The watercolour pictures are beautiful painted at the end. I just wished there was more pictures throughout the book and I think that would help separate the writing and showing illustrations . The information is very in depth and I think this book would definitely help you with understanding and using oracles.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Two stars for the authors’ sincerity. Quite complex instructions with very loose illustrations, in many cases, looking as though they were left to chance. In this current social atmosphere of “virtue signalling,” the author seemed to leave no stone unturned. I have thought a great deal about whether to even write a public review, but in the end felt that, if I had purchased a copy rather than read as a Net Galley reviewer, I believe I would have been rather disappointed. However thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

This was okay but it was a bit diverse because it had the entire range so how could each set actually relate to each person directly if that makes sense? The novel’s title goes on about creativity but how does it when it is simple minded with no actual inspiration to think outside the box for anything at all - not even in particular?

Please note that I received an advanced copy of the guidebook from NetGalley. I cannot attest to the cards themselves.

I really loved how in-depth this guidebook is. It provides multiple spreads, breaks down archetypes, and provides a rounded explanation of the cards and their meanings. I especially love how the author not only provides prompts for the deck as a whole but each card has its own prompt as well. The author also takes the time to connect each card to nature as well which I really enjoyed. Another great thing about this guide is the resources section at the end. The author takes the time to include resources on being more sustainable, books, and more which I thought was a really nice touch.

One thing I was not a fan of was the Oracle Hygiene section at the beginning of the guidebook. I thought the Clean Start section was more nicely put and all that is needed to describe cleansing. The Oracle Hygiene was just unnecessary. I also thought the introduction was a bit long. Almost like those stories in front of recipes where you just want to get straight to the point.

Overall, I really did like this guidebook. I was able to get a sneak peek of the artwork for the cards. The art is not really my style so I am unsure as to whether I would buy the cards myself, but I do recommend it based on the guidebook alone so definitely keep this in mind!

Overall impressions: I liked it and would consider buying it/recommending it to others.

Details: this book and oracle deck are a collaboration between 2 women (Laura Zuspan and Rae Diamond). The book, written by Diamond, is meant to accompany the 52 earth based oracle cards drawn by Zuspan, The digital version of the book is lovely – muted greens and browns that are soothing and grounding. I can only imagine how beautiful the book itself will be. The book starts out with an overview of Zuspan’s and Diamond’s partnership and the aspirational focus that motivates the project and insights in the deck.

This is probably not a deck for someone who isn’t invested or interested in earth based connections, sustainability, or earth activism. While Diamond doesn’t say this explicitly, they are very clear at the outset that their focus is ecologically centered and this might come across as polemic to some. I however, fit quite comfortably in that niche, so it was a good fit for me.

Things I liked: how they gave so many possible ways to use the deck. In addition to using the cards in the standard oracle way (draw and interpret), they suggested yearly practices, symbolic practices,* spiritual and personal development practices, creative prompts, and prompts to deepen your connection with nature, As someone who is very much working to rebuild my connection to the land, I can see how this deck would be useful in that practice. 5 stars in this regard.

*I do have one caveat and area that bothered me and would actively suggest that the publishers correct it prior to the official book launch. They used the term totem (I used symbolic) and I think that there is no reason why they need to use this word – in fact, I believe that symbolic or metaphoric would work just as well and be non-appropriative. Totem, for those who don’t know, comes from the Anishinaabe word ote (transliterated by English explorers to ototeman) and is a symbol that represents a family (like a crest) or a revered/sacred symbol. As you can see, it is culturally specific (and has even been misused when we talk of Totem poles), and quite honestly, an unnecessary appropriation, especially in this day and age, of Indigenous knowing and language, given that we already have words that convey this concept within the English culture and language.


That aside, I generally have a positive view of the book. Even though I didn’t actually have the cards while reading the book and I thought it would be hard to try out the deck and the accompanying explanations, I still felt that I got a good sense of what working with the cards would be like. The image of each card is at the end of the text, so I simply randomly choice a card title (I picked What the Worms Know) that I thought might be a bit of a hard read for me and was pleasantly surprised by how perfect the draw felt for that moment. I really didn’t expect to find connection with worms!

