Divine Light Oracle

Divine Light Oracle - lithographs by Ezio Anichini as oracle deck

Art Nouveau illustrations from magazines are not the obvious material for an oracle deck. Yet that is exactly what this deck is. The cards show work by Ezio Anichini, a Florentine artist who created lithographs for publishers between 1900 and 1920.

The images were originally decoration, not a divination system. Llewellyn has reissued them as a 36-card oracle, with a guidebook that gives the angelic figures a spiritual meaning.

What you see on the cards

Flowing lines, plenty of ornament, figures with wings or veils. The colours are soft, often with sepia tones that preserve the lithographic character. The style is typical Art Nouveau: symmetrically constructed compositions, decorative borders, and an emphasis on vertical movement.

Each image is one figure, usually frontal or in three-quarter profile. The symbolism is gentle. No drama, no dark scenes. The figures radiate calm, sometimes with outstretched arms or raised hands.

The cards measure 98.55 x 144.53 mm. That is comparable to standard tarot format, slightly narrower than many modern oracle decks.

How the guidebook works

The included text gives each card an interpretation. Those meanings are written by the publisher, not by Anichini himself. The artist died in 1948 and never intended these cards as an oracle deck.

The texts focus on spiritual growth, enlightenment, divine guidance. Each card description follows a fixed pattern: first a description of the image, then a spiritual lesson.

Read the description of the card itself before you look at the meaning. The symbolism is gentler than in many modern oracles, so your own interpretation is as valuable as the text in the guidebook.

About Ezio Anichini

Ezio Tiburzio Anichini was born in 1886 in Tuscany. He attended the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence and then worked as an illustrator for magazines such as Scena Illustrata.

His style suited the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which was less whimsical than the French and Belgian versions. Anichini drew elegant, quiet figures with an eye for decorative detail. He died in 1948.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 36
• Card size: 98.55 x 144.53 mm
• Language: English
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• ISBN: 9780738778723
• Weight: 318 g
• Includes: Guidebook with interpretations
• Artist: Ezio Anichini (1886-1948)

Questions we often get

Are these original oracle cards or art reproductions with meanings?
The second. The original lithographs were illustrations for magazines. Llewellyn has reissued them as an oracle deck and written the interpretations.

How does this differ from a tarot deck?
This is a 36-card oracle deck without a fixed structure such as major and minor arcana. Each card has its own title and meaning, independent of the rest.