Hello, soul friends!
Today's review is covering a deck that caught my attention when I saw it in a Swap group. I found a few pictures online that endeared me to the artwork and animal-centric deck. I have a special place in my heart for animals (veterinary medicine background) and wanted to have a "fun" animal deck that I connected with.
I hope you enjoy my review of this interesting deck!
Druid Animal Oracle
I purchased this deck from Amazon on a whim, based on a few images that I saw in one of the Swap groups I am in on Facebook. Shhhh, don't tell my hubs. He will just keep being annoyed as I bug him to get me this or that deck. #treatyoself #amiright?
I loved the whimsical animal images right off the bat - especially the image on the box! I am usually captivated by the images of a deck first, so again - the artwork caught my attention. The animals are whimsical, well-executed, and you can almost see their personalities in the cards they grace.
Amazon's description is:
Bring the power of Ancient Druid wisdom into your life today.
You are holding a source of great power and influence -- the wisdom of the animal world drawn from the wellspring of ancient Celtic tradition. The Druids, like the Native Americans, revered animals as sacred guides, guardians and protectors. Today, the book and beautiful card set of The Druid Animal Oracle can bring healing and will help you draw strength from its intuitive knowledge. From the interpretations of the card spreads and the animal lore given, you will gain powerful insights into your life-situation and receive positive guidance for the future. Authors Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, who live in England, are Chief and Scribe of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, one of the largest international Druid groups.
About the author
Philip Carr-Gomm is Chief of the Order of Bards Orates and Druids. He is author of The Druid Way and The Elements of the Druid Tradition, and editor of The Book of Druidry and The Druid Renaissance. Philip studied with the Chief Druid, Philip Ross Nichols, from the age of fifteen. After taking a degree in psychology, he trained in psychosynthesis, psychotherapy for adults and play therapy for children.
My Personal Review
This 33-card deck is meant to be used as an Oracle deck - it is just themed with animals with a Druid significance and their stories with a brief synopsis of their animal behavior.
I was struck by the detailed artwork. The artist did a fantastic job of representing the animal's personalities.
The images are beautifully illustrated and vibrant. It's colorful. It's detailed. The book that accompanies the deck is interesting, but a bit bland. It does stand on its own as another resource in interpreting the cards. Any reader or enthusiast would love this deck, as it is very easy to use. Any Animal Communicator would love this deck as well.
The large thick white borders feels like an afterthought to the heavily detailed artwork and the artistic frame. It doesn't leave more room for the image. The card stock is thick and sturdy; smaller hands like mine may have a more difficult time shuffling, but the cards will withstand long term use, and constant shuffling. They are an awkward size. Much larger than other Tarot, or Oracle cards I have seen. But with the deck only having 33 cards, it is a lot easier to manage.
All in all, I found the unique illustrations to be the main reason I would pull this deck out vs other animal based decks in my current collection. The cards came in a large box that also fits the guidebook.
The size of the cards is like a larger size than I am used to and the overall product dimensions: 4.5 x 1 x 6 inches and Connections Publications is who publishes the deck.
The card stock is thick, slight gloss, and allows you get a nice bend without cracking or flaking of the card stock. They don't bend too much, or hold the bend. This card stock photographs beautifully in natural light. They also shuffle well without sticking.
The backs are reversible, and as detailed as the fronts of the cards. A lot of thought went into this being a beautiful and artistic interpretation of animal totem cards.
The guidebook is lacking in interpretations and stories on the animals that grace the cards. But I enjoyed the way the author connected the animal to certain lessons.
My overall opinion is that this deck is a 2.5 star choice.
Artwork - 5 stars
Card stock - 3 stars
Ease - 1 stars
Guidebook - 1 stars
I hope that you enjoyed my deck review, and also enjoy other deck reviews that I add to this site. I have a passion for exploring new decks and also finding various ways of connecting to my intuition. I appreciate you checking out my site and taking the time to read my review.
Happy Reading!
