Under the Oak Tarot

With most decks I sit down to write about, the words flow naturally. That hasn’t been the case with Under the Oak Tarot. From the outset I experienced strong emotions while working with this deck but I cannot articulate clearly why that is, or was. Memories I can best describe as primal or maybe ancestral, rose within me to such an extent they brought tears to my eyes. Even the tears I cannot explain. A deep sense of relief, understanding, knowing each come to mind as possible explanations, but as much as I love words there are many experiences that are beyond them.

From this you would expect Under the Oak Tarot to be my favourite deck on every level, but that is not the case. Yet I know I will never be without it. Like the protagonist, Anima, whose journey we follow through both the Major and Minor Arcana, the cards move us from a point of “blindness” to a sense of clarity and clear vision as we recognise who we are and what we are capable of. Wonder, gratitude, overwhelm in a good way, are other explanations that have just come to mind.

Under the Oak Tarot deck

As the two cards above indicate, Under the Oak Tarot is a very introspective deck. It invites you to accompany Anima as she journeys through a magical fairy tale island. Creator, Strega Delle Mele, writes, “Much like Anima, we are presented with the opportunity to develop a second sight along our own path gaining deeper insights into ourselves and unlocking our untapped potential.” This becomes evident very early on when working with this deck.

For me, this is a deeply personal deck so I doubt I would ever use it to read for others.

Because I didn’t know where to start with writing about this deck I decided to ask the cards to introduce themselves. In part the answer I received was, “I want to blur the edges, spin you and your thinking around, and encourage you to see things that defy your current versions of reality.” Then in answer to the deck’s strength, “I get you to reconsider what is possible and what is available to you. It’s not about climbing higher, working harder or looking for some magical doorway you can walk through. It’s about seeing what’s right there in front of you if you’d only just look and let yourself see.” The entire interview went on in this vein.

Under the Oak Tarot talks; you just have to sit back and listen.

Since Under the Oak Tarot takes inspiration from Norse, Basque, Celtic and Greek mythologies it is symbolically rich. It is also quite beautiful. While I love my Traditional Manga Tarot, I wouldn’t say anime is an art style I gravitate towards, and this has that feel to me. Yet the soft outlines and the colour palette work perfectly to create the perfect atmosphere. The teals, purples and deep blues create a mystical environment with the warm oranges and yellows lighting the way. This is a unique deck. Even the cards that look familiar, feel different.

Some general information about the cards

Two things stand out about this deck. The first is that as Anima moves through from the two to the ten of the suit, (she doesn’t feature in the Aces), by the nine her blindfold no longer covers her eyes. As she experiences what the suit has to teach her, she becomes more aware and her understanding develops so she is actually able to see what is available to her.

The 9 of Cups above is sublime. When I look at this card I see it as representing that her true wish, her greatest contentment, comes from being able to see herself, as she truly is, reflected back at her. What she discovers on the inside reflects on the outside.

She just needs to open her eyes to see.

Some notes on the Court Cards

However, I can’t move on without discussing the Court cards. I watched Lisa Papez’s take on this deck and I saw she went from wonder and excitement on one video to not convinced on another because of the Court cards. I can see where she’s coming from. She doesn’t like that some of the court cards are inanimate objects. Some, as you can see from the Knight of Wands below, feature living figures. But, the entire Swords Court are stone engravings and all but the Page in the Cups suit are statues. No explanation is given as to why this is.

So, I just read them as I see them.

Mythological associations

Each set of court cards aligns with a particular mythology. Wands are figures from Celtic mythology, Swords from Norse, Cups from Greek, with Pentacles drawing on Basque mythology. Although the book suggests Pentacles draw on those with links to caves and the depths of the Earth.

However, when I look at the Knight of Wands and read that he is Mercurius I see him as part of Roman, rather than Celtic, mythology. Nevertheless, I think it works well as a card especially with the inclusion of the rooster. The Knight of Swords as Jormungandr, a “symbol of predestination, [who] imparts wisdom with aggression and impulsiveness,” also works well. Due to the approach taken in Under the Oak Tarot, I don’t see the court members as characters outside of myself. Therefore, I don’t have an issue with how they are represented.

As such, I see the Swords as touchstones, rather than as ways of being. They remind me to use my knowledge but don’t let how you see the world become set in stone. Statues, like Justice and the Queen of Cups below, I see as approaches worthy of being put on show.

Physical aspects

I’ll talk more about my take on individual cards in the next section. I’ll wrap this one up with a quick note on the physical aspects of the cards. They are standard tarot size – 7cm x 12cm – printed on matte cardstock with silver gilding. To be honest, even though I know the gilding is there, I don’t tend to notice it. It definitely doesn’t hamper the usability of the deck in any way. Nor does the slightly thicker feeling cardstock. Straight out of the box, the deck is easy to shuffle in any manner.

