The Endless Oracle is a hand-drawn myriorama deck by artist Eric Maille, creator of the Ink Witch Tarot and the Lenormand-inspired Paper Oracle. Myrioramas were 19th century picture decks intended as a game for children. You could rearrange the cards in any order to create different landscapes. The arrangements would then tell a story.
Thus, the Endless Oracle tells an infinite number of tales. The silhouette outlines around the card edges connect any order of cards together to form a seamless landscape–a brilliant feature by Maille.
Inspired by Greek and Arthurian myths, the illustrations tap into collective knowledge, rendering these oracle cards remarkably readable. The Fisher is symbolic of leisure activities and our hobbies. The Forest is straying from the beaten path to go on an unconventional adventure. The Gathering Clouds is an omen of a plot thickening. The Giants is wonder and grandeur. Thee Goddess is religiosity. The Graveyard is loss and endings. In The Graveyard card you’ll also see the constellation Scorpio.
The deck comes with a companion booklet that’s essential to getting full mileage out of the deck, so just in terms of production values, I would have liked the booklet to be the same size as the cards, to fit into the same box. That said, I can certainly appreciate cost-effectiveness and having to work within your budget constraints.
Before proceeding, look at the above photo of three cards and select one, left, center, or right. We’ll revisit this photo later and see what message the Endless Oracle has for you.
Use of color is so meaningfully done here. I love the shadowy vignette around the framing of each composition, giving these images a dream-like quality, with the memorable splashes of reds, golden yellow light, and celestial blues as cues toward each card’s thematic focal point.
These illustrations are nostalgic, and I don’t know how Maille achieves this, but the scenes feel like memories. Surreal memories. I feel like I’ve visited these places before. I also love the guidebook’s recommendation to work with significators. Choose one of these archetypal cards to represent you or where you are now. Select The Pair as the significator if you’re doing a love and relationships reading, or The Merchant for a career reading. The Crossroad is good if you’re looking for insights into a difficult decision you are facing.
A very special tripartite set of add-on cards to the 50 are the Artist, the Fortune Teller, and the Patron. The Artist is Romanticism, idealism, and how a touch of escapism can be healthy when it is most needed. The Fortune Teller is about seeking answers and truth. In the skies you’ll see Halley’s Comet, symbolic of the unknown. The Patron is support, a benefactor, charity, and generosity. This is about uplifting others and inspiring their creativity. The single star glowing brightly is Sirius, the dog star.
I love the card backs. The card backs feature a path leading from you, the reader into the distance. As you flip each card over, you’ll see where that winding path leads. The card backs exemplify what this deck will be to you– a pathfinder.
Remember which card you chose– left, center, or right? Let’s take a closer look at the imagery on the card you’ve chosen and the message it brings you.
LEFT | THE GODDESS
The whole of the galaxy is visible from the sky. The Goddess is showing you visions of the bigger picture at play. Lean on your spiritual practices and reflect on what faith and religion means to you. Consider religious philosophy and refine understanding of what exactly is calling to you.
CENTER | THE CLASHING ARMIES
Red Mars shines brilliantly in the skies. What is worth fighting for? And have you been fighting for it? What does a just war mean to you and do you fight the just war? This is the time to make better sense of the chaos around you, and to confront that which is in conflict.
RIGHT | THE KNIGHT
The constellation Aries is in the skies above. The Knight is one who leads, who sets an example for others to follow, who inspires, and who takes decisive action. In one hand, the Knight holds a spyglass and in the other, a lance. Be at the ready to advocate for the cause that you believe in. Lead by example. Share that which you are passionate about with others, as that will motivate and inspire. Before you rush off, though, make sure you are fully prepared for what lies ahead.
It’s difficult to get tarot readers to love oracle decks, but Eric Maille manages to do just that. The Endless Oracle is nothing like tarot, and yet there’s something to it that will captivate the tarot reader.
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