I love oracle cards and collect them, I was thrilled to be approved for this, it is ok, not my favourite. Not much more I can say.

The watercolor imagery is stunning, I appreciated the reflections, and that it went in depth on layouts. I also appreciated the roots in nature and ecology.

Netgalley Review

Can’t give a full honest review on a tarot, Oracle desk unless used. But the graphic are amazing, and the deck has potential

What an absolutely fascinating and lovely title and deck! I ended up ordering this title because I was so inspired by the content, the artwork, the flexibility of usage, and just the calming and accessible way the title reads. I never felt like the content was being dumbed down, but neither did I feel like I couldn't follow. And the color and layout of the text just worked so wonderfully with my ADHD brain. It was so easy to focus on what the book was saying! I'm so excited to get my own copy! I can't wait to get the actual cards in my hands!

I received an ARC of this deck from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love nature-based decks so I've been interested in this deck since seeing it on Amazon. It's a 52 card circular deck that "serves as a conduit for wisdom, creativity, and spiritual nourishment". A quick note, I will be reviewing the guidebook and commenting on the art, but I don't have the cards in my hands so I can't comment on cardstock and the like.
The guidebook is packed with information. There are creative prompts, prompts for ecological activism, inspirational icons, practices to embody the energy of each card, and more. It's easily one of the most detailed oracle guidebooks I've ever seen and each entry really helps you connect with that archetype.
It's a shame that I don't connect with the archetypes or the art as much as I thought I would. The archetypes aren't typical Jungian archetypes but titles like "The Living Mountain" or "you" statements like "Your Feet are Two Fish" which sounds a little childish (or perhaps childlike would be the better term). I would definitely have to work with the deck itself, it feels like the art might grow on me. I would recommend this deck to anyone who wants a nature-based multipurpose oracle deck.

I was very excited to see the forthcoming *Cantigee Oracle*, having long loved Laura Zuspan’s *Luminous Void Tarot*. I appreciate decks that are nature-based and particularly that have an ecological outlook, and I adore Zuspan’s watercolour. I’m sad to say, though, that I’m a bit disappointed in the guidebook.

There were some things that I did like about this guidebook so I’ll start with those. It’s well written overall, sizeable, and gives the reader numerous angles on the cards: divinatory meanings, creative activity prompts, journalling or reflection questions, and environmental considerations related to each card. I really like the innovative titles of the cards, and can imagine loving reading with this deck on that basis. The meanings and titles/images go well together. The author refers to the cards as ‘archetypes,’ which they certainly aren’t in any definition of that term that I know of, but setting that aside I really like the meanings provided. I also absolutely love the waxing/waning structure of the deck, which feels innovative, and I love the artwork on the cards.

I must also mention what didn’t work for me. I’m disappointed that for a deck that has an ecological themes, the suggestions for environmental actions someone could take to lessen their negative impact on the earth are *very, very minimal*. I fully recognize that not every person can make every possible environmentalist life change and conversations about living in greener ways need to account for disparities in class, geography, etc.; however, I *really* think we need to be further along in our environmental conversations than “use fewer aerosol spray cans” and “eat a bit less beef” at this point. I don’t think it’s sufficient to say that “trivial” steps (this is the author’s word) are also “energy moving in a healing direction” — there is simply not time to engage in environmentalism trivially at this point. Some of the activity suggestions — like the suggestion to ‘travel to a different city’ — don’t seem the most environmentally minded.

I’m more disappointed that, as far as I can tell, environmental considerations don’t seem to have factored into the deck’s production — is it printed on recycled cardstock? Is the packaging plastic-free? Are only water-based inks used? I certainly hope so, but the guidebook makes zero mention of this. I’m fully prepared to retract this criticism if I’m wrong — I only have a Kindle version of the guidebook, not the entire product, so I may just be missing something — but it does seem strange to me to publish a deck that repeatedly encourages people to lessen their carbon footprint yet make no mention of the footprint-related considerations that went into this project.

Now, having read the guidebook for *The Cantigee Oracle*, I’m on the fence about whether or not I will buy the deck — if I do, it’ll be because the artwork’s gorgeous, the card names are innovative and fresh, and the deck’s structure is well thought out.

