My Divination Tools -- Part 2

In a previous post, I listed the divination tools I owned as of mid-2016. I've acquired a few more since then. Here they are.

"GYPSY WITCH" FORTUNE-TELLING CARDS
I purchased these mainly because they were reasonably priced and I was curious. (Even though I try not to use the word "gypsy" myself anymore as it can cause offence.) They're a full set of playing cards that can also be used as Lenormand cards. The instruction booklet is small but provides a simple, easy to understand explanation of the Petit tableau and Grand tableau layouts. I think they will serve as a good everyday deck so I can save my Viking Lenormand deck for special occasions.

PROFESSOR PAM WISHBOW'S URBAN DIVINATION ORACLE
You've seen at least one reading from me using this deck before. I love the graphics, the gold printing and the unusual square shape. The oracle consists of 32 cards with an urban city-scape theme. As the blurb explains, most people nowadays live in an urban environment and rarely actually encounter the things featured on most oracle cards. Pam decided to create a deck for us urban dwellers, with things we see every day, like The Bin, The Crow and The Unopened Candy. I've used this desk several times, and I tend to reach for it when I'm dealing with something practical or a bit grubby, like a business opportunity or a soured friendship.

PROFESSOR PAM WISHBOW'S BEETLE BONE CASTING MAT
This bandana-sized casting mat is printed in gold ink, in the Wishbow signature style. It came with three randomly chosen treasures -- a key, a crystal and some kind of fingerbone (probably resin). The idea is for the caster to add their own tiny treasures, as many as desired. I haven't tried it yet, but as far as I understand, you assign meanings to the "bones" and where they fall on the mat determines their meaning. It looks like a lot of fun and I can't wait to try it.

SACRED WORLD ORACLE by KRIS WALDHERR
This is a relatively new oracle that I only bought a few weeks ago, and I've only used it once so far. I was attracted to the concept behind it -- each of the 44 cards represents an animal, but they are also divided up into the four elements. The artwork on them is absolutely exquisite, with a golden frame surrounding an image of each animal in a landscape inspired by relevant legends from around the world. I'm not accustomed to working with animal energies, but I'm definitely open to it. I love working with these cards.

SPIRIT CATS ORACLE CARDS by NICOLE PIAR
I've only had this deck a couple of days and haven't used it yet. I came across it completely by chance and knew I had to have it straight away. For a start: cats! Nicole's artwork is breathtaking, in a whimsical and slightly retro style. These photos really don't do them justice. The deck consists of 48 cards, with a cat on the front, and an inspirational message on the back.

Nicole is offering a free course working with oracle cards, which I have signed up for. It starts next month.

HARRY POTTER FANTASTIC BEASTS CARDS
It's actually a set of colouring cards (complete with pencils), but I'm wondering if it can be used for divination. I could use my copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as the guidebook. My only issue is that the cards aren't labelled, so I'd have to brush up on my beast-identification skills. But how fun would it be?

Urban Divination Oracle Reading

I did this Oracle card reading for the Grey School Divination Club's July challenge. Now that the challenge is over, I'm posting it for my readers.

I am using Professor Pam Wishbow’s Urban Divination Oracle, which is a new deck that I am using for the first time. Here is my oracle reading:

1. My question is: “Should I open an online shop within the next 6 months?” This is something that I’m planning to do in the future, but I have a lot of commitments at the moment and am wondering if I should delay this particular project. I made sure to choose a specific time period.

2. The spread I chose is one I found on Pinterest. I thought it would be an appropriate spread for a decision regarding a project. In my case, the project is a business one, but also has an emotional component. The five cards from left to right are: 1. Past; 2. Present; 3. Hidden Factors; 4. Advice; 5. Outcome if Advice is Followed.

3. As mentioned previously, I am using Professor Pam Wishbow’s Urban Divination Oracle. The cards I drew are as follows. Please note that the guide only lists 3-4 general keywords for each card, and exhorts the reader to apply their own interpretation to the cards.

1. (Past) THE CROW – intelligent ; grudge ; opinionated
2. (Present) THE SPENT CONDOM – abandon ; wisdom ; desire
3. (Hidden Factors) THE BIN – order ; humility ; structure
4. (Advice) THE RAT – depenance (sic) ; pest (Assuming “depenance” means dependence?)
5. (Outcome if Advice Followed) THE UNOPENED CANDY – temptation ; fascination ; seduction


4. Here are my thoughts on the cards I drew:
1. (Past) THE CROW – I ran an online shop selling zines in the past, and one of the reasons I ended up closing it was because I was anxious of what people would think of the content of my zines. While my writing was intelligent and thoughtfully constructed, I was worried people would think I was opinionated. As well, I may have held a grudge because others were more successful than me.
2. (Present) THE SPENT CONDOM – I have the desire to go ahead with this project, whether it’s wise or not. My logical side says that I already have enough on my plate, but part of me wants to throw caution to the wind. I want to act with abandon.
3. (Hidden Factors) THE BIN – While I tend to think of myself as a disorganised person by default, I’ve run an online shop before, and also currently run my friend’s shop when he is sick or on holidays. I’ve been successful with both, and have been able to keep order and follow structure. This is a capability I don’t always acknowledge. “Order” could also refer to purchase orders! (I have a feeling this deck has a sense of humour…)
4. (Advice) THE RAT – The most obvious meaning to this card is that if I open the shop too soon, with too many other commitments, it will become a pest. Wild rats are something that most people don’t like to have around, and perhaps the shop will become like that if I open it too soon and without enough thought put into it.
5. (Outcome if Advice Followed) THE UNOPENED CANDY – I believe that temptation and fascination refer to a desire for buyers to purchase my art and craft items. Assuming that the advice is to wait until more than 6 months has passed to open the shop, this time might allow fascination with my art and craft to build up.

5. It took me a little longer than normal to find the meaning of this reading. I’m not used to working with this Oracle deck – or with cartomancy in general – so I needed to think over the card meanings more carefully to come to a conclusion. I do think this reading answered my question. It indicates that I should wait at least 6 months before opening an online shop. This will give me time to explore my ideas and build up a stock of products that potential buyers will find tempting. However, I should have confidence that when I do open a shop, I will have the organisational skills to be able to run it successfully.

Sources:
Professor Pam Wishbow’s Urban Divination Oracle.
Pinterest: “Five Card Spread.”