The Sidhe Oracle of the

THE SIDHE ORACLE

THE SIDHE ORACLE OF THE FLEETING HARE

Fleeting Hare is extremely
simple, as with so much of
what the Sidhe have taught.
OF THE FLEETING HARE
It is based upon the practice,
known among the Celts, of John Matthews
capturing a hare and then
art by Wil Kinghan
releasing it again, so as to
observe its path. This is
very much in keeping with
many other kinds of natural
divination – watching the
flight of birds, the patterns
of light on water, shapes in
the flames of a fire, random
objects noticed on a path one
walks.

This image of the card back is a very ancient one – found

throughout the world from Britain to China, Iran to the Indian
continent. Three hares run in an endless circle, their eternal circuit
a perfect exemplar of the mystery of life, showing the path meant
to be followed by all creatures.

JOHN MATTHEWS
Lorian Press LLC
Holland, Michigan
www.lorianpress.com
THE SIDHE ORACLE
OF THE FLEETING HARE
“…..on the moors
The hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the plashy earth
Raises a mist, that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth
run.”

William Wordsworth: Resolution and Independence.

THE SIDHE ORACLE
OF THE FLEETING HARE

John Matthews
Art by Wil Kinghan
 THE SIDHE ORACLE
OF THE FLEETING HARE

Copyright © 2018 by John Matthews

Art Copyright © 2018 by Wil Kinghan

John Matthews has asserted his right to be identified as the

author of this work. Wil Kinghan has asserted his right to be
identified as the artist of this work. All rights are reserved,
including the right to reproduce this book, or portions
thereof, in any form.

Cover and Interior Art by Wil Kinghan

Lorian Press LLC

Holland, Michigan

ISBN: 978-1-939790-22-4

Matthews, John
The Sidhe Oracle of the Fleeting Hare/John Matthews

First Edition: June 2018

 Dedications:

To the Hares, for their Wisdom,

and to my wonderful friends in both worlds.
J.M.

To Melanie and Anabelle and the twinkle in our eyes.

W. K.
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: The Way of the Hare .................. 1

THE SIDHE AND THE HARE ................................... 5

WORDS FROM THE ARTIST ..................................... 7

THE ORACLE CARDS ................................................ 9

1: The Hare on the Hill 10

2: The Hare in the Field 12
3: The Hare in the Stream 14
4: The Hare in the Mist 16
5: The Hare of Spring 18
6: The Hare of Summer 20
7: The Hare of Autumn 22
8: The Hare of Winter 24
9: The Battling Hares 26
10: The Mothering Hare 28
11: The Singing Hare 30
12: The Running Hare 32
13: The Solitary Hare 34
14: The Truthful Hare 36
15: The Lying Hare 38
16: The Visionary Hare 40
17: The Night Hare 42
18 The Dreaming Hare 44
19: The Laughing Hare 46
20: The Solemn Hare 48
The Card Back 50
HOW THE ORACLE WORKS .................................. 51

SAMPLE READING .................................................. 59

MORE WORDS FROM THE SIDHE ....................... 64

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ARTIST ................... 67

Other Books and Oracles by John Matthews ......... 70

About the Publisher ................................................... 72

 INTRODUCTION:
The Way of the Hare

Hares have been recognized in Britain as magical

creatures since before the time of the Celts, who
acknowledged the goddess Andraste as the guardian of
these extraordinary creatures. There are accounts of an
oracle in which a captive hare was released and its path as
it fled observed, and it is recorded that Boudicca, warrior
queen of the Iceni, on the eve of her first great battle against
the invading Romans, released a hare from beneath her
skirts. Observing where it ran, she predicted victory.
The hare was sacred also to the Egyptians, who claimed
at least two hare-headed gods: Wenut, the Swift one and an
aspect of Osiris Khentyimenti. Hare was also a messenger
of the god Thoth, keeper of wisdom and writing. Among
the Native Americans of the United States, Hare was also
regarded as magical and (for the Powhattan tribes) as the
deity responsible for creating the earth.
All over the world there are myths featuring the hare –
often as a type of trickster whose actions are as mysterious
as they are bold. The hare has long been associated with
the Moon, perhaps because at certain times of its cycle, the
shape of a hare can be seen outlined amongst the craters
and seas of its surface. It is perhaps for this reason that the
Sidhe (the Faery race of Ireland) revere hares, just as they
revere the Moon herself. A Hausa tale from Africa, which
I especially love, tells how the hare became the messenger
of the Moon. When the earth was created and life began

1
the Moon decided to offer humankind immortality. She
sent her trusted messenger to tell us that: As the Moon dies
and rises again, so shall you. But the hare forgot the words
and instead told us: Just as the moon dies and perishes, so
shall you…. Humanity believed these words and were ever
after mortal, while the Moon, understandable displeased,
gave the hare a blow to the face that split its upper lip – a
feature it has retained ever since.
The hares are shadowy presences that have come and
gone in myth and legend for centuries. Their wildness,
athleticism, lustfulness and wildly staring eyes have made
them legendary. As the Sidhe pointed out, they worship the
moon, and it is still the best time to see them in the wild – at
night, especially under a full moon, which seems to drive
them, as it can ourselves, into a wild and crazy ecstasy. This
makes the Oracle of the Fleeting Hare a fitting companion to
The Moon Oracle, also given us by the Sidhe. Both oracles
link sky and earth, as we will quickly see when we walk
with the Sidhe, and listen to their wisdom.
Though The Moon Oracle looked to the heavens it
is rooted in the stones that our ancestors (or the Sidhe
themselves?) carved with magical images. So too, though
the fleeting hares draw patterns for us on the earth, they
seem to look to the sky and at the Moon every bit as much
as they live and have their being in the realm of earth.
Always there have been accounts of mysterious
sightings – often of pure white and sometimes ghostly
hares, sitting atop the summit of faery mounds or running
though fields of standing corn as though impelled upon a

