- Deck: Runic Oracle
- Author: Richard Lister
- Artist: Selena Moon
- Published by: Rockpool Publishing, 2025
- ISBN: 978-1-922786-746
- RRP: AUS $34.99
- Reviewed by: Bec Birrell – My Inner Witch
The Ancient Norse Myth and Magic Runic Oracle is a 44 card deck that aims to connect you to the hidden aspects of the universe via a journey to discover your inner Viking and Volva. Through the magic of Runic sigils, the cards tap into the wisdom of the myth and lore of the Wyrd. The Wyrd refers to the binding and interconnected web of universal energy, and the Runic Oracle uses the wisdom of Elder Futhark Runes and Deities of Norse Mythology.
The cards come in a high quality hardcover box with a matte finish, and lovely, evocative Runic details on the insides and edges. The cards themselves have a glossy finish with gold gilding on the edges, are easy to shuffle, and are a standard oracle size, 90mm x 130mm. The deck comes with a 155 page guidebook, where the author, Richard Lister, outlines Norse mythology in the introduction, and how to prepare yourself for using the deck by conducting energy to open up to a magical state. He includes tips on how to formulate questions for receiving the best answer, and many ways to use this deck, including spreads, guidance for using a single card for insight, and using the deck in daily rituals.
The deck incorporates two halves, the Runic Cards and the Deities Cards, where ancient runic magic stands alongside the Gods and Goddesses of the North. The author notes in his introduction that runes are basic and simple energies, where the Deities are better at love, communication and answering questions where evolved thinking is required. The Deity cards add depth and feeling to the readings. The booklet suggests several ways to use the deck, you can either separate the two parts of the deck drawing Deity cards to expand on the answer given by the Rune cards, or you can combine the two parts and draw the answer from universal wisdom.
While the card title font is quite hard to read for those who aren’t familiar with the Rune names, there are also keywords on each card to help with an interpretation.
The description of each card within the guidebook includes correspondences – zodiac, totems, colour, crystals, element, planet, deity, the gift and the challenge. Along with the extended card meaning, there are also prompts for inspiration and an affirmation.
The artwork by Selena Moon really exemplifies the Runic and Norse mythology. The backs are beautifully designed, with two designs that denote the Runic cards and Deity cards. They evoke that which is connected to the vast network of the earthly plane and that which is also connected to the divine celestial plane. The more I use this deck the more I connect with it. At first, I found the aesthetic quite masculine, but now I see many levels behind the boldness that I experienced at first sight. There are layers of depth in the artwork behind the magic sigil of the Rune.
The Runic Oracle would be a great companion to pair with Tarot for added insight and guidance, to learn the language of the Runes, or as a powerful connection to tap into the universal energy of the Wyrd through the magic of symbols.
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