Customer Reviews

The Druid Plant Oracle

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was very excited when I heard that this deck was coming out. I was so anxious to get it, that I nearly couldn't wait for the US release and was going to order from Amazon.uk. Now I'm glad that I waited for the US release and saved at least a little money (now if I could just *unbuy* it altogether).

This deck and book set are by the same authors and artist that produced Druid Animal Oracle and The Druidcraft Tarot. The book is softcover and printed in an attractive green font. The cards are the same size as those from The DAO and have the same pattern of a mirror image Awen on the back, the only difference being that the backs are green in this deck. They also have the same border as the DAO cards have.

The following plants are featured:

Agrimony, Betony, Borage, Bramble, Burdock, Celtic Bean, Chamomile, Clover, Comfrey, Cuckoo Pint, Fern, Fir Club Moss, Flax, Garlic, Heather, Ivy, Juniper, Lady's Mantle, Madder, Mandrake, Meadowsweet, Mint, Mistletoe, Mugwort, Nettle, Plantain, Poppy, Primrose, Puffball, Vervain, Wheat, Woad, Yarrow, The Banes (Wolfsbane, Hemlock, and Henbane), The Guardians (Birch, Elder, Hawthorn surrounding a pool in which Water Pimpernel grows), and The Restorers (Roseroot, Valerian, and St. John's Wort).

The authors chose the herbs they did, "...by drawing on information from five sources: the relatively new science of archaeobotany, the information given in the old herbals that were written at the time of the Ancient Druids, accounts of the practices of later herbalists; the clues left to us in the old Irish and Welsh legends and in folklore; and the findings of botanical pharmacology. To create The Druid Plant Oracle, we have taken the approach that if many or all of these sources support the suggestion that a particular plant was used in Ireland, Britain, or Brittany at the time of the Ancient Druids..." (pg. 7)

The Druid Animal Oracle is the first deck I ever purchased and used. I have had it now for 12 years and I love it as much as I did when I first got it. Many other decks have come and gone in my life, but it is the only one I have kept after all these years. True, I don't much care for the original hardback book that came with it, but I really love the art on the cards themselves. (Imo, the little booklet that comes with the deck only set is an improvement over the original hardback in the area of divinitory meanings. See: Druid Animal Oracle Deck.) The artistry is nothing short of inspired in The Druid Animal Oracle.

Given my appreciation for The DAO, I had very high expectations for this new set. Unfortunately, the art in the new deck only marginally resembles that in the DAO deck. At first, I thought this was a shocking example of poor printing. However, upon further examination of this deck, I realized that Will Worthington's style has definitely changed. The art in this deck much more closely resembles his work from The Druidcraft Tarot, which I personally did not care for at all. I want to make clear that it's not that the art in this deck is not good. On the contrary, Mr. Worthington is clearly a highly skilled and inspired artist. However, if you are expecting these cards to be in the same style as those in The DAO, as I was, then you will be very surprised and possibly dismayed at how different they are.

Much of what I find objectionable about this deck, however, can be directly traced to the poor quality printing. It appears to me that the colors have been rendered incorrectly. Many colors are just too saturated, giving them a garishness that detracts from the overall presentation. One of the biggest issues I have is with image clarity. In The DAO there was such wonderful sharpness and detail in the imagery. Not so with The DPO. Everything looks a little too diffuse. This deck has the same border as The DAO so it is easy to compare the printing and color quality on these. The DPO borders are duller and blurrier. Also, the back of the cards have been printed such that they have an odd grainy texture, as opposed to the smooth texture of The DAO cards. I think it is highly possible that if these had gone to a higher quality printer, then much of what displeases me about this deck could have been completely avoided.

The book:

I actually think that the authors did a better job in this book than in The DAO book. First, each herb has a very informative natural history discussion. Then, where the DAO book featured very small oracular discussions, this book has greatly expanded on this section. Finally, each herb has an expanded section featuring mythological references, often including medicinal and cultural uses, and more natural history. The authors did a good job of research and their methodology for choosing which herbs to include appears sound. Although, I think that there are some glaring omissions, for example: oats, barley, apples, kale, bilberry, leek, willow, and seaweed! Surely such essential and important plants could have been included in lieu of some of the others. I understand they had to limit the entries, but all of the above would have featured very prominently in even the most ordinary person's life in ancient "Druid" lands.

