Cave of Sybil : A Chthonic Oracle
A 53-card Oracle Deck to guide you through the Underworld.
The Witch is a symbol of revolt.
This Oracle is an act of rebellion.
Witches who wish to keep their hands clean: this Oracle is not for you.
The Cave of Sybil leads to the Underworld. But to make passage through the porta inferno, Sybil demands an offering: A drop of blood. A golden bough. All that we were before and can never be again. Now we descend into Plutonian darkness.
Beneath the soil.
Under the earth.
An image of no beginning, no end.
Sybil is a telluric witch, and so we seek her in the sordid earth where all deep secrets hide. We must abandon the false light of civilization and return to the infernal wisdom that dwells deep in the grotto. We must leave behind the world of men and enter the cave.
A return to the wisdom of the cave means accepting the primal darkness that exists within and without. Only when we begin to look beneath the surface and acknowledge our own darkness—and the innate darkness that connects all things—can we liberate ourselves and live fully in the moment. We have much to unlearn.
The Cave of Sybil is intended to guide you through your own shadow realm and the dark times in which we are living. These images were not made to heal. They were made to transmute. The process of transmutation is painful—a burning away of that which does not serve. But with that pain, there is also powerful malleability and softness; softness to help shed old layers and the scar tissue of hardened wounds. Many layers have been shed in the creation of this deck; many versions of myself reduced to ashes in its alchemical fires.
My wish is that the Cave of Sybil acts as a bridge from the duplicitous daylight realm to the sacred darkness of unknowing. May its blackened flame corrupt, defile and recast. If Sibyl allows return passage from the chthonic depths to the land of the living, we’d be wise to live well so that we may one day die well. After all, nothing survives Death. It is always there, that ancient serpent, devouring gods behind our altar fires.
THE ART:
The deck contains 53 original works of art. These images were created by hand over the past year in my personal journals and sketchbooks—an intimate inner-world not originally intended for display. The Cave of Sybil was born from the dark; thus, darkness is its common tongue. Every image is infused with the subversive spirit of the witch. Some elements have been consciously shrouded in black, while others have been unearthed. What is concealed is just as important as what is explicit; the intention is to honor what we cannot see.
THE NAMES:
The word “sibyl” comes from the ancient Greek word sibylla, which means prophetess. The most famous Sibylline oracle was the Sibyl of Cumae, a mercurial crone who lived in a cave and uttered her predictions in a state of divine madness. The Cumaean Sibyl served as a guide to the underworld, and her cave was regarded as the gateway to Hades. It is she who I’ve named this Oracle after.
Each image is charged with a carefully selected word that serves as its guiding force. The handwritten characters were inscribed blind and can be found on the back of each card.
THE BOOK OF SPELLS:
Each image in the deck is paired with its own magic incantation housed within a companion spell book. The Book of Spells was formed using my own cut-up ritual: words and phrases broken down, combined and reassembled using the alchemical principle of old, solve et coagula; to dissolve and coagulate. The best way to experience the Cave of Sybil is in conjunction with its spells. You may speak them aloud if you like.
*Please note that the Cave of Sybil Spell Book is less like a typical guidebook and more like a poetic grimoire. I have intentionally kept the instructions for using the cards brief so as not to limit their magical potential. Images have their own language, and words do not do justice to what they express. They act as catalysts for meaning, but their divinatory interpretation is ultimately an individual matter for which there are no rules.
DECK SPECS:
CARDS:
• 53 cards total
• Dimensions: 3.5 x 5 inches
• Printed on 330gsm Royal Card Stock
• Rounded corners, smooth finish
• Cards come in a 2 piece rigid box
SPELL BOOK:
The Book of Spells is 113 pages with full color images of every card in the deck alongside their corresponding cutup spell and name.
• Dimensions: 3.5 x 5 inches
• Perfect bound with soft cover
• Fits inside the card box with the cards
CARD BOX: The cards and guide book come in a sturdy 2 piece, full-length rigid box with matte lamination. Boxes are made of 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Fibers. Deck boxes come shrink wrapped for extra protection.
DECKS & BOOKS ARE PRODUCED & PRINTED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE USA.
DISCLAIMERS & SHOP POLICIES:
All sales are final. My shop does not accept exchanges or returns - however, if you have questions, concerns or issues with your order please don't hesitate to contact me. Make sure your shipping address is correct and the location is a safe and secure place for you to receive parcels. MY SHOP DOES NOT SHIP TO THIRD PARTY MAIL FORWARDING SERVICES - the shipping address entered for your rewards must be the final destination to confirm delivery on my end. I cannot replace decks that have been delivered and then stolen from your porch/mailbox. I cannot replace individual cards. Divination and spell-related items are for entertainment purposes only. The Cave of Sybil is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.