Don Miguel Ruiz's Cards
Hello, soul friends!
Today's review is covering three of the decks by Don Miguel Ruiz. He is best known for his work on the Four Agreements. He has three decks that cover his work. I purchased these when Hay House had a huge sale (around Black Friday) and thought they would be a fun addition to my current work decks, and that they would assist me in connecting daily to this Toltec Wisdom. Here is my first review including three decks at once. I felt that it would make more sense to review these together, not only due to the nature of the decks, but as they are all done by the same people.
I hope you enjoy my review and generous pictures!
Four Agreements, Fifth Agreement and Voice of Knowledge Cards
I purchased these decks from Hay House during one of their sales and bought it on a whim. I couldn't find a lot about it online, and didn't realize the deck had been published in 2005. There also wasn't much of a description on their website, but the artwork caught my attention. The images showed almost a renaissance feel, dark, realistic, like beautiful oil paintings of days past.
Amazon's descriptions are:
The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. is a Nagual, a Toltec Master of Transformation. He is a direct descendant of the Toltecs of the Eagle Knight lineage and is the son of don Miguel Ruiz. By combining the wisdom of his family's tradition with the knowledge gained from his own personal journey, he now helps others realize their own path to personal freedom.
The Fifth Agreement - Based on the New York Times best-selling book The Fifth Agreement, the 48 cards in this deck offer a fresh perspective on the Four Agreements, and a powerful new agreement for transforming our lives into our personal heaven. The Fifth Agreement takes us to a deeper level of awareness of the power of the Self, and returns us to the authenticity we were born with. In this compelling sequel to the book that has changed the lives of millions of people around the world, we are reminded of the greatest gift we can give ourselves: the freedom to be who we really are.
The Voice of Knowledge - In this 48-card deck, don Miguel Ruiz reminds us of a profound and simple truth: The only way to end our emotional suffering and restore our joy in living is to stop believing in lies - mainly about ourselves. He shows us how to return to our own common sense. Then he opens the door to a reality that we once perceived when we were one and two years old - a reality of truth, love, and joy.
About the authors
www.miguelruiz.com Don Miguel Ruiz is a renowned spiritual teacher and internationally bestselling author of the “Toltec Wisdom Series,” including “The Four Agreements,” “The Mastery of Love,” “The Voice of Knowledge,” “The Four Agreements Companion Book,” “The Circle of Fire,” and “The Fifth Agreement.” The Toltec Wisdom books have sold over 10 million copies in the United States, and have been published in 40 languages worldwide. don Miguel has spent the past three decades guiding students to personal freedom through his profound insights regarding the nature of human reality. His newest book, THE TOLTEC ART OF LIFE AND DEATH: A Story of Self Discovery (HarperElixir/HarperCollins) written with Barbara Emrys was published October 27, 2015. Combining Toltec mythology and scientific perspectives, don Miguel has been able to merge ancient wisdom with modern physics and practical common-sense, forging a new philosophy for seekers of truth and personal authenticity. His landmark bestselling book, The Four Agreements, contains practical steps for long-term, personal transformation and has been read by millions around the world. First published in 1997, The Four Agreements has since sold over six million copies in the United States and seven million worldwide. It has been translated into 40 languages, appeared on the New York Times bestseller for nearly ten years, and was the 36th bestselling book of the decade. Don Miguel is also the author of The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, Prayers, and the New York Times bestseller, The Fifth Agreement, a collaboration with his son, don José Ruiz. Each of his books are international bestsellers. The wisdom don Miguel has brought to the world has earned him respect around the globe. He has dedicated his life to sharing his message through practical concepts in order to promote transformation and ultimately change lives for the better. Don Miguel is the recipient of numerous recognitions, including a U.S. Air Force ‘challenge coin’ engraved with “The Four Agreements.” He is the recipient of an Honorary Degree in Cultural and Social Education from the American Cultural Institute of Mexico, and referenced as a “national treasure” in his native country.
don Jose Ruiz was born in Mexico City, Mexico and was raised in Tijuana, Mexico. When he was 21 he came to live in the U.S. with his father, don Miguel Ruiz. From a very young age don Jose was guided by many teachers present in his life including, his mother and father, his grandmother Sarita, and several other Naguals.
Through masterful guidance by his teachers and amazing life experiences with precision synchronicity, Jose came to 'silent knowledge'; he witnessed the world as it is, without any story. In his early twenties, don Jose lost his eyesight. In his process of surrendering, he learned the value of learning to listen; to listen to his inner wisdom and integrity and to see different perspectives, while knowing nothing is personal. He had a renewed love and gratitude for life ~ and he found acceptance, happiness and abundance; he found bliss. He grasped a true understanding of faith, love, gratitude and humility. Through his surrender and faith, in concert with modern medicine Jose recovered his eyesight.
Like his father, combining new insights with ancient wisdom, don Jose Ruiz is dedicating his life to sharing the ancient Toltec wisdom by translating it into practical, everyday life concepts that promote transformation through truth, love and common sense. don Jose teaches and lectures across the United States and around the world: Power Journeys to the pyramids of Teotihuacan, Palenque, Tulum and Coba; workshops with guest don Miguel or other teachers at Omega NY, Austin, and Vancouver.
