Customer Reviews

The Hawaiian Oracle: Animal Spirit Guides from the Land of Light (Book & Cards)

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

 

 

"Once we knew a great happiness that resonated all around us. We lived in brightness. We knew how to fly and loved our families, which included creatures of the air, land and sea, as well as our spirit families...That land some of us know as Lemuria, and it can be remembered through the magical Hawaiian language and the myths of her creatures." - From the companion book

With its warm beaches, palm trees, vibrant colors, and swaying native dancers, the enchanted land of Hawaii is one of the most visited travel destinations worldwide. Consisting of eight main islands formed by underwater volcanoes, Hawaii became the 50th state of the U.S. in 1959. Despite its popularity, Hawaii happens to be most isolated population center on Earth.

Hawaiian mysticism, known as Huna, is animated by flamboyant gods and goddesses--known as Akua--and many natives look to their aumakua for guidance. According to anthropologist and author Rima Morrell--who holds the world's only Ph.D. in Hawaiian shamanism--the Aumakua are spirits that provide guidance to humans and help us by taking on the body of an animal.

Dedicated to the magical spirit of the Land of Light, The Hawaiian Oracle kit includes a 144-page guidebook and 36 gorgeous divination cards illustrated by Steve Rawlings.. Providing both encouragement and warning, these animal spirit cards represent indigenous creatures that predate white settlers. For each Aumakua, Dr. Morrell presents the Hawaiian name, imagery, keywords, upright and reversed interpretations, complex mythology, and a message of illumination.

Some of the animals found in The Hawaiian Oracle include:

* Albatross
* Bat
* Caterpillar
* Crow
* Dog
* Dolphin
* Frigate Bird
* Green Turtle
* Hawaiian Monk Seal
* Humpback Whale
* Lizard
* Octopus
* Pearl Oyster
* Rat
* Sandpiper
* Spider

The oracle cards consist of beautiful photography, vibrant colors, and digitized enhancements celebrating the spirit of each animal. An easy to use index facilitates finding the card/s chosen for contemplation or divination.

Meticulously researched, The Hawaiian Oracle offers the ancient wisdom of Huna for answering contemporary dilemmas and fostering awareness for the connection of all beings, particularly humans and animals. If you're interested in Hawaiian shamanism and Polynesian mysticism, this tool will likely inform and illuminate.

On a personal note, I found it hard to relate to the text and oracular interpretations, but perhaps this is because I don't resonate with Huna as a spiritual path. However, The Hawaiian Oracle will no doubt delight those fascinated by the spiritual traditions and creatures permeating the enchanted islands of Hawaii.

Note: The information posted here on Amazon is incorrect. There is NO correlation with Tarot in this stand-alone oracle, nor is there a card-for-card comparison with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. There COULDN'T be, because this 36-card oracle has nothing to do with a standard Tarot deck.

(To see 10 images from The Hawaiian Oracle, visit the Reviews--Decks 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)

This is the first time an oracle depicting the animal spirit guides of Hawaii have been used in a spiritual guide: any with a special affection for Hawaii will thus find THE HAWAIIAN ORACLE: ANIMAL SPIRIT GUIDES FROM THE LAND OF LIGHT a unique presentation, pairing a 36-card divination deck with a 144-page guidebook. Hawaiian mythology is replete with gods and goddesses and animal life of the islands, so the cards and book are perfect for any who would infuse spirituality with the grace of aloha.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

"You were once there -- and there you are returning."

This is the feeling that lights inside me every time I pick up these beautiful cards or read an excerpt from the accompanying book. Each card is a shamanic journey unto itself, containing layers of color and mystery that are slowly revealed, as the great remembering takes place. This is the deck I was seeking and I am slowly, respectfully, getting to know the cards and their deep meanings. It is like re-acquainting myself with trusted old soul-friends.

My personal favorite and a permanent resident of my shamanic altar is Kohola, the humpback whale card. Kohola is about following the true song of your soul. Having journeyed with Kohola, I was delighted to find that what is given in the accompanying book matched my experience almost exactly; it takes great courage and belief in your divine path, to seek the ancient call that is Kohola. The rewards of this journey are infinitely worthwhile, and this Great and Honored One will be a vital part of the new book I am writing [untitled, as yet]. Kohola is of the deep, and of the old knowledge; the knowledge and wisdom of Huna that is filtering divine light into our consciousness at this pivotal time in our history.

The other resident of my shamanic altar is Kala, the surgeonfish. The gift of Kala is forgiveness. I had chosen this card when I received the deck as a gift for my birthday last March. This card talks about family ties and the conflicts that arise that must be forgiven. At that time, there were many conflicts within my birth family, so the oracle really hit the mark. The accuracy of this card and the advice given were divinely guided; my mom crossed over in April, bringing any and all conflicts within the family into a new light and new perspective. Forgiveness is the true path to harmony with All Our Relations and I keep this card on my altar as a reminder of this fact.

