Customer Reviews

Druid Animal Oracle

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Somehow animals act as ideal symbols or images of our deepest fears and urges, or of those parts of our psyche which have been denied or repressed or simply neglected. By welcoming and loving the animals which enter our awareness through the Oracle, in dreams and meditations and reverie, we enrich our inner world and discover a way of personal growth that is completely in tune with the natural world." --the authors

The Druid Animal Oracle, created by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and illustrated by Bill Worthington, draws its wisdom from the ancient wellspring of Celtic tradition. The Druids, much like the Native Americans, revered animals as sacred guides and guardians. Featuring animals from both the Otherworld and this one, The Druid Animal Oracle provides healing power and intuitive knowledge from 33 sacred animals. This oracle does not encourage fatalism and prediction; rather, the powerful messages correct imbalances, provide advice on inner dynamics, and empower the querent to make--and create--more positive outcomes.

In addition to 33 colorful cards, The Druid Animal Oracle comes with 3 blank cards for personal creation, a 176-page illustrated hard cover book, and a gorgeous reading cloth measuring approximately 20" X 23". The navy blue cloth can be used for spreads, and features exquisite silver embossing which includes likenesses of the four elemental dragons in the Oracle.

The Guidebook that accompanies this deck provides both upright and reversed interpretations for each of the sacred animal cards, as well as the traditional lore of each--including the Gaelic name and pronunciation of the particular animal. Seven unique spreads are given in The Druid Animal Oracle, ranging from 1-9 cards.

When I test out Oracle or Tarot decks, I like to do so when there is really a difficult situation at hand. It's pretty easy to get a "fluff" reading when all is well, but if an Oracle can provide insight and healing during critical times, then it passes muster in my book.

I happened to test The Druid Animal Oracle during one of the most difficult times of my life. A month or so ago, I had excruciating back pain that prohibited me from walking or sitting. It got so bad, my husband had to call an ambulance for me. Three shots of Demerol, a muscle relaxant, and other anti-inflammatories provided me no relief. My husband had to take a week off work to take care of me, and it took several weeks before I was pain-free. At its worst moments, the pain was worse than childbirth.

Because the back of the box said that this Oracle could "bring healing and help you draw strength from its intuitive knowledge", I thought I'd see what wisdom it could offer me during this trying time.

I did the Spread of the Elements, which is a 5 card Spread featured in the book. This particular spread addresses the West/Emotional, East/Intellectual, North/Intuitive, and South/Sensual parts of the Self. I asked for Guidance about the source of the injury, as well as healing advice.

I received some amazingly profound wisdom that was spot-on accurate. Rather than being a superficial reading, there was deep wisdom offered that addressed both root and remedy in various areas of my life. A part of this wisdom, I feel, lies with the great care and enthusiasm with which the authors convey the messages of these sacred animals.

This is not a deck to use "for fun", in my opinion. You'll be given corrective insight when inquiring The Druid Animal Oracle--and you may not like what it says. But it will be accurate, I believe, and it will be empowering should you choose to apply its wisdom.

(To see 10 images from this deck, visit the Reviews section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

The Druid Animal Oracle was wonderful esthetically & spiritually. A Chiste Agus a Stór! Just beautiful. Another nice thing that Phillip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm do for the readers, is to put the names of the animals neatly in a guide that gives the Gaelic name & the Modern English name side by side. I was so enchanted by the cards & the book that i was flooded with a desire & the energy to memorize the cards & book completely before putting it down. I was deeply touched by it. I showed it to others & we all enjoyed it together. I recommend getting the book kit that includes the colour cards done by Bill with it, instead of just the B&W book alone.Also there were a few blank cards that you could put a creature on, in case one you want is not already included. I used one of mine for a Dolphin & one for a giant SeaTurtle.I would highly recommend this book & card set for yourself or for a precious gift for another.Moran Taing! Slán

I greatly enjoyed this book, from both a scholarly and a magical perspective. Philip Carr-Gomm, one of the formost authority on Druidism/Druidry today, uses knowledge of Celtic myth and superstition to create an oracular deck which is both beautiful and interesting. Besides having fascinating cards, the deck is very simple to use and should be of particular interest to anyone who has immersed themselves into the Celtic mindset (an essential tool to those of the Celtic Druid path). With proper attunement, the deck works very well and is streamlined to a very particular taste. The only thing keeping be from giving this work 5 stars is its lack of accompanying story. The imagery is beautiful, and the system precise, but I think that the explanation and readability of the book portion could use work.

I love these cards! As an animal oracle they bring clarity and inspire vision - the symbols within each image are subtle and lovely and I absolutely love reading with this deck. I'm not a huge fan of the cloth that comes with the deck and have never used the book, just the cards, but i've wrapped them in the cloth more for sentimentality sake than for a reading cloth. I highly recommend them!

I love this deck! I recently purchased it and I already know that I'm going to use them as much as I have used Jamie Sams' Medicine Cards. The Oracle cards are beautifully made. The pictures jump out at you and demand to be noticed.

The description of the animals and the lore behind them is insightful and thought provoking allowing you to interept the reading in depth.

I recommend this deck to anyone interested in animals and the Celtic culture. The Gaelic spelling and phonic pronunciation are an added bonus to an already beautifully mastered Oracle!!

This is easily the most beautiful card deck I have seen. As the authors say in their book, this system of divination is similar to the Native American "Medicine Wheel" cards, but for those of us with a background in or affinity to the ancient Celtic or European Shamanic/Druidic ways. If you love animals you will love this deck and book. The cards are beautifully colored and rich with symbolism, and the book is easy to read and full of information.

A note to people who love dragons: it is not evident from the box, but in addition to featuring natural animals like Cow, Stag, Salmon, etc. (and even Bee!), four dragons are featured, one for each of the four elements: Earth Dragon, Fire Dragon, etc. Also, the blue and silver cloth that comes with the set features these four dragons on its four corners. A nice bonus for those of us who are into dragons.

The beautiful cards are excellent for use in divination, and the spreads are simple and meaningful. In addition the authors discuss the animals as Totems and Guides and I have found the cards to also be good for meditation. There are three blank cards for you to add your own animals -- 36 cards in all. Well worth the price. If I could give this set 10 stars I would!

The meticulously researched cards in this set are visually stunning and an excellent tool for meditation. Unfortunately, the divination system accompanying the cards is suprisingly shallow. The cards alone make the D.A.O worth purchasing.

I have found this deck to be very helpful in trying to determine what you need to do to receive the outcome you want in a situation. The cards are beautifully done for each animal...allowing you to get a different *feeling* for each of them. The book is easy to follow. Not only does it give definitions, but it gives background information about what the animals ment TO the DRUIDS! I think understanding that increases your ability to connect to the cards. Also, I have a friend who was raised a Druid and he has told me that the material is fairly accurate! :) If you feel a strong connection to animals then this is the deck for you!

This is truly one of the ways to study druidry. The cards are beautiful and will take you on a journey all their own without even opening the book....but "The wisdom" that premeates the pages of the book is poetic, magical, beautiful. This deck is highly recommended.

I have enjoyed using the Druid Animal Oracle. It is the official deck put forth by OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids) which has Phillip Carr-Gomm at it's head. It comes with a nice cloth to wrap your cards in and use as a reading surface wherever you are. Each card has several different elements in the picture, all of which are explained in the section about the card. Overall, I give it a thumbs up