THE ANIMAL ALLIES AND GEMSTONE GUARDIANS CARDS

The Animal Allies and Gemstone Guardians Cards, Margaret Ann Lembo, illustrations by Richard Crookes, Inner Traditions/Bear & Co., Rochester, VT, 2018, 44 full-color cards, $15.99.

The full-color cards are beautiful. One side features an animal and the other side a gemstone. Each card offers a question for contemplative thought, a positive affirmation, and Divine Guidance.

        Animals frequently show up unannounced – in dreams, in life, virtually anywhere. They appear for a reason, but do we get their message? When I received the deck for review, I immediately began looking for the creature that had been appearing to me several times a day for over a week: dragonfly. Part of the message told me that “I pay attention to my dreams and easily interpret them.” How true! Up until then, I would wake in the morning with the thought, “I had wonderful dreams!” but I couldn’t remember even one detail. The morning that I received the deck was the first time since childhood that I remembered a dream.

        Everything resonates with a vibration. Some are harmonious, other discordant. The gemstone on my dragonfly card is the amethyst cathedral. Looking at the photo, I felt drawn into the large, deep purple geode. Part of the gemstone’s message told me to use my dreams as a tool to balance my emotions. Again, it struck a chord. The question asked if I had noticed situations in my life that needed the truth to be revealed. Indeed, I had.

        When a friend asked for a reading, she simply pulled a card from the deck and was amazed at the answers, the question, and the affirmation. We couldn’t wait to have others pull a card.

        You can use these cards in conjunction with other decks – tarot or oracle – for added insight into any reading. You can pull a card at the start of each day for inspiration. Can you repeat the card’s affirmation throughout the day to change your reality and change your life?

        If a certain animal (or insect or bird or reptile) appears in your life, you can instantly pull that card for insight. If you feel attracted to a particular gemstone, you can pull that card from the deck. Or you can simply draw a card at random and see what animal and gemstone have to offer.

        There is no book to read; the deck alone is all you need.

Shawna Meeks-Caine