Another thing that really bothers me about this deck is that I can not find anywhere inside the book a mention of its having been printed on any percentage of recycled paper or with soy/environmentally friendly ink. Surely both of these are relevant factors in the creation of a book by and for Nature loving neo-Druids? Disconcerting...

Overall, I am very disappointed with this deck. I am displeased with the art and underwhelmed by the plant choices. There are many pictures in this deck that could have been quite beautiful, if only they had been rendered more expertly by the printing process.

I don't really feel like I gained anything from this deck. For anyone who might come to this deck out of regard for The Druid Animal Oracle, I strongly suggest getting a look at the cards before you buy it. Anyone wanting it for the information on "Celtic Plants", or similar, could do much better by purchasing The Healing Power of Celtic Plants: Their History, Their Use, and the Scientific Evidence That They Work, or Healing Threads: Traditional Medicines of the Highlands And Islands, or The Scots Herbal. Both Healing Threads and Celtic Plants are listed in the bibliography for The Druid Plant Oracle.

In summation I wanted to LOVE this work, but I don't. At best I feel indifferent towards it, at worst, I feel let down and a bit duped. Perhaps I am being overly critical-I am a bit of a perfectionist. But, at the very least, check this set out thoroughly before you purchase it.

Best wishes.

***Update 11/05/08***

Please see my response to Mr. Carr-Gomm's "review" posted in the comment section of said "review."

I am an herb gardener, tarot enthusiast, Irish decent, lover of all things Celtic, practical mystic, watercolor artist, business woman, part-time astrologer. I think the paintings are beautiful. Herbs connect the earthly to the etherial and this deck makes that connection beautifully. I just recently got them and so far have only tried the pentagram spread and the reading was right on target. I can't wait to try other spreads. And to the reviewer that was so disappointed - I definately did not see what you saw. To each their own. I'm glad I bought them in spite of having read that review. I also have the Druidcraft Tarot Deck and it is my favorite regular tarot deck.

I anxiously awaited my copy of the Druid Plant Oracle, being both Druid and having an affinity for herbs and I was quite pleased. This set called to me as no other, though I've worked with the Animal Oracle and other sets before. And, I cannot say I was displeased with the art, the book, or the overall presentation in any way. My only disappointment, and it is truly one of personal preferences, is the choice to include and/or omit certain plants from the set. However, as Carr-Gomm pointed out, you cannot please everyone in every way. So, I shall make my own additional cards for my set to include those plants I feel should not have been omitted.

Overall, a great set...

I really love this deck. However my review is being written from the perspective of someone who grows/uses dye plants, gardens, etc as opposed to an experienced reader. So take my impressions with the proverbial grain of salt...

My copy arrived in perfect shape so hopefully the printing problems mentioned by other reviewers have been resolved. Good bibliography and references. Plants are listed with common name, Gaelic and botanical names - also a good reference.

The images are absolutely gorgeous and all elements seem really well thought out. This was the aspect that initially stopped me in my tracks.

The explanation of how to do a reading seems clear and straightforward. But because of my inexperience as a reader I'm not sure I can evaluate this aspect adequately. I have my own relationships with most of the plants in the book - a few are growing outside as I write this - so I'm still in the process of merging all that with the meanings provided.

If there is an herbalist or dyer in your life this would be an great gift.

Hello!
I co-authored the Druid Plant Oracle and just want to take this opportunity to say that if you find a problem with the printing in the cards or book, send an email to office@druidry.org and we'll make sure this is corrected for you. We've had very few comments about poor printing and it's unfortunate that two reviewers here have had problems, but rest assured any defective material will be replaced free of charge. Do not be put off by this! The vast majority of sets are beautifully produced and printed!
And while Starfire didn't like the Druid Animal Oracle book 24 reviewers of it on Amazon loved it! You can't please all of the people all of the time!

This card deck began my foray into herbalism, its a great place to get started if you like the idea of working with herbs but don't know a lot about them. That's my perspective at least.

I have to say that I am picky, and I love the artwork, there is a lot of painstaking detail, a LOT of time was spent making these cards and they are beautifully printed. Anyone saying otherwise must have had an older version of the cards because these are fantastic.

The book that comes with it is great---well written so that each card is explained in such a way as to impart you with a feeling to associate with each of the cards in addition to clear keywords for both upright and reversed. These make sense because many herbs aren't good for you in high quantities, which is a metaphor for how things in life are, isn't it?

