The Oracles
The Oracles is a self-published deck created by Libby Bove. First published in 2022, they are an intensely unique and quirky oracle set. They’re possibly limited in the audience that will be attracted to the cards — mostly because they deal with the grubbier side of personality and inadequate relationships. Yet, I still want to say it’s probably one of the best oracle decks I’ve come across. The thirty-eight cards come with a useful black velvet drawstring bag and an absolutely essential guidebook. The artwork is excellent and the guidebook is as unique and creative with its descriptions as the cards are with their subject matter.
I would have loved to have this deck as a companion in my early adult years. Many of the cards feel deeply personal and I can see how they would have been relevant during plenty of chapters of my life. I will look at three cards closely, but so many deserve a mention. Nearly all of the cards have original titles — the few that don’t are The Sun, The Moon, The Mother, Hanging On, and maybe The White Hare. There’s no point in me listing the entire deck because you can flick through the images yourself, but I’m particularly impressed with the following: I like The Bad Move. The poor dog is knocked off the ladder thanks to the carelessness of a man who isn’t giving enough focus — his face is all over the place. It has an explicit and direct message that we need to be careful — it may refer to a decision or action already taken, in which case the card suggests accountability and acknowledgement. A Bad Case of the Dopplegangers is an interesting card. I find the keyphrases of ‘Patterns in the Chaos’ and ‘The familiar in unfamiliar places’ to be incredibly informative. Life is often weird if you’re walking off the beaten track, and these kinds of insights are useful.
The illustration of The Scarlet Flag is simple and leaves no room for interpretation — it simply is what it is. I think all decks should have a red flag card because we could all use that one simple warning from time to time. And some of us would likely see it more often than others. The Feud shows two defiant figures with their backs to one another. Interestingly, they’re almost identical and I wonder if the guidebook suggests that at least some of the conflict may be occurring because of the similarities in character.
The Wretched Broth is a gentle-looking card, but the room does look a little sparse and the window is tiny and high up the wall. The guidebook suggests making something out of a disappointment — we can see the man looking up to the window, and more especially the sunshine outside. Symbolically, we may have an unpalatable situation, but at least there is warmth and optimism. Conditions (the weather) could be much worse.
The violent rejection displayed in The Spectacle initially made me wonder if the card's meaning was related to an intolerable situation. The guidebook gives a thorough interpretation — while it can be a sign that a dramatic response is appropriate, it is more of a caution against catastrophisation. And finally, The Flail evokes the feeling of wild abandon. The woman’s bare chest may imply a lack of inhibition, but I note she’s keeping her knickers on — so, there are clearly some boundaries still in place.
The Martyrs’ Bath is a brilliant card that shows a forlorn man sitting in a bath with his shoulders rounded as he hugs his knees. Above his head, light emanates from the moon in the middle of a dark cloud. He looks thoroughly miserable. The guidebook says, Unnecessary Frugality, Self Sabotage and The Purposeful Engagement in Dire Acts.
The Martyrs’ Bath is a miserable place. Barely wet with putrid water, it is cold and unclean. All the same, the martyr insists on nothing better than a fetid puddle.
Is this to evoke sympathy of others?
Or merely for one’s own self pity?
Are you helping anyone with your gallant acts of suffering? Or are you pushing yourself deeper into the mindset of your martyrdom?
The time has come to be kind to yourself. Turn on the hot tap as far as it’ll go and run yourself a nice deep one.
I would add that there could be a pattern of emotional isolation rather than dealing with longstanding disruptive behaviours. The waning crescent moon is a later phase of the moon in its cycle. The moon is also a good symbol for behaviours driven by unconscious motivations. The light emanating from behind suggests necessary insight about these behaviours is about to break through into conscious awareness.
I imagined The Smoking Baby to be a mockery of those who are too quick to run off and get shit-faced when life requires an adult mentality, and I wasn’t far wrong. The guidebook says — Manic Revelry, Cutting loose at the most inappropriate of times.
Can you feel yourself sliding off the rails? Does this loose cannon feel like it’s about to blow?
The Nursery is no place for a knife fight, but The Smoking Baby cares not.
Dancing about with a mouth full of berkeley menthols and a nappy fit to burst.
Will someone lasso this wild child and drag them firmly back on the wagon.
The drawing of this card is a reminder to reign it in, take stock and reconsider your next move. They’ll be plenty of time for all this in the times to come, but for now, a nice cup of coco and nap is in order.
Not sure whether to say oof, or LOL.
The last card I want to mention is The Simulation Running Out of Ideas because I feel curious about the interpretation. The guidebook says, Repetition, Repetition, Chronic Deja-vu.
As the Simulation Runs out of ideas we have a tendency to feel stuck in repetitive cycles. Turning things over and over, we can get caught up in stale loops as our life seems to short circuit. We walk round in circles, chasing notions of control.
Then all of a sudden, we’re back where it all began.
This card can signify the start of an unhealthy cycle, or perhaps it will prompt the courage to grip the steering wheel tighter and drive yourself out of this stagnant time line. It is also important to remember that many things are entirely out of our control.
Kick back, relax and retire your delusions of agency.
I like the inclusion of this card because it is always good to get a head’s up if we’re about to do a rinse and repeat of a shit cycle. I am slightly confused as to whether it implies we either do or do not have the power to pull away from such a path. Do we have agency, or are we deluded to think so?
I have to wonder if Libby has indulged in what I call the old-school art scene literary stuff like Dostoyevsky and the far-too-wordy and not-altogether-capable-of-critical-thinking French philosophers. There are a few errors in the writing — grammar and/or word choice aren’t always correct. One of the cards in this edition has a tiny print error. So, my only criticism is that it could’ve been given a final edit. However, I love the originality of the cards and the aspects Libby chooses to focus on in the text. I love that Libby has given attention to many of the unproductive situations we can find ourselves in; and she has stayed a million miles away from sugarcoating. I think what I’m trying to say is that I feel genuine respect for the deck and towards Libby for putting it together in the first place. It would be easy to assume the deck is a lighthearted and basic creation — but I don’t think it is. Some of the ideas Libby has executed are complex, and there’s an awful lot of intelligence and creativity behind the finished product. I will use it from time to time, but I doubt it will get heavy use because my life is generally quite boring. Could I use it with clients? One or two would undoubtedly love it, but on the whole, I think they’d assume I was either mad or simply taking the piss. But I don’t know. Maybe I’ll try it and see what happens. The deck is suitable for any level of reader, is nicely priced, and deserves a place on a collector's shelf. That being said, I truly think this one deserves to be used as often as possible. If you are young or still dating, you should certainly buy a copy because it will help flush out those frogs in no time — absolutely no disrespect to the frogs. I keep two as pets.
Libby Bove Website - cheaper to buy direct from her website (£30 + £3 postage)
