Hafiz Oracle - Persian mysticism translated into light and colour
The fourteenth-century Persian poet Hafiz wrote about divine love, joy and surrender. His verses are so layered that they read as love song, mystical manifesto and philosophical treatise all at once. This oracle deck by artist Rassouli does not just acknowledge that ambiguity. It shows it.
Each of the 44 cards carries a verse by Hafiz in English translation, paired with an image in fusionart style. These images are not illustrations. They work as visual counterparts to the verses: light in motion, colour fields bleeding into each other, forms balanced between recognisable and abstract.
What fusionart does with mystical text
Rassouli's style revolves around light. Not as a physical phenomenon, but as a visual principle. His images have no hard outlines. Colours transition through gradients, light falls and gradations that are abstract yet directional.
What you see are human figures, sometimes in embrace, sometimes in meditation, often in floating poses. Backgrounds shift from deep purple to azure blue, from gold to copper red. The movement is not in what the figures do, but in how the light moves through the image.
The combination of verse and image works in two directions. The verse gives direction to the image, the image gives space to the verse. Neither fixes the other.
How you use the cards
The 128-page guidebook contains an extensive description for each card, supplemented with affirmations. These affirmations are short, usually one sentence, and meant to translate the verse into a usable daily thought.
Many people draw a card in the morning, read the verse aloud, and let it resonate through the day. Others use the cards as an entry point for meditation or journaling. The verses are compact enough to remember, but dense enough to hear something new each time.
Read a verse aloud several times in a row. The sound does something to the meaning, especially with these translations that stay close to the original Persian metre.
About Rassouli
Rassouli is an artist, author and teacher who calls his style fusionart. He studied at the University of New Mexico and developed a visual language from the 1970s onwards in which mystical themes from the Middle East meet Western psychology and abstract art.
His work revolves around love, connection and inner peace. He does not translate these themes by depicting them symbolically, but by making them tangible as colour and light.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 44
- Card dimensions: 127 × 171 mm
- Guidebook: 128 pages, English
- Card language: English
- Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
- Artist: Rassouli
- Style: Fusionart
Questions we often get
Are the verses literal translations of Hafiz?
Rassouli has translated and interpreted the verses with the aim of preserving the essence of Hafiz's original texts. These are not academic translations, but poetic re-renderings for a contemporary audience.
Does this deck work without prior knowledge of Sufi mysticism?
Yes. The verses are universal enough to use without contextual knowledge. The guidebook provides background information, but this is not a requirement for working with the cards.
