The Zen of Animals

Mind, Body & Soul Card Deck Review: The Zen of Animals by Pamela Matthews. Published by Blue Angel Publishing.  A sturdy box containing cards and accompanying guidebook. £17.99 Size 13cm x 17cm

"Having no destination, I am never lost." Ikkyu

36 cards size 13cm x 17cm with figurative and animal art that expresses symbolism and meaning. 

From the accompanying book - Sample: Rabbit: Productive, daring, unpredictable, courageous. Smart little rabbits can win your heart. If kept domestically, they are capable of providing similar delights as a cat. They can be brave beyond belief. They are also beautiful to see and touch. Message: remember your rabbit qualities and charm dear to delight others with your unpredictability and sensual attributes. Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself. From Zenrin-kushu

 

From the box write-up “all beings of Mother Earth share our stardust origins, tracing our evolution back to the same spark, whether nee, dolphin, or elephant.”

We are invited to choose a card, meditate upon it and enjoy it, and consider how the image awakens memories, or imagination. Some are Otherworld species, such as the phoenix, dragon, salamander, and qilin, but most are real species that represent the power of the horse, the staying power of the camel, or the wise owl. Some may be envisioned as power animals, totems or gods and goddesses.

Each card carries an image and a title. In the book, there is a zen saying, 10 keywords, a short explanation of 30 words about the animal, and a message of 20 words. It is possible to research the animal for more information about it. There are three ways to use the cards, by choosing one card, choosing three cards for ‘past, present and future’, and choosing six cards for a more in depth reading. 

The New Zealand artist and creator, Pamela Matthews is a surrealist visionary artist whose work has focussed on the divine feminine, nature, myth, and the esoteric. 

I enjoyed these cards! Ideal for young women as all the images feature women; lightly multicultural. Animals are becoming more popular as many species are in reduced numbers due to pollution, loss of habitat, hunting and climate change. 

Review by Wendy Stokes https://wendystokes.co.uk