The Oscan Oracle: from the Ancient Janarra of the Moon

The Oscan Oracle is the story of recovering a spiritual lineage from Italy that was lost in the great migrations of the early 20th century. It is also a reference guide which accompanies a divination system, akin to a tarot deck or ancient rune stones.

It is Oscan because they, Theresa and Rauri, an aunt-niece duo, discovered that their ancestors, the Janarra, were Oscan-speaking peoples. This oracle is made up of the letters of the Oscan alphabet. The Oscan language was actively spoken in regions of what is now Italy, in pre-Roman times, from 600 BCE–1 CE.

You may choose to read through The Oscan Oracle as a book. You may choose to acquire the card deck at ritualgoddess.com and use them as a divination system, asking a question, then choosing a card. Or, you may choose to simply open the book and stop at what appeals to you.

What is an oracle?

Many people know the word oracle from the famous oracular sites of the ancient world at Dodona and Delphi, where a high priestess provided oracle in the form of prophecy or advice in response to questions asked in a formal setting. But oracle is also the term for the person who offers oracle.

Our ancient ancestors of the Italian spiritual lineage were oracles. Though they did not have formal temples and a hierarchical structure, they were skilled at interfacing with the spirit world and delivering that information to their community for its general well- being. Our ancestors spoke to the trees, listened to the wind, and prayed to the Earth.

We also call this work an oracle because it is a way for you, the reader, to engage with the spirit world, including undiscovered parts of yourself, the cosmos, ancestors, and your spiritual belief system. 

Rauri Tor is of the ancient medicine lineage of the Italian Janarra as well as a Celtic Seer. She resides deep in the woods of the East Coast with her family, dog, cats, chickens, and a plethora of wild being allies. You can reach Rauri by email at: [email protected]

Theresa C. Dintino is a diviner and writer living in Sebastopol, CA. She has dedicated the past 12 years to the work of restoring her ancestral Italian spiritual lineage.