Animals Divine Tarot Paperback – August 8, 2005

The Animals Divine Tarot is an animal themed Tarot, beautifully illustrated by Lisa Hunt. This deck merges creatures, gods and goddesses related to the animal kingdom with the tarot tradition.Each card in this deck is numbered and labeled at the bottom, showing the name of the creature, god or goddesses at the top. A golden border surrounds the imagery on each card.The Major Arcana are numbered with roman numerals, but starting at 0 with The Fool. Deities related to the animal kingdom are used to represent these. I found all the correspondences right on, although it relies on your ability to recognize the deity depicted in relationship to the Major Arcana it represents. I liked them all, but these are my favorites:The Fool -- Coyote (Native American)The Hermit -- Cernunnos (Celtic)The World -- Gaia (Greek)In addition, some of the cards have been renamed:Wheel of Fortune -- The Wheel -- All AnimalsThe Hanged Man -- The Hanged Woman -- Spider Woman (Native American)The Devil -- Challenge -- Rhiannon (Welsh)The suits on the Minor Arcana (swords, wands, cups and pentacles) are represented by a group of animals related to the corresponding element (air, fire, water and earth). These are the correspondences for the suits:swords (air) -- flying animalswands (fire) -- reptiles and insectscups (water) -- creatures that live on the seas, lakes and riverspentacles (earth) -- mammalsThe imagery on the Minor Arcana is intriguing, integrating an amount of symbols (swords, wands, cups or pentacles) as part of the image of the animal or animals for the Numbered Cards. Here the use of creatures is less intuitive than in the Major Arcana, but still works well. I like the Firefly as the Ace of Wands, the Vulture as the Three of Swords, the Chameleon as the Five of Wands, the Octopus as the Eight of Cups, and the Whale as the Ten of Cups. In my opinion, the suit of Cups contains the best correspondences.The Court Cards are as impressive as the Major Arcana, using deities as well. There are some correspondences that go without question, like Poseidon (Greek) as the King of Cups, and Venus (Roman) as the Knight of Cup. Some are somewhat odd on a first glance, like Quetzalcoatl (Aztec) for King of Sword. This is the "Feather-Serpent" deity, which may correspond to either reptiles (wands) or flying animals (swords). However, this deity is related to the gods of the wind, which make the correspondence to swords the best fit.In addition, this deck include two quick reference cards: the Animal Journey Spread (five cards), and the Animal Wheel Spread (seven cards).Knowledge of the deities and animals presented in this deck is almost a must to make the connection to the tarot they represent. For this purpose, the companion book is an indispensable tool.The book is divided into the following sections:Introduction: Connection with Animal Powers1. Animals as Divine2. How to Communicate with Animals3. The Major Arcana4. The Minor Arcana5. Tarot Layouts and MeditationsThe Introduction, Animal as Divine, and How to Communicate with Animals sections briefly discuss how to use these cards as a medium to connect and communicate with the spirit of the animal depicted. Then the book goes into the cards. There are nearly two pages of information per Major Arcana, providing the deity's name, a few words for meaning, an explanation of the symbols and the deity's description. For the Minor Arcana, the information's layout is similar. The final section, Tarot Layouts and Meditation, shows three layouts with a sample spread to use with this deck: a Four-Card Spread, an Animal Journey Spread (five cards), and an Animal Wheel Spread (seven cards).This is definitely not a deck for beginners. However, it is a must-have for tarot collectors, more so for those who like animal themed tarot since this is the best. This deck comes in a box, which opens on the side like a chest, and includes a black organdy bag, and a companion book.Other decks by Lisa Hunt: The Fairy Tale Tarot Fantastical Creatures Tarot The Celtic Dragon Tarot Kit Shapeshifter Tarot

