Fri 16 Jan 2009
Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson
Posted by kit under ♥♥♥, Exploratory Decks, Oracle Decks
[16] Comments
(Note: This post has been significantly edited since it was originally posted in order to provide more up-to-date information about the deck and its publishing history. The “My Original Review” section of this updated post contains my personal comments and review from the original post, with just some minor tweaking.)
About the Deck
Overview
The deck was created by Jamie Sams and David Carson, illustrated by Angela Werneke, and published by Bear & Company (now a part of Inner Traditions). Originally published as a 44-animal deck in 1988, the deck was re-released by St. Martin’s Press in 1999 with an additional 8 animal cards.
Version Basics
As far as I can tell, there are really only three basic packages in which the cards were sold to consumers: the original 44-animal deck with companion book; the 44-animal pocket deck with no book; and the revised and expanded 52-animal deck with companion book. Each of those versions may have had many re-printings and editions in which the book or deck may have changed slightly, but essentially those three versions seem to be it.
>> Original 1988 Version — Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Way of Animals
- Published in 1988 by Bear and Company
- Package details: The cards and book came in a cardboard slipcase that features the image from the Bear card.
- Card dimensions: 3″ x 5.5″, with a white border
- Deck consisted of 44 animal cards, 9 blank shield cards, and a title card, for a total of 54 cards.
The cards in this and the 1999 expanded version do not have the descriptions that are printed on the pocket deck, just Angela’s artwork and numbers along with the animal names. (The numbers help you to locate the cards in the companion book. Like the Druid Animal Oracle, the card meanings are not easily located in the book without a helping aide.)
The version I have has a notice that the cards were “printed in Canada by International Playing Card Company”. The slipcase also has a sticker that indicates that over 600,000 copies were in print at the time.
>> 1997 Pocket Deck — Medicine Cards: Just For Today
- Published in November 1997 by Bear & Co
- ISBN: 1879181460
- Package details: Cards come in a small tuck box.
- Card dimensions: 2.5″ x 3.8″, with no border
- Deck consists of 44 animal cards plus one blank shield card for Unlimited Potential
Each card of this deck features the name of the animal and a small image of Angela Werneke’s artwork above text describing the meaning of the card. Presumably it was intended to be used on its own, without a companion book, much like the Wolf Pack Tarot. This deck also includes one blank shield card titled “Unlimited Potential” that appears to have a different purpose than the nine unnamed, blank shield cards included with the original and expanded decks — the blank cards in those decks exist so that you can create your own extra animal cards; the “Unlimited Potential” card has its own meaning and, as a result, doesn’t really appear to be usable for an additional animal.
>> 1999 Revised, Expanded Version Published by St. Martins Press — Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Way of Animals
- Published in July 1999 by St. Martins Press
- ISBN: 0312204914
- Package details: I haven’t seen a copy in person, but judging by the pictures, it comes in a slipcase similar to the original version, though with Eagle on the cover instead of Bear.
- Card dimensions: 3″ x 5.5″, with a white border
- Deck consists of 52 animal cards, 9 blank shield cards, and a title card, for a total of 62 cards.
The new deck contains eight additional animals: Blue Heron, Raccoon, Prairie Dog, Wild Boar, Salmon, Alligator, Jaguar, and Black Panther. It also includes the same nine blank shield cards that the original deck did (so that you can create cards for any additional animals that aren’t already included) and the companion book.
>> Other versions?
There is also supposedly a US Games version, published perhaps in 1997 that I haven’t seen but I believe is essentially the same as the St. Martin’s Press version.
Card Comparison
The image above does a fairly decent job, even taking into consideration that scans never perfectly reproduce the real thing, of showing you how the cards differ from one another.
Differences:
- The large cards are 3″ x 5.5″; the pocket size cards are 2.5″ x 3.8″
- The pocket deck was intended to be used alone, without the companion book, so the meanings of the cards are written on the card faces.
- As you can see, the colouring on the large cards is much lighter than the colouring on the pocket deck. The blues and greens of the backgrounds are also different.
