This is the third personalised oracle deck I have
created but a first for someone I did not know personally; this meant that
besides a few initial questions to determine the tone of the deck and the
recipient’s personal interests and affinities which I wanted to subtly showcase,
I was flying blind and creating based on instinct and intuition. As she is a
follower/daughter of Morrigan, I had a level of insight already as a previous deck
I made had a Morrigan focus – that can be seen here.
I have found that an idea for the back of the cards
usually comes first… when I can visualise the back or close to it, then the
story within the deck has begun. I knew it should be set in the woods as Jess
is very connected to earth and the deck was going to be very earth based; I
knew the image should be reasonably dark because I felt a walk through the
woods with Morrigan would be in a shadowy setting; a path felt appropriate but
I did not know why… the title ‘Walking with Morrigan’ had not quite come to the
fore yet. Though the light at the top of the image I chose shows it to be
daytime, in meditation I projected myself into those woods to walk as Jess
beside Morrigan and though light was seeping through from the outside world,
the shadows surrounding seemed to emanate from the formidable mother Goddess
next to me. This felt incredibly comforting and unafraid I explored the
surroundings to glean insight for the deck; this was something Morrigan allowed
me to indulge in… we did not speak but my intent in being there was to gain
insight for the purpose of creating a deck which both respected and honoured
both Her and follower/daughter, I felt her permission was granted because of
this intent.
The last thing I will mention about the back of the
cards is the aesthetic, the colour and the philosophical and metaphorical
choices that went into its selection. This picture was originally forest
colours – a mixture of greens and browns but that didn’t feel right… with the
help of my projecting meditation and photoshop, I managed to get the image to
depict the possibility of being both sunrise and sunset at the same time; much
like Morrigan being perceived in several different aspects at once. Giving the
scene a blue light felt like a perfect choice for the deck of Morrigan and Jess
– not only is it one of Jess’s favourite colours but when applied to Morrigan
it mirrors many of Her aspects which can seem to be overlooked when she is
described only as a War and Death Goddess. I am by no means an expert on the
myth and lore surrounding this formidable Goddess but no-one, and certainly not
a deity, is just one thing. While Morrigan is considered by many to be the fiery,
vengeful and impassioned (and I do see, respect and understand that side of Her),
my experiences and research of Her also found control and stability in Her
character; stoic and masterful she has a certain type of magnificent freedom
which affords such amazing calm… not emotionless but the idea that she feels
things so strongly, that she has mastered those feelings and is not at their
mercy. To me, this is most capably displayed with shades of blue – the colour
of water, element of emotions; it brings to my mind the peace that is felt when
one truly knows themselves.
I had not planned to write quite so much about the
back but as I am only showcasing the deck and including very little exposition,
I thought this would describe a little of my process. The other thing I did
want to mention is the title of the deck. I toyed with several ideas, including
whether to include Morrigan’s name at all but it felt right that I should and I
felt She wanted to be included in the title also. ‘Walking with Morrigan’ came
to me very early on in the creation process but I dismissed it initially as too
simplistic; I only felt it to be the right title after a walk of my own. I had
taken a walk in the woods for Yule/Winter Solstice and felt instantly drawn to
notice several things… the hardness of the ground, the light mist that infused
the air and a very large crow cawing in a nearby oak. Now, I always pay
attention to anything going on in an oak tree because oak is my Celtic tree and
I feel (and have been proved right) that if I am to given messages from trees,
it will come from an oak. I walked for maybe 20 feet and looked back at that
crow, only to discover that he had followed me…. pleased, I walked on.
After about 10 minutes, my black-feathered stalker
was still with me and so I took more notice… I knew from friendships with
followers of Morrigan and personal research that crows and certainly a
persistent crow could indicate that a certain Celtic deity was making herself known.
This came to mind at that moment, so I sat on the ground, thanked the crow for
his message (off he flew) and as the only Morrigan work I was doing at that
time was this deck, I closed my eyes and focused on it; I concentrated on my
surroundings, on the unknown title and the image which was already selected for
the back and in seconds I saw the name ‘Walking with Morrigan’ on the image as
you see it here.
