is for Mother Mary Oracle Deck
Once I heard that Shiloh Sophia McCloud’s paintings were going to be used to create an oracle deck, I couldn’t wait to see what would be created. And the resulting Mother Mary Oracle deck delights me. Here’s a peek at the four cards I pulled this morning.
Another artist whose work I follow is Hettienne Grobler and she’s currently working on a project she’s calling The Tarot Deck of the Mysteries of Mary. Heittiene creates little shrines and altars, many of them wearable, and the cards are photographs of shrines she’s created. She has only a few done right now, but I love how she’s delving deeply into her own exploration of the symbolism and meanings of each. All of this would be more than enough to delight and intrigue me, but then she states:
“I include the four suits based on the Mysteries of the Rosary. The Joyful Mysteries is the suit of Chalices, traditionally Cups. The Glorious Mysteries is the suit of the Rose, traditionally Wands. The Mysteries of Light is the suit of Bread and Wine, traditionally Pentacles. The Sorrowful Mysteries is the suit of the Bee, traditionally Swords. And the fifth suit, which is not traditionally part of the Tarot, is the suit of Spirit, the Ether or Akasha and symbolized by the Swan.”
Are you kidding me?! Any deck that will include pips of Roses, Bees, and Swans has me on the floor in a full-out swoon. Follow along with her creations.
I have one of her pieces, Home of the Heart, which is also a wearable Mary shrine.
Another recent find is the work of Christine Henderson. She’s published a couple of books, including A Rose A Day: A Book of Sacred Rose Prayers. Considering my connection to the Sacred Rose Council, I’m always interested in others working similar sacred energies. And since Mary is often associated with roses I thought mention of her work belongs in this miscellany.
One of her prayer begins:
”Dear Rose Mother, You are the Oracle who sits within your cave of power, surrounded by your generosity of pure spirit.”
Lovely invocation isn’t it?
And finally here’s a peek at one of my Mary paintings – a piece by artist Sherry Dooley done on wood. I keep Hettienne’s piece hanging from it.
I’m not Catholic and I never had a childhood or religious connection with Mary and yet her presence is very much part of my life. I am blessed indeed.
The painting on the cards are amazing, I feel I could talk to them. The Home of the Heart draws you in, too, and I’m only seeing a picture and I can only imagine what the real thing looks like.
I feel the same way you do Tat about the cards – and all of Shiloh’s paintings.