I am so glad to have a space to talk about this deck here! I have owned this deck for quite a few months now and when I bought it there wasn't much I could find about it either. I was drawn to it because of the bright, approachable illustrations which are somewhat naive in nature and the theme in general. In short, I like it, I'm glad I purchased it but I was actually disappointed with a few elements. This is just my honest opinion.
- Importantly, every time I have used this deck it has been accurate to the tee. In one sense, very literal and in another, very predictive. I use it on and off because of this one factor.
- It may be just me but I've really got to be in the mood for this deck because of its heavy theme. You may absolutely love it. It is definitely a Rider-Waite clone for lack of a better word but, I value that in this deck. It isn't trying to be anything other than what we're used to other than one thing...
- The deck creators made two additional cards to supplement the Majors: The Universe/Ibis (22) and the Afterlife/Mandrill (23). I don't particularly connect with this addition and so I don't read with those cards. Though I know it's up to you to choose what you want to do with them, it disrupts my flow.
- In terms of the complimentary book, it's extensive as it is 238 pages in length with short sections on reading with tarot, quick Minor and Major breakdowns, alongside the longer card explanations that we're used to in Llewellyn publications. The explanation per card is 1-3 pages and although long, I was disappointed. It feels to me that every single thing the author has associated with each card has just been written down in a stream of conscious-like flow. Multiple commas are used as meanings are listed. I find this style more confusing than succinct and clear. I don't garner a sense of value from the book because of this. Perhaps for an absolute beginner it would bring some sort of starting point. I'm used to falling in love with great tarot companion books and this one just does not compare (Think Baba Studios, Moore, stand-alines). You have to be prepared for the anthropomorphised interpretations of animals also. In the illustrations it wasn't a big deal - of course animals are going to be doing human-like things, that's understood in the theme. However, I didn't relate to the written explanations as much as I'd hoped.
- The backs of the cards are sepia in contrast to the highly pigmented card illustrations. I understand the reasoning behind this but I was disappointed in the quality of the illustration print. It depicts two animal characters holding hands and on my deck, the image quality is slightly fuzzy. It is not sharp and crisp as on the card fronts. I may be a stickler but I notice these details on my decks and I hope to save anyone from this major disappointment if you're like me!
- I LOVE the illustrated majors and in turn, found the Courts and Minors sometimes a bit plain. Perhaps I'm being picky, but when artists show us what they can do with Majors it is often a let down for me when the same sort of expression is tapered back in the Minors or Courts. Expect the frame to consist of a protagonist in a pose with its surroundings. That said, it becomes a readable quirk which emphasises the Majors and the characters in the Minor cards. All the cards flow well together regardless of this in my opinion. Expect a Koala and only a few other Australian animals amongst ravens, racoons, squirrels, seals and others.
- The cards have gold guilt edges which adds something to the deck, however, I'm not one who is fussed with that sort of thing unless it's on an indie or Baba deck. I like the luxurious addition but it does not sway me either way.
After all that, I want to say that it is so quirky with the Majors so deliciously depicted that it does have a place in my collection. It's quite strictly Rider-Waite and nowadays I have to be in the mood for such a deck, yet, it does have a certain animal intelligence about it. I go to this deck if I want straight answers with a painterly twist. If I want to commune with the energy of a certain animal I'll go to another deck, perhaps the Animal Wisdom Tarot or various oracles of mine.
It is certainly a different sort of deck that pops in colour, appearance and theme. It's definitely a strong deck with a lot of personality. Hope this helps anyone on the fence and again, I expect high standards from deck producers!! To save anyone from any sort of disappointment I hope mine have helped you. That said, at $28 from BD it's worth a go. I paid over that so that factors into the review!
