This oracle using British Animal Guides is by the artist who illustrated both the Arthurian Tarot (for Caitlin and John Matthews) and the Merlin Tarot, for R.J. Stewart.  Her artistic ability already proven, she sets out in this deck-and-book set to break some new ground in a different direction altogether.

Interestingly, the Druid Animal Oracle features almost an identical system.  In these cards, which are smaller than the Druid Animal Oracle, the animal is portrayed somewhat like a cameo, against a checkered tile background with Celtic bordering on the edges.  I believe this system came first.

Since this is not a tarot deck but an animal divination oracle, there are no Majors or Minors, no suit or court cards.  None of the 39 animal cards in the deck are numbered.  A blank card is provided for you to make your own animal in case your animal is not already present in the deck.  Actually, calling it blank is not entirely accurate, it has everything (the tile background, the space for the border design, and the space for the title) provided so all you have to do is put the animal itself there and title it.  A suggestion in the book is to actually cut out a photo of the animal you like from a glossy magazine or book page and paste it onto the face of the card, then laminate over it.

One interesting aspect of this deck is that all the animals featured are wearing at least one item of Celtic ritual jewelry; for example, the Raven wears a gemstone necklace, the Salmon has a gold torc around its tail, the Fox has an earring with charms on it, and the Weasel wears a decorated knife belt and a golden bracelet.  This lends the animals a mystical air and it is not hard to see why so many cultures revere the animals even as reincarnations of their past ancestors, or special people in the guise of the beasts.

The structure of the deck is set up as follows: three beasts, the Lion, the Dragon and the Unicorn, are rulers over three Kingdoms under which the rest of the animals are divided.  The Kingdom of Strength, over which the Lion rules, has the Mouse, Boar, Weasel, Bee, Squirrel, Hound, Fox, Horse, Snake, Raven, Wren and Spider.  The Kingdom of Wisdom, ruled by the Dragon, has the Bear, Bull, Hedgehog, Owl, Cockerel, Brock, Goose, Cat, Bat, Stag, Crane and Salmon.  The Kingdom of Purity, ruled by the Unicorn, has the Dolphin, Otter, Hare, Toad, Wolf, Crow, Swan, Dove, Redbreats, Pig, Eagle and Butterfly.

The cards are standard sized and handle and shuffle fairly easily.  They have a glossy coating on them but they aren't too slippery or sticky.  The back design is attractive as well.  Since there are only 39 (or 40 if you include the blank card) cards, this also contributes to the deck's easy handling.  The edges are buffed to a smooth finish.

The book which accompanies this set is fairly substantial for one of the small paperbacks that are the norm in Aquarian Press deck-and-book sets.  Most of the book is dedicated to descriptions of each animal guide and divinatory meanings and correspondences.  There is a section on totem and companion animals, and several spreads as well,  Finally, a chapter on the Spiral Path (a path of meditation and inner workings) is given.

Overall, for those working with animal guides, this is a very nice set to use.  It is *not* a Native American shamanic oracle.  It is artistic for collectors and seems to be well enough explained that beginners could use it.  Since it is not a tarot, tarot experience is not required.

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Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace

Beasts of Albion by Miranda Gray, 1994
published by Aquarian Press ISBN 1-85538-318-7

also illustrated by Miranda Gray:
 Arthurian Tarot (with Caitlin and John Matthews)
 Merlin Tarot (with R.J. Stewart)