The Secret Language of Animals - 46 animals as mirror and compass
Animals speak a language without words. This oracle deck translates that language into cards you can lay out, hold, consult daily. Chip Richards wrote the texts, Jimmy Manton drew the animals. The result is a deck that pays equal attention to the biological reality of an animal and what it can mean symbolically.
The deck contains 46 cards. Some animals are familiar, such as the dog or the bee. Others are endangered, such as the snow leopard or the elephant. That choice is deliberate. Richards wants to show that the wisdom of animals is vulnerable and deserves protection.
What you see on the cards
Jimmy Manton draws naturalistically. No fantasy creatures or stylized forms, but recognizable portraits. A wolf looks straight at you. A whale floats through blue water. Backgrounds are plain or vague, so the animal takes centre stage.
The cards have a matte finish and feel sturdy. The format is 90 x 128 mm, slightly larger than standard playing cards. They sit well in the hand and shuffle easily.
How the guidebook works
The 144-page guidebook describes each animal in three steps. First a short sketch of its natural habitat and characteristics. Then the symbolic meaning: what this animal can teach you about behaviour, choices, patterns. Finally an affirmation you can repeat or write down.
The texts are direct and accessible. Richards writes without esoteric jargon. He names concrete situations in which an animal lesson helps: when you doubt, feel stuck, think too much, feel too little.
Draw a card and read only the description of the animal itself first. Only then look at the symbolic meaning. That order helps you understand the lesson from reality, not the other way round.
Who this deck works for
The texts are written for people who want to train their intuition without having to read long instructions. The affirmations are short enough to remember. The illustrations help you quickly get a feeling for a card.
This is not a tarot deck and does not follow a fixed system. You can draw the cards at any time, without a spread, without preparation.
About Chip Richards and Jimmy Manton
Chip Richards is an author and storyteller. He grew up in Australia and has worked for years with stories that bring people closer to nature. He writes about connection, instinct and the role of humans in the bigger picture.
Jimmy Manton is an illustrator. He draws animals with a combination of biological accuracy and softness. His work is realistic, but never cold.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 46
- Guidebook: 144 pages
- Language: English
- Card size: 90 x 128 mm
- Cardstock: Sturdy cardstock with matte finish
- Publisher: Blue Angel Publishing
- Author: Chip Richards
- Illustrator: Jimmy Manton
Questions we often get
Does the guidebook include instructions for spreads?
No. The guidebook focuses entirely on the individual cards. How you lay them out is up to you. Many people draw one card daily.
Are the animals depicted actually endangered?
Some are. Richards mentions this explicitly in the introduction. He wants to draw attention to the vulnerability of certain species, but the cards are not intended as activist material. The focus is on the symbolic lessons.