*Thank you to NetGalley and North Atlantic Books for providing an ARC in exchange for this review*.

First of all I want to thank you for letting me read and see the stunning text/meanings and illustrations of this book! It really is a work of art! I'm not quite finished ready the book, however, (so far) it is a comfortable read and easy to understand. Therefore my thanks.

I've pre-ordered the hardcopy of this set, as the pictures are just stunning! I had an immediate connection with the illustrations. The pictures seem to be showing them as round, which is very unique and if this is the case (which I really hope it is) will make this Oracle deck stand out in a very positive way as round things do flow better with their energies!

This would also be a lovely gift for someone interested or into occult.

The Cantigee Oracle deck will be a beautiful addition to any collection of card decks you may use.
I like to use a mix of oracle cards and Tarot cards but of course this deck can also be used by itself and the cards will shine!
The booklet is full of information and guidance which I always like, I feel that a good accompaniment book really allows you to know the cards and their content.

The Cantigee Oracle teach you the correct way to use this item and how to understand the interpretation.

The cards are nice and the explanation book will help explain the meanings of your selections.

It will give you insight, guidance and enjoyment in connecting with your guides and spirit.

Enjoy.

I love this book and deck. It's beautifully designed and laid-out, and the author has clearly put a lot of heart into the project. Unlike some deck books that leap straight into the individual cards, this one has a hefty first section that talks about a lot of the larger considerations when using a deck like this, and when interacting with the world around us (especially the natural world). There are so many gems in this first part of the book, but here are two that do a great job of capturing the overall tone of the book (and deck):

"In Cantigee, there are no good or bad archetypes. Nothing is going wrong, and nothing is going right. Things are simply unfolding." - I cannot express how much I love this perspective, which is so different than many decks. If you buy decks at all, you know what I'm talking about. Even if you don't, you still know how pervasive this good/bad viewpoint is in the world all around us. It's a breath of fresh air to be reminded that we should strive to view things from beyond the good/bad binary.

"You grow when the knowledge you've gained permeates beyond the layer of your rational mind and spreads into the layer of your attitude."

Then the author lays out how the deck itself is structured, and wow, is it well-designed. The ENTIRE deck is one massive cycle that aligns with nature, and the seasons throughout the year. That's a massive undertaking that could have felt very forced if not done well, but it's done extremely well and it succeeds admirably.

Each card is given MULTIPLE full pages of text which goes into depth. Did I mention how much passion and attention clearly went into this project? Every single card has the following information provided for it:
- a paragraph-long "story" that either describes what the art shows, and/or an experience that the art evokes
- Key Notes
- Symbology
- Guidance
- As An Icon (how to use the image as an icon)
- As a Portal (questions to guide internal enquiry)
- Practice (connecting with your body's wisdom)
- Creative Prompt
- Ecological Connection

As for the cards themselves, they're beautifully illustrated and printed in the round to support moving away from the whole good/bad (i.e. upright/inverted) binary that tends to exist with rectangular or square cards. They're simple, with no blocks of text printed on the cards themselves (I prefer this, so I can enjoy the art). My review copy was digital so I wasn't able to play with the cards but even just interacting with them on my computer, I could feel how much intention went into their design, and how strong they are in energy. I did "draw" two cards by flipping randomly through the pages that contained the full-page images of the deck and seeing which ones I landed on. I got 11 & 22. Here's part of the Key Note for each, to give you a taste of the cards:
11. All Intelligent Tentacles: "Pretend you know nothing, and notice how that expands your curiosity and your perception.."
22. The Luminous Brew: "Your current experiences will later feed your future self."

I'll be honest - I already own a lot of books and decks, so I'm trying to hard to limit myself from purchasing new ones. But I will be buying a hard copy of this one for sure. I'm really looking forward to trying some of the unique spreads created by the author, and interacting more deeply with the cards. There's so much richness to be had here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love these. I'm a teacher and therapist and will use these for both. I did find spiritual nourishment and love the wisdom that these have to offer. I'll be recommending these to my colleagues.