Finally, the card backs are stunning. I love that they clearly reveal the narrative of the deck. However, as you can see, they are not reversible.

Some discussions on Under the Oak Tarot individual cards

6 of Swords & 7 of Cups

Even though the artwork on Under the Oak Tarot generally differs from familiar depictions, I find it delivers clear messages. Take the 6 of Swords for example. Anima is standing atop a monolith carved with runes that, at this stage, she cannot see. What is clear though, is that as beautiful as this card looks, and as magical as the setting is, she cannot stay there. What isn’t clear is how she got there and how she is going to move from there. As is the case in many situations, there is so much we cannot, or do not see. That doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Sometimes we just need to trust. After all, since there is an Eight, Nine and Ten of Swords to come, I know her story continues.

Therefore I know she finds a way.

Set alongside the 7 of Cups, as it is above, suggests that it comes down to a choice she needs to make. What I appreciate in this rendering is that Anima is clearly one of the choices. Every option isn’t something external to her that she can go after.

She can choose herself.

VII The Chariot & 9 of Swords

VII The Chariot

As much as I connect with these cards, I have some mixed feelings about some of them. The Chariot and the 9 of Swords for example. VII The Chariot shows Anima sitting on a statue yet I equate VII The Chariot with movement. So this doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. The statue depicts a successful Celtic warrior and maybe I can convince myself of standing-on-the-shoulders-of-those-that-have-come-before vibes. But it isn’t what I see, especially since for me The Chariot epitomises going after what you want and not being swayed. Or at the very least considering what that looks like.

Plus, is that a cat, hiding in the bushes, ready to attack the bird?

The cat has an upside down pentagram on its forehead, while the bird looks like it is drinking from the Ace of Cups. I’m unsure of the relevance of this but I feel it will mean something to me at some stage. The first thing that comes to mind is to drink from your own cup and don’t worry about what might be lurking in the shadows.

This makes sense to me since I truly believe that fear destroys more dreams than actual threats ever do.

The last thing I would say about this card is that when I look at the Moon cycles, on the front of what I’m now seeing as a boat, my thought is that there is a time and place for everything. Sometimes the best way forward is to rest so you have the necessary energy, vision, and motivation to move forward when the time comes.

Okay, so I’ll admit, my connection with the card is growing.

9 of Swords

Firstly, I love that Anima is beginning to remove her blindfold. It shows she realises that feelings of anxiety and anguish are not set in stone. Like Anima, we can move on from them. My issue with this card is all the runes. Later, I will discuss examples that use the runes to good effect. Here it doesn’t connect so well for me because it is a bit of a mismatch.

The Swords suit is linked to Norse mythology and yet on this card the runes featured are from both the Anglo-Saxon and the Elder Futhorc. In a deck like the Runic Tarot that doesn’t bother me, but within an individual suit it becomes a little confusing. Rather than writing a long explanation, if you’re interested in the runes, here are some links you might find useful: Anglo-Saxon runes – Futhorc and the Elder Futhark.

5 of Pentacles & 8 of Pentacles

Now back to the positives. Firstly, I love that on the 5 of Pentacles and the 8 of Pentacles I was introduced to the galtzagorriak, elves from Basque mythology. This is their story.

A peasant bought a box of galtzagorriak because he was told they would allow him to do less work. And, initially it turned out to be true. Within a few minutes the galtzagorriak were able to complete even the most time consuming tasks. The peasant though that this was great, until he discovered they need to be kept busy. Once there was nothing left for them to do they kept themselves occupied by undoing all the work they had done.

Overall the message is clear – do the work yourself. On the Five of Pentacles, the galtzagorriak are creating new pentacles, but as the tale cautions, they can also take them away. We need to overcome our own sense of lack rather than hoping that someone else can do that for us. I also see a cautionary message here to avoid any get rich quick schemes.

The single galtzagorri happily working away on the 8 of Pentacles suggests that the fastest way to improve, progress, and to get things done, is to enjoy the work. Look to see, or be guided on, what needs to be done and then get stuck into doing it.

5 of Swords & XII The Hanged Man

I questioned the rune choices on some of the cards, (for example the 9 of Swords) but those chosen for the 5 of Swords, which happens to be one of the most beautiful 5 of Swords in my collection, work well. In order from bottom to top are Hagalaz, (things outside our control, disruptions, transformation, radical change), Berkano, (life change, birth, growth, rebirth, flexibility), Ehwaz, (teamwork, trust, harmony, progress) Laguz (flow, the unconscious, fate and karma) and at the top, Ingwaz, (creation, wholeness, harmony, evolution, energetic burst, inner fire).

What a story these runes tell.

Plus, ever since I heard the 5 of Swords as a possible indicator of imposter syndrome it has stuck. Therefore the reminder that, if given the chance, the caterpillar becomes the butterfly is thought-provoking. If we can remember this when dealing with conflict we may well see things differently.