- The large cards have a thin white border; the pocket deck cards have no border.
- The large cards were numbered, making is easier to find information about them in the companion book.
The images below show the card backs.
The Companion Book
The book has been printed dozens of times (over 30 just for the original 44-animal version published by Bear and Company). The original book appears to have been published in red and teal editions (both with gilded lettering), though I don’t know if there is a pattern to when or where each colour was used. The expanded edition book was initially printed in purple (with and without gilded lettering).
I’ve seen several different versions of the companion book that seem to differ only in the color of the cover binding — purple (with and without gilded lettering), teal with gilded lettering, and red with gilded lettering — and quality of the printing.
Teal with gilded lettering
- Published in 1988 by Bear and Company; or May 1992 by Bear & Company
- ISBN: 093968053X
- 224 pages
- 5.g inches by 8.5 inches 22.9 x 15 x 3.8 cm
Seems to have been sold as a separate book in May 1992 publication (per Amazon.co.uk).
Red with gilded lettering
- Published in 1988 by Bear & Company? Sold as set with original cards, it seems, with bear on cover of the set box
- At least 34 editions of this version of the book were printed. The package I have, which contains the 34th edition of the book, includes a sticker that indicates that over 600,000 copies were in print at the time.
- 224 pages
- Features information about only the 44 original animals.
Purple with debossed lettering
- Published 1999 by St Martin’s Press. This is the initial look of the companion book that came with the revised, expanded edition of the card deck.
- ISBN: 0312204914
- 256 pages
- 6.3 inches by 9.3 inches
- Description: The lettering on the spine is gilded, but the lettering and image on the cover is just debossed, with no gilding. The first edition of this book was fairly poor in quality when compared to the original book. For example, the print on some of the pages is slanted slightly and offset incorrectly on the page (presumably that’s due to a problem with the machine that trimmed the pages), and Angela Werneke’s name is misspelled in her biography at the back of the book. I don’t know how many reprints it took them to correct those problems.
Purple with gilded lettering
- Published 1999 by St Martin’s Press
- ISBN: 0312204914
- 246 pages
The Animals
01. Eagle 12. Porcupine 23. Opossum 34. Grouse 02. Hawk 13. Coyote 24. Crow 35. Horse 03. Elk 14. Dog 25. Fox 36. Lizard 04. Deer 15. Wolf 26. Squirrel 37. Antelope 05. Bear 16. Raven 27. Dragonfly 38. Frog 06. Snake 17. Mountain Lion 28. Armadillo 39. Swan 07. Skunk 18. Lynx 29. Badger 40. Dolphin 08. Otter 19. Buffalo 30. Rabbit 41. Whale 09. Butterfly 20. Mouse 31. Turkey 42. Bat 10. Turtle 21. Owl 32. Ant 43. Spider 11. Moose 22. Beaver 33. Weasel 44. Hummingbird 45. Blue Heron 47. Prairie Dog 49. Salmon 51. Jaguar 46. Raccoon 48. Wild Boar 50. Alligator 52. Black Panther
Related Links:
- Jamie Sams – Jamie Sams’ personal site. Includes information about her other works.
- Medicine Cards – David Carson’s personal site. Includes information about his other decks, books, and related merchandise.
- River Light Media – Angela Werneke’s personal site.
- Aeclectic Tarot – Brief information, sample card images, and a review.
- Learn Tarot – Brief information about deck plus a few card images.
- Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson – Review of the 52-card deck by Lauren D’Silva at BellaOnline.
My Original Review
I was given a copy of the pocket “Just For Today” deck by a friend. I’m still not sure if it was a permanent gifting or just a temporary one so I’m presuming I have temporary stewardship until she asks for it again. The deck, in a very dilapidated tuck box, came to me with a purple hardcover companion book. Other than flipping through the cards a couple of times, I’d never really looked at the deck or the book. Recently, while reading “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Pet Psychic Communication” (one of the exercises suggests working with this deck), I was reminded that it was sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to take a deeper look at it. I’m not sure how the pocket deck and the new companion book came to be paired in my possession — as far as I know, the book was never available for sale separately, and the pocket deck didn’t come with a book.
