Spirit Animal Oracle

Straight up, the Spirit Animal Oracle is a beautiful deck. The backgrounds are just as stunning as the rendering of the animals. But I do have to admit that I am not a fan of the animals wearing crowns. I can’t derive any purpose for the Owl Spirit’s gaudy gold crown. For me, it doesn’t link to the message of seeing more clearly in any way. The same applies to the parrot. How a crown links to the message to “Watch your words” is beyond me. And, Grasshopper and Wombat just grate on me to be honest. Strangely, the Lion – aka the King of Beasts – is not wearing a crown. Maybe she was attempting to shake up our perceptions and my impressions will change over time. Maybe not.

But let me say again, that overall this is a stunning deck. The card backs are artworks in their own right.

The Spirit Animal Oracle Cards

The Spirit Animal Oracle deck consists of 68 cards that come in a sturdy cardboard box with a magnetic closure. The detail in each card is wonderful. The more you look, the more you see. This is something I look for in all my decks. It says, “Take your time, look deeper, don’t assume” and I like that. Even as an intuitive reader, the intellect can run roughshod. Porcupine Spirit’s message, “Time for beginner mind” is such a positive message. Remember to keep looking at things with fresh eyes. Knowledge is a gift and I would never claim otherwise but we can always benefit from revisiting any situation/thing/event with an open mind and the intention of seeking new perspectives.

The card stock is thick and waxy feeling, yet still relatively easy to shuffle. However, it’s a clunky deck to handle overall. Sorting through my cards recently was a slow process because the cards don’t just slide through your hands. Whilst thick cards may feel more durable, I don’t find them as pleasant to work with. As far as the cards themselves, each card is numbered and incorporates both the card name and a very brief summary of the overall meaning. For example, card number 67, Wolf Spirit’s message is “Turn knowledge into wisdom.” Turtle Spirit reads, “Slow and steady wins the race.” I like that the messages are not wordy. I prefer the illustrations to dominate the card, especially when the artwork is this beautiful. I also love that these cards are borderless, so no trimming required. Always a plus in my eyes.

The Book – Guidebook The Spirit Animal Oracle

The guidebook for The Spirit Animal Oracle is the same size as the cards. But, don’t be mistaken into thinking that it doesn’t contain much information. It has a solid introduction, information on how to work with the deck, a few spreads (one card, two card, two versions of a three card spread, and a seven card new moon spread,) and a comprehensive explanation of the cards.

Each card has both an oracle message and a protection message. The oracle message is suggested for upright cards while the protection message is for reversed cards. I personally don’t work with reversals but for those of us that don’t, I feel the protection message is still relevant. I believe considering both aspects is valuable.

One more slight beef I have with the deck, isn’t anything to do with the deck itself. It is the fact that I had to go all the way to the back of the book to find information, albeit very brief, on the artist. The artist, Jena DellaGrottaglia, is mentioned on the back cover of the Guidebook and the box itself for her cover art, and in the copyright section for her ‘interior illustrations’ but for the main part this deck is very much attributed to the author Colette Baron-Reid. I know this is quite typical but that doesn’t make it right. As a writer, a tarot and oracle card reader, collector and enthusiast who is attracted to decks for their artwork not their books, and as someone in awe of people’s artistic talent, I feel the artists should be given more recognition. But that’s possibly just me.