Deck Review: Mausolea: Oracle of Souls

Jason Engle, Mausolea: Oracle of Souls. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2019. ISBN: 9780738763392. (Link to Llewellyn, US Distributor).

I first used this deck in July 2024. This kit includes 36 cards and a small companion book. 

The book, in typical Lo Scarabeo fashion, is written in multiple languages: English, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Russian. The book has 128 pages; the English part has 32 pages. The book content is arranged as follows: 

• A short introduction that sets up the deck's concept. The spirit world of Mausolea has various realms. The deck features six kingdoms with 6 inhabitants "who best represent certain qualities and ideals, it is the power of these personalities and traits that illuminate the path before you" (5). 
• Two card spreads: "The Way of Paths," a 6-card spread and "The Great Wheel," a 13-card spread. 
• The realms. Each realm has an introductory paragraph. We then get the card entries. Each card entry includes card name, a paragraph for description and interpretation, and small list of domains (keywords). 

The book is interesting. The stories and descriptions draw you in and are imaginative. The concept is good, and folks who enjoy dark elements of fantasy and mythology will enjoy this book and deck. I do appreciate the world building and want to have more. There was a full companion book to this deck, but sadly it went out of print before I could acquire it. Still, the small book included with the deck gives you plenty of information to do your work and cartomancy. It is also just a nice book to read, which does not happen often with other deck companion books. The book does not include card images. 

Matriarch-Mother of the Homestead card

The card art is the great reason to get this deck kit. The art blends fantasy, mythology, and a bit of the surreal. The art just draws you in; this is good art for meditation. You can just lose yourself looking at the images. These cards can work well for intuitive readers. Some characters may be familiar right away, others you get to discover. This is a deck that draws you in easily, but then  you just keep going deeper, wanting to study and learn more. 

In addition to meditation, this may be a good shadow work deck. Deck is also good if you want a deck that is a bit darker. I used it along with the Night Sun Tarot; it may work well with other dark Tarot decks.  

Cards measure about 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The art is borderless on the sides; top and bottom border has the card name and domain keywords. Borders are not obtrusive. Card back is reversible. Note that the book does not feature reversals, but don't let that stop you if you do reversals. The cards have a soft glossy finish, and they shuffle with relative ease. 

For me, this deck is a favorite now. I will keep it handy so I can use it again soon. It is a deck I do not want to be without, and I would buy a back up copy. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

This deck kit qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenges: