The Celtic Tree Oracle: A System of Divination by Liz Murray

The Celtic Tree Oracle: A System of Divination Reviews

• 
  Ruadhán McElroy

  I used a demo deck of this set at the local metaphysical bookstore, and liked it enough to place a special order, as there were no for-sale copies in stock, that day. Unfortunately, after I got home with it, and then read the included book more closely, I realised how much of this cartomancy deck, or rather how much of the suggested interpretations within the book, were based on the so-called "work" of Robert Graves, and I have since discovered that I couldn't get myself past the "taint" of this system's basis in Gravesism, and now I can't bring myself to use it, and it's honestly just taking up space in my drawer of cartomancy decks and other divination tools.
  
  If you're unaware, Graves' work on the ancient Gaels is pretty much all but completely trash. It's largely steeped more in his own daddy issues than anything historically sound. There is plenty of solid, non-circumstantial evidence that he contacted plenty of real historians and anthropologists who specialised in pre-Christian Celtic cultures, including scholars specifically specialising in ancient Ireland, to assist him with research on his writings about pre-Christian Celts. He ultimately decided to discard any information that didn't support his pet theories, and much of what he didn't outright toss, was misrepresented in order to give the appearance of supporting his pet "theories." Furthermore, in spite of the fact that he had, in the better days, a trying relationship with his father, and spent many of his adult years not speaking to his father, he generally exploited the fact that his dad actually was a respectable scholar of ancient Ireland, in order to give his nonsense an illusion of credibility, knowing full well that the average person wouldn't know about his lacking relationship with his dad, much less any of the behind-the-scenes drama from academics of Irish History, and as the academics who denounced Robert Graves' writing would be relatively inaccessible to the average reader, this would allow him to publish his fiction as "fact," through publishers who didn't even know any better, themselves, and it would go unchecked, and unfortunately, Robert Graves' Irish Fakelore has remained absurdly influential in Western Neo- Paganism over the last century, with only polytheism reconstructionists daring to denounce Graves and any writer since Graves who carries his influence without question.
  
  This said, if you trust your ability to get past the Gravesism supported in this system, or your ability to go on your own intuition and basically "write your own book" for the cards, it's a really neat deck, and I implore you to check it out. I just.. I cannot, with anything Graves. While the Graves influence is obvious with the assignment of each Ogham character to a tree, just in its own, the included book is pretty much a Cliff's Notes of Robert Graves poppycock about Ogham being "the Irish Tree Alphabet." To the Murrays' credit, they present this deck as a divination system of their own invention, based on the "work" of Robert Graves, practically nothing Graves has ever written about Irish history, and pre-Christian paganism, should be considered much more than a product of his own imagination. Almost every single person who comes to paganism, especially anything of a Celtic flavour, through Graves and/or those who have been heavily influenced by Graves, has to unlearn just about everything when one delves deeper into Celtic studies — that's just a fact.
• 
  Linda (Miss Greedybooks)

  Beautifully done.
• 
  Ruadhán McElroy

  I used a demo deck of this set at the local metaphysical bookstore, and liked it enough to place a special order, as there were no for-sale copies in stock, that day. Unfortunately, after I got home with it, and then read the included book more closely, I realised how much of this cartomancy deck, or rather how much of the suggested interpretations within the book, were based on the so-called "work" of Robert Graves, and I have since discovered that I couldn't get myself past the "taint" of this system's basis in Gravesism, and now I can't bring myself to use it, and it's honestly just taking up space in my drawer of cartomancy decks and other divination tools.
  
  If you're unaware, Graves' work on the ancient Gaels is pretty much all but completely trash. It's largely steeped more in his own daddy issues than anything historically sound. There is plenty of solid, non-circumstantial evidence that he contacted plenty of real historians and anthropologists who specialised in pre-Christian Celtic cultures, including scholars specifically specialising in ancient Ireland, to assist him with research on his writings about pre-Christian Celts. He ultimately decided to discard any information that didn't support his pet theories, and much of what he didn't outright toss, was misrepresented in order to give the appearance of supporting his pet "theories." Furthermore, in spite of the fact that he had, in the better days, a trying relationship with his father, and spent many of his adult years not speaking to his father, he generally exploited the fact that his dad actually was a respectable scholar of ancient Ireland, in order to give his nonsense an illusion of credibility, knowing full well that the average person wouldn't know about his lacking relationship with his dad, much less any of the behind-the-scenes drama from academics of Irish History, and as the academics who denounced Robert Graves' writing would be relatively inaccessible to the average reader, this would allow him to publish his fiction as "fact," through publishers who didn't even know any better, themselves, and it would go unchecked, and unfortunately, Robert Graves' Irish Fakelore has remained absurdly influential in Western Neo- Paganism over the last century, with only polytheism reconstructionists daring to denounce Graves and any writer since Graves who carries his influence without question.
  
