and see what we get.

Relevant recent past event: Undercurrent Unseen Forces at Work
Are the mermaids helping or hindering the women trying to rescue the man? Let’s say they’re helping. If the forces are unseen, how can I figure out what the event was? I have been upheld and helped recently and don’t fully know that.

What needs to be released from the situation? Magnetism, Charming Properties
All that glitters is not gold. I shouldn’t assume that just because someone seems nice and attractive that they have my best interest at heart. The unseen forces are who are actually helping.

How is karma being completed? Ascension, Nurtured and Nurturing
Karma is the result of cause and effect. I have nurtured in the past (the best as I could) and now am being nurtured in return. And the nurturer and nurtured both rise.

What do I need to do to fully surrender? Grace, Divinely Blessed
I need to realize and accept that I am blessed and the undeserving recipient of grace. It’s very true, but I need to align this with my new more atheistic worldview. I’ve always been so grateful for everything I have, but I don’t know who to be grateful to. Maybe I need to surrender the need to know that, and just feel good about it.

The transformation taking place for the highest good of all: Exigency, Unpleasant but Necessary
I think people in my world and the larger world are realizing that things have to be done to make things right. It won’t be fun, but it will be all for the good. I’m in to do my part!

Well, that was a little disjointed, but I think it worked somehow . . . Have a happy day! I’ll be back for today’s reading.

[Rachelcat]

Friday
How will tomorrow’s tarot society meeting go?

Me: Cultivation, Achieving Refinement
Some fairies are reading and playing music. In the meeting, I will be wanting to learn something new, and help others do that too. Sounds good!

Meeting: Connectedness, Embraced by the Natural World
The lady is literally embraced by a tree. But I think connectedness is more apropos for a meeting. I may be concentrating on learning, but mostly everybody will be interested in socializing.

Outcome: Gossip, Words to the Unwise
Well, that’s not good. We’ll have to be on the watch to avoid negative gossip in our socializing!

Advice: Fecundity, Creative Power
This looks like a lady of the lake type figure. She’s in the woods with the late in the background. The advice is to not stick with a strict agenda or lesson and be open for any creativity that happens to show up!

Glad to get some positive cards here, except for gossip, but that isn’t necessarily all bad. Maybe we’ll just be trying to catch up with our absent members!

Have a great evening, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Saturday on Sunday
Last day for the Arthur Rackham Oracle
How is the plumbing going to go?

Well, none of these look particularly good. Reading this as the plumbing begins, so . . . !

Physically: Machination, Unreliable Associates
I’m worried they might try to add on costs over what has been agreed. Physical = money. What’s with all those mushrooms?

Emotionally: Jealousy, Unleashing Inner Demons
I think my inner demons in this case are being overly nervous. It is what it is. If it needs more repair, if it costs more, whatever. My blood pressure measurements won’t change that! The guy with the sword is really upset but can’t seem to do anything about it.

Intellectually: Obstruction, Obstreperous Person
I need to beware though of being talked over. The work is for me, so I get my say in what happens.

Energetically: Madrugada, Doorway to Dreamtime
Oh, it means early morning in Spanish. (I was thinking it was a kind of drug . . . !) I will be able to be calm and then rest when it’s done knowing it’s finally fixed.

Spiritually: Stability, Sure-Footedness
Can’t beat a cat card! And a positive one at that! When it’s all over I’ll feel more confident being a homeowner who can get repairs done without freaking out!

Well, I hope that’s how it works out! Wish me luck!