Deck Review: Folklore Oracle

• Folklore Oracle
• Author/Artist Mike Bass
• published by Watkins Publishing
• available September 2023
• recommended pricing UK £22.99 / US $26.95 / CAN $35.95
• ISBN: 9781786787750
• Reviewed by MadeInChrome

A linocut style oracle deck that taps into the ancient wisdom of folklore.  

Hello everyone, MadeInChrome here to review Folklore Oracle by Wisconsin native, folklorist and print maker, Mike Bass.

As this is my first review for TABI, I will keep it simple by walking you through how I got to know the deck.

Before I did anything else, I sat with the box in my hands for a few minutes. Now, I have a lot (I’ve had to stop counting…) of oracle and Tarot decks, but this box felt to me one of the most solid and substantial for its size (10cm x 14cm x 4cm). It’s a sturdy, chunky two-piece, well-produced, with a lid that slides off smoothly. Ahh!

Snug inside was the booklet – 192 pages – with a good summary of information on the folkloric creatures and beings featured in the deck, along with an associated keyword, paragraph on guidance, and an affirmation for each – a second thumbs up. The book, I later realised, was essential to understanding the cards as I found them difficult, if not impossible, to read intuitively. Of course, prior knowledge of the characters may have helped. Even for someone who isn’t a card reader but is fascinated with folktales, this would be a fun and handy addition to such a collection.

And so to the deck. There are 60 cards of standard oracle size – 8.5 cm by 12.5 cm – and thickness, with a glossy finish. I don’t mind the gloss, as in some cases I find that the cards aren’t as slippery, or don’t slide around as much, as some of those with a matte finish.

I have comparatively big hands, so shuffling these cards weren’t a problem, but might be for someone with smaller hands. Of course, the cards being brand new, I needed to work them in a little, but was able to over-hand, riffle and bridge them quite nicely soon enough. The breeze the bridging creates makes me think the deck is breathing out its wisdom. They also fan nicely.

So far so good. Now, to the imagery.

Tapping into the ancestral wisdom of folklore, these cards feature beings, flora and fauna from British and American legend that can be divided into four groups:

• Creatures – e.g. Black Shuck, the Jackalope, and Robin Goodfellow
• Divinities – e.g. the Banshee, the Green Man, and Herne the Hunter
• Trees – e.g. the Ash, Linden and Maple
• Animals and Birds – e.g. the Fox, Spider and Eagle

The style is linocut (similar to woodcut but using linoleum), with an earthy palette of natural greens, blues, burnt oranges, and yellows, which does well to evoke the otherworldliness of nature, capturing its sly, mischievous humour with all its shadows and mystery. 

When I first laid out the cards, I found them a little unnerving. There’s a frank openness – even a carnality in the case of Sheela-na-gig – to the creatures as they stare out at you, conveying a face-your-fears sensibility, daring you to confront your most primal fears. They vary from the sinister and cautionary Black Shuck, Boo Boo Shaw, and Mothman, and the creepy Spider, to the cute Jackalope, Squirrel and Fox.

In our technology-obsessed world, there is something strangely reassuring and grounding about the natural magic of folklore; no matter how much we lose ourselves in our devices, ancestral wisdom, old-world truths, and our own primality are never far away. The deck might even make an interesting and helpful companion to walking meditations through the countryside.

I tried out a brief deck interview and came up with the following:

What is your most important characteristic?

The card I pulled was Yew. Despite being poisonous, the tree was revered as a symbol of the life/death/rebirth cycle by the Celts, and immortality by the Druids, and associated accordingly here with the keyword Resurrection. The Guidance suggests pruning ways and/or influences that no longer serve in order to promote growth, which is evident from the sensibility prevalent in the cards.

What are your strengths as a deck?

The answer to this was Boar, an animal sacred to the Greeks and Norse for its steadfastness in its devotion, hence the keyword Benevolence. The Guidance invites us to give and receive with an open heart unconditionally.

What are your limits as a deck?

I got the Dryad for this – the cheeky tree nymph, fiercely protective of their habitat. Associated here with Illusion, my impression is that this is not a deck for trivial questions. and may not help you with truths you are not willing to hear or face.

What are you here to teach me/us?

The card I pulled was the Fir – an evergreen, appropriately associated with Hope especially in the face of adversity, and the basis of our encounters with cartomancy.

On the whole, I give the deck a thumbs up. It’s refreshing in its simple style and rustic imagery. The cards have a reassuring firmness in the hand and the accompanying book is full of nuggets of information.

According to the promotional slip, the Folklore Oracle would be perfect for followers of X – (the platform formerly known as Twitter’s) #FolkloreThursday, owners and lovers of Forest of Enchantment Tarot by Lunaea Weatherstone and Meraylah Allwood, and those familiar with the work of Willow Winsham.