View Full Version : The Magical Menagerie - this looks cool!
dolphinprincess
08-11-2004, 09:18
I was browsing on Llewellyn's site and found this:
http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/book.php?pn=J505
To quote:
"* Available: January 2005
Draw wisdom from the animal spirits
Long ago, many cultures relied on real and mythical animal spirits for guidance. Based on ancient Greek and Celtic oracles, The Magical Menagerie is a divination system for today.
Combining the primary elements (earth, air, fire, and water) with animal spirits, this modern oracle is a helpful tool for self-exploration, problem-solving, magic work, and divination. Each card represents a spiritual entity and an associated elemental quality. The 42-card deck includes common animals, fantastic beasts (unicorns, centaurs, dragons, etc.), elemental gnomes, undines, sylphs, a fetch, and quintessence (the fifth element). Detailed descriptions of each card, a history of the elements, spreads, and sample readings are provided in the Companion Guide to The Magical Menagerie, included in the kit."
Amazon does have it available for pre-order: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0738705055/ref=nosim/aeclectic/
FantasyWorld
08-11-2004, 09:25
This looks interesting:)
Look forward to seeing pics of it and a review when it comes out.
Thanks for posting about it!!
TygrEyes
08-11-2004, 23:16
This is a link to a pdf. file for llewellyn's trade catalog. There are a few pics, you just have to scroll down to find the listing.
Bottom of page 4.
http://www.llewellyn.com/trade/catalog/kitsAV_winter05.pdf
dolphinprincess
09-11-2004, 00:09
TygrEyes-
Thank you so much for the link :)
lunakasha
09-11-2004, 07:59
Thanks for the link....these cards look very interesting!!!
Looks like another animal deck for my collection....
:D Luna
dolphinprincess
11-01-2005, 00:36
I see that this set is now available. Has anyone purchased it?
I am very curious to hear more about it.
Cerulean
11-01-2005, 12:08
The drawings are as pretty as a Robert Place deck but the picture of the undine and the gnome and centeur just didn't have much depth for me. It's got the softcover book, about 40 or so (42) cards, the gauzy bag and funny empty box of a standard Llewellyn set and I thought if I had a teenage niece that liked animals, this would be nice. The name Magical Menagerie, is that a popular Henry Potter association, by chance? It doesn't have anything to do with any game or other product with a similar name.
The line drawings and soft color washes are pretty!
Cerulean
dolphinprincess
11-01-2005, 12:21
Thanks Cerulean :)
What is the book like? Are the meanings in-depth (like a Medicine Cards set) or are they more "divinitory" / key word?
Thank you !!!
PS. The Magical MEnagerie is from Harry Potter. I forgot until I did a search on the set today - and all the sites had something to do with Potter.
Cerulean
12-01-2005, 05:12
...I only saw hastily there seemed to be three or four paragraphs--which actually should be adequate. But what happened is I am spoiled by beautiful tarot decks and other animal oracle variations out there.
If Llewellyn had said this was a magical menagerie similar to the characters of Harry Potter's books, I would have thought great, this is cool...but it seems so simple and generic to me, I thought it would be for...say a young niece who enjoys animals and whose parents would not mind Greco-Roman meanings briefly mentioned in an overview...for instance, people might love the illustrated young adult Bullfinch Mythology version of Greco-Roman tales.
My problem was I was already reading text-only translations of Bullfinch along with Asian and European translations as a teenager and most animal-based oracles out there have more legend and story in a way that I like...just my take. That's my opinion, not really a good one for those liking insight on it as a friendly deck. The pictures are quite pretty and sometimes that's all people need; so the book and packaging might be a luxerious bonus!
Regards,
Cerulean
WolfSpirit
13-01-2005, 02:58
Somehow that link to the pdf-file did not work for me, so I went to the Llewellyn site. There is an interview with the creator Mike Leslie.
His magical menagerie has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but refers to medieval bestiaries that had descriptions of both real and mythical animals.
Seems the deck is more meant for spellwork rather than divination.
Although it may appeal to children, it is not meant as a children's deck.
Interview is here: http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/article.php?id=758
Cerulean
18-04-2005, 09:41
Look at the review below--did anyone ever end up buying this set? What do they think?
http://www.angelfire.com/nm/spiritualwarrier/index.613.html
I like this review!
Cerulean
Is there anyone out here using this deck? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Llewellyn has this deck on special for like $12.50, at that price I could not resist so I ordered it. Looks nice ....
Yes, I have it. I bought it for the illustrations of Eric Hotz who is one of my favourite illustrators and also did The Bright Idea Deck. I just love his work so regardless of the system involved in the deck, I would have bought it anyway.
It comes in typical Llewellyn packaging with the big outer box and the cards and cheap white box inside--think it also came with one of those cheap black organdy bags too.
The cards are of good quality with kind of a semi-gloss laminate. They measure 3 x 4.5 inches.
I didn't find the 168-page book enough for my curiosity, so I bought a used copy of Mike Leslie's book "The Magical Personality" to go with the deck, and I've enjoyed that. I've seen some people trading the book here if you're interested in more information once you get the cards.
I remember doing a spread with it and liking the system. I also (did I say this?) LOVE the illustrations!
I don't have any criticism of it, because I love the illustrations <g> and I think you will be pleased for it at that price. The system is interesting--different (see The Fetch card)--you'll have to put a bit of effort in, but it's great for short spreads and daily draws and just looking at the fabulous illustrations.
