The impression conveyed by the image is more one of gossiping and telling secrets than one of “guide.” And finally the card entitled “Guide” is outright confusing, as the message reads “a guide, mentor, a trustworthy ally,” but the image presents two mermaids huddled close together with one appearing to be whispering something in the other’s ear. The card message reads “Sacred ocean medicine, clutter, de-clutter, choice.” One can see the connection between the treasure in her hands and the idea of sacred ocean medicine, but somehow the image fails to convey the idea of getting rid of clutter and making choices. The same observation applies to the card titled “The Crane Bag,” which depicts a mermaid holding up a type of shell-shaped treasure. Examples of such cards include “Sacrifice,” which depicts a Goth-type mermaid simply gazing at the reader and whose message on the card reads, “There are those worth making, there are those that will destroy you.” There is nothing obvious in the image that connects it to its intended divinatory concept. On the other hand, there are a handful of cards whose meanings do not readily connect to the image.
#SELINA FENECH DARK MOONLIGHT ANGEL SCAN FULL#
A few outstanding examples include “Adrift,” which depicts a red-tailed mermaid being carried along by the waves at the surface of the ocean (“letting go, allowing a higher force to take charge for a time”) “Honour the Masculine,” which shows a handsome young merman with arms stretched wide open in an expansive gesture full of power, strength and energy (“respecting men, embracing the masculine divine”) “Coral’s Wisdom,” which shows a mermaid’s naked back covered with an intricate tattoo shaped like sea coral (“colony, delicacy, fragility, works that are created over great periods of time”) and “The Mirror,” with a dark-haired mermaid floating before a mirror of rippling water and gazing at her distorted reflection (“know thyself, self-examination, seeing who you really are”).
Most of the artwork in the Oracle of the Mermaids is eye catching and intuitively suits the intended meaning of the card. Divinatory information is divided into three sections: “The Mermaids Sing,” which presents a positive perspective on the theme of the card told from the mermaids’ point of view “Reversed,” which presents the darker or blocked side of the card, again as told by the mermaids and “Divination,” which provides a direct message or suggested path of action.
Each card has roughly two pages devoted to it. The second part is the longer of the two and contains suggested meanings, messages and interpretations for each card, along with a small black-and-white thumbnail image. The first part contains information about the origins and magical significance of mermaids as well as four spreads, including a past-present-future spread and a slight variation on the well-known Celtic-Cross spread.
The guidebook measures 4 ½ x 6 ¼ inches and is 168 pages long. Whereas in some oracle decks, the size and colouring of the font can be a real distraction, in this particular deck it doesn’t take away from the primary intuitive response trigger, which is the visual element. Near the bottom is a keyword or short title in white uppercase, as well as a few meanings and/or brief messages underneath in smaller lowercase, also white. Overall tones are muted, with soft blues, greens and yellows giving the deck a moody, atmospheric feel.Įach card is numbered at top-center, 1 through 45, just under the borderline, against a background colour that blends nicely with the image. The borders around the card faces are non-white, each featuring a colour that complements the image. The card back design, which is non-reversible, is bordered in light-blue and features a blond-haired mermaid floating against a background that feels like a blended combination of ocean bottom, sky and clouds. The cards come in a sturdy box, measure 3 5/8 x 5 ½ inches and are printed on glossy card stock. Released by Australia-based Blue Angel Publishing in April 2013, this deck and guidebook box set invites the reader to explore divination through the enchanting underwater world of those mysterious and alluring creatures of the deep known as mermaids. The Oracle of the Mermaids is a 45-card oracle deck created by Selina Fenech, the artist behind the Wild Wisdom of the Faery Oracle, in partnership with author Lucy Cavendish. Oracle of the Mermaids Review by Nathalie Wigmore
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