I’m not usually one for oracle decks. Tarot and its imagery are what fascinated me first, and as such remain what I am drawn to. But the lack of expected format to an oracle deck allows the creators to be a lot more creative. They can create as an elaborate or as simple a system as they like – there is nothing of tarot’s format to constrain them.

Flowers From the Dead is one of very few oracle decks in my personal collection,  and the aesthetic is certainly not my usual. But I started off my year attending Hauntcon in New Orleans, and it certainly fit the mood for me that weekend!

Aside from opening it to look at the cards, it sat on my shelf for a few weeks after I got back. The deck consists of 47 cards, each with a unique skull or skeleton. There is a single card with a sample spread for readings, but otherwise the cards speak well for themselves. The weight and size make for easy shuffling.

Then, after a week where I swear no one was getting along and everything became arguments, this deck called to me to try a reading. So I pulled her out the evening of the full moon, and this reading was the result.

Yourself: Turtle – Peace and Tranquility. Also the peace that having a thick shell to retreat into will give you. Maybe it’s time for some personal retreat.

Your Environment: Snake – Transformation and Change. There has been a lot of shifting lately. Also, the people shedding their skin as it were and showing what is underneath, good or bad.

Current Situation: Javelina – Arguments and Power Struggle.  This was kind of one of those “well duh” items. They were all over the place that week.  A lot of them could be traced straight to shifting power dynamics.

What To Change: Rat – Purge and Simplify.  Since we are talking about tempestuous relationships, this is a time to focus on the relationships that matter and what is important within them, and cut away what is unneeded.

Outcome: Bat – Transition and Unknown. With everything being a bit uncertain and mid power shift right now, we just have to see how everything falls.

Overall,  an interesting reading with not much depth, but still a very clear message.