The Tantric Dakini Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Tantric Dakini Oracle by Nik Douglas and Penny Slinger. Published by Destiny Books. 65 Cards and instruction book in quality drawer pull presentation box. US $35 : Can $39.99

“Look into the mirror of your mind - The home of the Secret Dakini.”

The sandstone Ranipur Jharial Temple in Sambalpur region of India dates from the 8th century when it was an initiation centre. It has 64 statues of the Dakini goddesses surrounding an inner court space where there is a statue of Shiva dancing. These are the inspiration for this oracle deck. 

The Dakinis are aspects of archetypal energies. They is a comparison with the Tarot and a parallel as the 22 Dakinis relate to the 22 cards of the Tarot’s Major Arcana. The further 40 cards in the Tantric Dakini Oracle relate to the Tarot’s pip cards. This deck has 4 elemental suits of 10 cards, and 3 Time Cards that represent the Past, Present and Future. 

 

These cards are linked to yoga, tantra, kundalini, chakras and astrology, and they bring together Eastern and Western thought. There is information in the book on the Dakinis, explanation for the basis of this  Oracle, how to develop rapport and prepare for a reading, how to formulate a question, how to keep the deck in order, to shuffle, layout, create ceremony, and to use the cards. Their individual meanings are given. Three spreads are suggested, The Celtic Cross (10 cards), the Tree of Life chart (10 cards), and the Great Universal Map chart (13 cards). Several sample readings are provided. 

Each card has contemporary image designed for meditation, a number, title, an explanation of the Dakini archetype, and short divinatory message. The card titles are unrelated to what you might expect and are modernist/surreal. They might not be to everyone’s ‘cup of tea’. 

This oracle deck is based on the authors’ extensive work in the Ranipur Jharial Temple in Orissa, India that depict 64 stone Dakini carvings. These ancient female guardians represent principles of the mysteries of ancient Indian wisdom. Nik Douglas, a Sanskrit and Tibetan scholar, has melded a collage of the Dakinis statues into surrealistic images and added their traditional meanings. Though born in the U.K., Nik Douglas spent his childhood in the Middle East and has travelled widely in Asia studying Hinduism and Buddhism. His interests are Tantra texts, occultism, Egyptology and ancient art, and he now lives in the British West Indies. 

Penny Slinger is a leading visionary and erotic artist who works in multi media. She graduated from Chelsea College of Art and is a video producer in Northern California. She is also an expert in Tantra. 

Review by Wendy Stokes https://wendystokes.co.uk