Review - The Faeries' Oracle by Brian Froud/Jessica Macbeth

One of the most important parts of my practice is divination, both for myself and for others. When I read for other people, typically I cast Runes; however, a couple of years ago the Runes simply stopped speaking to me when I tried to cast for myself, so I had to find some other oracle to work with. I’m told this happens a lot—certain oracles will only speak in certain situations, or for certain purposes.

Like many Witches I am a bit of an accidental Tarot collector. The myriad decks out there are more than just magical tools, they are art: 78 pieces of hand-held art that can talk. For years I tried and tried to find a traditional Tarot that would speak to me, and when I couldn’t, I tried various other kinds of decks. The problem with finding an oracle is that often you don’t know whether it’s the one for you until you get the cards or Runes or pendulum home and play with it for a while. By then, you’ve spent the money and the energy, and most of us end up with a boxful of castoff oracles, like a pound full of lovable strays hoping for good homes.

From the moment I laid eyes upon the Froud deck, I knew it was unique. A former student and almost-coven-sister of mine was really into Faeries, and was a huge fan of Froud’s artwork. I had always thought he was an amazing artist, but the whole concept of Faery was a little out there for me; I believed firmly in Nature spirits and otherworldly beings, but the idea of little balls of light with wings stealing my car keys stretched credulity a little.

Then I actually looked at the deck, and flipped through the cards one by one. I was instantly mesmerized. The images were not Disneyfied like faeries are usually depicted—they were dark, and haunting, and full of mischievous faces that peered out of every nook and cranny. Even now, there are times when I am pondering an image and I see something I never have before. Froud is a master of detail, and in his hands every single aspect of the image comes to life.

It wasn’t until I saw card 17, however, that I was doomed: Himself. There, staring up at me, was Jeff…or, sort of. It didn’t look like Him physically (if physically is even the word), but the energy was perfect; it was as if Froud had captured one of His many guises, but both artist and viewer know that that guise is only one of many, and beneath it is the immense and powerful truth that is the God.

(For card images from the deck, click here, or here.  The second link includes an image of Himself.)

The deck is structured differently from a Tarot deck. There are 66 cards—65 images, plus one blank for your own Faery Guide, which I don’t use. Blank "add your own" cards always screw up the flow of the deck for me, although I appreciate the flexibility.

The cards’ order is as great a metaphor as the Major Arcana, but instead of depicting the Fool’s Journey, the Faery deck is built around its own cosmology. The first card is Unity, from which all else emerges; from there the energy of the universe flows through Ecstasy, then past the Guardian at the Gate. It is then broken down into the Singers of the Realms, each representing an abstract such as Courage, Intuition, Healing, et cetera.

Past the Singers, the song of Unity takes the form of the Sidhe, the Old Ones of Faery. Though the book cautions against considering them gods and goddesses, that is exactly what they symbolize to me, and the Sidhe cards include the Maiden, the Bright Mother, Himself, the Dark Lady, and others.

From the Sidhe, the deck is arranged into groups of both helpful and challenging beings, ranging from the humorous (Myk the Myomancer, who tells the future by reading the movements of mice) to the downright creepy (Death, shown as a cloaked and faceless figure). Each portrait is complex and has a dreamlike quality to it; each time you turn up a card in a reading, it will say something different from the time before.

The book, written by Jessica Macbeth, is an invaluable resource, although one of the first things Macbeth says is "don’t use the book, use your intuition." I’ve found that even after using the deck for years I still refer to her excellent descriptions of each card—her words spark off associations for me that lead me to my own conclusions.

On the other hand, there are some cards—Himself, the Dark Lady, and others—for which the book description isn’t of much use to me, as these particular beings have a will all their own in my life.

Reading with the Faeries’ Oracle can be a bit maddening. For one thing, these cards definitely have their own personality and are a bit demanding: mine like for me to burn a particular candle when I read with them, and I keep them in a bag with certain stones they seem to prefer. For another, they resist traditional layouts and methods. Everyone who uses the deck has to find her own individual way of relating to the cards. I draw mine completely at random, and swirl them around on the floor or cloth until they seem happy with where I’ve put them. For me, they like to be arranged in circles; for others, straight lines.

