The Spirit Animal Oracle: A 68-Card Deck - Animal Spirit Cards with Guidebook

I have been using various divination methods for more than 40 years - tarot, I Ching, runes, and variously themed "oracle" decks. Each has its own flavor/tone, and each tends to give insight in different ways. I have three of Collette Baron-Reid Oracle decks now, and this one is based on animals from around the world. It has thoughtful interpretations for each card. I like her approach to creating her decks, and appreciate the guidance they give. The deck comes in a nice, sturdy box for safe keeping, and the box includes a book that gives different "spreads" one can do for different types of readings, an introduction to using the deck, as well as the interpretations for each card. Ms. Baron-Reid's introduction to the deck is both interesting and instructional. She gives background on the deck, suggestions on how to use it, the kinds of questions that will give the best answers, and sets the tone for one's approach to doing readings. (I definitely suggest reading the introduction before doing a reading with it; especially if you've never used an oracle deck before.) The deck is meant to be shuffled in a way that allows for "reversed/upside down" meanings, and although it is a larger sized deck, I don't have any trouble shuffling it. (Of course I have larger hands, so that factors in). I don't find the card stock to be a problem, either, as some reviewers do - any thicker and it would be a problem to work with, in my opinion, as there are a lot of cards in the deck. As for sticking together, I simply went through the deck the first time I opened the box and made sure every card was there before shuffling, as some reviewers apparently received decks with cards that were "missing and/or stuck together". I haven't had any problems with cards sticking together, and all the cards were there. It's not as Native-American themed as some "animal spirit" decks, which is fine, because I have decks that are geared for that anyway. I'm very pleased with it, and the readings were accurate from the start, unlike some tarot decks that take a lot of shuffling before you can be sure you're getting a true read. It has a peaceful, contemplative feel overall, and I use it for personal reflection as well as for giving readings for others. Bottom line: I'm very glad I bought this deck, I use it a lot, and I recommend it.

The Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid was my first animal-themed deck, and I absolutely loved it. The images are gorgeous, and the guidance is inspiring and uplifting. A beautiful, intuitive deck I’m so glad I started with.

I first saw the Spirit Animal Oracle about a year ago - the smaller deck that comes in a tin. I knew I'd eventually buy it one day, and I'm glad I finally did. I bought the full-size version and it's absolutely stunning! There's so much to love about it! Here are my impressions: -First of all, it's a 68-card deck! I prefer oracle decks with at least 44+ cards, so this deck is exceptional for having so many cards. -The hard cardboard box has a soft matte finish and the magnetic flap. The top opens flat to easily remove the deck and guidebook with the ribbon to lift them up. -The cards themselves are 3.5" x 5", thick matte cardstock with rounded corners and feature deep, rich colors. I especially love the gorgeous teals, purples, blues and greens. The animal images are soft and dreamy, sometimes embellished with crowns, floral wreaths, feathers, and even jewelry. The images and pretty backgrounds are just mesmerizing! -Each card features the animal name and one sentence summing up its "spirit." For example: Elephant Spirit - Learn from the Past, or Ant Spirit - Time to Collaborate. You can choose to just go with that message, decide what it means to you, or intuitively expand on how that message resonates for you personally. Or you can consult the guidebook. -The guidebook is just over 200 pages. Each animal card has an oracle message and a protection message, giving a more detailed explanation for you to think about. -At less than $20 when I purchased it, this deck is a great value for what you get! Great to use as a morning card pull to give you a message to reflect on throughout the day, or as a way to end a tarot card reading as a final thought. I think you'd be happy with these cards. Recommended!

I received Colette Baron Reid’s latest deck from Amazon as soon as they were released. Just a day later, I saw more than 40 reviews for the deck on Amazon...wow! I thought I should take a bit more time and work with the cards before I reviewed them for everyone. Though this deck may not satisfy all, I already enjoy working with it. It’s a bit different from a number of other animal and bird decks that I own (such as Jamie Sams’ Medicine Cards, Ted Andrews’ Animal Tarot and others)…but that is not necessarily a bad thing. If you are an animal-lover like myself and are open to receiving messages and omens from the natural world, you will most likely enjoy this deck. The deck contains 68 cards that depict a nice variety of creatures, great and small. Reid did not cover everything. She states that she only included the animals that communicated to her that they wanted to be included in this project. Some animals took themselves out of the deck to make room for others that wanted to come through. Unlike other decks that provide you with a lot of background on the animals, their behavior and significance, Reid’s interpretations are just messages channeled to her directly from these animal spirits. Like some of her other decks, there is a message to read when the card appears to you upright (“oracle message”) and a “protection” message for you to read when the card falls in reverse. Besides the one-card draw, she provides a couple of layout ideas for the cards. I look forward to trying Reid’s New Moon reading, the next chance I get. As an added bonus, there is a phrase on each card that can certainly add to the message you are receiving. For example, if I draw three cards, I like to put those three phrases into a cohesive whole to provide me with further insight; summing up the cards I just read. Here’s an example from drawing three cards at random (right now). I drew Spider Spirit (reversed), Flamingo Spirit, and Skunk Spirit. The phrases in order were: Make your dreams real; embrace the in-between; know your worth. If I put it together in order, I get: “Make your dreams real by embracing the in-between and knowing your worth”. The cards are a bit on the larger side; the box is well constructed and sturdy enough to hold them and the 204-page guidebook. The animal artwork by artist Jenna DellaGrottaglia is visually appealing, captivating, and a joy to explore. But, the artwork did leave me with a question. Why do some cards depict animals with crowns (associated with royalty) on their heads while others do not have one? At first I thought it was just the birds that had crown, but some of the animals do as well. I am not sure I read an explanation for this in the accompanying book. I’ve been drawing one card daily and came up with a chant to say while I shuffle: “What animal spirit ally/is coming out to play/and coming to assist me/on my journey today? I sincerely give, in advance,/my heartfelt thanks to you--/for any advice you can share/your unique point of view.” Today I drew the “White Raven Spirit” card which has the phrase, “Trust in the magic”. I do…. oh I do! I find Collette Baron Reid to be a very gifted author and creator of divine wisdom decks. Like most of her other works, this deck will inspire, inform, and guide you and the people you share it with. It is definitely a worthwhile addition to a seeker’s divinatory library.

I've had this deck in my cart for nearly two years, and I wish I would have purchased it sooner. Absolutely stunning imagery, and the messages are beautifully and thoughtfully written. My first reading was spot on. I've been delaying a divorce even though I know it's what needs to be done. Spirit confirmed what I've been unwilling to accept, that I know the truth and need to let go and heal. The corresponding messages in the booklet felt like they were being given by a dear friend, honest but tender. 10/10 highly recommended.

To start, I pay attention to the “small things”. It often tells me the care and love that goes into creating something. I love the deck box. It’s sturdy with magnets on the flap so easy to open. There is a red ribbon inside the box that assists in easily lifting the cards and guide book out. The cards themselves are made of heavy card stock with rounded edges. I also like that she presents 68 animals! Other decks have less animals. Absolutely stunning and beautiful artwork on the cards that for me truly flows with the energy of the animal’s spirit. I really take the time to immerse myself into the image to connect directly with the animal spirit to get an impression. These are so beautiful I would actually love to have it as artwork! As far as the messages, they feel spot on for me! What I like is that the guidebook has more than a sentence or two. This allows for me to use my intuition and hone in on specific words or phrases that have meaning for me that day. I am so grateful that Colette Baron-Reid took such care and love with this deck. Truly one of my favorites!

I got these for a Secret Santa gift and they were a hit! People got jealous and also wanted them too and to be honest they are so beautiful that I even wanted a pair for myself! The art is gorgeous and the writing resonates with you and is so accurate, wonderful gift and set of cards. The gift was for my sister-in-law who recently lost her husband and after opening her present we sat there and picked cards and read them and it was wonderful to connect in that way with the cards and read the great messages they have. I would buy these again in a heartbeat.

Having worked with this deck for a while now for myself and with clients, I wanted to share a review. What I like about the first deck I purchased by Colette, the Wisdom of the Oracle is the depth of insight in the guidebook. The Spirit Animal Oracle provides this also which I was happy to see. The images are rich in color and I continue to find something in the cards that speak to me in a different way each time I draw a card – even if I draw the same card often – I see or sense something new I’d not discovered before. I appreciate the guidebook as reference after I’ve journaled my intuitive insight and more often than not there is some nugget whether one word or a line in the booklet that always ties it all together and gives the reading a deeper meaning which I appreciate. The first time I pulled the Wasp Spirit card for a client I felt bad that this was the animal that would guide her as she continued to contemplate her journey around her inquiry. But then upon further pondering, I sensed and shared with her that yes, indeed, life does sting sometimes, but that IS part of the journey too – and while the letting go isn’t always easy, it is necessary to grieve this in order to move forward. This deck is part of my altar and one I turn to often for guidance and it’s always my favorite part of a reading with a client to lastly draw an animal card to send them off on their continued journey of Self.