- Creator: Faina Lorah
- Publisher: RED Feather
- Publication Date: 28-Jun-26
- ISBN: 978-0764370939
- RRP: US $19.99 / UK £18.99
- Reviewed by: Jennifer Garner
‘Faina Lorah is an award-winning artist and author who blends traditional techniques with a modern, magical touch to create a world of whimsy. Deeply inspired by her Slavic heritage, she reimagines folk art with bold colours and intricate storytelling, bringing mythology and lore to life. She is a nomadic artist who is currently travelling the world.’ (Text taken from inside the box lid).
‘Harness the power of the runes as you unlock the secrets of the cosmos. With this deck as your guide, you’ll tap into the ancient wisdom encoded within each rune, revealing hidden truths and unlocking the mysteries of the universe.’ (Text taken from the back of the box).
This 24-card oracle deck uses the most popular of the runic alphabets, the Elder Futhark. It pairs traditional rune meanings with Norse goddesses, beasts, flora and fauna from the landscape of the Viking era, creating the potential for rich, in-depth readings. You can draw a single card, create your own spread, or use any of the booklet’s three oracle spreads: the Three Norn 3-card spread, the 7-card Herringbone Spread, which can extend the Three Norn spread or be used on its own, and the 9-card Yggdrasil spread for deeper inner work.
If you are new to Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the holy ash tree at the centre of the universe, housing all nine realms of Norse mythology and tended by the three Norns: Urd, Verdande and Skuld.
As you travel through this stunning deck, you will meet 24 Norse goddesses. Each card is richly painted in oil on wood, creating bright and vivid imagery. One rune is depicted on each card and paired with a goddess, a beast, and flora or fauna from the period and landscape, with a single keyword included too. The card stock is firm with a slight flex and measure 12 x 8.5 cm. The backs have a glossy finish and are striking in their own right: the design is slightly embossed in deep pink and green, shining out against the black background. The fronts have more of a matt finish which makes them smooth and easy to shuffle and handle. They are also a comfortable size for smaller hands. Although the cards have gilded edges, the finish already appears to be wearing away in places; however, this does little to detract from their overall beauty.
The cards are multi-layered, allowing you to read only the rune itself or to include the goddess, beast, flora or fauna as you choose. However, by working with all the elements together, and with the stories contained within the booklet, you will discover so much more about the Norse myths and the richness they can bring to your readings. The 128-paged booklet is beautifully presented, with four pages dedicated to each card: one full-colour image of the card and three pages of text to explore. The font is easy to read, and the booklet feels sturdy, with thread holding the pages firmly in place. The index at the back also makes it extremely easy to navigate.
As for the box, it is sturdy with a magnetic-fastening, hinged side-opening lid, and sized 9.86 x 2.54 x 13.34 cm.
The few readings I have done with this deck have been met with “WOWs” and comments on the striking artwork by the talented Faina Lorah. It is a delight to use and read with, especially having only used stone runes before, so to be able to work with these cards and explore the myths of the Norse goddesses is a wonderful addition. The detail that has gone into both the cards and the booklet is just perfect. It gives you enough to draw you in, teach you a little, and leave you wanting to know more.
I highly recommend this oracle deck for all ages and abilities, especially if you are keen to learn more about Norse mythology, explore these amazing stories in greater depth, and discover more about the runes themselves. For me, this deck does not replace rune stones; it complements them beautifully.
If you wish to know more about Faina Lorah, you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook @fainalorah, or visit her website, www.fainalorah.com.
*Please note that the Viking figures in the photographs are not included; they belong to the reviewer.
The deck is now available and can be purchased here: https://schifferbooks.com/products/weird-weavings-runic-oracle and from all good bookstores
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