As mentioned, imagery is beautiful, a bit surreal and dreamy, but potentially a bit gyno-centric. There is only one image of a man in the deck. And it is more androgynous than stereotypically masculine. That said, the majority of the cards really showcase nature or themes related to nature, so they aren’t all female images of breasts and vaginas! 8 cards are female, 1 male and the rest more nature focused or only featuring body parts (an eye for example). Depending on the reader, this may or may not be a deal breaker. At the end of the day, given what I see on social media, it might perfectly reflect the target audience the deck is meant for – which I probably fall into. On the plus side, while the deck isn’t overtly size inclusive, there is diversity in the females represented.

Would I buy this deck and book? Probably. I enjoyed the overall premise and themes in it despite the flaws I’ve identified. I would even buy it for a particular type of friend, confident in the knowledge that it would appeal to their particular interests. It wouldn’t be my main go to deck, but I could see myself using it regularly enough as I work through the wheel of the year to justify the purchase.

4 to 4.25 stars!

You can tell that this oracle deck has had a lot of love put into it. The cards themselves are exquisite watercolors by Laura Zuspan. I would love to actually have them in hand to see and feel the weight of the deck. The spiritual guidebook is well thought out and gives multiple options on how to use the oracle deck. You can using them weekly, in a spread, for a creative prompt or yearly practice. Overall I think this would make a nice gift for someone who is on the environmental path or even someone who leans to more Buddhist practices.

The Cantigee Oracle makes for a great and powerful awareness of individual and collective story. The prompts provided are gentle nudges to dive deeper into reflection. The author does a remarkable job tying the ecological and spiritual connection together.

hard to connect with personally without having it in my hands, but the artwork and descriptions were gorgeous.

The Cantigee Oracle Deck consists of 52 round watercolor cards and an extensive guidebook. The guidebook is very detailed oriented. It gives you pointers about how to effectively care for and use the deck to get the best results from your reading. I was most impressed with the detailed insight given for each card. The description of each card includes symbology, guidance, totem, portal, practice, creative prompt, and ecological connection. Included are a number of spread suggestions that will help you use the cards most effectively and ask the right questions. It feels like a comprehensive deck that will help you connect to yourself and to nature. This review is based on an ARC of the guidebook for the Cantigee Oracle

A beautiful deck of 52 cards that help connect with nature and our spirituality. The book is very detailed and lines out how nature can help change our lives. The artwork is gorgeous and the lay out of the book is appealing.

This is a beautiful and interesting oracle deck and accompanying book, which goes into great detail about the meaning of each card, how to relate to it artistically and in nature, etc. The author is likeable and gives lots of varieties of spreads to use with the cards, along with all kinds of ideas on how to use them. It's very thorough. The cards themselves are done in watercolor and are striking and rather metaphysical. There is lots of imagery, like ears that are morphing into butterflies and images with eyes in them. There are also a lot of female nudes worked in, lots of nipples and prancing women emerging from the paints. I really liked some of the images and oracles, and others were a little too weird for me. That's perfect for an oracle deck though, where things should evoke all different kinds of emotions and reactions.

This is a very cool deck and book, and I'm considering giving a copy to my fabulous goddaughter who does professional readings. If only it weren't being released in November, the month after her birthday....

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

While I do not plan to buy these for my library, I do really enjoy them as a possible personal gift. I like the amount of detail that is provided for the cards, which is more than I often find on similar types of decks. The prompting questions are helpful for self-inquiry, and the suggestions for practice are a really nice way to encourage new actions to take or things to try out. The artwork is a little on the trippy side in some ways, but I do like the watercolor look and the soft, muted tones that are very earthy. I can just imagine how much they would be fun to use as printed cards.

This Oracle deck features some very interesting artwork, but I found that I really enjoyed the meanings as well. I'm eager to work with the actual cards. If you're a fan of Kim Krans's Archetypes deck, this is definitely a deck you'll want to check out.

The Cantigee Oracle is a beautiful deck consisting of 52 cards that serves as an ecological spiritual guide. It’s a great way to connect with ourselves and the nature around us. This deck is very well thought out and contains a ton of information to describe what Cantigee is. You are encouraged to use your intuition with this deck, but there’s also a wonderful guide filled with information to refer to if you need it.

While I didn't quite connect with this deck or the imagery, I enjoyed the messaging and the array of colors. This is a great deck to check out if you love nature or want to experience something new. Thank you to NetGalley and North Atlantic Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting book that looks at the interconnectedness of life and explores how one can connect to nature to bring about change in their own lives.

The cards are very informative and the art illustrations are quite beautiful. The book is very pleasing visually.