- Deck Name: Lost Oracle
- Author & Artist: Fiona Horne (FionaHorne.com) and Veronica Collins (Darksolis.com)
- Publisher: Rockpool Publishing
- Recommended retail price: £18.99
- ISBN:978-1-922786-01-2
- Review by: Helen Masters
The Lost Oracle is a 36-card oracle deck, written by author and witch Fiona Horne and illustrated by Veronica Collins who also has an interest in witchcraft and paganism.
The deck comes with a guide book in a standard rigid box, which isn’t too big, so can be easily carried around in a bag, or won’t take up too much space on your tarot shelf. The addition of the words ‘Trust what lies ahead’ and ‘Let joy be your compass’ to the inside of the lid and base is a nice addition and conveys the general tone of the deck.
The cards are black edged with a velvety matt satin sheen, and are slightly bigger than the standard size playing card, measuring 3.5” x 5”. They shuffle very well without being too slippery.
The images on the card are borderless, with the card number, name and a short phrase alluding to the card’s meaning placed at the bottom. The subtle finish of the cards compliments the imagery which is presented as detailed sketched line work in muted earthy red, brown and black tones, against similarly toned backgrounds. The overall effect conveys a soothing, harmonious and calm feeling, reflecting the author’s intention for the deck to be ‘a source of solace’.
The glossy front guidebook is well presented with the same colour tones. Colour images of each card are provided with interpretations. There are no short keywords or sections with interpretations for career, love or money as you might find in other oracle decks, which perhaps would have been helpful for beginners, or just to better convey the meaning for some cards (the short phrase on the front does help a bit with that). Also included are some suggestions for spreads and creating a daily devotional alter with the cards.
I think the artist has done a great job in presenting images which are very attractive using a limited colour palette. As someone who normally prefers quite colourful decks, I really like the way the minimal colours have been combined.
The feel and look of the cards are lovely, however I noticed that the black edging on the cards was transferring to my hands and cards during shuffling (and most noticeable on the lighter coloured cards), after only short use, which is disappointing.
Not surprisingly, given Fiona Horne’s background, witchy undertones are present in the imagery and some card meanings, so this is a great deck if you are into witchery or paganism. But don’t let this put you off the deck if you aren’t: the cards convey concepts and guidance that can be applied whatever your philosophical or spiritual leanings. They have contemplative messages for support, growth, and empowerment, whatever your background, with a focus on finding ‘harmony in a world marked by chaos’.
In working with the oracle I found it most helpful for deeper, personal growth oriented enquiries, rather than mundane day-to-day topics. The messages feel like gentle guidance and wisdom from the cosmos that require reflection and rumination to get the most out of them. I think the Lost Oracle would be very supportive of meditative work, spiritually oriented readings, as well as personal contemplation. Overall, I found it a very pleasant deck to work with, and plan on continuing to work with it in the future.
1 Comment
Susan B Smith/ Suki Samuri · January 9, 2025 at 8:58 pm
What a beautiful deck ! I love it Fiona, amazing art and great feeling to it. Yay ! Its great !
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