New York Times bestselling author and awareness guru don Jose Ruiz teaches you to free yourself from self-deceit, fear, and conflict and live without limits in this collection of elevating pictures and quotes. The perfect gift for yourself or a loved one, this book combines ancient Toltec wisdom with new, practical insights to inspire a life of serenity and fulfillment. Open its pages and discover the hidden truths that will bring you closer to yourself and the world around you.
Janet Mills is the founder of Amber-Allen Publishing, and co-author (with don Miguel Ruiz) of the international bestselling “Toltec Wisdom Series,” including “The Four Agreements,” “The Mastery of Love,” “The Voice of Knowledge,” “The Four Agreements Companion Book,” “The Circle of Fire,” and “The Fifth Agreement.” The Toltec Wisdom books have sold over 10 million copies in the United States, and have been published in 40 languages worldwide. Mills recently published an online course, "The Four Agreements for a Better Life," for people who wish to deepen their understanding and practice of these deceptively simple agreements. Information about the course is available at TheFourAgreements.com.
Mills is also the editor of and publisher of Deepak Chopra's international bestselling title “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” (over 2.4 million copies sold), and the publisher of 11 world-renowned “Seth” books by Jane Roberts, which have been credited with launching the New Age movement.Mills credits the books she publishes for inspiring her belief system and transforming her life. Her personal mission is to share universal wisdom in the language of our times, and to help inspire others to live the life of their dreams. She lives in San Rafael, California.
My Personal Review
These decks are meant to be used as a daily inspirational conversation to have with yourself, and to focus on the Toltec Wisdom that has put Don Miguel Ruiz on the map for a lot of people. These decks can in no way be confused for an oracle deck, and I didn't feel that I could use either of them as one, anyway. I wasn't really aware of what to expect with these type of decks.This stye of deck was obviously for those who like affirmations or something to meditate on. These cards were not practical to use for a reading - more of like an afterthought, or a message to focus on and work through.
The artwork varies between all of the decks and they each have their own vibe. The four agreements has a more colorful and less realistic approach to the artwork. All in all, the artwork is cohesive through each individual deck, and also maintain the same theme.
The cards have brief messages or affirmations on the front, allowing one to take just a minute to think about the message. And the backs of the cards expand on the message, while providing a link to the Toltec Wisdom that he is well-known for. I believe it is a nice way to add positive thoughts to a world that often seems plagued with far too much negativity. Plus, for those who are a fan of his books, this may be a more practical way to connect to the messages daily. The cards were useful in helping me understand the agreements in a much more practical way, and also in seeing how I can incorporate their lessons into my day-to-day life.
Product dimensions are 4.00 x 4.00 x 1.20 inches and the decks are published through Hay House. They all come in similar flip top boxes, which are nice for getting the deck in out and storage. They are a decent quality card stock. A bit shiny for my own personal taste, but typical quality from Hay House. Easy bend, no cracks, not gilded edges, or anything too stand out about the decks. There are no guidebooks provided.
For the Four Agreement cards there are 12 cards corresponding to each of the four agreements: (1) Be impeccable with your word; (2) Don't take anything personally; (3) Don't make assumptions; and (4) Always do your best. I found the artwork to be fun, and not take away too much from the messages. I also, didn't connect with the artwork as much on this deck. The messages seem to really bring you back to the original Four Agreements with various scenarios to play out and work through. I found the messages to be beneficial and assist me in using the advice in a much more practical and reasonable way.
The Fifth Agreement cards is a 48 card deck, which offer a fresh perspective on the Four Agreements, and a powerful new agreement for transforming our lives into our personal heaven. The Fifth Agreement takes us to a deeper level of awareness of the power of the Self, and returns us to the authenticity we were born with. This deck had artwork that I enjoyed a lot more and felt that the messages corresponded better with. The messages are simple, the advice on the back is thought provoking, and it allowed me to dive deeper into my own personal healing journey.
The Voice of Knowledge cards is another 48 card deck. Don Miguel Ruiz reminds us of a profound and simple truth: The only way to end our emotional suffering and restore our joy in living is to stop believing in lies - mainly about ourselves. He shows us how to return to our own common sense. Then he opens the door to a reality that we once perceived when we were one and two years old - a reality of truth, love, and joy. Again the artwork seemed a bit more thought out and also corresponded a bit better for me to connect the messages. I unfortunately did not use this deck enough or feel a strong pull to use it as much in my work to comfortably say that it's messages were easy to use and to connect with.
The was no guidebook or booklet included with the decks, as they are meant to be more of affirmation cards to be pulled and inspired by the words on both sides of each card.
Overall, I found this to be inspiring decks, but I didn't find that I could use it in my day to day work or with clients, and just did not go to it as often as I would have liked. The decks messages were beautiful, though. We are reminded of the greatest gift we can give ourselves: the freedom to be who we really are.
My overall opinion is that these decks are a 3 star choice.
Artwork - 3.5 stars
Card stock - 2 stars
Ease - 3 stars
Guidebook - N/A
I hope that you enjoyed my deck review, and also enjoy other deck reviews that I add to this site. I have a passion for exploring new decks and also finding various ways of connecting to my intuition. I appreciate you checking out my site and taking the time to read my review.
Happy Reading!
