The Mahabharata Oracle
By Gita Rash
Published by Red Feather Mind, Body, Spirit
Review by Christiana Gaudet

I have known artist and mystic Gita Rash for years. A long time ago, I told her she should design a tarot deck. She’s done something even more innovative. The Mahabharata Oracle is now available from the Red Feather imprint of Schiffer Publishing.

The Mahabharata Oracle comes in a magnet-closure box with a substantial guidebook. The deck itself is comprised of 36 named and numbered cards. The cards are printed on sturdy cardstock with lovely gilded edges.

The thing that is so unique and intriguing about this oracle is that it is based on an epic story.  The Mahabharata, as Rash explains in the guidebook, is an epic of ancient India. As a tarotist I love the idea of an oracle based on an epic story, since we so often see tarot as telling an allegorical story.

For many westerners, the Mahabharata Oracle may be a first introduction into sacred Hindu scripture. Yet, the oracle and its guidebook are simple enough in design that one need not be a scholar of ancient sacred texts to understand these cards and the wisdom they hold.

In creating The Mahabharata Oracle Gita Rash has served two very important purposes. She has brought an important sacred text to the western world in an understandable form, and she has provided us with a very usable tool for psychic development and divination. As we read the guidebook to understand the thirty-six cards, we get a window into the epic tale of the Mahabharata.

The guidebook shares some clues for psychic development as well as some card spreads. This is a great oracle for beginners and advanced diviners alike. The card images and words are evocative and easy to understand. The guidebook is rich both in its storytelling and in its ability to help the reader understand the character archetype within the card.

The Mahabharata Oracle is a unique treasure. Unlike many oracle decks, this deck is worthy of deep study and contemplation, while at the same time being easy to use and understand.

See my interview with Gita Rash, and make plans to catch her at StaarCon.