The book is actually readable, it is not dry like pretty much every tiny book that comes with a card set. Combined with some personal research into medicinal (and magickal if you like) this is a great way to learn herbs as you draw them or read through the book.

Do not expect this set to teach you about making herbal remedies. There is some information as to medicinal and magickal uses but it is not the focus of this tool. This is a divination tool. Accept that if you want to be an herbalist, you will need other references. But this is a GREAT way to start and to learn about herbs you might want to find more about.

Wonderful deck, with dream inspiring artwork, and detailed plant descriptions. I find myself gazing at them for long periods, just because. And I eagerly await Will Worthington selling large scale prints of his work, with several from this deck specifically.
When the Druid Plant Oracle arrived, it had a double print of 1 card, and was missing another. I contacted OBOD on this, and they sent me my missing card very quickly, no problems at all. They where friendly and helpful. Very gratifying, and easier then sending the whole package back to Amazon for one card.
I do wish the deck was bigger than 36 cards. It would have been even better with more cards to look at and more pages to read. Its not that I find this deck lacking, in that way. Rather, it's that I want more information and artwork. I would have thought that trees would be more common here, for example. I found, personally, that this oracle works better for me then the much praised Druid Animal Oracle.
The deck is large size, giving the art room to show off. If one is not used to that, it could be difficult. The card stock itself is a bit thin, but it is holding up wonderfully so far.
I would absolutely recommend this oracle to anyone that loves plants, herbs, nature, oracles, and Druidry.

The card art is beautiful and up to the same standard as the Druid Animal Oracle art. The book is helpful, giving not only botanical details but a thoughtful and helpful interpretation of the card and suggested ways to read it, as well as further folklore or historical information. Lovely deck; very nice also in combination with the animal oracle. Cards are rather large but this makes the pictures easier to look at. I have small hands so shuffling just takes a bit more doing. The larger pictures are worth it.

Another beautiful deck. the paintings are very well done. so much imagery and the book really adds into the insight that you find even without going to the book first.

have used this deck doing readings many times. it is a great deck. If you have the druid animal tarot, then this one will build on to that one.

While this deck is pretty and a decent introduction to working with plants as totems, I just didn't connect with it. Having been a devout student of modern Druidry for some time, as well as neoshaman and plant spiritualist, my approach to such has been largely guided by personal relationships to the plants, themselves. Trusting the Carr-Gomms' reliable track record on druidic research and modern application, I felt comfortable making this investment. As with all of their work piecing together a reasonably cohesive path through Druidry, the sources for their information on plants is from varied sources, some of which are indeed lore and legend. I appreciate their ability to state that the sources are a bit fuzzy as they relate directly to Druidry, instead of stating presumption as fact. That said, having spent a fair amount of time with horticulturists and botanists, the presentation of the scientific data on the plants presented is fairly thorough and sound, if not informative. It is imperative to distinguish that while medicinal use of the presented herbs is covered, that is not the intent of the material.

One thing that is evident in the feel of this deck is the inclusion of the Divine Feminine and that nurturing comfort of the plant world. However, in the writing, itself, Her voice doesn't come through. From a divinatory tool observation, the deck includes the usual features of plant name and meaning, along with reversed meaning and lore--not limited to druidic sources. Despite the inclusion of thirty-six plants, all valiant efforts, the insatiable plant enthusiast in me wanted more. Three blank cards are included for use as an "Unknown" response to inquiries or to create personal plant symbols. I would have rather seen more effort put into the perfection of the existing cards. Imperfections in the production of the deck, itself, yields uneven coloring of the card backs--some are a vibrant green and some are a forest green-- and some blurry artwork. Generally speaking, the artwork is nice, with each card including the focus plant and symbolic backdrop. Suggestions for spreads are for the most part stock, though The Airmid's Cloak Spread resonated with me, given its chakra correspondences and their connections to plants.

While some of the information included in this book and deck doesn't have the "official Druid" stamp, regarding authenticity and bonafide use, the scholarly method of culling the available information and honoring it on the mundane and spiritual levels to some helpful end is decidedly Druidic. It is a good starting place for beginners working with plants as spirit teachers, though I think seasoned animists will crave more depth. I hope the level of detail given to the research of this deck will yield future additions to it.