The Way of the Horse: Equine Archetypes for Self-Discovery

What's includedWay of the Horse comes in an impressive, fold open box, very sturdily constructed. On the left side is a compartment out of which slides the companion book, which is a hardback, cloth-bound, stitched book of 255 pages, including index. The title is embossed on cover and spine. There is no paper book jacket, as you sometimes find with this sort of binding, but then the book does come in its own slipcase. The paper quality is just a tad on the pulpy side rather than slick. The edges of the pages are very slightly ragged, all in all it has a very old-school feel to it. The main problem I have with this arrangement is that the book fits VERY tightly into the slipcase, so that I've had to pry it out with the end of a ruler when I want to get it out of the box. I have solved this problem by using a length of ribbon looped under the book as it goes inside, the two loose ends left hanging out, so that I can grab those and pull the book out.On the right side of the box is a compartment for the cards, which are encased in their own tuck box. A ribbon is included attached, in the usual way, so that you can use it to pull the tuck box out of the compartment. Too bad they didn't think to include this on the book side. The tuck box was similarly so tight that I couldn't get it open, so once I did get the cards out, I cut the flaps off both ends of the box so that the deck can slide in and out, like a matchbox. (I did the same to my Titania's Fortune cards).The cardsThe deck consist of 40 illustrations of horses. The cards have only the numbers on them. I wrote the titles on with a gold pen.The cards measure 3.5 x 5 inches (roughly 9 x 12.5cm) and though all feature horses, they are in a variety of styles as far as format. Some cards are portrait, borderless. Some are landscape, borderless. Some are portrait with black borders on all sides, some are portrait with black borders at top and bottom only. Some are landscape with black borders on top and bottom only. This doesn't bother me, though. In fact I rather like it.The cardstock is of a decent thickness and relatively unlaminated. They are matte, with rounded corners. The stock is pleasant to the touch, neither sticky nor waxy. The one thing that slightly bothers me about them is that my deck is warped. The cards are slightly bowed, so that when I handle them, they 'pop' back and forth, the bow moving front to back. It's not a deal breaker for me but would drive some people mad. (Probably the same people who would faint dead away when they saw my handwriting scrawled across the cards in shiny gold pen!)The artist, Kim McElroy, painted over 300 images of horses for this deck, which were then narrowed down to 40. They range in style from almost photo-realistic to impressionistic, and actually I have to say I love each one of them. They are beautiful.It must be said, though, that one could probably not read this deck easily fresh from the box, without looking at the book. I believe with the titles, one could make a better job of it, which is why I wrote them on, writing the names of the paintings rather than the keywords provided. For me, lovely as they are, the paintings alone would not be enough to work with. BUT, if you didn't want to write on the cards, I can say that the book is amazing, worth a read, and each story told in conjunction with the card is memorable enough that you might not have to look at it twice, most being based on anecdotes from Linda's personal experiences with her own horses.The bookWe learn in the 16-page introduction that the idea for this deck took shape over at least 3 years, and was influenced by Brian Froud's Faerie's Oracle. In fact, it was that connection that led me to buy this deck. As I am such a fan of the Faerie's Oracle, I thought I would mesh well with the creators of this deck. The story is, Kim and Linda wanted to do a deck of wisdom cards wholly unrelated to tarot, and took the Faerie's Oracle as their example. They did a draw with the Faerie's Oracle regarding their deck, and drew: Epona's Wild Daughter! Linda's business is called 'Epona Equestrian Services', and Epona's Wild Daughter is card number 54, a number that Linda says is 'oddly synchronistic in her work with horses', for reasons she has never fully grasped. Her life coaching method, equine-facilitated mental health and human development programme, is called 'The Epona Approach'. It all seemed to fit very well indeed.Each card gets roughly 6 pages of text. There are no card illustrations included, which is a pity. The author, Linda Kohanov, calls upon her personal experience, the writings of Eckhart Tolle, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Karla McLaren, Don Hanlon Johnson, and a wide variety of other writers of mind-body-spirit. As I am a big fan of Eckhart Tolle, and am attracted to the teachings of Krishnamurti, I find I click very well with this book. I am currently on chapter 5, a card called 'Dominance', which shows a close up of a horse being reined in hard, and addresses the tendency to misuse power.The system'For experienced card readers, any layout you've learned is relevant,' Linda writes. 'The only caution I would make is that the desire to control or divine the future is much more human than horselike; using these cards to try to predict what's going to happen may lead to confusion. The equine mind is primarily concerned with the nuances of what is happening...Horse wisdom is about developing creativity, authenticity, and leadership.'In other words, this is a deck for personal insight and growth. Which is precisely what I like in all card readings, including tarot, so no problem! There are no answers in these cards. There are only areas for examination, exploration and growth.Kohanov says they are divided into four archetypes: experience, relationship, creativity and transformation. BUT, there is no Matthews-esque complicated and elaborate system here. You simply draw the card or cards and take what you need from them. That's a relief!I have done one draw with this deck so far and it was indeed very insightful. It is a purchase I don't think I'll regret.