Sometimes, as Laguz suggests, it is best to just go with the flow.

Laguz also appears on XII The Hanged Man. It is a thoughtful choice. Laguz is the water rune. In the guidebook for The Witch’s Familiar Runic Oracle, Athene Noctua writes, “Laguz is a powerful rune in the way water is powerful, fluid and ever changing. It calls to you to release the struggle and go with the flow. Spend time in meditation and allow your deeper intuitive state to speak to and to guide you. Laguz reminds you that on life’s journey not all can be controlled, and change is the only constant. Without change, life becomes stagnant.” I recognise that this write up only touches the surface of the meaning of Laguz but it is enough to give considerable meaning to The Hanged Man.

Sometimes less is more.

And, sometimes in order to overcome certain situations, as the two cards above sitting side by side suggest, you have to be willing to see things from different perspectives. The Under the Oak Tarot cards speak to each other so well.

XVI The Tower and XX Judgement

As I flick through the deck there are so many cards I could talk about. Anima’s story captures my imagination. It isn’t just the Fool’s journey through the Major Arcana. Every card progresses Anima’s story and shows what is possible if we place as much importance on the everyday things we experience as we do on our major life events.

On XVI The Tower, Anima holds her blindfold in place. She doesn’t want to see what is going on around her. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop it from happening. Soon enough though, when she removes the blindfold she sees just what has come to pass. The divide in the tree allows the light to come through.

Thus the stag we see on V The Hierophant and that Anima met on the 2 of Cups is clearly visible. If you have read much of my writing you will know that, among other things, I see V The Hierophant as connecting with your core values. Here, in Judgement that holds true.

I also here the song lyric, “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.”

Under the Oak Tarot Guidebook

Under the Oak Tarot comes with a Lo Scarabeo multilingual, (English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese),128-paged guidebook. Since only fifty-one of the card-sized pages are in English, there is not a lot of information. Albeit there’s enough to get you started.

Preamble

The book opens with a brief Introduction which begins, “Under the Oak Tarot is a truly unique deck that delves into the realm of dreams and the art of turning them into reality,” and ends with, “It’s a truly surreal experience that not only inspires our ambitions but also reignites the dormant magic within us, encouraging us to embrace the extraordinary journey that lies ahead.” This sets the stage for what is to follow.

Next is a section on Reading the Cards. This is followed by three spreads and a guided meditation. And, that’s it. From there you’re straight into the Major Arcana card meanings. There is definitely no padding in this book. Not even a picture.

The Reading the Cards section tells you to pay attention to Anima’s Message but I’m not sure why. That section is more key word- / key phrase- based whereas the opening paragraph introduces the mythological connections and the story. It is there that I discovered the Galtzagorriak and who the court cards depicted.

For example, the Cups court features a Satyr, Persephone, Hecate and Dionysus and the Queen of Pentacles pictured above is Mari, the Basque Mother Earth. Before using this deck I wasn’t aware of Mari or her consort Sugaar so I would have liked to have read more about them in the book. I realise there is limited space in the Lo Scarabeo guidebooks for additional information though. Luckily there is Google.

Card Meanings

The Under the Oak Tarot card meanings are presented the same for both the Major and Minor Arcana. The upper case, teal coloured card title flows straight into the meaning which wraps up with Anima’s message.

The write-ups aren’t long but they offer you a way into the card. Where you go from there is up to you.

Wrapping it all up

Jung may have referred to Anima as the feminine aspect of the male nature but here, taking Anima from the Latin for spirit and soul, I link her to life force. Anima’s journey, and ours if we choose to approach the cards in this way, is a journey to discover her essential nature. Under the Oak Tarot tells a story with much of the detail coming to light through recurring motifs and changing scenery. To get the most from the deck you need to be willing to enter Anima’s world.

The premise of this deck is not for everyone. But, if you do connect with Under the Oak Tarot, I believe that each time you lay out the cards, it will take you on an unforgettable, emotionally charged journey.

Under the Oak Tarot Cards

Artist	Elena Bia aka Ofride
Card Size	7 x 12 cm
Card Stock	Flexible matte with silver gilding
Shuffle	Fine to shuffle in any manner
Fan & Flip Through	Okay to fan and flip through
Suits	Wands, Cups, Swords & Pentacles
Court	Page, Knight, Queen, King
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII; Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Solid, portrait-style two part box

Under the Oak Tarot Guidebook

Written by	Jessica di Fraia
Pages	128 pages
Appearance	Spot colour, no illustrations
Contents	None apart from the page numbers for the various translations
Spreads	Four card Seven card Under the Oak (7 cards)

Publishing Details

Created by:

Elena Bia aka Ofride (artist) and Jessica di Fraia (Text)

Pictured Version:

Published by Lo Scarabeo in 2024