The Ancient Egyptian Oracle

[Lacykitten]

Hey all. I recently got this deck, The Ancient Egyptian Oracle - The Cards of Ra-Maat (Normal Plaskett). I'm obsessed with Egypt and consider myself Egyptian Pagan, so when I saw it I had to get it.

Is anyone familiar with this deck? It's a nice deck, very interesting and cool, but I don't really understand the instructions, nor how to read it properly. I'd really love some help or understanding of this deck if anyone has any!

Thanks :)

[Morrighana]

hehehe I was looking at that deck not twenty minutes ago at Indigo, thinking "I bet Lacy'd like this deck...I should post about it on MW" !!! 8O Ya beat me to it!

Unfortunately, they didn't have an open copy, so I didn't get much of a look at the full deck or instruction booklet, but I found it at aeclectic.

Click here (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/ancientegyptian/index.html) .

It's a very neat looking deck! As far as the instructions, it seems like a pretty traditional deck, and could likely be read using traditional tarot spreads.

And Lacy, if you want someone to practise readings on, I'll be your guinea pig! (or ferret, if you will. lol) Mebbe we could trade?

[Mithrea]

Uhhh. The deck you linked to is the Ancient Egyptian *Tarot* by Clive Barret. That's not the same deck, I don't believe.

[Lacykitten]

Nope.. it's this deck..

http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/title.cgi?title_id=1069

... it's strange.. I was just finishing a whole thing typed out and IE crashed.. so I will type it out again later. blah.

[Morrighana]

Oops! :o Wrong link! lol See, kids, THIS is what happens when one attempts to post when overtired. :rolleyes:

I knew I saw it somewhere online. hehehe

[Jeleia]

I just got this deck about a month ago.

Although I haven't had a chance to read with them yet.

I'll refresh my mind and take a look through the book tonight.

[argento_occhi]

I've got the ancient egyptian oracle deck (ra-maat cards) and the ancient egyptian tarot, though the latter would have to be my favourite. i have tried reading with the ra-maat cards, but have found them to be more complex than tarot cards because there are four groups of cards rather than just 2 for tarot decks. i think if you work with them long enough, even if you just look at the cards and get a feel for the images on them , it might help you a lot.

Doing a reading involves laying out 13 cards in a designated pattern, using every 7th card. It also details requirements to ground and centre yourself and attune to the divine before reading, but i couldn't tell you whether it is necessary or whether there is room for flexibility. It was the first deck of cards I bought after becoming Wiccan (i'm not Wiccan anymore, I'm nore Pagan).

The four types of cards are the arits, the pylons, cubits and deities. There are 21 pylons that contain the 21 different areas of experience, environmental pressures, (the simplest way to explain this -- there's a bit before it about the mythos of Ra) and are the blue cards. The cubits (the black cards) give advise on what to do -- do we go with what the pylons say or do something else? They display our feelings, strengths, weaknesses, hidden motives and desires. They help with self-knowledge as well as knoweldge aboput more mundane matters. The deities illustrate those people who will influence our lives, for good or ill. The arits are linked to the planets and act as signposts -- they will show you the way, but not tell you where to go.

The book does say that it is not a step-by-step guide. But, i think if you do more readings with them and get to know the cards, then you will be able to read. Though, I would say to read over the intrustion book again and again, so that you can make yourselk clear on what is going on. As I said, I don't read with this deck very much, I much prefer the Egyptian tarot, but deciphering the readings is all about looking for patterns or combinations. Get used to thge cards and what they mean and i think you will be able to understand them better. Try to write your own meanings for the cards just from looking at them. Read the meanings and try to rewrite them in your own words. The more you use them the better you will get. Have you got any more decks? Because of the complex eading spread they have given, it may be easier to use a tarot deck as it may be easier to use the ra-maat cards once you're better at reading tarot. Just a thought.

Whew, that went on forever. I hope it helps. Feel free to contact me if you want me to go over any finer points.
Bright Blessings,
argento_occhi