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Tarot of the Owls
At first glance the Tarot of the Owls may seem like a cutesy deck that focuses on being beautiful to look at rather than offering anything new. However, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. It may look light but it offers so much. Beneath its beauty is a solid tarot deck that I have come to discover is wonderful for shadow work. That definitely wasn’t what I expected when I first flicked through the cards. The deck might take you into a magical Owl Realm, but what you find in this mystical place is solid, practical and helpful. The Tarot of the Owls deck To discover that this…
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The Witch’s Familiar Runic Oracle
Introduction Three things drew me to The Witch’s Familiar Runic Oracle: I wanted to learn more about runes, I liked the concept of combining animal familiars with runes, and I liked working with The Unfolding Path Tarot which is also by Athene Noctua. These three things combined led to me pre-ordering the mass market edition as soon as I saw it listed. Unfortunately it arrived a week before my daughter’s wedding. So with all the last minute rushing around associated with that, I put The Witch’s Familiar Runic Oracle on the shelf and largely forgot about it until recently. Don’t get me wrong, I had flicked through it and on…
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Oracle of the Birds
I pre-ordered the Oracle of the Birds five months before its release date. So, yes, I was pretty keen for this deck. Why? Because I have a strong affinity with birds. I love watching them go about their day and I am fortunate enough to have abundant bird life around my house. As I’ve been sitting here preparing to write this I’ve seen a magpie, a rainbow lorikeet, a wattle bird and a noisy minor all in the area outside my office window. I see birds as messengers and so this deck provided the perfect combination. The Oracle of the Birds Cards Firstly, let me say that these cards are…
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Soul Cats Tarot
Introduction The Soul Cats Tarot is my fourth cat-based tarot deck. It sits alongside Grimalkin’s Curious Cats Tarot, Black Cats Tarot, and Mystical Cats Tarot. Yet it is in no way superfluous. Each have something to offer. Creator Leeza Robertson (Animal Totem Tarot, Mermaid Tarot, Cirque du Tarot), says of the Soul Cats Tarot, One of the main focuses of this deck is for the soul cats to teach you … that beauty, purpose and gifts have nothing to do with how you look, and that all shapes, sizes, colours and breeds are important. and I don’t believe it is possible to over share, or over state, that message. This…
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Grimalkin’s Curious Cats Tarot
Grimalkin’s Curious Cats Tarot is the latest creation by MJ Cullinane and one of the more recent additions to my collection. I am starting to think I have a bit of a cat obsession since I already had Soul Cats Tarot, Mystical Cats Tarot, and the Black Cats Tarot when I bought it. But, oh well. I would not part with any of them. When I was reading the opening to the accompanying book I found it strange to have a cat deck created by a self-declared dog person but I appreciate the honesty. As a writer, I also recognise a powerful hook when I read one. It made me…
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The Bohemian Animal Tarot
The Bohemian Animal Tarot is an 80 card tarot deck, similar in concept to The Tarot of Curious Creatures, as it is illustrated with figures that are part animal, part human. This deck, however, has a totally different feel. In part that is because the artwork is bright and colourful and wouldn’t be out of place illustrating a children’s book, but it is more than that. Scott Alexander King has written several books on animal symbolism and he combines his extensive knowledge in this area with mythology and archetypal energies. This is a fascinating deck to work with. The Bohemian Animal Tarot Cards Depending upon your personal approach to tarot,…
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The Tarot of Curious Creatures
The Tarot of Curious Creatures is creator, Chris-Anne’s, latest offering. In this deck she ‘welcome[s] [you] to the world of curious creatures, peculiar guides and unfamiliar familiars.’ I have to admit it took me a while to decide I wanted to enter this world. But, now that I have, I can’t see why I hesitated. It’s different and I like different. Although the meanings align with traditional RWS expectations, this deck has a unique way of communicating them. For those interested in pathworking this deck is well worth a look. The attached guidebook encourages you to adopt this practice. Although, somewhat unsurprisingly, it’s pathworking with a twist. The Tarot of…
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The Animal Wisdom Tarot
The Animal Wisdom Tarot is a symbolically-rich deck that seamlessly merges animal wisdom with traditional tarot. It provides new perspectives that encourages you to reclaim your power by stripping away anything that isn’t authentic. This deck is beautiful and gentle and affirming – yes, but it doesn’t let you off lightly. Its focus is very much on accountability. The message repeated throughout is to be aware of your thoughts and actions and the world around and inside you. The Animal Wisdom Tarot Cards Ola Liola’s stunning watercolour artwork is a delight to behold. The background scenes draw me into the cards effortlessly and they have so much to share. The…
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Animal Totem Tarot
How many animal-themed tarot decks do you need? I don’t know. But, since I have seventeen of them, none of which I’d consider parting with, I’d say keep them coming. As long as they have something to offer, why not? Obviously I love animal decks and the Animal Totem Tarot was a welcome addition to my collection. As the name suggests, and the book blurb confirms, this deck is aimed towards people keen to work with power animals and/or animal totems. However, I feel this deck is actually for anyone that loves animals; that loves the artwork; or for anyone keen to add an easy-to-work-with animal deck to their collection.…
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Black Cats Tarot
If you like cats and you’re happy for them to be anthropomorphised then there’s a good chance you’ll like the Black Cats Tarot. If like me, you really like black cats, then you’ll love it. This isn’t just a cutesy deck that should only be of interest to cat people though. Rather, it is a well-considered, accessible rendering of the tarot. It allows us to step outside of ourselves as we imagine how the cats pictured are likely to act and feel in the situations they find themselves in. For many this offers a much less confronting approach. We get to process the story as it applies to someone or…
