This nontarot divination oracle departs from the typical use of cards and instead makes use of small tiles somewhat like runes.  There are 28 tiles in all, each marked with hieroglyphic characters.  It looks like there are different characters which recur in combinations on different tiles.  No two tiles are identical, and none bear only one character, but rather a combination.  There is also a consultation board upon which to cast the tiles.  This set comes with a hardbound book of instructions, over 150 pages thick.

Each of the tiles is white plastic with oxblood red engraved markings in them.  I have been told that the first printing of this set included ceramic tiles, but subsequent printings have plastic.  I have not confirmed this with the publisher.  Looking at the tiles, they are oval shaped and are meant to be viewed vertically.  The top half has a single character on it which is different for each tile and contains symbolic elements like a crocodile, Eyes of Horus, pyramids, lotus, etc.  The bottom half has a vertical line separating several small characters into little groups.

The consultation board is actually a two-sided cardboard thing like game boards for backgammon and other board games; each side has a different board layout for different spreads using the Oracle.  There are several ways of using this system, including drawing one single tile per day as an "Omen of the Day," a three-tile "Body-Mind-Spirit" spread, the Twelve Houses Layout, and the Ankh Layout (of which there are three versions).

A section of the book is devoted to explaining each of the Twelve Houses used in the layouts; these houses are the houses of the Gods and Goddesses, rather than a zodiac as many would think from traditional western thought.  The Gods and Goddesses each govern over specific areas of life and creation, and their interactions lead to further conditions and aspects of life.  Combining them thusly narrows things down some to make for more specific reading.  The houses of the Gods and Goddesses are as follows:

Ra - Winged Disk - Creation
1 - Geb - Foundation
2 - Nut - Nurturing
3  Osiris - Subject of Divination
4 - Set - Opposition
5 - Isis - Emotions
6 - Nephthys - Hidden Forces
7 - Horus - Home and Environment
8 - Sekhmet - Personal Powers
9 - Anubis - Guidance
10 - Hathor - Love and Pleasure
11 - Thoth - Wisdom and Advice
12 - Maat - Determination and Synthesis

Since this is not a tarot deck, there are no Major or Minor Arcana, no suits, court titles, pips or scenes.  The tiles use an Egyptian type numbering system and there are divisions of symbols into different categories based upon their numbers.    This is referred to as the Cycle of the Seven Powers.  The tiles are also categorized into four different cycles of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  The 28 hieroglyphs used in the tiles are not the entire hieroglyphic alphabet but merely a cross section of those glyphs which were most commonly drawn upon for use as talismans and amulets, for their special symbolic significance.

The tiles themselves are small enough to handle comfortably but with my small hands, the entire pile of 28 tiles is too much to hold at once.  I imagine it is easy enough to shuffle the tiles, perhaps like Mah Jongg tiles or runes, by putting them in a box or bag and mixing them up and drawing the ones you need for a reading.  The plastic tiles have smooth rounded ends and feel very nice in the hands.  The book in this set recommends a nice large bowl in which to mix the tiles and draw the ones you need.  Either choice would work well.

I recommend this set for anyone who is interested in working with an Egyptian type system and who prefers runes or other tangible items rather than cards.  I actually found this easier to comprehend than many card systems I've looked at, and a lot of other people might also.  It's not easy, but not intimidating either, and since it is a totally self-contained oracular system, you don't have to have any prior experience to use it, so a beginner can work with this set just fine.  I would warn that care be taken with the tiles and small children, as they are small enough to swallow.

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Review Copyright 1999 by Gina M. Pace

Egyptian Oracle by Maya Heath, 1995
published by Bear and Company, Santa Fe, New Mexico
ISBN 1-870181-19-3