If you have been following the blog for a bit, you know that I have been slowly working through the oracle cards of the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck. It seems a good time then to discuss this deck in it’s entirety, and give it an honest review so you can see if you would like to include this deck in your collection.
Some brief information on the deck (we will get into the card stock, packaging, guidebook towards the end of the post): this deck was created in 2017 as the first oracle deck to follow her iconic, and now infamous tarot deck. There are 63 cards, and as this is clearly a deck all about the animals of the Wild Unknown, you won’t find any domesticated animals, with the exception of a few.
The animals are divided into the five elements: earth, air, water, fire, and ether. There is also no numbering on the cards, which we will get into.
Animals of the Field and Forest- Earth Element
The animals of the Earth element consist of animals you would find in the forests, woodlands, and fields of the World. These animals all approach and invite us to consider how we engage, move, and act based on our fears and habits. These cards speak to our instincts and actions. Similar to the Pentacles in the tarot, these animals all start the conversation of what we are doing to manifest what we want and need in our lives.
As you can see, there is no number on any of the cards- each one simply has the alchemical symbol for Earth. Kim Krans states in the guidebook that instead of creating a numbered system for the cards, she instead chose each animal for each position based on the level of consciousness raised by that animal, or working with that animal.
At first glance it may not seem like these cards have anything to do with one another other than the places they inhabit. However, the cards do build on each other, which is why I have been going through them one by one, so you can see the progression. The Bear begins this elemental group, and the deck itself. This speaks to awakening from sort of slumber, and moving into the light. This level of consciousness is different than that of the Horse, the last card in this group. The Horse speaks to unbridled freedom and attainment and mastery of the horizon.
Animals of the Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes- Water Element
The next element is Water, and there are some surprising choices of creatures in this element. Choices like the Beaver and Otter (perhaps even Turtle), indicate a layered approach to reading these cards- how our emotions and intuition are bridged to the earth, to sacred play and harmony of the home.
One of the things to note about reading this deck, the images are very straight-forward, and the flair comes in the coloration of the cards, and some very intentional symbolism. For instance, the Dolphin is the only card in the group with such a vibrant coloring to the card, which does lend to the Dolphin spirit, and how to read it in a pull. The rest of the cards keep with a darker background and color palette, with contrasting colorings to highlight.
At first glance, you would assume a lot of blues and greens, but I feel that the darker color choice fits the element of Water. We are working in the depths of ourselves; these cards speaks to our emotions, heart-space, intuition, and our internal-to-external flow. For that reason I think the depth given with the black, and the highlighting with bright colors fits perfectly.
The Earth cards feel the most disjointed to me, or at least have the most range. The colors vary and are all over the place. That isn’t to say that I don’t like the images; I think they are absolutely brilliant. The Spider with its rainbow-hued web speaks to the power of weaving and creation. The Buffalo with the strike of lightning behind- an invitation to lean into your strength and the storm as that is the quickest way through. The Snake with the mandala inside the circumference speaks to that Kundalini life force intertwining with sacred geometry of the cosmos.
Creatures of the Desert and Grassland- Fire Element
The animals in the fire element are animals that you would find in the deserts and savannahs of our world. These animals speak to transformation in the spirit, the change of moving through ego, and enduring the process of surrender. I feel that the images in this group are the most coherent to each other. Looking at them, I feel they all go in the same element.
The images here also have a lot of connections to the background. The horizontal lines suggest expansion. The circle and spiral speak to harmony, continuation, and movement. Even the Moon appears three times in the Hyena, Camel, and Tiger, emphasizing how spiritual transformation is connected to cycles, transitions, reflection, and the wild night.
Having read with this deck many times in reading events, I can say this deck is really fun to read with, once you get familiar with the cards which can take some time. When I read with this deck for others, I lean into the directions the animals are facing, the colors, background, lines, etc. At the end of this post, I will share my final thoughts on if you should get this deck, how it is to read for myself, for others, and what I love and dislike most about this deck.
This elemental grouping has some of my favorite images too. To me, the Cheetah is one of the most beautiful cards in the deck. The pose, the spiral, the contrast….it’s so beautiful.
Creatures of the Sky - Air Element
The second to last elemental group is Air, and of course we are given all animals with wings. In this element, we are working with themes of perception, choice, communication, ideas, and philosophies and belief systems. Like the Swords in the tarot, these animal will all invite you to consider how you are seeing something from a bird’s-eye-view. These animals all ask you to approach your situations with a clear head, and a detailed vision.
Going back to the idea of no numerical association, but rather a raising of consciousness, I feel that this grouping clearly shows the progression. The Moth is prone to hasty and impulsive tendencies, following the light even to its own demise. The Eagle on the other hand is the great seer and watcher of the sky. The Eagle speaks to transforming your karma, and creating mastery over fire and air. One fuels the other- like how our beliefs when encompassing and bright like the fire of the sun stretch past us to include the lives of all.
When I was first learning how to read this deck, this is the one where I didn’t have to work as hard to see the progression. However, I will say this: if you do not want to include that secondary narrative of consciousness-raising, you will still get beautiful readings from this deck.
Also, you may feel inspired to make your own progression, and Kim Krans invites you to do so. While I see the reason for the Bear at #1, my own personal connection to this animal in it’s spirit, and in the wild might tell me to place it somewhere to the top. That is a choice you will need to make when reading with this deck.
