Botanical Inspirations Deck

[Marina]

Hey everyone,

 

I was wondering if anyone uses (or has used) the oracle deck called "Botanical Inspirations" by Lynn Araujo. As a lover to botanical art, I am really attracted to it… but it also seems to be one of those vague "advice" decks? Like, with little sentences that say the obvious. I heard it comes with a book though, so maybe I'm wrong?

 

Any opinions and ideas about this deck are very welcome. I have found if for sale here for a decent price and am wondering wether it's worth buying or not.

[Raggydoll]

Some years ago I was really into botanical decks and I acquired this one to add to that collection. I have since sold it because I felt that it was boring and flat, very limited in its uses. I would not recommend it. 
 

There is just one botanical deck that I’ve continued to use, and it’s the Pythia bothanica Oracle. The guidebook is not great (the entries are not in any order and the verses for the cards can feel a bit pretentious and hard to decipher) but I find that it reads well. I also like the art style better than the Botanical inspirations. 

[Marina]

Thank you so much, @Raggydoll, for your honest comment. It's exactly the impression I got from the deck, but I was afraid I was being unfair! I'll check the Pythia bothanica Oracle, I had never even heard of it!

 

It’s hard to find solid bothanic or plant-focused decks (that are not "language or the flowers" stuff). Personally, I think the Flower Speaks and Herbal Tarot are good ones… I used to have the Magickal Bothanical Oracle, by Christopher Penczak, which seemed interesting because I really love poisonous plants. BUT… I really couldn't get into Maxine Miller's art. It just felt so busy and overwhelming, and way too detailed for the size of the cards.
 

So the search continues!

Edited yesterday at 01:16 PM by Marina
Typo

[Chariot]

I am very much a plant person, and use (and LOVE) The Druid Plant Oracle by Phillip Carr and Stephanie Gomm.  (They are the people who created The Druidcraft Tarot, which I also use and love.

This oracle deals straightforwardly with UK plants and their uses.  The book that accompanies the deck is excellent.  Each card gets a couple of pages, explaining traditional uses of the plant, and then discusses what you can learn from drawing the card either upright or reversed.  Then there is a section that either tells legends of the plant or gives a history of its uses and why people thought the plant was important.

I often finish an ordinary tarot reading by drawing a card from this deck and meditating on how this plant can affect what I learned from the general tarot reading.   This is a calming exercise, and very useful for setting my mind and emotions at rest.

Here is a link to a YouTube flip-through of this deck.  

 

Oh, by the way, the artwork is luscious.  Very realistic depiction of the plant in a setting where it is normally found.  The cards are large, but that's not necessarily a drawback in an oracle deck.  This is a deck I would not want to be without.