Oracle Showcase
I have used several well-known witchy cycles within
this deck but I am starting with the cycle of life… maiden, mother, crone. I
chose wolves to depict this because wolf is both sacred to Morrigan and a
favourite of the deck’s owner…
The Sabbats were a natural choice for this deck… it
felt important to honour the Wheel of the Year and in our first few
conversations about themes and tone, I picked up an affinity to flowers and so
the high days of witchcraft are portrayed florally – eight cards, each
highlighting one of our sacred celebrations…
The elements are the fundamental foundation of the
magickal world and so I knew they had to be included in the deck but one’s
relationship with the forces of nature is not always peaceful or
straightforward and so these cards are a reminder of what the natural world can
manifest within us…
Another trilogy, that of Anu, Macha and Badb; I
checked with Jess that she subscribed to these aspects of Morrigan before
proceeding with the image and card name decisions. The Goddess names are not
included in the cards because multiple interpretations felt more important
given that so many mythologies surround these Goddesses individually as well as
the Triple aspects of Morrigan…
It wasn’t surprising to me when Jess said how much
she connected with the moon phases… we all have a special affinity to the moon.
These cards are very broad in their naming because I know that every time a
witch looks at the moon, regardless of its phase, something different is felt
and a new appreciation for magick is born…
Magick is an art best served with the aid of the
animal kingdom… whether a pet, familiar, spirit guide or totem, animals touch
our lives and craft in many ways… I asked Jess during our first conversations
what animals were especially important to her; we covered wolves for maiden,
mother and crone but her other answers are employed in these cards with special
responsibilities or messages…
Seasonal changes create so much excitement… the
first leaf fluttering from a tree telling you that autumn/fall is coming; with
this in mind I created seasonal-feeling cards which span the cross-quarter
sabbats and encompass the magick in each of the earth’s life phases…
Now, many of the other cards I’ve mentioned have touched
on aspects of Morrigan or something that is sacred to her or associated with
her but these cards are hers… they describe her and honour her. These cards are
here so Morrigan is present within the deck…
When I decided to make cards for individuals I knew
it wasn’t going to be all witchy or all deity, that may be a part of it because
deities and the craft are part of that person but the cards would be about who
they are and how they feel and what resonates with them on a spiritual and
physical level. I think that’s why, on these cards only, I’m going to break
them down individually…
Starting with ‘Shadows
of Nature’ – everyone can see the beauty of a spring flower when morning rays
hit the dew of its petals at first light; so much of nature’s beauty is
painted, photographed, described when it is flooded with brightness and its
glory is obvious but this person recognises that the shadows that play across
petals are just as stunning, that shade holds just as much beauty and magick.
Also, I chose hyacinths for this card for two reasons; firstly because Jess
loves them and secondly because they are a symbol of peace of mind which can
also be found in the shadows of nature.
More peace
with the ‘Peaceful Vibrations’ of Selenite… finding the right image for this
card was a chore; there are many images on selenite on the internet but nothing
spoke to me. It took about a week of looking on google and yahoo to find this
image and then another few days of playing around on photoshop to get it how I
envisioned it. The thing is, Selenite is a crystal which I connect to and Jess
had requested it too… it is a crystal of transformation, aiding it’s user in
bringing light from higher realms into the body. I called this card peaceful
vibrations because receiving that light is subtle and I chose a leafy-earthy
setting because selenite is very much a conduit between spiritual realms and
physical ones.
Another
crystal was requested by Jess – Labradorite. This crystal is fascinating, I knew
the name of the card before I found the image and when I researched labradorite
it made so much sense… lore relating to the Inuit peoples claims that this
stone with shifting colours on its surface fell from the frozen fire of the
aurora borealis. I called this card Shift of Shape and Light before knowing
this lore; it is a stone of awareness and a stone of unlocking self-potential.
Before creating this deck and specifically this card, I had never worked with
labradorite, now I have several pieces and use them regularly.
I’ll admit
this card was made as a bit of fun but it is a genuine card in the deck… Jess
mentioned she loves Doctor Who and being a dedicated Whovian myself, I knew how
easily I could incorporate a quote into a spiritual deck… “All of Time and
Space, Everything that ever happened or ever will… Where do you want to start?”
This is relating to everything is magick, the astral world, the physical world,
ancestors, descendants, the universe; magick can accomplish so much and this
card is just a reminder of the power that we wield.
Well, here we are at the last few cards; we’ve
covered the cycles, the amazing and formidable Morrigan, the interests of the
recipient so now to the lady herself… a witch has the ability to raise her
power, to invoke, to evoke and she holds the key to everything. These are the
cards that encompass that power and then there is the most unique and
identifying self-card; this is a photograph of the recipient which has been
manipulated with photoshop to bring out her inner goddess – highlighting within
her own face reflections of her matron/mother Goddess, Morrigan and
illuminating her own balance.
Additional Information
As not all of the cards specifically state the time
of year or aspect they are representing, Jess requested a guide to assist her
in personal readings which I happily provided at no extra charge…