2
journey of vital meaning. It is not surprising that they have
come to be regarded with special reverence, as beings close
to the gods and the sacred guardians of the land, amongst
which the Sidhe are numbered.

Shortly after I had completed work on the Moon Oracle

of the Sidhe in 2017, my contacts spoke to me again:

“We are not of the stars, but of the Earth. Our gods once
walked among us, as did yours. We spoke with them at length
over many days and we have remembered their wisdom. We
showed you the Oracle of the Moon with all its mystery. Now
we will show you a further mystery – an oracle of Earth, and of
the Fleeting Hare. Listen well and you shall hear and see what
is to be told.”

Following on from this I received a dizzying array of

images: fields of golden wheat, leaping and battling hares,
strange faces that seemed to mix human features with the
long ears and frantic nose of the hare.
At first baffled, I began to make notes and ask questions
of my communicators. What emerged was a series of
images that suggested an oracular pattern. Having devised
several such systems before, I was able to see the potential
meanings hidden within these thought-paintings.
From this began to grow a curious system that seems
to me (as well as those who have tried it out) to offer a
deep and powerful set of meanings. Despite its seeming
simplicity (ever a signature of the Sidhe) it offers startlingly

3
accurate readings. With the help of the Sidhe themselves,
and the talents of the remarkable artist Wil Kinghan I am
able to offer this to those who, like myself, continue to work
with and be daily amazed by the teachings of the Sidhe.

John Matthews
Oxford. Mayday, 2018

4
 THE SIDHE AND THE HARE

Almost my first question asked of my Sidhe

communicant after the initial contact told me of the hare,
was: Why hares? The answer was immediate: Because
they carry the light. I asked for more and took down the
following.

Hares are carriers of light. They are the wildness that was
once a part of all life, until it was withdrawn by those who sought
quiet. Hare came to us long ago. Then, in the days of stone and
Moon, they walked with us, and we spoke together without words.
They have always worshiped the Moon and ran beneath her rays
to express the joys and terrors of life. What better creature to
guide us as we make the patterns of life within the worlds. They
have shown us the patterns they draw upon the earth, helped us
to understand the sounds that were the voice of the earth. As we
watched them run, so we saw that truths were shown by their
ways, etched upon the land. They are not like others that we knew
then and know now. They are truly wild. We knowledge them
amongst the Elders of the world. It is a mistake to see them as
friends or allies – though they may choose to become such to you
– they walk alone and are solitary creatures. When you work with
their images you are a part of their tribe. You are hare – however
briefly. Through them you may feel the intentions of the earth, the
wisdom that resides in the places where you walk. We, who live
beneath the earth, see these things, as we have always, through
the medium of touch and inner sight. Just as we showed you the
Cycles of the Moon, now we offer the Cycles of Earth, as they are

5
displayed by the hare. This Oracle will open new ways for you
all if you will but look and listen. We offer it in peace to you, as
those who travel the ways between the worlds together.

I asked, later, if walking barefoot was a good way

to experience the energies of the earth. The response,
laconic as ever, was: Do you not already do so? Clearly this is
something we should consider as we seek to make a deeper
contact with the Hare.

6
 WORDS FROM THE ARTIST

Working on a project with John is usually quite

different from anything else I do; perhaps because we have
known each other for a long time and think in similar ways.
We certainly have a similar approach to spirit! Usually John
will pen a few lines of description, not too much (he knows
me) and I’ll read it, forget it, and do something almost,
but not quite, totally unlike it. The image will then evolve
from a combination of the two visions. This is important
when working with anything inspired by the Sidhe, those
capricious and tricky but wonderfully wise beings of the
hallowed hills. They are the elephant in the room or ‘the
founders of the feast’ as Dickens would say, who nudge
things forward with hunches, inspired thoughts and co-
incidences but are definitely part of the creative process.

They are part of the source of inspiration, and you have

to keep your opinions and conscious judgement out of the
way as much as possible! Perhaps John has more of a direct
line to them than me. I think visually so I will sit down and
envisage what I’m going to draw, with a loose idea based on
John’s words. But it will only form in the process of doing
it. I had to look at a lot of images of Hares and listen to my
inner voice to say – that one! A lot of the time I wouldn’t
have a clue what Hare was for which card either, until I
started to work on each individual picture. Sometimes I
would hear the Sidhe urging me to do something against
my own preconceived notions, like putting the chimney

7
stacks in the background of the Solemn Hare, but it’s never
a voice talking in my head, just an urgent set of feelings
and impulses which I have come to recognize through
years of experience as ‘that important feeling’. Sounds
like porridge? Well – that’s what you get from a Shamanic
artist I guess!
John understands this chaotic process and focuses on
what needs to be in each image so they make sense, so the
images will always fit John’s vision (and the Sidhe’s) and
be more than what was originally envisaged.

For these pictures I drew all the Hares in pencil on a

firm cartridge paper but I painted the backgrounds digitally
from composites of photographs, many from the local
landscape in Oxfordshire, where I live, and applied filters
to them as well as working on them with brush and pencil
in Photoshop. I was pleased when another nudge from
within led me to pictures of Gog and Magog I had taken
years ago in Glastonbury, so Gog, who was a young Oak
tree when the pyramids were built, found its way into the
Truthful Hare. When I put the hares into the compositions
I lit them and the background separately in Photoshop to
get the final look.

- Wil Kinghan.

8
THE ORACLE CARDS

9
 1: The Hare on the Hill

Look around you. What do you see? Is the path clear

or shadowed? Are you certain of your goal? What is it that
blocks your path? Look to the sky above you, but keep your
feet upon the earth. Remember who you are. Acknowledge
your true path. These are the thoughts of the Fleeting Hare
as it sits below the Moon. Between earth and sky all is
revealed. Watch every moment for knowledge of the things
you ask to be shown.

10
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 2: The Hare in the Field

Are you too close to what you are seeking? How will
you know what lies ahead? Is there something from before
that holds you in its grip? How will you break the spell?
The spirits of field and hill are all around you. Follow where
they lead. Go through the hollow stone or look as from a
window. Above all, follow in the track of the Fleeting Hare
– for in its movements you shall see patterns that bring you
home to a place of certainty.

12
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 3: The Hare in the Stream

Where water flows so does life. Nothing is still amid

rivers and streams. Whether you were looking backwards
towards the past or forward to a future time, water
sustains the truth. Its energy will carry you onward to
your goal. Drops of spray surround you, bathing you in
light. Wherever you tread, water upholds you. Dance in
the spume and race towards your goal.

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 4: The Hare in the Mist

What is mist? More than the mixture of cloud and sun,

rain and shadow.
Is your way lost amid a mist? Where is the light that
will help you find your way home? Seek the truth that
upholds you every day. Honour the old path as you do the
new. Accept all challenges. Follow the Fleeting Hare as it
runs. Your knowledge sustains you. Breathe in the breath
of the moving mist. See how it clings to you. When you are
part of the mist, the path ahead is clear. When you emerge
from its cover, the way ahead is drenched in light.

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 5: The Hare of Spring

Well is this time known as a time of beginnings. We

look upon the way foreward with fresh eyes, letting fall the
trails of shadow or the coldness of Winter’s spell. When
new ways open before you, greet them with open eyes.
Do not fear beginnings, for they lead to greater things.
Aspire to follow the truth you know best. Touch the fresh
earth with your fingers. Place your hands upon it. Draw
strength from the powers that bring new life and restore
what had seemed dead. New potential is everywhere; do
not pass it by.

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 6: The Hare of Summer

Summer’s warmth brings softness to the harshest time.

There is fullness everywhere. Look to the sun and stand
with your feet upon the warm earth. Bless all those who
are close to you. Shed your light upon them. Do not focus
on the future or the past, but bring your gaze to the golden
light of the present. Though silence wraps you in its haze,
prepare to leap foreward. Follow the Fleeting Hare. Listen
for Summer’s song.

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 7: The Hare of Autumn

Time burns in the blood in the Autumn season. What

endings do you seek? What space does such a departure
leave behind? How will you fill it? This is a time to look
anew at things that you have begun and things that have
ended. What truly moves you forward or keeps you from
transiting between the seasons? The Fleeting Hare knows
your thoughts and deepest longings. In the mirror of his
eye is the knowledge of your time.

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 8: The Hare of Winter

When all is frozen, the path ahead seems blocked. But

the ice melts, the snow fades, the way opens again. For
some the ice holds them in its grip for much longer. What
winter dwells in your heart? What will melt it? Look for the
radiance of light that dispels the long nights of the season
and promises new beginnings ahead. The Fleeting Hare
runs before you, lightly across the snowbound earth. Follow
it willingly and it will guide you to a gentler place.

24
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 9: The Battling Hares

Is the struggle you feel one that takes place within

you? Are you sending it forth to an outer place, where
it seems more overpowering than it truly is? If you take
up the stance of the boxing hare be sure that you are not
fighting your own shadow. Look beyond this. Search for
the true reasons for your anger or despair. Your issue may
yet be resolved peacefully and without confrontation. Let
the fleeting hares take away your anger and fear. Be at one
with your place and those whom you encounter.

26
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 10: The Mothering Hare

The image of the Mother is one that all respond to. This
may be your own mother, and not all such memories are
good we are aware, but we think too of the Primal Mother,
she who guards the earth and the stars as do mothers their
children or hares their young. We of the Sidhe are long lived
and give birth only rarely, but to us the earth was our womb
and to Her we give love and honor. Those of your people
who remember the moment when they came forth into the
world may remember beyond this, to the time before. Yet
all have within them the sense of their beginning, and this
may shape them for days to come. With each new moment
of your lives you give birth to new potential, to new ways
of looking at the pattern of your life. Whatever your age,
whatever your path, the Mother within you – both males
and females – is ever willing to give shelter and love to each
new day. If your life is darkened, look to that inner place
where the Mother dwells. There you shall find safety and
protection stronger than any darkness.

