Cilla Conway

The Multi-Dimensional Devas

This is the second part of the Devas of Creation and, naturally enough, I’m constantly asked about the difference between the two Deva decks.

Well, both look into the fundamental structure of the universe (although this is more poetic than factual or scientific). The Devas of Creation suggested how the universe might be constructed, from the pre-creation void to creation itself, and down through the various energy levels. The MultiDimensional Devas look at the same universe from the perspective of the eleven dimensions of Conscious Creation.

There are fewer cards but more ‘sections’ in this deck than the Devas of Creation. We begin with the single one-dimensional point of the First Dimension and the length and breadth of the second, to the unimaginable complexity of the eleventh, which the deck calls Cosmic Consciousness. I’ve then included the sublime energies of the Angelics and Devas, powerful archetypes such as Light and Dark; Deep Magic, Synchronicity. Moving into what we might see as the more ‘human’ aspects of divine energy, we find ourselves in Silence, Manifestation, The Way and Trust. We also look into Perception … a myriad of dimensions in its own right.

Encounters with physicalilty (Firmament, Devas of Nature and Life Force), bring us to Dawn, and Twilight. Twilight was a portal that, when I first began this deck, I considered placing at its heart – a liminal space that opens up amazing vistas into unknown dimensions. However, in the end, I decided I was more interested to depict the dimensions that could be imagined, rather than something I would have to show in abstract form (if at all). So the next connection was to the Wisdom Keepers, who hold the key to the past – and the future.

This deck can be used as an oracle on its own; with the tarot; or amalgamated with the Devas of Creation. I have used them in any combination, and find them (like the original Devas) amazingly accurate and thought-provoking. They don’t mince words, and have sometimes forced me to deal with issues I’d really prefer not to face. However, as (like most of us) I profess to self-awareness, so the Devas’ unvarnished truths have been gifts that did not glister like gold … but were in fact real alchemic gold.

Like the Devas of Creation, the cards are 88 x 126cm, borderless, with no titles, though I have included a number in the lower right corner of each card. The intention is to encourage us all to use our intuition. The number refers to the book included in the box. (Although I had intended for people to intuit the meanings, it appeared that people wanted some form of reference, and as I refer to both books myself, I can hardly complain.)

Many people prefer to use tarot cards as opposed to oracles, but these days I will always use both Deva cards first, and then refer to the tarot for specific day-to-day events. But it is – as always – your own preference.

Moving down into the inner spaces of Authenticity and the Subconscious, we then encounter the Shadow energies that live within us all – Blocks, Remorse, greed; and a few more ways those destructive qualities have been damaging humanity and the earth.

The Collective Shadow (not shown) points out that all those shadow energies are now beginning to bring us face to face with our own destruction, if not the world’s. The Last Fish, the Last Tree, and the last Bee, may well be our future unless we find a way of healing the earth. These environmental cards caught me by surprise: before they arrived on the end of my paintbrush, I’d no idea that the situation was as parlous as the Devas pointed out. Miles of forest fires in northern and southern hemispheres; the polar ice caps melting, but of course the latest, and most dire warning from Earth has been the pandemic. And yet, there are still idiots talking about building an airport in Antarctica. Give me strength.

In the final cards, we are offered an alternative to our current paradigm – the ways to renew our humanity and our home – Global Healing, Dimension Shift, Dreaming the Future, and The Possible Human. The last card is a space we might seek out, wonder about, or run from: Through the Veil. This, for the courageous, is the subject of my next deck: The Book of the Dead Oracle.

This deck was published in 2021 by my publishing company (cc3 publications, London).