  This said, if you trust your ability to get past the Gravesism supported in this system, or your ability to go on your own intuition and basically "write your own book" for the cards, it's a really neat deck, and I implore you to check it out. I just.. I cannot, with anything Graves. While the Graves influence is obvious with the assignment of each Ogham character to a tree, just in its own, the included book is pretty much a Cliff's Notes of Robert Graves poppycock about Ogham being "the Irish Tree Alphabet." To the Murrays' credit, they present this deck as a divination system of their own invention, based on the "work" of Robert Graves, practically nothing Graves has ever written about Irish history, and pre-Christian paganism, should be considered much more than a product of his own imagination. Almost every single person who comes to paganism, especially anything of a Celtic flavour, through Graves and/or those who have been heavily influenced by Graves, has to unlearn just about everything when one delves deeper into Celtic studies — that's just a fact.
• 
  Ruadhán McElroy

  I used a demo deck of this set at the local metaphysical bookstore, and liked it enough to place a special order, as there were no for-sale copies in stock, that day. Unfortunately, after I got home with it, and then read the included book more closely, I realised how much of this cartomancy deck, or rather how much of the suggested interpretations within the book, were based on the so-called "work" of Robert Graves, and I have since discovered that I couldn't get myself past the "taint" of this system's basis in Gravesism, and now I can't bring myself to use it, and it's honestly just taking up space in my drawer of cartomancy decks and other divination tools.
  
  If you're unaware, Graves' work on the ancient Gaels is pretty much all but completely trash. It's largely steeped more in his own daddy issues than anything historically sound. There is plenty of solid, non-circumstantial evidence that he contacted plenty of real historians and anthropologists who specialised in pre-Christian Celtic cultures, including scholars specifically specialising in ancient Ireland, to assist him with research on his writings about pre-Christian Celts. He ultimately decided to discard any information that didn't support his pet theories, and much of what he didn't outright toss, was misrepresented in order to give the appearance of supporting his pet "theories." Furthermore, in spite of the fact that he had, in the better days, a trying relationship with his father, and spent many of his adult years not speaking to his father, he generally exploited the fact that his dad actually was a respectable scholar of ancient Ireland, in order to give his nonsense an illusion of credibility, knowing full well that the average person wouldn't know about his lacking relationship with his dad, much less any of the behind-the-scenes drama from academics of Irish History, and as the academics who denounced Robert Graves' writing would be relatively inaccessible to the average reader, this would allow him to publish his fiction as "fact," through publishers who didn't even know any better, themselves, and it would go unchecked, and unfortunately, Robert Graves' Irish Fakelore has remained absurdly influential in Western Neo- Paganism over the last century, with only polytheism reconstructionists daring to denounce Graves and any writer since Graves who carries his influence without question.
  
  This said, if you trust your ability to get past the Gravesism supported in this system, or your ability to go on your own intuition and basically "write your own book" for the cards, it's a really neat deck, and I implore you to check it out. I just.. I cannot, with anything Graves. While the Graves influence is obvious with the assignment of each Ogham character to a tree, just in its own, the included book is pretty much a Cliff's Notes of Robert Graves poppycock about Ogham being "the Irish Tree Alphabet." To the Murrays' credit, they present this deck as a divination system of their own invention, based on the "work" of Robert Graves, practically nothing Graves has ever written about Irish history, and pre-Christian paganism, should be considered much more than a product of his own imagination. Almost every single person who comes to paganism, especially anything of a Celtic flavour, through Graves and/or those who have been heavily influenced by Graves, has to unlearn just about everything when one delves deeper into Celtic studies — that's just a fact.
• 
  Fi

  A very beautiful and neat system of divination. I love anything that connects me to my Celtic ancestry, and this deck and book set is a really good introduction to the Ogham. The cards are small, and the artwork is beautiful, complete with trees, their English and Gaelic name, and their associated Ogham rune. The book was very informative, breaking down each card, and giving a perfect step by step on how to read the cards. This is outside of my norm (which is tarot) and I’m really excited to give it a try!
• 
  W.D. III

  The longer I use this as reference material, the more I come to appreciate it. As far as a divination system, I don't feel that I can offer much in terms of review. It's easy enough to follow the instructions it contains. Where I find the greatest value is in the research supplied in the pages, particularly in the Ogham system of writing. I find myself drifting back to it time and time again. Highly recommended!
• 
  Teleri

  Not technically a tarot deck, this beautifully illustrated Ogham card set are a great visual aid in learning the ancient Celtic alphabet of trees. Yet another gem I sorely miss. Why, oh why didn't I leave the basket with the collection of decks w my son & his dad?
• 
  Joan DeArtemis

  Beautiful cards, beautiful book, and all in a nice wooden box. It is a good way to learn about Celtic culture, especially if one also enjoys divination systems.
• 
  Jennifer B.

  The artwork on these cards is beautiful!
• 
  Clivemichael

  Interesting historical exploration. I'm missing the cards! Enjoyed the description of the Celtic calendar.
• 
  Barry

  More an instruction manual than a book, comes with a set of cards for divination.
  
• 
  Elite Group

  An inspirational system of divination.
  
  This set of cards is unlike others, (for example Angel Cards or Inspirational cards) where you shuffle the cards and either read one or three, (depending on the questions you’re asking). This set of Celtic Tree cards must be set out in a very precise manner and this method needs to be studied and practised before one can really get a correct reading. I’m therefore grateful that I put off opening the cards and simply doing a shuffle and choosing the cards, instead finding the right time and place to concentrate on how and why I needed to follow the pattern of reading them as set out by the creators – Liz and Colin Murray.
  
  The reading that I did get, was exceptionally interesting and very insightful and as I seem to have been in somewhat of a wilderness spiritually for some time, I found that by doing this reading, I could once again start focusing on my soul’s needs.
  
  Liz and Colin Murray must have spent years researching and putting this set together. The detail and depth of this method stems from ancient times when druids would use certain trees or shrubs to help them understand whatever it was they were being asked to give their opinion about.
  
  I will be doing a reading once a month as suggested and it will be interesting to see whether I keep receiving the same message as today, where a particular group of cards kept repeating themselves.
  
  Treebeard
  
  Breakaway Reviewers received a set of these cards to review.