28
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 11: The Singing Hare

The hare sings a song you have heard before, yet it is

a song you have forgotten. It sings to you of memories and
truths you have chosen to discard, allowed to lie fallow in
the deepest recesses of your being. Wake then, listen, hear
again the song of life and the song of being amidst the fields
of your daily life. Will you join in the sing? Or will you let
it fall upon deaf ears and abandon the harmony it brings?
Stand under the dome of heaven if you dare and let the
song well up within you, silent or out loud.

30
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 12: The Running Hare

Can you outrun time itself? Are you fleeing from or

towards something?
Movement itself brings power. To sit still teaches
us our truth, but so also is can lose the opportunity that
shows itself. Will you be static or run towards the answer
you seek? For so long now we have watched you hasten,
always, towards an unknowable future. Yet the place to
which all may come at length is often the place of deepest
quietude. Seek solace there or try to outrun the world in
which you live. Take breaths of life or expel your dreams
as you flee from them. Watch for the hares in the fields of
sky and earth. The hare remembers its long running. Its
motion is a dream and a song.

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 13: The Solitary Hare

He that is solitary understands the true meaning of life.

Though we are part of a greater whole yet we must be aware
first that we stand alone. We may mourn our lost ones, lost
loves and lost memorials, but we can draw strength too
from this path – for there are many things to remember
and to take joy in that act. The hare walks alone in a world
that has forgotten so much that it once knew well. The
Sidhe have remembered these things, and thus we remain
strong even though we are divided. What things have you
forgotten? What things do you remember? Consider these
as part of your daily pattern. Bring the best of these things
to the world that surrounds you – to those who are closest
and to those who walk without light.

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 14: The Truthful Hare

Truth is always hard to know – though most can tell if

they are being lied to. Many will gather around the truth-
tellers of any tribe, or people. So, when you come to us, you
listen and trust the words you hear even though you may
not always trust yourselves. Ask this now: who do I most
trust? Then ask: what is within me that I give my own trust
to? Do I know for sure if I tell truth or lie when I speak of
the deepest things? Truth comes not only from without,
but exists within you. It shows the way and guides your
steps so that you do not falter. Yet truth is hard to know,
and many to whom one thing is a truth, will seem a lie to
others. Seek to know the way between these places, and
do not seek too quickly to believe what others say. Look
to the wisdom within yourself, which knows truth from
falsehood by its own patterning.

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 15: The Lying Hare

Not all whom you encounter intend good towards

you. Even amongst us there are those who would harm
you. Watch, therefore, for those who utter falsehoods, use
the skill with which you were born to test the wider shores
of veracity. The Lying Hare runs in a track of falsehood,
drawing you away from the path upon which you were
determined. In your lifetime, when you reach a place of
decision, be wary of those who offer advice. Trust yourself
first, and follow the way that leads to a place of calm beneath
a peaceful sky. Look up at the fleeting clouds, or stand in
the magical power of the Moon. Listen well and choose
wisely which course you will follow from this day.

38
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 16: The Visionary Hare

All are born with the gift of vision, whether they

choose to open to it or not. Often only the white-beards are
believed when they speak of things that others cannot see.
But all possess this gift. Think back to times when you knew
what was true before it was spoken, or looked out upon
the world and saw dreams come into being. Remember
who and what you are. Break out of the confines of your
ordinary life and become your own visionary. When the
hare sits beneath the sun it feels much more than the rays
of warmth. You too may do this. Take into you the bright
threads of the Great Light and let the vision of your life,
of your intent, blossom within you. Ask: What warms me
most? What brings me to an understanding of all patterns?
Remember the visions that come from deep within, for they
may guide you if you allow them to.

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 17: The Night Hare

Some choose to live their lives in darkness. Others turn

to the light. We, who live beneath and beyond the earth,
see neither as do you. Yet we know of light and dark, we
come forth and gaze upon Moon and Sun. The light we
see is of neither, yet it warms us and inspires us each day.
The hare too knows both light and dark, day and night.
By day it runs, fights, eats and loves, always moving. By
night it emerges to run beneath the Moon, and to sit in
contemplation. What will you seek by night or day? How
does the light change what you perceive? As we gave you
the mystery of the moonlight oracle, so now we give you an
oracle of day. But each reflects the other, and by moonlight
the day may seem different. Choose well which light you
follow, and let its mighty power enchant you in every part
of your life.

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 18: The Dreaming Hare

In sleep and dream you will find many of the answers

you seek. Even if, as many of your kind do, you cannot
remember what you have been shown, know that its
wisdom is still present within you, and may yet break
through the window of your daylight world. The source of
these dreams is a mystery even we do not understand. We
envy you for we do not dream. Yet we see in all that you
do, you are changed by the patterns offered in this way. The
hare dreams deeply, following threads of life both inner
and outer. Before you sleep ask for dream wisdom. Even
though you remember nothing of it, yet you may still learn.
Watch the patterns of your days and remember that what
you see is only one aspect of your life.

