This deck uses the symbolism and correspondences of various herbs to create unique "magic potions." Rather than each card offering individual answers, imagine the herbs combined into a magic potion made of the collective influences of the herbs giving you new ideas to meditate upon, new perspectives from which to view your situation, and hinting at ways you can find resolution.
Shuffle the Cards, Draw 2 or 3 Cards: Select two (for a briefer reading) or three cards (for more nuance and details) from the deck. These will represent the herbs that make up your magic potion.
Focus on the combined energies and messages from the herbs as they come together. When interpreting the potion, focus on the symbolism of each herb’s qualities as they merge. Consider how their energies might combine to influence your current situation or mindset. Think of the "potion" as a blending, do they seem to complement each other, or do they contrast in ways that prevent balance?
Each reading
involves two
cards.
Rather than focusing on the individual meanings of the cards, explore
the dynamic between the two animals and the context of their
encounter.
1:
Select a God card
(white) Draw
a deity card to represent the force initiating the quest.
2:
Choose a Mortal (black)
draw
a mortal card to represent the individual chosen for the quest.
3: Determine the Quest's Destination (yellow)
Draw
a place card to identify the location of the quest.
4:
Identify the Object of the Quest (orange)
draw
an object card to represent the quest’s goal or treasure.
5:
Challenge
by a
creature
(red) Draw
a beast
card to represent the challenges the mortal will face.
6:
Add a Group Influence (blue)
-
Select
a group card to represent allies, foes, or a mixture of both.
7:
Include a Couple for Guidance (green)
- Draw
a pair card to represent
the individuals interactions with their path and those they meet on
it
8: Conclude with a Daemon (purple)
–
draw
a daemon card to determine the ultimate lesson or outcome of the
quest.
Design of the Deck
The cards of this deck do not use the standard symbolism common to the Rider-Waite-Smith and to the many decks modeled after it, but these cards do share their meanings. Each card takes the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith interpretation and expresses that meaning through a character from Greek mythology whose essence or story or personality at their core matches the card best. Almost all beings of geek lore will have countless versions and variations of their stories, and most will have many stories in which they appear; but the moments representing them on these cards – I believe – encapsulate each of their overarching themes and archetypal presence that resonates through all of their tales.
All of the cards of the Major Arcana depict Theoi – the gods and goddesses of the Greek tradition, while for the most part the four suits all feature heroes and heroines, with the Court Cards (Princess, Knight, Queen, and King) all showing persons important in the cycle of myths surrounding the Trojan War. The cards of each suit that are not of mortals are the Aces and Threes (Triads).
The Ace cards depict various Protogenoi, these are primordial first born beings that existed at the dawn of time, they are the very fabric of the cosmos itself – Gaia is not so much as the goddess of the earth as she is the very Earth Itself, Aether is the pure upper air of the heavens, Hemera is Day itself and Eros is the force of Love that binds together all things. The Triad cards each show a set of three goddesses such as the three Fates or the three Graces. Lastly, the Pair cards each depict a set of male heroes who are inextricably linked together in myth and legend.
I was working on a workshop about creating your own oracle systems and joked that you could make a Tarot deck out of anything, even M*A*S*H... so my brain decided that was something I needed to do:
