Animal Guides Tarot

Animal Guides Tarot - 78 animal cards with renamed Major Arcana

Animal imagery in tarot is nothing new. What makes this deck a specific choice is the decision to keep the full classic structure while adjusting a number of card names. Radleigh Valentine works with 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana, but renames where he feels the original titles create distance rather than clarity.

The cards measure 98 x 128 mm, slightly wider than a standard tarot card, closer to oracle card proportions. The card stock is thick and heavy, yet flexible enough to shuffle without struggle. The finish is smooth and glossy.

What you see on the cards

Every one of the 78 cards shows an animal or insect in a scene that illustrates the card's meaning. The one exception is The Magician, represented here by a unicorn. All other animals depicted are real creatures.

Dan Craig painted the illustrations. His palette is wide and nature-based, drawing on almost every colour you might find outdoors. The images carry a slight softness, with carefully detailed animals placed in both natural and fantastical settings. Some cards read clearly as hand-rendered work; others show the blurring and outline quality typical of digital compositing. That difference is visible when you lay the cards side by side.

The Major Arcana are colour-coded in purple. The four suits are renamed Spring, Summer, Winter and Autumn, corresponding to Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Spring is burgundy, Summer is teal, Winter is royal blue, Autumn is emerald green.

What has changed from classic tarot

Ten of the 22 Major Arcana carry new names. The Fool becomes The Dreamer, The Hierophant becomes Unity, Justice becomes Awakening, Death becomes Release, Temperance becomes Balance, The Devil becomes Ego, The Tower becomes Life Experience, and Judgement becomes Renewal. Justice is also placed at position eight and Strength at position eleven, which differs from the most commonly used ordering.

Anyone who has memorised the Rider-Waite-Smith names will need a short adjustment period. The underlying structure, the count and arrangement of arcana and suits, remains unchanged.

If you already know the classic card names well, keep the guidebook close for your first few readings. The renamed cards follow their own internal logic, and that logic becomes clear quickly, but it does ask for a moment of switching gears.

About Radleigh Valentine

Radleigh Valentine is a bestselling author, international speaker, and spiritual intuitive. He has studied tarot for over twenty years and teaches workshops across the United States. He also creates RadScopes, weekly horoscopes with a tarot element. Animal Guides Tarot is published by Hay House.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781401975166
• Publisher: Hay House LLC
• Dimensions: 98 x 128 mm
• Finish: Smooth and glossy
• Card stock: Thick and flexible
• Illustrator: Dan Craig
• Author: Radleigh Valentine
• Contents: 78 cards and guidebook

Questions we often get

Is this a standard tarot deck or an oracle?
This is a full tarot deck with 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana across four suits. The structure follows the classic tarot framework, though several cards and suits have been given new names.

What language are the cards and guidebook in?
Both the cards and the guidebook are in English. The renamed card titles appear printed on the cards themselves.