The Enchanted Map Oracle
Created in 2011, The Enchanted Map Oracle is another offering from Colette Baron-Reid and Jena DellaGrottaglia. It is almost identical to the Wisdom of the Oracle, except it has fifty-four cards and the descriptions are slightly shorter. The deck is easier to shuffle than the Wisdom cards because they don’t stick together so much, but the cards are the same size. Clearly, it’s a deck that promises to help when you need a sense of direction or maybe just want confirmation or clarity of where you’re at.
Movement (28) In the booklet, it says — You are in a time of positive forward motion. It gives an upright and reversed interpretation; the upright deals with the positive aspects and gives you a pat on the back, whilst the reversed talks about going around in circles and repeating lessons so they can be learned. The ostrich is the largest bird species, and despite being flightless, it can run at speeds of 45mph. This could suggest a time of being able to run, not walk or fly. A windmill is a symbol with an obvious connection to the wind and grinding down grain or pumping water. A red hot-air balloon can be seen in the top left and further emphasises the presence of a breeze. The tree poking into view from the left-hand side suggest wisdom and protection being present if not partially obscured from the conscious mind. The windmill is also surrounded by trees which further enhances the message of shelter and protection. The symbols together suggest a time when the circumstance is such that we can move forward more easily than normal. We likely have momentum in the strides we’re making and the ability to cover more ground than whatever was normal previously. The card suggests an overall gentleness in the energy surrounding the person drawing this card. Still, care should be taken so as not to provoke anyone — the ostrich is also known for its irascibility.
Cleaning House (37) is a quirky, surreal image with many symbols thrown in for good measure. A cat sits on the base of a window space. Outside the window, we can see an almost bare tree with a bird on the edge of one of its branches. Another bird sits on top of an overstuffed chest of drawers. A surrealist figure with brooms for legs stands centrally in the image and turns to face the viewer. Rose petals and sunlight come in through a tiny open door in the bottom left. From the booklet — It’s time to clear the clutter to make way for better things. Cats are linked to intuition, and birds often correlate to communication and messages. I’d take these symbols to imply the intuition is talking loud enough to hear. The area of life in most need of cleaning may not be the literal house, and those into astrology will be familiar with the concept of houses of the natal chart. I love the open door because it suggests new opportunities coming in.
Balancing Act (11), I love this card which shows a woman standing on a statue holding a sheet around her body. There’s a ship precariously balancing on a bubble in the middle of what looks to be a tightrope made of hair. The woman holds onto one end of the tightrope as heart-shaped confetti falls above and underneath the ship. From the booklet — You are calm within, no matter what the fluctuation of outer conditions. I don’t feel the image gels as well as it could with the interpretation. The booklet interpretation doesn’t delve into the balancing aspect and instead talks about harmony and discord, although it’s easy to read the card title and take cues from the artwork. The word precarious springs to mind, but the woman is standing on something solid — always a good sign. More importantly, the thing she stands on has been hand-carved and creative, which suggests a foundation created with considerable effort over a long period. Intention (22) is a sweet card showing an owl with a dandelion in its beak as it sits on top of an egg on a pedestal. Surrounding these symbols is a field full of dandelion clocks, and we can see the faint outline of mountains in the distance. From the booklet — Deliberate, clear intentions have the power to change your world. Dandelion clocks have come up a few times for me of late and are predominantly connected to wishes. The egg symbolises the potential for a new life; the owl asks or offers wisdom…the underlying message sneaking through asks you to apply wisdom to what you’re trying to wish into existence. Protecting Treasure (39) includes the symbols of a bird perched on top of an umbrella, mushrooms, a crown on top of a treasure chest, a diamond, and rain. From the booklet — You are always protected and Divinely directed. The booklet mentions loyalty and the need to strengthen bonds, and yet again, I’m disappointed in the lack of connection to the artwork. I understand that meaningful bonds may be regarded as treasures, but I think the booklet falls short. Umbrellas are a sign of protection, but they can only do so much. The mushrooms could be saying there’s a hint of illusion, or maybe it’s a sign we need to think outside the box and pay attention to what can’t be seen with the eyes. The crown suggests a position of authority and gives the sense of being a rightful heir to something.
Storm Fields (9) hints at the Wizard of Oz with its tornado about to strike a house. A black and white pathway stretching to the house shows fly agaric mushrooms and a flying insect hovering over some daisies. Two birds are flying ahead and away from the tornado. From the booklet — This, too, shall pass. Tornadoes are fast-moving and pass quickly, but the level of devastation they leave in their wake is always unpredictable and depends on what lies in their path. The birds may indicate communication that enables us to get out of the way. The Fly agaric is a well-known hallucinogen, and I wonder if we have a suggestion of being delusional or maybe a warning to stay connected to reality. As I mentioned in the previous card, it could represent a need to think outside the box — always a good idea if we need to get creative to avoid danger. The daisy can often be symbolic of innocence and childhood memories. The signs here say the current story could be familiar to you, and it’s probably a good idea not to delude yourself with what lies ahead if it can threaten your stability.