While I don't have the oracle deck that goes along with this book, I do have several tarot and oracle decks so I'm familiar with the layout and structure for these decks.
I was reading through this guide book and absolutely LOVED that each card has it's own meaning (which is standard to oracle decks), a story to get you to dig deeper into the imagery, a "TLDR" type of summary of the card, symbology- which is one of my favorite things to put connection to when I'm pulling cards, and more.
The Guidance section provides a few tips or ideas of how to get the best out of that card for your daily pulls, or sometimes I use oracle cards as companion cards to tarot pulls and find that it helps to give more clarity and guidance to the overall reading. The practice section has more focus on moving through your day with the guidance from this card. There's also a unique twist which is the creative prompt and the ecological connection.

By reviewing this guide book, I am much more inclined to look into the physical oracle deck as well as to look for this companion book when it becomes available. I'm very impressed with the information that's available in this book.

I have been anticipating the Cantigee Oracle deck since I first saw it announced. Laura Zuspan is the artist behind the Luminous Void tarot deck which I am obsessed with, have talked several people into buying, but don't own myself because sometimes things just aren't for us, you know? In theory, the Luminous Void is everything I am looking for but in person, the deck and I don't vibe. Which sounds silly but if you can't be a bit woowoo when talking about tarot, when can you be?

I follow both Laura Zuspan and Rae Diamond on social media and was thrilled to see a collaboration between them. And when I got a chance to read an ARC of the accompanying guidebook, of course I said an enthusiastic, "Yes, please!"

For clarification, this review is for the guidebook to the Cantigee Oracle deck, not the deck itself. As a fan of both creators, I anticipate loving the cards but have not handled them myself yet.

I have about a dozen oracle and tarot decks, I would say I am an interested novice rather than a content expert. However I do read extensively in the personal and spiritual growth fields, attend conferences, participate in workshops. While I would not consider myself qualified to judge the cards themselves, other than a simple I like them or I don't, I am in my element when it comes to evaluating the guidebook. It is the absolute best deck guidebook I have read and one of my favorite personal growth guides I have ever encountered. I was expecting to like the collaboration. I was not expecting to encounter such transformational work.

Every Star is a Doorknob - this was the phrase that stopped me in my tracks. My soul thrummed when I first encountered it. I knew from that point on, this book would feed my imagination, water my soul, and push my comfort zones.

The guidebook is accessible. It starts with an overview of how to use the cards. A complete beginner would feel confident after reading the instructions. I found the how to section informational and I look forward to putting some of the ideas presented into practice using cards I already own.

And then. And then the guidebook goes into detail about each card, starting with what I would call a meditation - a short evocative description of the card's conception. There is a handy TLDR for those who want the short version. Followed by a discussion of the symbols. Next, the guidebook provides guidance in interpreting what the card could mean, not in a prescriptive way but rather as a collection of possibilities. The next section suggests ways to use the image as a visual mantra. "As a Portal" is a whimsical title for the big questions this card asks you to respond to. "Practice" and "Creative Prompt" are self-explanatory sections with suggestions for embodying the lessons learned. The practices in both sections are doable and varied, I was especially impressed with these areas of exploration. And finally, each card comes with a nature challenge, a way for the reader to put lessons learned into practice for the good of creation.

Obviously the guidebook is very thorough. But a lot of words do not guarantee that anything worthwhile has been said. It is not just the thoroughness of the guidebook which makes it valuable, but the depth. If oracle cards are not your thing, this book would be worth buying simply for the year's worth of creative prompts. Or the year's worth of earth care discussions. Using the portal questions as journal prompts would lead, I am confident, to productive self-reflection and personal growth. I have already started using the book in my daily life, texting meditations to friends as blessings. I look forward to having a physical copy in my hand and working my way through the prompts over the course of a year. And, of course, I hope friends will join me on that journey.

Thank you to Rae Diamond for writing such a beautiful, profound, deeply wise and compassionate guide to growth and transformation. Thank you to North Atlantic Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I not only plan to buy myself a copy when the deck and guidebook come out later this year, but I am planning to buy additional copies to give as gifts because I believe in the good which will come out of interacting with the Cantigee Oracle deck and its guidebook.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4791384472
Also posted to private FB & IG.

This was a neat oracle deck. I love the art on the cards but the book, and all its details and prompts for each card, was the real winner!