It has animals and also some mythological creatures--I find it inventive and refreshing.
WolfSpirit
20-12-2006, 04:51
Thanks for that information, room. Sounds good :D
Can't believe it is almost two years ago when I first heard of this deck, and I still haven't got it. I am still interested though but I don't have much time at the moment to give to new decks.
CosmicFaery
30-10-2007, 02:50
Hi!
I've recently bought this deck, because I wanted to work with animal cards and mythical creatures. I found the artwork appealing and the idea of using the 4 elements. The latter use in this deck I find especially interesting.
However, I was wondering, if those of you who also have this deck can tell me about the blackbird: does it have a large red mark on its wing on your card? Maybe I'm just fussy, but it slightly irritates me. Just wondering, if it's a printing fault.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
6 Haunted Days
30-10-2007, 05:46
I've had this set for months, have looked through the cards and the book, but haven't felt any pull to work with it. Can't help you out!
The art and images leave much to be desired, and the book was so-so. I am thinking I should have gotten the Druid Animal Oracle.
HearthCricket
30-10-2007, 09:50
However, I was wondering, if those of you who also have this deck can tell me about the blackbird: does it have a large red mark on its wing on your card? Maybe I'm just fussy, but it slightly irritates me. Just wondering, if it's a printing fault.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
I don't have the deck, but I do have an abundance of Red-winged blackbirds that frequent under my feeder and nest in the wetlands across the street. Could that be what you are seeing, perhaps?
faunabay
30-10-2007, 11:48
I don't have the deck, but I do have an abundance of Red-winged blackbirds that frequent under my feeder and nest in the wetlands across the street. Could that be what you are seeing, perhaps?
I do have the deck - which I love by the way!! - and it is a red winged blackbird. I get them all the time at my bird feeder too!
Queen of Disks
30-10-2007, 12:57
I have it and haven't used it in a while. I didn't get much out of it.
CosmicFaery
30-10-2007, 18:34
Thank you for clearing this one up for me. We don't seem to have red-winged blackbirds here in the UK, so the image of your native blackbird was most helpful. What a pretty bird that is!
HearthCricket
31-10-2007, 00:30
Thank you for clearing this one up for me. We don't seem to have red-winged blackbirds here in the UK, so the image of your native blackbird was most helpful. What a pretty bird that is!
You are very welcome! Here, in New England, they are the harbinger of spring. When the snow might still be a bit on the ground the males arrive, sit on reeds in the wetlands and make their screech while puffing up their wings, showing off the red and yellow banded feathers. They are a sociable bird and nest nest to each other, but they are marking out their particular territory. The females, who are very spotted and have a stripe on their faces, come several weeks later, and nest on the ground below that reed. It is a noisy and busy place when they arrive, but exciting, too, as it means spring is definitely coming! In the fall (right now and earlier) they gather in huge masses of hundreds and even thousands of birds to migrate south and west until next March comes rolling along. Fun birds! I hope this helps, too!!
Queen of Disks
31-10-2007, 07:11
Redwinged blackbirds also live here in Ohio, and they also show up around spring. There is a gas station by my former apartment, and I always saw them on the fence around the gas station.
Is anyone using this deck? What do you think about the information about the elements? Can it be applied to tarot readings?
I bought this deck cheap at a discount new age store. I'm a bit disappointed in it. The book is no more helpful to me than a LWB. I'm used to oracles being more helpful.
I really like the emphasis on the elements, but need more help. Maybe also supplementation for each animal.
The emphasis on spellcasting is also unique. I don't know how to apply it though since I don't cast spells.
I feel like this deck has great potential, but I don't know how to use it for my self-discovery and journaling activities.
cardlady22
23-04-2009, 13:01
Onyx had a post about a possible misprint, but I'm having trouble finding it again. I'll edit here when I find it.
www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=113782 Raven & Seal
Well, wonder of wonders! Search popped it up quick for me.
cardlady22
24-04-2009, 00:00
I was skimming through the book, as I haven't gotten to examining this set yet, and noticed page 15 where the author lines up the 4 elements in a column showing directional changes of energy. This is similar to what the geomantic symbols represent!
I think I'm going to like playing with this! As an exercise, try using 4 colors and draw a symbol for each card with its associated order of the 4 elements. Kind of like the trigram/hexagram idea of the I Ching. Color really changes things for me when I study.
I tried googling some of what you mentioned, but don't understand.
cardlady22
24-04-2009, 22:36
It's a tangent, really. I'm infamous for those! :P
Basically, the 16 geomantic symbols have 4 "lines" and are sometimes analyzed in a way that says whether the element is present/active.
Top/1st (head) Fire
2nd (neck) Air
3rd (belly) Water
Bottom/4th (foot) Earth
*Reminds me of a mini chakra chart.
For the colored line idea, I was going to set up index cards where the left side is the "standard" order given above and the right side is the order depicted on each card. After I get the chance to mark them out, I'll upload pics.
It may not do anything for me. I just get these wild ideas sometimes.
The more you write, the more interested I am. The more I understand the more I have questions, though.
I have this deck, and though I have not used it in a very long time I did really enjoy it when I was messing with it. I love anything that deals with elements so I found it very interesting and neat. About using it with tarot ... never tried it in combination with any other deck.
SpiritOfTheDogz
15-01-2010, 07:59
I've had this book a couple of weeks now and really like it, although the book could be a lot more clearer. The readings I've done haven't been as accurate as with other decks. Who knows that might come with time :)