The backs of the cards are very homely: solid royal blue background with a simple, white lightning bolt on the pocket deck and solid turquoise blue background with a yellow lightning bolt on the larger deck. The size and simplicity of the cards make it easy to underestimate the power of the deck, but it’s still surprising to me, now that I look closely at it, how cheap and almost comical the card backs make the deck look. (Jamie Sams uses the yellow lightning bolt on her Web site as well and I just don’t get it.) I’ve read comments by other people who love the card back so perhaps it’s just a matter of personal taste.
I admit to being a little disappointed that the fetishes on the cards are just adornments that don’t have any actual relevance to the animals or concepts in question. Given the importance assigned to the nine totem animals that each person supposedly has, the fact that the nine different fetish arrangements on the cards have no significance and are just repeated in order through the deck seems a waste of potential. It would almost have been better to have the same fetishes on all cards so there wouldn’t be an expectation of meaning where none exists; they would just be seen as the decorative accents they are.
The pocket deck cards are a perfect size for shuffling and riffling, even if you have small hands. The larger cards are a fairly decent size for handling, though clearly not as small and handy as the pocket deck. Though it is advertised as a divination deck, I see it more as an exploration deck or perhaps even an affirmation deck, depending on how you use it. I like it for simple, one-card draws — the spreads in the book look enticing but I just haven’t had time to really try any of those out. I plan to do the Nine Totem Animals reading, which you are advised to only ever do once for a person, soon. And I’ll try the other spreads when I have a chance. For now, I’m giving this a 3/5 just because it doesn’t seem to visually live up to its potential. I may change that rating after I’ve done a few readings with it.
Tags: Angela Werneke, David Carson, Jamie Sams, Medicine Cards
Hi,
Do you know where I can get a set of these little cards: Medicine Cards:Just for Today?
I gave mine to a student several years ago and now want to use them in a class starting July 12. I live in Canada.
Thanks.
You’re probably not going to find the original “Medicine Cards: Just For Today” deck anywhere for any kind of a reasonable price. (The only copies I’ve seen online are second-hand and are going for $170 or more, which is ridiculous — they’re nice cards, but not that nice.) The second, expanded edition of the deck (with the book) is available pretty much everywhere, including Chapters and Amazon.ca, for roughly $20.
Thanks so much for the info. What a drag!!
I really need the small deck as these students can only handle simple English. Wouldn’t you think that someone has a small deck they want to sell for the reasonable price?
Any leads??
Susan
The newer deck isn’t a great deal bigger than the original. And there’s less writing on the new cards than on the original. (The original has the meanings on the cards in addition to the names.)
If you’re a member of Aeclectic Tarot, you could always ask in their forum if anyone has a copy they want to sell.
(I’ve sent you an e-mail as well.)
Thanks Kit,
I sent you an email this afternoon. I’m not a member of Aeclectic Tarot but would buy a copy if someone wanted to sell and if I could post. This is all time specific though as I’m teaching at the end of next wk. Thanks for the suggestion though.
Cheers,
Susan
I need the cards I have been using them since very early 90’s as a professional reader, every day hours on end, now my deck is all worn out, I need the closest to the original deck I can live without the book but my lovely cards are really striped bare of the blue back and are like bits of torn paper, I keep meaning to replace them, but never have the time or money, but now I am desperate, can anyone help? Will pay, loads of love Paddy
Paddy here again sorry I forgot to mention I want and need the Medicine Card deck blue back yellow lightening bolt,
Can anyone help?
