Druid Animal Oracle - Celtic animal oracle built on sacred geometry
Most animal oracle sets arrange their imagery by instinct or tradition. The Druid Animal Oracle goes further: every card image is structured around a pentagram, circle and square, the same proportions the pre-Celtic Druids used when building stone circles. That underlying geometry is not decorative. It is the foundation of how the images are composed.
Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm wrote the animal lore behind the deck. Philip Carr-Gomm studied with Philip Ross Nichols, then Chief Druid, from the age of fifteen. He later took a degree in psychology and trained in psychosynthesis and psychotherapy. He is also the author of The Druid Way and The Elements of the Druid Tradition. His position as Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, one of the largest international Druid organisations, shapes the depth of what is written here.
What you see on the cards
The illustrations are colourful and richly detailed. Each animal has a presence on the card, not just a pose. The borders carry Ogham script, the tree language of the Druids, which adds another layer of symbolism around each image. The backs are as carefully designed as the fronts.
The sequence starts with the Blackbird at the Gateway, the Place of Beginnings, and moves through the five Oldest Animals: Stag, Owl, Eagle, and Salmon. It closes with the Seal, the card of love and choice. Twenty-nine animals and four dragons are covered in total.
How this set works
The Carr-Gomms offer two approaches: using the animals as totems, or following the oracle spreads described in the guidebook. The guidebook connects each animal to lessons and meanings drawn from Celtic and Druid tradition. It reads more plainly than the imagery suggests, but it holds its own as a reference.
The cards are larger than most oracle or tarot cards, and people with smaller hands report that shuffling takes some getting used to. The card stock is thick and withstands repeated use without cracking or flaking.
The three blank cards are worth taking seriously. They are designed to let you add animals that carry personal meaning but fall outside the Celtic canon. That kind of open-endedness is rare in a structured oracle set.
About Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm
Philip Carr-Gomm has been connected to Druidry since his teens, when he began studying under the Chief Druid Philip Ross Nichols. His academic and therapeutic training in psychology and psychosynthesis runs through how the animal meanings are framed: grounded, layered, and rooted in both tradition and inner life.
Stephanie Carr-Gomm serves as Scribe of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Together they bring both the ceremonial and the written side of Druidry to this set.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 33 (including 3 blank cards)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781800691247
- Publisher: Connections Publications
- Publication date: 29 April 2005
- Weight: 249 g
- Box dimensions: 114 x 25 x 152 mm
- Finish: Slight gloss, reversible backs
- Authors: Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm
- Includes: Guidebook and storage box
Questions we often get
How large are the cards, and does the size affect handling?
The cards are larger than standard oracle or tarot cards. People with smaller hands mention that shuffling feels awkward at first. The card stock is thick enough to last through frequent use without warping or damage.
What language are the cards and guidebook in?
Everything is in English. The borders of the cards include Ogham script, but this is part of the imagery rather than a text you need to read in order to use the oracle.
