The Maine Oracle

What is The Maine Oracle?

My name is Dorette Amell, I am an artist and have designed and illustrated The Maine Oracle. For lo these many years I have been fascinated by the insights that can be gleaned through the use of divination cards. There are many decks to choose from, and just as many schools of thought regarding the interpretation of the imagery used in the decks. I have considered producing a deck of cards using my own work for quite a while. In January I began production on The Maine Oracle.

I was interested in providing a deck that could be used immediately by persons with little or no experience using more traditional systems, such as the Tarot.

I wrote the prompts or descriptions on the face of the cards to guide the novice reader, while knowing that a more experienced reader would find the prompts a point of departure, bringing to bear nuance and context beyond my descriptions. The beginner will definitely hone their intuitive skills with continued practice and focused questions.

I live in Maine. Many of my cards do reference my environment and the kinds of things that come to mind in general when thinking about Maine, for example; Lobsters, Lighthouses, Pine Trees and “You can’t get there from here”.

While putting this deck together, my focus has been on concepts and imagery useful to the overall philosophy of the deck. Images were selected because they resonate with me as being descriptive of universal situations and considerations. I am not fitting the content around any preconceived notions of what might be described as the “Maine Experience”. I haven't designed a Blueberry Card for example, but there is a Lobster Card based on the Lobsters' behavior in captivity. When I found myself trying to force meaning on an image I had to move on.

The Maine Oracle is a divination system downloaded in the Great State of Maine. The Maine State motto is “Dirigo” and the Latin translates into
“I Lead”. It is my entirely humble wish that The Maine Oracle will lead users into discovering a better understanding of themselves while navigating life’s challenges and victories. Enjoy the deck!