In Deep Freeze (26), a lion lays motionless on frozen ground and dips his right paw into the water surrounding him. Snow has settled on the branches of a tree, and everything looks cold. From the booklet — Everything has its season. Now is the time to put activity on hold while you rest. The card indicates winter and symbolically means it’s the end of something and that nothing is currently growing. This is not a time to plant seeds. Traditionally, winter is a time of learning and gaining wisdom. Everything just looks so cold; I understand the concept of needing to rest, but this card doesn’t seem to be giving off the vibe that circumstance would make for a comfortable timeout. Rescue (16) There is so much in this card; waterfalls, a hot air balloon, a telescope, a tree, a mushroom, the end of a tunnel, and some kind of chimney spewing rainbow-coloured smoke. From the booklet — You are always safe and secure, and free to be yourself. The imagery suggests unattainability and being closed off to others. The woman is clear of the tunnel, and this feels positive. The waterfalls could represent flowing emotion which is another positive indicator. The rainbow smoke may indicate someone who has asked for help from the divine. The person looking through a telescope from the balloon suggests the opportunity to get a higher perspective on a situation or the potential to look further afield than what is normal. I wonder if it would be sensible to make sure any isolation isn’t unnecessary or coming from a place of fear when this card appears. The booklet talks about being able to ask for help when it’s needed, and this fits well with the imagery, although it seems more descriptive of where someone is at rather than what is needed to overcome the issue.
Coming Apart (46), A mirrored image of a woman crouched on a stone face. I’m always drawn to images that contain an element of mirroring and find this card to be hinting at two different meanings. From the booklet — Now is the time to take separate paths. The interpretation in the booklet focuses on leaving a situation or relationship. I’m not sure I get the separate paths meaning from this picture, but I see mirroring and two sides of the same coin. The stony masks may represent old personas that need to be dropped and possibly relationships where one person mirrors another — Coming Apart from one’s mirror suggests a need to acknowledge shadow aspects and reintegrate them into a new outer persona. This could be one of those cards that doesn’t even begin to touch the sides when it appears — I’m wondering about complex personality stuff, and it may be worth keeping this in mind if it’s a deck your work with regularly. Stuck in the Mud (24) is a relatively calm-looking card and features a sturdy-as-always elephant with a bird sitting on its back looking behind. From the booklet — You’re being invited to stop and savor the wonder of your life. The elephant has one of its legs raised which suggests a desire to keep moving forward, and it most certainly has the strength to do so. The booklet talks about where we need to take things slowly, and the bird hints at the need to look back into the past. I like the card despite usually hating any suggestion of having to go slow.
The Bone Collector (1) is one of my favourite cards because it actually mentions the word bones. From the booklet — You are whole and have everything you need within. The booklet suggests checking if we are present or simply reacting out of past conditioning and unconscious expectations and not letting old wounds define us. I think the artwork goes much deeper. The happiness on the face of the old woman who sits in a stone circle considerably lifts the card's mood. We can see many symbols scattered around her; the rabbit symbolises fertility and can often be seen as a mediator between the worlds. A clock suggests timing may be important, and the presence of sand in the background hints at the idiom ‘the sands of time’. The peacock feather in her hand could represent the third eye and spirituality or be a reference to beauty or even immortality. The empty birdcage hanging from the tree tells me someone is free from constraint, a message further emphasised by the flying bird. The bones are symbolic of the past but also an absolute necessity for structure. There’s a hint of the Shaman and the Wise Grandmother in this card. The Wise Old Woman is a strong archetype, and if this is a repeat visitor for someone, it could be worth listening to the relevant work by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
The deck is a nice addition to any collection. I think I prefer the Wisdom of the Oracle overall, but this is a great deck to get a sense of where you’re at or heading or if you’re feeling a bit lost and need to touch base with yourself. I have the Goddess Power Oracle on my Amazon wish list, but I’m no longer sure I want to own them. The artist and author are due to release a new collaboration soon, the Oracle of the Seven Energies deck, and that looks like it may be better. I genuinely like the Wisdom of the Oracle and even the Enchanted Map, but the Good Tarot left me disappointed, and on closer inspection, I’m not sure the other decks are of any use to me. I find the artwork superior to the booklets on the whole and often find the interpretations shallow and lacking emotional honesty. That being said, the decks clearly serve a purpose and are well-structured and put together. They’re miles ahead of anything Doreen Virtue created but typical of the arena they’re in. They’re missing a good dose of reality for anyone wanting to do a serious amount of self-development. Again, I consider this a collection-worthy deck, but as with all things, it has its limits. I think they're absolutely fantastic for those in a healing phase after a bad breakup or other significant transition because they’re so gentle and easy on the eye. They’re also great for those who love symbolism because the cards are packed full of key symbols, and the artist has a knack for pulling seemingly disparate objects together to create a cohesive scene.