Creatures of the Ether
In this grouping, we are working with mythical figures to denote the elemental nature of ether. These cards also align with the Seven Chakras. The Phoenix at the Root Chakra speaks to aligning us into a new, better, and aligned life by burning away our mistakes, karma, and baggage from previous situations, people we use to be, and even lifetimes. The Dragon at the Solar Plexus speaks to seeing our true selves and breathing the transformative fire of spirit that allows us to see and understand the internal and external together.
And so on, with these seven cards. What I love about the Ether creatures is how they connect so intimately to the chakras. However, I will say that the black and golden egg leave me a little underwhelmed. In a grouping of only seven cards that are mythical and fantasy-based (which is my absolute jam) three of them being eggs leaves a little to be desired. Of all the mythical creatures in all the historical lineages, we have three eggs….
I think there could easily be a Selkie at the Heart Chakra, or a Sphinx at the Throat. I know Kim Krans is an amazing artist, so I trust the decisions she made, and the decisions are hers to make whether I agree or understand them. Still, I think there could have been some epic choices that she could have drawn so beautifully. Sigh..
The other thing about the Black and Golden Egg is that these two cards are hard to read intuitively if you don’t know the chakras. The Black Egg symbolizes the shape of the open mouth and how we speak to the truth, eliminating the static noise of falsehoods and insecurities. The Golden Egg is the Heart, and to be honest, I would never have guessed that had I not read the guidebook. The Unicorn makes sense at the Third Eye, and the Cosmic Egg at the Crown also makes sense given the sacred geometry of the egg shape.
This grouping may give you issue if, like me, you really try to build an intuitive connection without the guidebook. You can do it, and it’s helpful again to see the progression from card theme (chakra) and creature, but it may just take some time.
Details and Specifics about the Deck
The design and box set that I have is not what is available today, as my deck is one that I received back when it first came out. The dimensions listed on Amazon are 5.1″ x 2.5″ x 7.7″. The image on Amazon also shows the cards to look like they have more of a shine to the finish now. That’s how it looks to me. My cards have that soft matte finish and feel to them that I really enjoy. They shuffle beautifully and like the tarot, they have a reptilian backing.
The guidebook is hand-written typeface which gives an unpolished feel to the deck which I enjoy. As with all of Krans’s decks, the detailing and intricacy is unmatched. She also includes in a bunch of tarot spreads, information about her choice to create this deck, and information about the groupings.
She also gives information about connecting the deck to the true Wild Unknown. If you have a lot of apex predators, or one apex predator and a lot of prey animals, that could change and deepen your reading just based on the roles these animals coexist within their ecosystem the biosphere.
So, here are my final thoughts on this deck, and if I think you should purchase it for your own use and practice.
The short answer is: Yes.
The long answer: Yes, if you really like animal / nature decks and are willing to work with a deck intuitively alongside the guidebook, and where and how these animals operate within the world, and your view of it.
What I mean is that some people may want an animal-based deck that is a little less to unpack. Some may want a nature deck that includes a cultural preference, or plants and other flora as well.
This deck (like all of Krans’s decks are) takes time to understand and get comfortable with for easy readings. That has been my experience. I’ve had this deck for years, and it took much longer than some other decks for me to feel comfortable taking it out to read at events for that reason.
I love the layers and nuance and depth, and I think this could be an awesome oracle deck for someone to learn on because it will ask you to lean heavily into your own intuition, but it is deck that takes time to build a relationship with. Don’t give up on it though. I am now at a point where this is my go-to at events, and repeat clients have even commented on the deck, remembering the animals we pulled from past readings.
There are things about this deck that I don’t love. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The guidebook (back then) had to be purchased separately and won’t fit in the box that holds my cards. I know it’s a small thing…but still. The Ether cards with the three eggs leaves me wanting and desiring more in terms of different creatures, and the lack of numerology will have you shuffling the book for a bit before you find the card you are looking for. I also don’t always love Krans’s writings in the guidebooks of her deck. I think they get better with the Archetypes and Alchemy deck, which we will cover down the road. The tarot guidebook is my least favorite of all, but this one still has shortcomings in my mind and doesn’t always make things clear for me when I turn to it.
All in all though, I think this deck is worth it, and if you love animals, nature, Kim Krans, or a modern artistic approach to a nature theme, this deck is one that you should pick up and have in your collection. I love this deck and continue to find it gives me and my client’s clear, concise, and powerful readings. You can purchase it here.
Want to see which animal comes forward for you?
Ashlie McDiarmid
Hello there! I hope you liked this blog post. As a tarot and oracle reader, my goal with my blogs is to offer you content, resources, and access to the tools that have transformed my life.
I believe that your own intuition is the deepest form of knowing, but here in my little corner of the internet, I share insights based in intuition and instinct. I share my love for nature, witchcraft, and the wild spirit.
- If your spirit is at home in wild places
- If you feel the need to claim your autonomy as ritual
- If you want to more deeply trust your own intuition
- If you want resources or connections to tarot, oracle, witchcraft, and wild sovereignty, then welcome!
I’m not so much into oracle decks, but I recently bought the Wild Unknown Tarot deck. I haven’t used it a lot yet, but I have found it very interesting.
The Wild Unknown Tarot is the deck I learned on, so it holds a special place in my heart, but yes it is an interesting deck. All her decks take a very unique, artistic, conceptual spin. Hope you enjoy your deck like I did. Thanks!