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 19: The Laughing Hare

Laughter unfurls the deepest sorrows and changes

them forever. It heals and it changes and to ignore it is a
perilous act. It has been said that the Sidhe know nothing
of laughter. This is untrue. Laughter is joy to us – as is
sorrow. We see both as part of a true understanding of life.
Think, in this moment, when laughter last warmed your
soul. Think also when sorrow shadowed your path. How
are they different in truth? Do not both bring tears to the
eyes and change the very weight of the heart’s burden?
Wake now to the songs of enchantment, which are
both solemn and joyous.

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 20: The Solemn Hare

Solemnity may seem the opposite to laughter – but

who has not laughed at the solemn and beautiful world?
When shadows draw near, or fear overwhelms you – look
to the joyous solemnity of life. Look around you and learn
to see past the outer shell of danger and dark, remember
who you truly are, and celebrate, with solemn wonder, all
that you have done and will do. Follow the Fleeting Hare
as part of your soul’s journey. The song you sing within
you, even though you never hear a single note, continues.
The hare hears you, and laughs, sorrows and sings with
you, as do we.

We are the Sidhe.

We offer these words in joy and solemnity.

48
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 The Card Back

This image is a very ancient one – found throughout the

world from Britain to China, Iran to the Indian continent.
Three hares run in an endless circle, their eternal circuit a
perfect exemplar of the mystery of life, showing the path
meant to be followed by all creatures.

50
 HOW THE ORACLE WORKS

As with so much of what the Sidhe have taught, the

Oracle of the Fleeting Hare is extremely simple. It is based
upon the practice, known among the Celts, of capturing
a hare and then releasing it again, so as to observe its
path. This is very much in keeping with many other kinds
of natural divination – watching the flight of birds, the
patterns of light on water, shapes in the flames of a fire,
random objects noticed on a path one walks.
The method too is simple. Every card has a message
from the Sidhe, which can be read simply as an answer or
answers to questions, or in a broader sense as continuing
advice. These are intended as stand-alone messages,
but for those desiring to go deeper, a chart follows here
which suggests positions intended to qualify the basic
statements and allow an extended reading. The chart
shows eight positions – each one representing a door – a
metaphoric opening of the ways into deeper understanding
or awareness of what we seek. If you decide to work in
this way, it is suggested that once the cards are laid out –
in whatever configuration you decide to follow, you can
both read and combine the answers attached to each card,
or simply use them for a series of meditations, each one
taking you through a door into the realm of the Sidhe.

51
 Door of
Attainment

Door of Door of
Realization Ignorance

Figure 1:
Door of The layout for an Door of
Summer extended reading. Winter

Door of Door of
Separation Cleaving

Door of
Beginnings

52
 At the base of the diagram is The Door of Beginnings,
the place that represents where you stand at this moment,
and the intention of each reading begins. From this point
seven paths ray outwards, each one leading to a new
position. These are arranged in pairs and the method of
working with them is to ziz-zag, just a running hare will
do, from one side to the other. Some will choose to run to
the left, others to the right, according to their inclination.
Looking at the diagram we have, to the left:

1: The Door of Separations

2: The Door of Summer
3: The Door of Realizations

To the right are:

4: The Door of Cleaving

5: The Door of Winter
6: The Door of Ignorance

At the top, lining up with the Door of Beginnings, is

The Door of Attainment, marking the final outcome of the
reading and the place where you may stand.

The combination of card meanings with these positions

creates the Oracle.

Though it is perhaps unnecessary to underline the

exact meanings of these doors, which could be extended

53
to cover a vast number of possibilities, we includes here
some suggested indications which may assist the reader in
focusing the combination of message and position.

The Door of Separation may be seen to encompass:

Loss, division, isolation, lack. It may perhaps be summed
up by the question: What have you become separated
from?

The Door of Cleaving (an older word that means to

be part of, to cleave to, to share) could be seen to represent:
Restoration, merging, immersion, and engagement. It
may be summed up by the question: What do you need
to cleave to?

The Door of Summer is concerned with the bringing

of things to fruition. It may be seen to embrace: Delight,
ease, movement, progress, and outwardness. The question:
What needs to develop?

The Door of Winter This period may be equated with

many things. For many it is a time of stasis, but we might also
consider: Home, comfort, resources, deepening, stillness,
inwardness. The question: What needs to deepen?

The Door of Realization resonates with ideas of:

Knowledge, understanding, opening, welcoming. The
question posed: What will you welcome?

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 The Door of Ignorance is not just about being without
knowledge, but may include: Ignoring, misunderstanding,
closing, and refusing. The question posed is: What are you
refusing?

The numbers on the cards are there simply to enable

the reader to identify the cards. Rather than break up the
images by adding titles, we believe his works better. The
Sidhe also made it clear that there is no significance in the
ordering of the cards.

With these thoughts in mind, when you are ready to

begin – and having considered your question carefully in
order to phrase it as simply and directly as possible – shuffle
the deck and lay out eight cards face down, one on each of
the positions on the chart.

Turn over the first card on The Door of Beginnings.

This represents your enquiry. Take as long as you wish to
consider this, read the message in the book and see if this
reflects your question fairly. (If it does not you may wish to
consider re-selecting the cards – but only do this of you are
certain in your own mind that the selection is inaccurate)
Once you are satisfied that the key card properly represents
your question, turn over the next six cards, leaving the
final card on the Door of Attainment face down for the
moment. (Some readers like to turn this over at once. It
may give you the answer you need, in which case it is a
matter of personal choice whether you read the other cards.

