Habitat

Habitat - 88 watercolour cards about humans and biodiversity

Most oracle cards give you instructions or meanings. These cards give you images and leave the rest to you. Habitat from OH Publishing is a card set that works as a conversation starter, association tool and quiet mirror of the relationship between humans and nature.

Christian Gronau painted 88 scenes that range from realistic nature depictions to poetic, sometimes confronting compositions. The format is large: 100 x 150 mm. That makes them suitable for group work, but you can just as easily use them alone.

What you see on the cards

Watercolours in vivid colours. Some cards show untouched wilderness, others show how human and natural worlds run through each other. There are no words on the cards, no labels, no instructions.

That makes them widely applicable. In education they are used to get children talking about ecosystems. In training sessions they serve as a starting point for reflection on sustainability. And some people just draw one every morning to start their day.

How you work with them

There is no fixed system. You can draw a card and see what associations come up. You can lay them on a table and ask someone which card speaks to them most. Or you pick one and keep it with you for a few days, without forcing anything.

The set includes an information insert with background on the project and suggestions for use. No mandatory spread, no list of meanings. Gronau assumes the image itself says enough.

Draw a card, look at it for a minute without thinking anything, and notice which detail first catches your attention. That detail is often the starting point of a larger insight.

About Christian Gronau

Gronau is a geologist, conservationist and artist. He lives with his partner on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. His work stems from years of experience with wild animals and untouched wilderness.

That background is palpable in the cards. They breathe respect for the earth and at the same time ask for an honest conversation about how we as humans stand in that whole.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 88
• Format: 100 x 150 mm
• Cardstock: sturdy, matte
• Print: vivid colours
• Language: wordless
• Includes: information insert, sturdy storage box
• Weight: 780 g
• Publisher: OH Publishing
• Artist: Christian Gronau

Questions we often get

Is this an oracle deck with fixed meanings?
No. The cards are wordless and have no prescribed meaning. They work associatively: what you see determines what the card means to you.

Can you use these cards with children?
Yes. In education they are regularly used to get children talking about nature and the environment in a playful way. The large format and clear images make them well suited for groups.