Medicine Cards
Text © 1988, 1999 by Jamie Sams and David Carson
Illustrations © by Angel Werneke

The Medicine Cards and accompanying book represent one of the nicest, thorough, and well thought out systems of spirituality that I have ever seen when it comes to working with animal guides.  Millions of people worldwide have used this system for guidance, inspiration, and help in finding answers to life questions.  This fascinating and thought provoking set of Medicine Cards draws upon ancient wisdom and tradition to teach the healing medicine of animals.  To better understand what is meant by "medicine" in this card system, the authors point out that one must "redefine medicine."

From the Animal Medicine Book's Introductory Pages (pg. 13)
To understand the concept of medicine in the Native American way, one must redefine "medicine."  The medicine referred to in this book is anything that improves one's connection to the Great Mystery and to all life.  This would include the healing of body, mind, and spirit.  This medicine is also anything that brings personal power, strength, and understanding.  It is the constant living of life in a way that brings healing to the Earth Mother and to all of our associates, family, friends, and fellow creatures.  Native American medicine is an all-encompassing "way of life," for it involves walking on the Earth Mother in perfect harmony with the Universe.

The deck includes 52 cards plus 9 blank totem cards which can be used to fill in with any animal that you feel is missing and would like to be a part of your card set.  The cards are 5-1/2" x 3" and have an animal image in a circle shield at the center of each card.  The name of the animal card and the number of the card are noted at the top.  Each card's top half is done in sky blue while the bottom half of each card is done in a green earthy tone.  A red border surrounds the cards which also intersects the division of colors on each card.  The art is done very nicely.  It's not what I would call completely simple, yet it's not fancy or dazzling -- but "just right" in my opinion.  There are no distracting details, and it's not something that is considered a "cutesie" deck.  It's attractive but simple enough to work well for most any user.

The back of the cards feature a simple but powerful symbol of lightening on a blue background.  Lightening is "illuminating," and working with these cards can definitely be a personally "illuminating" experience!  The accompanying hardback book is a real gem!  It includes stories and information about the animals that can really help you get in touch with what they represent . . . and to remember it later.  What is interesting to a reader is better remembered than things that are not so interesting.  And after reading through the information for each animal in the book, I did find it all to be quite fascinating and informative.

Each animal has a lesson, and a major keyword is included at the beginning of each animal's presentation in the book which gives you a glimpse or a feeling for that animal spirit energy before you begin delving into the complete information.  The book has a number of interesting spreads, some of which are influenced by the teachings of the Native American tribes.  The Sun Lodge Spread is an interesting one included, and this particular layout helps you discover how others perceive you, while the Moon Lodge spread is a mirror of who you are and what is in the subconscious.  I particularly like the Sun Lodge Spread as I've found that a very common question for any oracle is . . . "What does he/she think of me?"  That gets asked more than one might think, and here is a deck that can provide a solid answer for that kind of question.

Editorial Reviews:

"Since the publication of the Navaho novel, Seven Arrows, over twenty years ago, I haven't seen anything so adventurous or beautifully executed as Medicine Cards...this handsome and inviting package has much to teach us all." --Patricia Holt, San Francisco Chronicle

"A potent yet refreshingly simple divination tool that can help us reconnect to the sources of life's natural guidance...extraordinarily well crafted. This work is plentiful, overflowing with the richness of the Native American way of life." --Yoga Journal

This card system may be of special interest for anyone who is looking to work with animal spirits, doing personal transformation work, or anyone who follows the teachings of the Native Americans.  It can be of interest to deck collectors as well.

Velvet Angel

MEDICINE CARDS The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals Book and Card Set Available from Amazon.com:

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