I dedicate August to the Egyptian goddess Isis—the great mother, magician, and protector who was venerated throughout the ancient Mediterranean world as a goddess of healing, magic, and divine wisdom. She is present on my shrine throughout the year, but in August I give her more focused attention, study her mysteries more deeply, and commit myself to practices in her honour. The Isis Oracle by Alana Fairchild, with artwork by Jimmy Manton, has become part of this cycle. I dedicated this deck to Isis in 2021, and I use it not so much as a divinatory tool but as a devotional companion—an opening for reflection, ritual, and what I like to think of as guidance from Isis. Sometimes I draw on it alongside tarot, but more often I use it for prayer and contemplation.
About the creators and the deck
Alana Fairchild is a prolific Australian spiritual teacher and writer who has published numerous oracle decks, books, and music albums, all with a strong emphasis on healing, goddess spirituality, and mystical practice. She produces beautiful work that is widely loved.
Jimmy Manton, the artist behind the Isis Oracle, is a Melbourne-based illustrator who has provided artwork for several oracle decks. His style is dramatic and highly detailed, with a fantasy-based aesthetic that is instantly recognisable.
The Isis Oracle contains 44 cards and comes in two editions: a larger version (cards 9.5 x 14 cm) and a smaller pocket edition (cards 7 x 10.3 cm) that is easier to shuffle. Both are published by Blue Angel Publishing and packaged in hardcover boxes. I have the larger set, and the cards are well-made with rounded edges, a matte finish, and sturdy construction. The large cards make the artwork particularly striking on an altar, whilst the smaller ones are perhaps more practical for everyday use. The deck comes with a substantial 220-page guidebook, in which Fairchild explains the meaning of each card over 3-4 pages, including detailed rituals and incantations.
The strengths of the Isis Oracle
One of the most appealing qualities of this deck is the artwork. Manton’s imagery is bold, colourful, and full of symbolic detail, with a strong sense of movement that brings the scenes to life. Each card feels like a miniature temple image, making it powerful to use in meditation or ritual space. When placed on a shrine, the cards can serve as devotional icons, each reflecting an aspect of Isis’s mysteries.
The companion guidebook is another strength, especially for those who appreciate encouragement in spiritual language. Fairchild’s voice is gentle and affirming. Her writing often feels like a channel of reassurance, reminding the reader of their worth and their capacity to heal and transform. For people seeking comfort and support, this tone can be profoundly nourishing.
The inclusion of rituals and practices for each card is also a stand-out feature. Rather than offering only keywords or interpretations, the guidebook provides invocations, meditations, and sometimes more elaborate exercises. These activities shift the deck into the realm of devotional practice. It invites readers not just to think about Isis’s guidance but to act on it through prayer, embodied ritual, or self-reflection.
The deck’s approach is consistently gentle and uplifting. There’s nothing harsh or negative in Fairchild’s interpretation of Isis’s messages. She even frames the shadowy or challenging aspects as opportunities for transformation and growth. This strengths-based approach makes the Isis Oracle a comforting companion for those seeking encouragement rather than brutal truths.
The limitations of the Isis Oracle
Whilst the guidebook is generous, it can also be overwhelming. Entries are long, stretching several pages, and the repetition of themes means that the core insight can be difficult to extract. Readers seeking clarity or concise direction may feel overwhelmed.
The deck is heavily steeped in new age concepts. Fairchild creates a spiritual pastiche that blends elements from multiple traditions, reflecting a new age approach where mysticism from any source can be freely combined. For example, the card “Chariot of Ascension” features the Merkaba symbol from Jewish mystical traditions, which New Age adoption has translated into a personal “chariot of light” or light body. The booklet’s entry for this card discusses souls travelling between dimensions of higher reality.
One incantation includes Sanskrit mantras applied to an Egyptian goddess. The prayer begins “Om Isis Om Maha Isis” and continues with “Isis of Ten Thousand Nominations.” While Fairchild has clearly done her research, this approach treats sacred elements from different cultures as interchangeable spiritual tools, with no explanation of their original contexts or meanings. For practitioners interested in ancient Egyptian religion, historically informed approaches, or anyone concerned about cultural appropriation, this deck can feel exploitative rather than devotional.
The artwork, whilst striking, reflects a narrow aesthetic. The colour palette is dominated by hot tones—reds, oranges, and yellows that lean heavily into solar or desert themes—which misses much of Isis’s symbolic range. As a goddess associated with the fertile flooding of the Nile, with water, stars, and the green growing world, she deserves a more varied visual treatment. Figures are consistently portrayed as young, thin, and idealised, with features that often lean more towards European fantasy than Egyptian. Isis appears to have been given essentially the same face and body across multiple cards. While some may appreciate the consistency of seeing the same goddess in different situations, this cookie-cutter approach reduces her to a fantasy archetype rather than presenting a divine being capable of taking many forms or being changed by her mythic experiences and divine roles. The lack of diversity is stark, and it misses the opportunity to present Isis in ways that reflect the full complexity of her nature and associations.
My experience
In my practice, the Isis Oracle is a devotional bridge. I rarely use it for fortune-telling. Instead, I treat each card as a doorway into dialogue with Isis. When I draw a card, I don’t read it as “predictive” but as an offering from her: a reminder, a lesson, or a nudge to shift my focus. I have found the rituals meaningful and like many of the incantations. The cards themselves—whether drawn daily or placed on my shrine—remind me of my August dedication and deepen my sense of connection.
I sometimes combine the deck with tarot, using a single card draw for structure and then pulling an Isis Oracle card for an overarching message. In this way, the oracle functions less as a standalone system and more as a spiritual companion.
Suggestions for use
If you’re considering the Isis Oracle, think carefully about your intentions and values. The deck’s marketing promises to help you “awaken the high priestess within” and “apply the ancient mystery teachings of Isis,” but delivers new age visualisations that include problematic elements.
This deck is better suited to seasoned practitioners rather than beginners. Without some background knowledge of ancient Egypt, Isis, and experience with meditation or visualisation practices, the rituals may feel overwhelming or meaningless. While newcomers could use it simply for daily affirmations, the deck’s real value lies in its devotional potential for those already comfortable with spiritual practice.
As a divination deck, it may feel cumbersome due to the lengthy guidebook entries. As a devotional aid focused on the artwork alone, it can be powerful if you’re comfortable with the cultural blending in the written content. Place a card on your altar for its visual inspiration, and adapt or replace the provided practices as suits your own approach.
If representation, cultural grounding, and respectful engagement with traditions are important to you, this deck is difficult to recommend.
Final thoughts
The Isis Oracle is a striking and beloved deck that offers beauty, affirmation, and devotional practices for those drawn to Isis in a mystical sense. It is also imperfect—repetitive, eclectic, and limited in representation. For me, it has value as a devotional companion dedicated to Isis, especially during my August cycle of study and worship. For others, it may work best when treated less as a strict divination system and more as a spiritual doorway: a way of opening to the goddess’s presence and finding guidance in her many names. No deck can capture the fullness of Isis, but for those willing to meet her here, the Isis Oracle can become one more thread in her ever-living tapestry of worship.