Animal
Totem Tarot and Guide to the Animal Totem Tarot, Leeza
Robertson, Illustrated by Eugene Smith, 2016, Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury,
MN, 78 card deck, 384pp book, $28.99.
I’ve been reading tarot for quite a few years, using various
decks, but I must say that The Animal Totem Tarot is the most unique. The
images on the cards are in color (black and white in the book), and the artwork
by Eugene Smith is superb. The animals aren’t your garden variety “cat”, “dog”,
etc. Here are a few examples: Page of Swords – Roadrunner. Queen of Cups –
Moose. Temperance – Flamingo. The Magician – Fox. Four of Cups – Octopus.
When I began using
the Animal Totem Tarot, I found I was looking at tarot in a whole new light. I
admit I still have to use the book, as I am not familiar with all of the
animals. Zombie Toad? Interesting.
One thing that intrigued
me right off was looking at tarot not as two parts (Major Arcana and Minor
Arcana), but as three (Royal Family is one). I found Ms. Robertson’s spreads
for each part of the deck both helpful and meaningful.
This is a wonderful
deck, and the accompanying book is incredibly insightful. It’s laid out in a
very easy to understand format. First, the animal’s message is given. Part of
Capybara’s message: “In the water I can release that which I no longer need,
and clear the energy for something new to take hold.” That can be an answer in
itself, but continue.
Next there is
information about the animal itself, combined with insight. I found this
helpful, as many of the animals are unfamiliar, and I was surprised to find
their relationship to aspects of my life. An example: “The great Panda likes to
eat—a lot! … Panda spends up to fourteen hours a day eating…you could say this
guy has a lot to chew on … (S)ometimes you have to consume a lot of information
before you attain the knowledge you need to make the appropriate decision.” Here
we also learn what element is associated with the animal. Some are easy – Sugar
Glider’s element is air. Some are more complex. Salamander has a strong
connection to water, yet its element is fire. As Ms. Robertson explains: “Fire
on its own can be destructive, yet if we know how to balance its effect with
water, we can keep it from overcoming us.”
We then see how the
animal relates to business and career. “(Hermit Crab) is asking you to shift
your focus to only those partnerships that truly benefit your business, while
at the same time letting go of those that drain your time and energy.”
Next we see how the
animal relates to health and well-being. “(Firefly) can’t shine in the day so
why waste his energy? Take his lessons to heart and don’t allow yourself to
waste your energy on resistant patterns of behavior.”
Ms. Robertson
recommends drawing a card a day and journaling about it. Her prompts for
journal entries are very helpful. (Otter) “Where can I bring more play into my
life?” (Roadrunner) “In what area of your life do you need to quickly change
direction right now?”
I would make a couple
of suggestions. For one, having the animal names on the cards would help
recognize them and associate the animal with the interpretation when doing a
reading. I can understand Flamingo for balance, but some of the other animals,
frankly, had me stumped until I referred to the book. It would also help to
have an index to easily find a particular card. I did a reading where I knew
the client had an affinity for a particular animal, and I had to go through the
entire book until I found it. It would have been so much easier to know what
page it was on. But those are very minor “complaints”. I highly recommend the
Animal Totem Tarot with its accompanying book for anyone looking for something brand
new and insightful in tarot.
-
Clara Ferguson
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