Wow! I was absolutely blown away by this deck. As an avid peruser of decks, this one truly stands out as offering something unique. I found it truly refreshing and any nature lover or Pagan will absolutely find use for this deck. Rae explains some excellent ways to use the deck which are very helpful whether new to oracle decks or a seasoned user. Not only are the cards beautiful and poignant but overall, Rae's writing style is so captivating. She explains everything really succinctly and in such a wonderful way. It's not every day one comes across someone who is worthy of the title Wordsmith, she has an amazing command of language and reading the guidebook was a true pleasure, simply because of her choice of words.

Reviewing this as an e-book I’m unable to review the card stock of these cards or even how the artistry appears in print, though if it’s anything like the digital version then I’d argue the illustrations first and foremost are amazing and in a genre of their own making. You will not find another deck such as this and I’m saying this as someone who works with and has many of her own.

The guidebook is significantly larger than any other Oracle deck I’ve seen and is very informative for beginners as well as seasoned users. You’ll learn how to use the deck, different spreads and how to read them, behind the creation of the cards and more.

The art is very unique and painted in what I believe is watercolor. I really love the idea behind each card and the subtleties and complexities behind each card.

I can’t say I’ve used these as I again, don’t have a physical copy but I’d imagine I’d connect with these easily and these would definitely be a set of cards I use regularly as opposed to the ones I use on occasion.

In the very beginning of the guidebook the author speaks on when these were created and the collaboration behind themselves and the artist in trying times - COVID etc. - and I think that’s what makes me connect all that much more. If there’s one thing we can all connect on it would be the struggles, isolation and possibly even depression during and after COVID came around. This, I believe was one of the reasons I was that much more emotionally invested in everything I read and the imagery on every card.

5/5 stars, I’m very grateful to have experienced this so soon and for free to inform everyone of genuine thoughts behind it all. I absolutely plan on reviewing a physical copy in the near future.

This is a beautifully written book. For each of the watercolour-painted cards, there is a detailed description with notes, symbology, guidance, 'as an icon', 'as a portal', practice ideas, creative prompts and ecological connection. This would be a fantastic support to a lifestyle based on intuition, creativity or becoming more in touch with the earth.

A circular deck, the imagery is not for me but for others it would be good. Get some resources. Get some decent information and what to do.

"The Cantigee Oracle" by Rae Diamond is a 52 deck ecologically-inspired card deck and guidebook.

Overall, I was really impressed by the versatility and practicality of this book and deck of cards.

Each card is well described and there are so many areas of practice that can be explored.

I think anyone who is interested in nature and the environment (regardless of spirituality or lack there of) could find this book/card set to be really useful. Personally, I am spiritual but not far-leaning into the mystical, and found this book the have a lot of sensible and constructive prompts and practices. Things such as: meditation prompts, writing/art prompts, places to visit, questions to ask, research tasks, etc.

There are various card spreads overviewed by the book, in addition to a method of weekly practice.

The cards can be used numerous ways as well: as a symbol, as guidance, as an icon, as a portal, as a creative prompt, or as an ecological connection. This means that it can be enjoyed by people of many different interests, or even just someone who needs a little novelty in their routine. The structure of it is more exploratory than rigid, which works very well for my style.

On first glance, I would have preferred more refined illustrations for the cards. Laura Zuspan's concepts for the images are very well developed. I liked the looseness of the watercolours. I think it could have benefitted from a little more contrast and depth of colour. However art is subjective and that is just my personal preference. (Note: I received an advanced reader copy of the book, with no actual cards; just pictures within the book. My review of the cards are based on the pictures and not the actual cards).

Regardless, I would buy "The Cantigee Oracle" for personal use, as well as recommend the book to family and friends. It has a lot of promise.

These 52 archetype oracle cards are inspired by concepts from Buddhism, taoism, Yoga, aniimism, art and science. For each archetype, you will find a thread of a story or explanation, practices connecting you with the ideas and energy of the archetypes, creative ways to use this archetype and totems ,visual reminders of things you are trying to cultivate in your life and yourself. The descriptions and graphics of how to use the card spreads are pretty clear, i have a few suggestions for improvements. There should be full color illustrations of the card; there are only grey sketches. The book at 331 pages is ,a .little long. The introduction and some of the descriptions should be pared down. I didnt see a table of contents.