I had long wanted this book and set of cards since a friend introduced them to me and I jumped at the good price. The outer package was slightly damaged, as described, but the book and cards were intact and as new. This is a fascinating look at what we can learn from horses, and indeed animals and nature. It holds a mirror up to how we generally treat our living environment and just what we could achieve if we worked WITH animals and nature and didn't just impose our blind will upon them. Even if you have no particular connection to horses, I highly and warmly recommend this book. There are many books out now about connecting with animals, but this is an outstanding one.

Very deep hart touching! Very educational. Good for horse riders and owners. Some knowledge of horses desirable. Good for people working with horses. Spiritual guidance! Cards could be difficult to understand if not familiar with equine world! Very good and beautiful pictures of horses to look at and reflect on. Healing.

Beautiful set of cards with a fascinating and insightful book to accompany them, including stories from Linda Kohanov's own journey with horses. I would recommend this to any horse lover who wants to connect with the spiritual aspect of the equine-human relationship and to anyone who is interested in self development through connection with the natural world.

Amazing! I love these cards and the book that accompanies them. The artwork is divine, and Linda Kohanov has really been there and understands what she is talking about. I often consult my cards and receive helpful guidance from the world of the horse!

Beautiful. Horses are my passion. This does not disappoint.I have been impressed with their accuracy.The illustrated cards are just beautiful too.

Wife loves this

Way too complicated. Have looked at it once since buying. A really good idea but personally would prefer something much simpler to use on a daily basis.

Me encantaron las imágenes, empaque y todo. Lo utilizo para fines psicoterapéuticos en mi Modelo de Asociación Intuitiva (MAI). Gracias!!!

jUST lOVE IT

A profound approach of our possible ways for our life, where the cards can help us understand the situation we're living and how we want to deal with it. It is a wonderful way (and beautiful, when you like horses!) to take responsibility of our life, starting from how we feel and what the wisdom of archetypes can enlighten.Une approche qui permet d'aller (si on veut) en profondeur explorer les chemins possibles de nos vies, où les cartes nous permettent de comprendre ou de mieux appréhender la/les situation/s que nous sommes en train de vivre et de quelles façons nous voulons choisir de les faire évoluer. C'est une merveilleuse façon (et belle aussi, pour ceux qui aiment les chevaux !) de prendre la responsabilité de nos vies, nous appuyant sur la sagesse éclairante que les archétypes peuvent porter.

I've been using tarot and other non-tarot card decks for over 20 years, both to answer burning questions and to learn more about myself. This deck, beautifully illustrated, succeeds marvelously at both! The only complaints that I might have about this product, are:1) that the cards are a bit thin and I'm not sure how well they will hold up to being handled and shuffled over years-worth of use (one of my cards came a bit wrinkled straight out of the box), and2) there could stand to be more card layouts in the book- this won't phase an experienced card reader like me, who can use layouts from other decks and systems, but might limit a beginner who is just starting to learn how to use cards for the first time (you can make up your own spreads by drawing a diagram in the shape that you want, assigning numbers to each space- usually the same order to lay them down and later read/interpret each card, and give each card position its own meaning).All in all, I highly recommend this deck/book set for both experienced card users and beginners to this form of information seeking. The book is well-written and even has an index to help you find your way around. Another way the cards can be read is without the book and purely with your own intuition, seeing how each card makes you feel and trusting the first thing that comes to mind when focusing on the picture. Let the colors, images, artistic style, and symbolism speak to you and realize there is no right or wrong way to do a reading. Trust yourself, relax, focus on your intent or question, and then have fun! "Past, Present, Future" is a favorite spread of mine, and I'm sure you will, over time, become partial to your own. There is much to be learned from this deck, the accompanying book, and, of course, from horses themselves. Enjoy!

These cards are wonderful for use with therapy clients, friends and family, and for oneself to dig deeper into one’s thoughts and feelings. The cards are beautifully illustrated and the companion book is filled with insights and relevant knowledge/ lessons for horse enthusiasts or anyone who loves animals, art, and psychological insights. Makes a wonderful gift!