55
Assuming you wish to continue with the broader reading,
proceed as follows.)

Turn over the remaining six cards and study them. See
what the images suggest before reading the message in the
book. The messages from the Sidhe offer suggestions and
questions that will help you define your situation and find
the answer you are seeking.

Follow the diagram from left-to-right in the following

sequence, making a ziz-zag between the card positions. This
emulates the wild dash of the Fleeting Hare. If you run to
the left the sequence will be:

The Door of Beginnings –> The Door of Separation

–> The Door of Cleaving –> The Door of Winter –>
The Door of Summer –> The Door of Ignorance –>
The Door of Realization.

If you run to the right the sequence is:

The Door of Cleaving –>The Door of Separation –>

The Door of Winter –> The Door of Summer –> The
Door of Ignorance –> The Door of Realization –> the
Door of Attainment

When you reach the final position, the messages

that accompany each card should bring you a balanced
response.

56
 Lastly, if you have not already done so, turn over the
final card. This is your answer – though it may be modified
by messages from the rest of the reading.

The above instructions are intended only as a

suggestion. In fact it was made clear to me that there is no
set order in which to read the cards – though it is clearly
obvious to begin with The Door of Beginnings and end
with The Door of Attainment. I have observed some
readers leaping directly from the opening card to the end,
and that they often received good and clear answers, but we
should not forget that the way a goal is achieved, the nature
and direction of the path taken, is every bit as important.
Working with a group of trial readers we found that
most like to read the facing cards, zigzagging between
them in the manner adopted by the hares, and which can
be seen to act as checks and balances in the reading, and
this we adopted for our final layout. However, it should
be understood that to see these as positive and negative
hinders a clear reading and is not in line with the teachings
of the Sidhe. You should see them as alternative paths to
follow, each offering different ways to reach your goal. You
can also choose to do directly around the circle, clockwise
or anti-clockwise, missing out the Door of Attainment
until the end. The origin of the Oracle, which is based on
observing the path of the Fleeting Hare, is all part of this.
There is a degree of randomness in the way the cards fall
that reflects the randomness of life itself.
The most important instruction I received from the

57
Sidhe was that studying the images on the cards to see what
they bring to mind is as important as laying them out in the
pattern. The messages prompt questions of us, designed to
help us understand our own situation. For example, you
might ask about a situation that appears to be stagnant.
If you drew the Hare of the Stream, the imagery and the
message are about movement, encouraging you to seek
ways to recognize what is holding you back. This may offer
an answer on its own, and if you require a deeper reading
you can continue with a fuller reading as described ab

58
 SAMPLE READING

The following is a sample reading from one of the

test readers who put the cards through their paces prior to
publication. It shows how the system works in the context
of one person’s question and response.

Joan, at 26, was feeling stuck in her life, particularly

with regard to her creativity and personal relationships.
She had recently undergone a painful breakup and spent,
in her own words ‘a lot of time staring at the wall’. The
reading she received from the Oracle of the Fleeting Hare
was as follows:

For the Door of Beginnings Joan drew The Visionary

Hare. The message here was all about accepting the visions
that come to us, whether in dream or outer reality. She
felt this perfectly represented her sense of awareness,
which was active but subdued, like an engine not firing
properly.

She then looked to the second card, on the Door of

Separation. Here sat The Solemn Hare. This spoke to her of
her own sense of sadness at recent events in her life, her
inability to laugh or sing or be joyful. This she felt was a
cause of separation from her own life.

Zigging across to the other side of the chart she found

herself on the Door of Cleaving where awaited the Hare

59
of Summer. The warmth and generosity of friends whom
she had tended to push way were, she felt, represented
here. To offset her sense of sadness she needed to rejoin
the world.

Zagging back to the next card, and the Door of

Summer, she found The Mothering Hare. Joan felt deeply
moved by this. Her own mother had been harsh towards
her and she knew that she had missed the central core of
compassion and motherly love. The message spoke to her
of a need to move beyond this. She directed children of
her own and was determined that she would transcend
the difficult memories of her own mother.

From here, crossing to The Door of Winter there

she found The Lying Hare. Winter was her least favourite
season, and she often felt trapped as if frozen into ice at
this time. This made her vulnerable and open to the lies of
a friend who turned out not to be one, had brought about
the breakup of her relationship. She felt that the image
here reflected herself and that, knowing this clearly, she
could hold out against the coldness in her life. The part of
the message that spoke of the way foreward leading to a
place of calm, brought comfort to her

Next she crossed to the Door of Realization and found

The Hare in the Stream. This brought her yet further comfort
as she thought of her own need to flow past the more
difficult days of her life and to seek new possibilities. There

60
was something very joyful in seeing the hare racing though
the water and causing spray to fly on each side that made
Joan really smile, as she had not done for some time.

Now she turned to the Door of Ignorance and saw

waiting for her The Dreaming Hare. This told her that she
needed to listen more closely to her own dreams, and even
when they were unclear, or when she failed to remember
them, she idea of looking around her for signs in her life
was satisfying. That the failure to attach importance to
these signs could lead to a sense of ignorance seemed
familiar to her, and she promised to pay more attention to
her dream life.