This deck continues to inspire me daily. As I meditate with each card, light filters through the vibrant colors used in the artwork, and a sense of wonderment is reawakened that I hadn't realized I have been missing for a very long time. Thank you, Dr. Morrell, for this rainbow.

Walk in Beauty
Louisa StrongBear, author of Journey By Night: A Solitary Journey
Journey By Night: A Solitary Journey

This is a relatively new deck to my tarot and oracle arsenal but it's a unique flavor and really does capture the spirit of Hawaii.

The booklet is set up nicely. There are the animals (some of which are listed by another reviewer), followed by the Challenge, The Way Through, and the Gift of the card, and then the subtitles of Imagery, Interpretations (for upright and reversed), the mythology and the illumination. Very thorough and poetic. You can simply read the interpretation if you don't wish to read the mythology and other info every time.

I generally don't pull more than a couple cards. The cards are potent and I find with oracle decks that a dab will do ya! They don't seem to function in quite the way that tarot cards do. You COULD use them in a larger spread but I prefer a smaller reading with these.

These cards are beautiful and original! The accompanying book gives card info as well as mythical background and stories on each. I did some readings for my friends and they were perfect!

I purchased these cards because they looked interesting. I did my homework on the authoress and she has done a great deal of study in ancient Hawaiian practices and customs, so I can hardly fault her for her academics. The cards themselves are beautifully done - and it is fun to read the aumakua prayer, pull a card, and then see what your Animal Spirit Guide is.

The animal explanations are based on the Hawaiian legends that tell about that particular animal card that you pulled - and those are pretty well written, too. I enjoyed the storytelling.

However, this particular author is obviously a Vegan, or at the very least, a Vegetarian, and it comes out in her card interpretations - like not eating fish, but letting them go on their merry, uneaten way (The Mullet Card), and I'm sorry, but as a Hawaiian, that is completely out of line and implausible. Hawaiians, though they revere the elements of nature and sing, dance, and chant their appreciation to the ocean for the food it provides and the majesty of the seascape - a Hawaiian that doesn't eat fish??? Really? It was a main staple of the ancient Hawaiians, as well as the current ones, me included... we thank the ocean and the fish for their lives that sustain us, but to think that we wouldn't eat them is ridiculous... are there Hawaiian-blooded Vegetarians? Sure, I bet you could find at least one, but between kalua pork and lomi salmon - I'm pretty sure they won't be a majority of the culture...

She also relates a whole belief system about a mythical land and how all of us were once a part of it and how all of us are trying to return... it has nothing to do with Hawaiian legend or culture - but appears to be her own belief system that she has integrated into her stories about Hawaiian gods and goddesses.

One of the things that has become an irritation among the elder kupuna I have emailed or spoken with (and who remember or were taught by their own elders - the traditional Huna of the old ways and old days)is this hi-jacking and adulteration of a true Hawaiian belief system that modern non-Hawaiians are flocking to in droves that results in some strange New Agey Huna-knock off where partakers think they will find their "Nirvana" in Hawaiian Paradise by holding crystals and reciting and chanting badly translated or purposely inaccurate Hawaiian prayers written by the unqualified Huna practioner, mostly in hopes of making money on the books and talismans... most of my family kupuna have advised me to look to those of Hawaiian blood and upbringing to learn about and understand true Hawaiian Huna.

But again, these cards are lovely and the legends are well researched. It's the non-Hawaiian aspects of this author's belief system that she tries to pass off as part of Hawaiian culture that I do not care for. There are truly fine things about the detailed artwork in this set of cards but there are also some really silly things about these cards as well. Just know that when you are using them, there is some Hawaiian fact, but lots of made up non-Hawaiian fiction as well.

This book came to me serendipitously, which would be in keeping with the message of Dr. Morrell about the power of the spirit world. When I opened the package containing what I thought was a book it also held a beautifully illustrated pack of cards. The book with illuminating interpretations explains the mythology behind the cards. My research for my historical novel, Wai-nani, included many of Dr. Morrell's sources such as Mary Pukui, well respected Hawaiian historian, and Martha Beckworth, authority on Hawaiian myth and lore. I was enchanted with the mystical images and artful creations of the Steve Rawlings. Drawn in completely by Dr. Morrell's mastery of the Hawaiian language and insights into the Hawaiian symbols, I found the book captivating. Yet, the premise that there was a time when the light of love ruled and that humans and animals shared the earth in absolute harmony is foreign to me. Much like tarot cards these images and explanations are prone to subjective analysis. Still, I enjoyed very much stumbling upon this lovely collection and will read my cards now and again just to see if I will land up in Kane Huna Moku, the Legendary Island of Paradise.

Linda Ballou