Spirit of the Animals Oracle by Jody Bergsma

51 animal guides, plus a Personal Choice card. The 52-card deck introduces 51 animal helpers, each with keywords and an affirmation, and a Personal Choice card for an animal not pictured, chosen by your intuition.

Luminous watercolor art. Jody Bergsma's richly detailed, borderless illustrations bring each animal vividly to life and invite a deeper connection during reading.

Generous guidebook and spread. The set includes a 116-page illustrated guidebook with fuller messages for each animal, along with a Power Animals Spread sheet.

From the publisher, U.S. Games Systems: this oracle by Jody Bergsma guides you on a journey to get to know 51 different animal helpers and their gifts. From tiny bumblebees to towering giraffes, each animal offers strength, insight, and inspiration for your personal journey, and a special Personal Choice card invites you to deepen your intuition and connection. The set includes 51 Animal Spirit Cards, a Personal Choice Card, a 116-page illustrated guidebook, and a Power Animals Spread sheet.

Jody Bergsma is a watercolor artist based in Bellingham, Washington, who has developed her luminous, self-taught style over decades and thousands of paintings. Keywords and affirmations are printed on the borderless cards, with fuller messages and meanings in the guidebook.

• 52-card oracle deck (51 Animal Spirit Cards plus 1 Personal Choice Card)
• 116-page illustrated guidebook
• Power Animals Spread sheet
• Artist: Jody Bergsma
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
• Art style: borderless watercolor; keywords and affirmations printed on the cards
• Card size: approximately 4" x 6"
• ISBN: 9781572817845
• SKU: DSPIANI

The idea that animals can act as guides and teachers is one of the oldest and most widespread in human culture. People the world over have looked to the creatures around them, reading a hawk's keen vision, a bear's strength, or a deer's gentleness as mirrors for qualities they hope to understand in themselves. The Spirit of the Animals Oracle draws on that broad and deeply human impulse, offering 51 animals as companions for reflection.

It is worth saying plainly that this deck is Jody Bergsma's own artistic and spiritual vision, drawing inspiration from many cultures' reverence for animals rather than representing the ceremonial practice of any single tradition. Approached that way, it sits respectfully alongside that long history without claiming to speak for traditions it does not belong to.

As an oracle, it works a little differently from tarot. Rather than a fixed structure of 78 cards, it offers a gallery of animal helpers, each with its own keywords and affirmation, plus a Personal Choice card for an animal not pictured. Drawing one becomes an invitation to ask what that creature's qualities might be showing you, and what you might carry forward from the encounter.

1. When the deck is new, clear it in whatever way suits you: passing it through cleansing smoke, resting it under the moon, or simply shuffling while you set your intention for your work together.
2. Take a little time to meet the animals before you read. Notice which ones you feel drawn to; the deck is built to spark connection through their presence.
3. Choose how you would like to work, whether a single daily card, a small spread, or the Power Animals Spread included with the deck, and shuffle while holding your question in mind.
4. Read the cards with the guidebook close at hand, and sit with the keywords and affirmation, asking what each animal's qualities might be inviting you to notice.
5. Close your reading with a moment of thanks or reflection, and store the cards somewhere that feels right, wrapped in cloth or kept in their box.

• Spiritsong Tarot Deck: a gentle, animal-guided tarot, a natural companion for readers who love working with creatures as teachers.
• Tarot of the Owls: another animal-led deck, full of owl wisdom, for those drawn to creatures as guides.
• White Sage Smudge Sticks, Set of 6: cleanse your deck and reading space with sacred smoke before you begin.
• Soul Connection Frankincense Resin: burn a little frankincense as you read to settle the mind and mark the space as sacred.
• Selenite Wire-Wrapped Necklace: many readers keep selenite nearby to help maintain a clear, calm space for intuitive work.

How many cards are in the deck, and what comes with it?

The Spirit of the Animals Oracle is a 52-card deck, made up of 51 Animal Spirit Cards and one Personal Choice Card. The set also includes a 116-page illustrated guidebook with fuller messages for each animal and a Power Animals Spread sheet to guide your layouts.

How is an oracle deck different from a tarot deck?

Unlike tarot, which follows a fixed structure of 78 cards, an oracle deck sets its own. Here, each card is a single animal guide with its own keywords and affirmation, so readings tend to feel open and reflective, centered on the qualities the animal embodies rather than a set system.

What is the Personal Choice card for?

The Personal Choice card stands in for an animal that is not pictured in the deck. When it appears, or when you choose it, you are invited to use your own intuition to decide which animal has come forward for you and what its presence might mean.

Who created the Spirit of the Animals Oracle?

It was created by Jody Bergsma, a watercolor artist based in Bellingham, Washington. Known for her luminous, imaginative animal art, she developed her self-taught style over decades and many thousands of paintings.

How do I cleanse or care for an oracle deck?

Many readers cleanse a new deck before first use by passing it through cleansing smoke, setting it under the moon, or knocking and reshuffling to reset its energy. Store the cards in their box or wrapped in cloth, keep them dry, and handle them with clean hands to protect the art.