At this point she turned over the last card, which had
remained face down thought the reading, on the Door of
Attainment. There she found The Hare of Spring, which
spoke to her of new beginnings, a fresh start and a growing
sense of new energy. The idea of touching the earth and
feeling the life pulsating there spoke deeply to Joan, who
though she had no garden of her own, loved to spend time
in the country. A talented artist, she loved nothing more
than painting outside – though since the breakup she had
not felt moved to do so. This, she felt, was absolutely the
best outcome of the reading, and left happy in the wisdom
of the Fleeting Hares.

We heard from her some months later that she was

in a new and happy relationship, seriously considering

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marriage and a family, and feeling her long repressed
creativity being fed at last.

******************************************************

Another reader, Ken, who at 59 had recently lost

his job, wanted to choose a single card in answer to his
question: How will I get another job?

The card he drew was The Hare of Autumn, whose

message is as follows:

Time burns in the blood in the Autumn season. What endings

do you seek? What space does such a departure leave behind? How
will you fill it? This is a time to look anew at things that you
have begun and things that have ended. What truly moves you
forward or keeps you from transiting between the seasons? The
Fleeting Hare knows your thoughts and deepest longings. In the
mirror of his eye is the knowledge of your time.

The answer struck a deep chord in Ken. He could look

both backward and foreward and felt that he had much
still to offer in a world that chose the young over the elder.
He remembered his particular skills and felt re-energized.
Fired by the response he went in search of a new job and
though a mix of determination and charm found one within
the next month. He wrote to us to say that the new job was
actually better the old one, and that though he was only at
the beginning of his own autumn years, thanked the Hares

62
and the Sidhe for reminding him of all that he still had to
offer and for giving him the resources to go foreward with
his life.

63
 MORE WORDS FROM THE SIDHE

As Wil and I worked together to complete the

sequence of the Oracle, I frequently felt the presence of my
communicators. Often this was simply a sense of agreement
with the images (memorably when Wil decided to include
what we came to know as ‘Clan Markings’ on each hare.
This was welcomed with delight by the Sidhe.) At times I
would ask about the inclusion of different elements in the
design, particularly the card back, which reflected a very
old image of three hares running in what seemed an endless
circle. The Sidhe themselves had guided me to discover this
and when I indicated that we felt we should include it on
the back of each card, the response was immediate:

This is well chosen and holds an important wisdom. Many

of your race believe they are running thus in an endless circle –
yet endlessly seek to break way. What you fail to understand is
that there are more dimensions than you see at first - a rising and
sinking spiral that adds new levels to the path you follow. If you
will but believe that you may rise above or sink below (though
truly there is no up or down in the inner worlds where we walk
together – nor should you feel that going below is a negative act),
and from there observe new directions and possibilities, without
breaking the pattern of the circle, you will go far. Circles are sacred
always and tell us of the all-encompassing cosmos in which we
live, but it is not a trap. You may learn new possibilities at any
time and with such realizations comes a deeper understanding
of your path.

64
 My interest was piqued by this and I sought to bring
the topic back to one that had been touched upon several
times in the work with the Sidhe – that of our human
ability to find both positive and negative aspects within
everything. I had felt before that the Sidhe did not agree
with this concept, so I sought for further clarification.
I sensed impatience at once and asked if they would
take a moment to answer. My communicant’s answer was,
in the end, not what I had expected.

Darkness and light exist in all things. They are present

within us, as they are within you. For us, it is in the blending of
these things that we find rest. You, who see everything as ranged
against itself, the conflict is deeper. It is a part of your nature that
we find least easy to accept – yet we see it within ourselves and
therefore do not condemn it. Surely you must see that all things
seek harmony, though they do not always find it? The cosmos
itself was born in a struggle of elemental powers, and our oldest
wisdom tells us that we too were born from that, as were you. It
is one of the links that make us able to share our paths. Yet still,
more of your kind seeks to expound this as a natural way – the
way of war and destruction. This must one day end, and if all
survive we may yet walk the ways between the worlds together,
as companions and allies in the search for truth.

On another occasion, looking at the Hares of Spring,

Summer, Autumn and Winter, I noted the emphasis on the
seasons in the card images. My contact responded thus:

65
 The seasons are more than a guide to the shaping of the
year – though they carry that truth also. For us, they have always
marked times when it is wise to begin, or to end, a process. Thus,
when you are seeking to begin a new determination, spring is a
good time to do this. When a course has reached its end – naturally
rather than by you own decision – autumn is often the most
fitting time. These may seem obvious to you, but such things keep
their value when most frequently celebrated. The hares, also, are
guided by the seasons, as when they play their mating rituals
or dance to challenge others, or seek to protect their young. We
too, and your tribes also, are sensitive to these times – though
increasingly less amongst you admit this, or acknowledge it. The
shape of the seasons is in all the images we sent to you, as they
are present within you. It is a wise thing to acknowledge and
respond to them.

