THE two penny oracle
NOW ON ETSY
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KNOW THYSELF
The Two-Penny Oracle from Madam Clara.
A companion to the 5-cent tarot celebrating the principles of Phrenology
Dating back to the 1700s and now classified as a defunct pseudoscience, Phrenology was the study of the shape of the skull as indicative of mental faculties and traits of character. Not only did Phrenology enjoy great popularity well into the 20th century, but also found a beloved place in the mysterious world of boardwalk Fortune Telling and divination.
Why Phrenology in an oracle deck?
Aside from rich visual appeal and my fascination with the realm of vintage fortune telling, Phrenology offers a truly comprehensive division of mental faculties that align beautifully with an oracle system of guidewords. With the Two Penny Oracle, the idea is to see these words as tools — not to measure our propensities — but rather to suggest what perspectives we may call upon for a given question or scenario.
Know Thyself and The significance of the Elephant
The Ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself" is one of the Delphic maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. In Latin the phrase, "know thyself," is given as nosce te ipsum or temet nosce. Know Thyself has had a variety of meanings attributed to it in literature with roots in the works of Plato and Socrates.
Phrenology popularized the term as a way to promote the self-help aspect of the now pseudoscience. For the Two-Penny Oracle, I chose the elephant as a primary symbol for a very good reason. Elephants can recognize themselves in a mirror, joining only humans, apes and dolphins as animals that possess this kind of self-awareness. According to research this would seem to be a trait common to and independently evolved by animals with large, complex brains, complex social lives and known capacities for empathy and altruism, even though the animals all have very different kinds of brains.
Phrenology and Controversy
It is important to acknowledge one truly negative aspect of Phrenology that was misused in its brief history. Aside from ultimately being classified as quackery, the pseudoscience has also been criticized for promoting racial and other prejudices, aligning certain physical qualities with less desirable mental faculties and associating other physical qualities with success, intelligence and happiness. For obvious reasons, this aspect has no place in the world today.
However, defining a full spectrum of propensities has tremendous value in our own self-awareness, development and growth! So to be clear, this deck only uses Phrenology for its comprehensive list of faculties as a system of words and not a tool assigned to any measurement or physical qualities. Furthermore, this deck will follow suit from the 5-cent tarot, never depicting humans, and only representing animals, insects and florals.
Update -- the deck: 43 propensities, 43 cards (and 6 extra cards -- the senses!)
I've been exploring the best way to design an oracle card system that clearly and immediately represents the 43 propensities associated with Phrenology. There have been many variations on this, but one of the most widely known is J.D. Fowler’s system, which I have employed in the deck. I am also enamored with the antique quality of the words used in the system, many of which are most definitely from another time. While most of these ideals are perfect oracle-worthy concepts (self-esteem, adhesiveness (or friendship), vitativeness (or love of life), some seem less adaptive at first (i.e. recognition of tune, tone, color, size). For the latter, I will offer larger meanings to associate with them. For example, Size can translate to our perception of magnitude and proportion; ability to put into perspective the scale of a given situation.
The design system complementS the Victorian poster aesthetics of the 5-cent Tarot – antique engravings, subtle color, vintage typography. I am also offering a ROUND deck, as a perfect complement, in addition to the standard deck size to match the 5-cent Tarot.
Leave your comments and suggestions below!
The Two-Penny Oracle from Madam Clara.
A companion to the 5-cent tarot celebrating the principles of Phrenology
Dating back to the 1700s and now classified as a defunct pseudoscience, Phrenology was the study of the shape of the skull as indicative of mental faculties and traits of character. Not only did Phrenology enjoy great popularity well into the 20th century, but also found a beloved place in the mysterious world of boardwalk Fortune Telling and divination.
Why Phrenology in an oracle deck?
Aside from rich visual appeal and my fascination with the realm of vintage fortune telling, Phrenology offers a truly comprehensive division of mental faculties that align beautifully with an oracle system of guidewords. With the Two Penny Oracle, the idea is to see these words as tools — not to measure our propensities — but rather to suggest what perspectives we may call upon for a given question or scenario.
Know Thyself and The significance of the Elephant
The Ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself" is one of the Delphic maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. In Latin the phrase, "know thyself," is given as nosce te ipsum or temet nosce. Know Thyself has had a variety of meanings attributed to it in literature with roots in the works of Plato and Socrates.
Phrenology popularized the term as a way to promote the self-help aspect of the now pseudoscience. For the Two-Penny Oracle, I chose the elephant as a primary symbol for a very good reason. Elephants can recognize themselves in a mirror, joining only humans, apes and dolphins as animals that possess this kind of self-awareness. According to research this would seem to be a trait common to and independently evolved by animals with large, complex brains, complex social lives and known capacities for empathy and altruism, even though the animals all have very different kinds of brains.
Phrenology and Controversy
It is important to acknowledge one truly negative aspect of Phrenology that was misused in its brief history. Aside from ultimately being classified as quackery, the pseudoscience has also been criticized for promoting racial and other prejudices, aligning certain physical qualities with less desirable mental faculties and associating other physical qualities with success, intelligence and happiness. For obvious reasons, this aspect has no place in the world today.
However, defining a full spectrum of propensities has tremendous value in our own self-awareness, development and growth! So to be clear, this deck only uses Phrenology for its comprehensive list of faculties as a system of words and not a tool assigned to any measurement or physical qualities. Furthermore, this deck will follow suit from the 5-cent tarot, never depicting humans, and only representing animals, insects and florals.
Update -- the deck: 43 propensities, 43 cards (and 6 extra cards -- the senses!)
I've been exploring the best way to design an oracle card system that clearly and immediately represents the 43 propensities associated with Phrenology. There have been many variations on this, but one of the most widely known is J.D. Fowler’s system, which I have employed in the deck. I am also enamored with the antique quality of the words used in the system, many of which are most definitely from another time. While most of these ideals are perfect oracle-worthy concepts (self-esteem, adhesiveness (or friendship), vitativeness (or love of life), some seem less adaptive at first (i.e. recognition of tune, tone, color, size). For the latter, I will offer larger meanings to associate with them. For example, Size can translate to our perception of magnitude and proportion; ability to put into perspective the scale of a given situation.
The design system complementS the Victorian poster aesthetics of the 5-cent Tarot – antique engravings, subtle color, vintage typography. I am also offering a ROUND deck, as a perfect complement, in addition to the standard deck size to match the 5-cent Tarot.
Leave your comments and suggestions below!