"The animals that are showcased in the Animals Divine Tarot serve to bridge the divide between conscious resistance and unconscious knowledge. Their appearance is one that can help you to re-center and redefine who you are. If you tune into animals, you can learn to tune into yourself and identify the wealth of potential that lies within your grasp." - From the companion bookAccording to author and artist Lisa Hunt, re-establishing a connection with animals can help us better understand the deep layers of the human psyche. By observing all manner of wildlife--such as the predatory instincts of a shark or the diligence of a beaver--we can marvel and appreciate each unique expression. With further contemplation, we can examine how wildlife behavior may apply to our life, including developing insight for navigating situations and cultivating growth.With the Animals Divine Tarot, Ms. Hunt has created 78 exquisite, luminous paintings of animals, reptiles, insects, fowl, and fish--marrying them with mythological figures from around the world. Many cultures honor the sacredness of animals, which often accompany gods and goddesses, with some of these divine beings actually shapeshifting into various animals.For the Major Arcana, each card highlights a different myth connected to a particular animal, god, or goddess. The Trickster Coyote, a beloved figure in Native American lore, makes an appearance as The Fool. The elephant-headed god Ganesha, a mover of obstacles according to Hindu mythology, is The High Priest (Hierophant) in this deck, while the Welsh goddess Rhiannon represents the archetypal Shadow (Devil). The fierce but glorious Thunderbirds make their appearance on The Tower, and Horus epitomizes the blazing energy of The Sun.Various deities from all over the world depict the varied approaches of the court cards, while critters majestic and tiny comprise the Minor Arcana. For example, caterpillars transform on the 6 of Wands card, the tiger embodies the 3 of Pentacles, the flapping, flailing heron reflects the 10 of Swords, while distracted dolphins swim on the 7 of Cups.Although the 198-page companion book to the Animals Divine Tarot doesn't mention traditional Rider-Waite-Smith imagery, symbolism, or numerology (except for a brief mention of the elements), the card interpretations are mostly consistent with these meanings. Ms. Hunt offers a rich repository for lore and symbol, but reminds readers that delving into the art on each card--and the realm of each animal--will yield unique, unexpected revelations for those who take the time for contemplation.Ms. Hunt does not discuss reversals in the companion book, and in a refreshing departure from the norm, there is no mention of rituals for "cleansing" or storing your deck. Three spreads are included in the back of the book, while two of the layouts are illustrated on separate cards.The satiny cards measure approximately 4 ½ 2 ¾ inches, resulting in easy shuffling. The card backing depicts a bronze mandala in the center of a cream-colored background, rendering the deck fully reversible. In addition to the deck and companion book, the Animals Divine Tarot set includes a black organdy bag and a cardboard box for storage.Unless you're quite attuned to animal energies and world mythologies, you'll likely be unable to use this deck "out of the box". Therefore, as a Tarot deck, I don't feel it's good for beginners. (However, if you're new to Tarot but have used animal oracle decks with success, you should be just fine.) Ms. Hunt's adept interpretations of her visions for the cards will ably equip readers to use Animals Divine Tarot for oracular and meditative purposes. Her intimate knowledge of wildlife will no doubt add breadth and depth to any reader's repository of associations.I've found this deck to be surprisingly pointed in its guidance, with each reading providing accurate, relevant insight. The artwork is gorgeous, making the Animals Divine Tarot a must for deck collectors, as well as those with an affinity for animal totems, shamanism, and animal-themed mythos.(To see 10 images from the Animals Divine Tarot, visit the Reviews--Decks section at [...])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)

I found the reviews of these cards to be accurate. Very easy in the hand and being new to the tarot I was a bit worried I had taken on too much with a non traditional deck. But the book is easy to use and many of the representations are similar to the aminal guide meanings. I love the animals represented on the minor arcana and the majors are all accompanied by animals. This deck is a great mix of animal and the tarot

I am a tarot reader and this was my first deck, very lovely pretty deck and all the cards tell their own story - after awhile the cards stopped talking to me and chose another person. Good product easy to learn and read from (DON'T READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL, read the cards and feel what they are telling you!)Quick delivery, well packaged and very smart and good to work with.

I absolutely love this deck. I love animals and the art work is amazing. The deck is great for intuative work. I've done readings for others and been spot on. There is something subtle about this deck rather than dynamic. It holds a quaint charm and the cards are perfect for my hand size, unlike some other decks which are larger.

I would highly recommend the Animal Divine Tarot Deck. It is as described and I have no doubt I will have many years of enjoyment from using it.