Loads of Love Paddy
Hi Paddy,
Sorry, I missed your comments when you initially made them. If you’re talking about the original 44-animal deck with the yellow lightning back, those (like the 44-animal pocket deck) are hard to find. I’ve seen copies come up on eBay occasionally, but not very often. The 52-animal deck, on the other hand, is very common (it’s the currently-published version) and you should be able to buy them at your local book store. (They also come up frequently on eBay.) If you really want a deck that matches the original 44-animal one, you could always buy the new version and just remove the 8 new animal cards.
Kit
I wish the publisher would take the hint and produce the small deck again. I used to love to carry the animals around with me and they’d help me make decisions, even warn me of impending danger. I lost my little deck on the way to my mother’s funeral. Was Mom trying to tell me to make my own decisions? I got any psychic gifts I have from her. And I still need the cards–I use the large deck at home, but it’s not the same so please Ms. or Mr, Publisher, give us back the little pocket deck.
Hello-I see where no one has posted to this in about 3 years. But I had the original deck and companion book. I thought it was the original anyway. All the backs of the cards were blue with the yellow lightning bolt, but the companion book was also the same color blue with a yellow lightning bolt in the front of it. I believe it came with a book jacket on it that looks the same as the front of the books now. Does anyone know where I can find a set exactly like that? Or do you know when it was printed? Thank you.
I don’t know that you’ll be able to find that exact set (I’ve never seen a blue book with a yellow lightning bolt on it or with a dust jacket anywhere) but you might be able to find a set with the original 44-animal deck on eBay. (Typically, the slipcase for the original set features the bear image, where the newer sets feature the eagle.) I see a couple of the original sets up on eBay right now.
The book I was talking about having that was the same turquoise color in cloth with a yellow lightning bolt on the front-the illustrations in it were colored just like the ones on the cards. And the pages were thick, silky like pages-you could not see through them. And the card deck that was with them was a little bit wider than the cards now and much thicker almost like more than one layer of paper. I took your advice and ordered a set of ebay. It says that the set was printed in 1988 by Bear&Company, but the quality of the cards and the quality of the book is just not like the set that I had. I wish I knew now exactly what was written inside the printer’s page of the book I had. Anyway-I let a friend borrow the set that I had and she had an accident&died before I had a chance to get them back. I couldn’t bring myself to go ask her family for them.
Hmm, perhaps there was a version published before the Bear & Company ones, perhaps put out directly by the authors? I’ve never seen one, but that means absolutely nothing. I’ve been meaning to write to one of the authors to find out more about the history of the deck — I’ll go do that now.
Sorry to hear about your friend — I understand not wanting to bother her family about the cards. I’ll definitely let you know if I find out anything, or if I find a copy. And I hope you’ll send me some pics and info if you finally find a copy yourself. 🙂
Thank you for your explanation of the different publications and the difference between the cards. I was very confused about them until I found this site. Now I know I only want the 1997 Pocket Deck, which is, of course, the hardest to find. I think they printed the new edition and took the meanings off the cards in order to sell more of the books. Sad . . . . It’s just too easy and convenient to have the meanings written on the cards, no? Now take the meanings off and make more money, money, money from the cards. What they have forgotten is that the Universe will give back to you as you give to it. Their greed will be repaid.
I bought my book and cards in 1988 and studied with Jamie for two weeks in a retreat spa near Guadalajara, Mexico. She is an amazing woman. Then about a year later I spent a week with Grandmother Twylah in Buffalo, NY at her home and sweatlodge. I still have my book signed by Jamie but cannot find my cards so went on a internet search and stumbled on your site.
Thanks so very much for your research and info on all the publications. Good job! I did find a deck together with the new/revised book on Amazon.com – could not find just the cards. It will be interesting to see what has been added/changed and discover the wisdom of the new animals. Next week two of my friends and I are getting together to do their cards. Will think of you. Again thanks for all you great work/info. Namaste, Carol
So sorry about the extreme delay approving your comment, Carol. This site (and others) fell along the wayside during the last several years and I never even thought to check for comments. Glad you found the page. And it’s very cool that you actually got to study with Jamie. I no longer have any of my copies of this deck, and I was thinking today that I miss it, especially the little pocket deck.