66
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ARTIST

JOHN MATTHEWS has

been a full time writer since
1980 and has produced over
100 books on myth, faery,
the Arthurian Legends and
Grail Studies, as well as short
stories, a volume of poetry and
several successful children’s
books. He has devoted much
of the past forty years to the
study of Arthurian Traditions
and myth in general.
His best known and most
widely read works are ‘Pirates’ (Carlton/ Athenaeum), No 1
book on the New York Times Review best-seller list for 22
weeks in 2006, ‘The Grail, Quest for Eternal Life’ (Thames
& Hudson, 1981) ‘The Winter Solstice’ (Quest Books, 1999)
which won the Benjamin Franklin Award for that year,
and ‘The Wildwood Tarot’ (with Mark Ryan). His book
‘Celtic Warrior Chiefs’ was a New York Public Library
recommended title for young people, and the more recent
‘Arthur of Albion’ won a Gold Medal from NAPPA, a gold
Moonbeams award and a BIB Golden Apple Award.
John has been involved in a number of media
projects, as an advisor and contributor, including the Jerry
Bruckheimer film ‘King Arthur’, and has made appearances
on both History Channel and Discovery Channel specials

67
on Arthur and the Holy Grail. He shared a BAFTA award
for his work on the Educational DVD made to accompany
the King Arthur movie. He recently sold his first movie
script and is currently developing several others under
the banner of his own company, Mythwood Films, formed
with Wil Kinghan in 2009.
He lives in Oxford with his wife, the writer
Caitlin Matthews, and two literary cats: Willow and
Scaramouche.

68
 WIL KINGHAN is
an artist, screenwriter, and
explorer of the native Celtic
traditions. Born in Ireland
he studied Archeology at
University College Dublin
and Environmental Design
at NCAD in the 1980’s before
working in advertising and
commercial television as an
Art Director.
In 2008 he formed a Production Company, Mythwood
Films, in Oxford with established author John Matthews
and in 2007 they completed their first joint screenplay,
‘Men are Perfect’.
Wil has provided many illustrations for advertising,
magazine covers, movie posters and TV development
in his career in advertising and communications and as
a freelance artist has published many works with John
Matthews including The Shaman’s Oracle (2008); The
Steampunk Tarot (2010) and recently, The Moon Oracle of the
Sidhe (2017).

He lives in Oxford with his wife Melanie and daughter

Anabelle, working as a freelance digital artist and director
of Mythwood Films, working on documentaries and
exploring VR technology for film-making.

69
Other Books and Oracles by John Matthews
(many with Caitlín Matthews,
some with art by Wil Kinghan)

Arthur of Albion
Arthurian Magic (with Caitlín Matthews & Virginia
Chandler)
The Arthurian Tradition
Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero. (With
Caitlín)
The Grail Tradition
King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld (with
Caitlín)
Merlin: Shaman, Prophet, Magician
Sir Gawain, Knight of the Goddess.
Taliesin: the Last Celtic Shaman
The Celtic Shaman
The Celtic Shaman’s Pack (with Chesca Potter)
Celtic Totem Animals
Jack & the Wizard
Sword of Ice & Fire
The Byzantine Tarot (with Cilla Conway)
The Camelot Oracle (With Will Worthington)
The Cathar Tarot (with Wil)
The Complete Arthurian Tarot (with Caitlín & Miranda
Gray)
The Lost Tarot of Nostradamus. (With Wil)
The Moon Oracle of the Sidhe (with Wil Kinghan)
The Shaman’s Oracle

70
 Wild Magic (with Mark Ryan).
The Wildwood Tarot (with Mark Ryan)
The Mystery of Spring Heeled Jack.
Robin Hood: Green Lord of the Wildwood
The Secret Lore of London (with Caroline Wise)
The Sidhe: Wisdom From the Celtic Otherworld.
A Constant Search for Wisdom
Walkers Between Worlds: History of the Western
Esoteric Tradition (with Caitlín)

For further information, including courses offered by

John & Caitlín Matthews, visit www.Hallowquest.org.uk

71
 About the Publisher

Lorian Press LLC is a private, for profit business which

publishes works approved by the Lorian Association.
Current titles can be found on the Lorian website www.
lorianpress.com. Email lorianpress@msn.com.

The Lorian Association is a not-for-profit educational

organization. Its work is to help people bring the joy,
healing, and blessing of their personal spirituality into their
everyday lives. This spirituality unfolds out of their unique
lives and relationships to Spirit, by whatever name or in
whatever form that Spirit is recognized. The address is:

The Lorian Association

PO Box 1368
Issaquah, WA 98027

For more information, go to www.lorian.org

The Moon Oracle of the Sidhe has 20 unique cards

sized 3”X 4.5”. The card deck can be purchased through
the Lorian.org bookstore or retailers like Amazon.com.

72
 The Sidhe Oracle of the
THE SIDHE ORACLE

THE SIDHE ORACLE OF THE FLEETING HARE

Fleeting Hare is extremely
simple, as with so much of
what the Sidhe have taught.
OF THE FLEETING HARE
It is based upon the practice,
known among the Celts, of John Matthews
capturing a hare and then
art by Wil Kinghan
releasing it again, so as to
observe its path. This is
very much in keeping with
many other kinds of natural
divination – watching the
flight of birds, the patterns
of light on water, shapes in
the flames of a fire, random
objects noticed on a path one
walks.

This image of the card back is a very ancient one – found

throughout the world from Britain to China, Iran to the Indian
continent. Three hares run in an endless circle, their eternal circuit
a perfect exemplar of the mystery of life, showing the path meant
to be followed by all creatures.

JOHN MATTHEWS
Lorian Press LLC
Holland, Michigan
www.lorianpress.com