An Fios Dorcha: The Dark Knowing is an original 90-card oracle deck grounded in Irish folklore, ancestral memory, and Jungian psychology.
Developed as part of Din’s creative practice PhD, the deck invites readers into a process of self-inquiry through mythic symbolism, psychological archetypes, and the shadowed stories we carry.
Created through extensive research into Irish emigration, oral traditions, and the supernatural from sources like the National Folklore Collection, An Fios Dorcha is both a creative artefact and a scholarly work. The oracle was presented at RMIT University’s Practice Research Symposium in October 2025.
The Dark Knowing guidebook is an original 208-page book that weaves together folklore research with psychological symbolism and poetic narratives to offer layered interpretations. Together with the deck the structure mirrors a journey of individuation: from ancestral roots to conscious integration.
The imagery for the prototype card deck was designed with a combination of digital media and photography taken in Ireland during field research in 2024.
The oracle is designed for readers drawn to themes of liminality, loss, and transformation. It bridges the disciplines of art, folklore, ritual, and narrative as a tactile expression of what it means to listen to the past and attend to the present.
A commercial version of the oracle using is now being explored for a planned 2026 release. Contact Din if you would like to be kept up to date on An Fios Dorcha and be notified of pre-orders.
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