The Goddess Inspiration Oracle

Kris Waldherr, the creator of the Goddess Tarot, is coming out with a new deck — the Goddess Inspiration Oracle, scheduled for release this September.

It’s specifically designed for people who don’t have the time or inclination to learn tarot, but I think it’s also the perfect complement to traditional tarot cards — especially in those cases when the cards stop short.

I don’t know about you, but every now and then I’ll do a reading that flows beautifully from one card to the next, gracefully unveiling a story that makes perfect sense … until I reach the final card. That’s when I slam head-first into a brick wall with an outcome card that brings the whole reading to a screeching halt.

In those cases, I realize that I really didn’t want an ordinary outcome card: What I really wanted was guidance and advice. So I throw clarification cards — sometimes, one after another, which only complicates the issue.

That’s what makes the Goddess Inspiration Oracle such a welcome addition to my collection. It’s a quick and easy way to clarify any card in a tarot reading, and answer one of our most pressing questions: What should I do?

I love the fact that the Goddess Oracle cards complement the Goddess Tarot deck so well. They’re a little smaller than the tarot cards — closer to the size of playing cards, as opposed to tarot cards — and they have a navy blue background with gold accents.

The 80 cards in the deck all feature watercolor images of goddesses from around the globe, from Abeona to Zhinu. Each card also includes a single line of advice.

In the reading pictured above, I pulled a card from the Goddess Tarot to learn what area of my life I need to focus on. I wasn’t surprised when the “Balance” or Temperance card popped up.

I pulled a card from the Goddess Oracle for advice on the matter — and found myself face to face with Erdu, Goddess of the Earth, along with her recommendation: “Look to the earth for answers.”

It makes perfect sense. I know I need to be more physical — more earthy — and move more, exercise more, and get outside more. I live on a lake, for God’s sake. I should start every day with a walk around that body of water. Now that I think about it, I should be out there right now! I should go to the beach!

And maybe I will, later this afternoon.

The 112-page guidebook to the cards offers additional inspiration. As with everything tarot-related, it gets a little spooky. Waldherr associates the goddess Erdu with wisdom, fate, and divination, for example — which just happen to be three of the factors that tie me to my computer and keep me indoors, rather than outside. Waldherr also writes:

The Norse earth goddess, Erda, lived in a cave within the earth’s deepest recesses, which was set next to the roots of Yggdrasil, the vast world tree. Yggdrasil was watered by Erda’s plentiful fountain of wisdom. Erda’s powers were as encompassing as Yggdrasil’s leafy span — the goddess and her magical fountain were often invoked by those in need of her far-reaching wisdom. Others believed Erda could bend the inexorable powers of fate over which she ruled.

Because of Erda’s association with fate, the Norse thought there was a clear correlation between the goddess and the art of divination. They often turned to the earth itself for guidance, using many aspects of it as oracles — animals, birds, the sky, even the ocean. They believed observation of these phenomena could offer divine answers.

I love it. I can totally relate to Erda, living in her cave, casting fortunes for the outside world. I also can relate to her advice. In fact, I think I’ve found myself a new role model!

The Goddess Inspiration Oracle will be released next month. You can order your copy here.