I suspect that one reason I am so fond of the cards is that they read much the way the Runes do—a lot of intuition, not much in the way of rigid structure. Faeries aren’t known for their linear thinking, after all.

Another issue I have had is that the oracle refuses to give me a straight answer about anything. They offer guidance by theme rather than practical advice; if you are looking for a deck to tell you what to do, well, you’re out of luck here. The Faeries also tend to ignore whatever question you ask and tell you what they think you need to hear.

They do, however, offer surprisingly deep and meaningful guidance, particularly in a spiritual vein; they are also fantastic for mediation. I often use them as meditative symbols for ritual and spellwork, propping a couple on my altar that seem to fit with what I’m doing.

Do be warned that if you use this deck you will find Faeries invading your life. Whatever you may believe about such things, this deck is far more than just pretty art and good advice; it has its own life, its own energy, and invoking that energy will seep out into all sorts of unexpected places.

Both because of the deck and because Jeff is a Faery-aligned deity, my home is infested with Faeries, who like to aggravate my cat and help me "organize" my desk by putting office supplies where they think they should go (such as when I found a pack of pens in my underwear drawer for no reason at all). If you think this all sounds nuts…well actually, you probably already think I’m nuts for believing that God shows up in my living room, so what the hell do you know? *laugh* If, however, you are at all attuned to Faery energy, I highly recommend this oracle—in fact I recommend anything that involves Brian Froud’s artwork.

Comments

[Inanna]

Whoa. Thank you for this review; it's very revealing. And those images are intense. I'm intrigued. I don't know what to make of faeries. It's only recently that I've begun entertaining the possibility of such things existing. And I'm inclined to take seriously the stories of Faerie that have them as a race apart, with morals so different from ours that they appear to us immoral (a la Jonathan Strange). I work in an old Gothic Victorian mansion; it has been both a private home and an infirmary. And though we're a rational and bookish bunch at work, things have been appearing and disappearing enough that I'm starting to think that the most reasonable explanation is faeries or gremlins or ghosts. You know, those things I don't really believe in....

[Tanisha]

Yeah. I got a deck before I was ready for them. I wish there were more water fey, because Tobaira can't be the only one. Himself is so hot its intimidating. He's also wise beyond comprehension. Solus is also striking.

[Amy]

When I first read this post my reaction was, "Hm, not for me." But my tarot deck had not been speaking to me--leaving me cold. I consider divination an important spiritual tool for self-exploration and for hearing the voice of the Divine, and I was getting nothing from my cards. The Faeries kept coming back to my mind again and again, and I read some of Jesa MacBeth's on-line writings on Faeries which intrigued me. I found myself scouring the net for images of the deck-they were haunting me. "Okay, fine!" I said, "I'll get the deck." Wow. They have opened up worlds to me (quite literally in one sense!). I can pull a card for my daily oracle and end up working with it all week there is so much depth to it. I struggled with it because I wanted to hear the voice of the Divine, not the Faeries, but I think I've come to the conclusion that the Divine can speak to me through the Faeries just fine--just as S/he can through the trees and the clouds and the faces around me. I am a Faerie convert--and now I look for their faces peeking at me in clouds and trees and if I find them making faces at me I do what Jesa MacBeth suggests--"Make faces back--they love that!" For a not-so-childlike spirit as mine, this is a revelation and I love it!

[joanna]

i have this deck
i bought it because it spoke to me
but it gives me very sad or bad information
i have tried to clense it but no luck
i have seen things since the deck has come into my life
unexplainable
i keep it in the dark in a cabinet with quartz crystal and a gargoyle in front gaurding it
maybe i shouldnt do this
maybe it is just picking up on my life as of right now it is very hard and traumatic
im not sure
joosidhe

[Okan'e]

That's a perfect review. I agree with pretty much everything you said. This is the only deck that's ever worked with my ratehr chaotic methods. And damn, does it WORK. In the sense that when I do a reading, events tend to follow very rapidly in life.

And thank Whatever for it.