Body Cards

Body Cards: Insight from the Body, Wisdom for the Soul by Courtney Putnam

We hold deep wisdom—in every muscle, bone, blood vessel, nerve fiber, and cell. The human body is not only a complex organism complete with the powerful ability to heal, but also a tremendous resource for us in terms of understanding our very lives. This expressive deck and guidebook includes 35 richly-textured mixed media art pieces representing the metaphorical meanings of different parts of the body and the way for you to find answers to questions that touch upon your internal insights. Suggestions related to each body part, art meditations, body function, unique facts, and associated chakras are provided in an intuitive guidebook, as well as a set of very specific creativity, movement, sensory, and personal growth exercises specifically aimed at helping you to integrate the wisdom of each card into your daily life, including the use of color and essential oils. Your body is speaking. Are you listening? Size: box set 6″ x 9″ x 1 1/2″ | 35 art cards | 96 pp ISBN13: 9780764350610 | Binding: box set

Purchase Options

Body Cards is available for purchase at Schiffer Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Abe Books, Walmart, EastWest Bookshop, and Powell’s Books. Check your local independent bookstores, too!

Praise for Body Cards

“The Body Cards images are beautiful, just as I’d expect from Courtney Putnam. And the text, guiding you through the process of connecting to your own body’s knowing, is deep and informed. I imagine sets of these cards will pass through my hands many times on the way to others as gifts.”

Mary Anne Radmacher | Author, Artist, and Professional Speaker

Body Cards by Courtney Putnam have helped me process a difficult time in my life. Looking back, I think my apprehension was whether cards like this could apply to my disabled body. So many things are made for abled bodies — streets with no sidewalks, sidewalks with no curb cuts, apartments with no elevators — that I get wary of anything “body” related. In a way, though, Body Cards were made for me (or someone like me). After all, Courtney was inspired by her healing work with “disordered,” “ungraceful,” hurting bodies – just like mine. And the cards aren’t the oracle, not all by themselves. The body is, too — my body. An oracle of flesh and bone.” To read Karrie’s full blog post review, click here.

Karrie Higgins | Writer and Intermedia Artist

Body Cards help us tune in to our innate wisdom, while giving us amazing works of art too! This set is an ideal gift for yourself or for those dear friends who appreciate knowledge paired with beauty.”

—Brenda Miller | Writer

“My first impression of these cards is their beauty. I love the luscious purple color and of course Courtney’s vibrant and energizing collages. I love how the box opens, which is unique among other decks I’ve used. Sounds like a small thing, but the side-opening on a ribbon hinge action will make the box last longer, and makes it easier to access the book and cards. The real gem of this deck, though, is Courtney’s insight into so many parts of the body in ways that I never would have considered. This deck and her insights go way beyond the Louise Hay sort of approach to body energies. She includes parts like the umbilicus, scalenes, and amydala as well as more commonly considered parts like the fingers, stomach, and liver.

Each part/card has a theme, like stamina or peace, and her descriptions in the book guide the user through physical details, deep symbology, and actions to take to awaken or heal that body part’s energy in our lives. Courtney’s writing is honest, gentle, light hearted, and at times even funny. Her art shines, evoking in my own body the feelings that her descriptions point towards. I thoroughly enjoy using this deck and would recommend it to any body worker, somatic psychologist, seer, or card-lover interested in somatic energy systems.”

—Clea Danaan | Author

“I have always loved Courtney’s art and admired her work as a healer. When she said she was working on a set of wisdom cards, I couldn’t wait for her to finish, to start working with them. I’m recovering from 30+ years of disordered eating and body loathing, as well as living with chronic pain and an auto-immune disorder, so my body and I have a complicated relationship. A deck like this focused on making connections between our emotional lives and physical pain, a tool to support communication and connection with the wisdom our bodies is such a gift. These cards and the accompanying guidebook are an amazing resource, filled with wisdom and compassion. The set is easy to use and understand, but beyond that is a particular kind of magic. Each and every time I’ve worked with the cards, such pure and clear insight arises.

Whether I pull just one card or do a spread, this deck meets me right where I am and cuts through my confusion. I particularly like that Courtney made the set so expansive—I can pull just one card and consult its core explanation and keep the practice that simple, or I can choose from the many other options Courtney provides for both meditation and action. I also find myself learning a bit about the biological facts of the body as well, even though those also feel like metaphor fat with meaning. I’m so grateful to Courtney for providing yet another tool to support the process of uncovering and consulting the wisdom of the body.”

—Jill Seeger Salahub | Author of A Thousand Shades of Gray blog

Body Cards by Courtney Putnam are both beautiful and incredible. They are beautiful because of the art and the colors and the love put into them. They are incredible for many reasons. First, they are incredible because the view these take of the body is unique – through these cards we are connected with the sternum or the umbilicus or the spleen or the masseter. Not what one might expect. The effect this has, these somewhat obscure body parts, is to pull one into one’s body as we learn about ourselves—body/mind/spirit. I think this is genius.

Secondly, they are incredible because they work with the intellect, the heart, the creative self, the energetic self, and the intuitive self. This means anyone can use these cards and find them relatable and useful. And lastly, these are incredible because they work. One is taken on a lovely journey and connected with the wisdom of their own body, with that wisdom serving as both invitation and guide. I love the unique perspective these cards offer, the love with which their message is delivered, and the soul and wisdom the creator put into each and every one.”

—Sadee Whip | Author and Mentor

“Each time I use the Body Cards, I feel Courtney’s calm, wise, creative presence — her healing artistry — come through the pages and cards. Each card is a work of art, bursting with creative inspiration, and a gentle nudge toward self-care. As an artist, I am moved by each card as its own piece of art. As a writer, I appreciate the expert writing in the accompanying booklet. And as a coach and facilitator, I love to use Courtney’s cards in my practice so people can connect to their bodily wisdom in a playful and resourceful way. Thank you, Courtney, for providing such a grounding and inspiring tool for all! And thank you for the reminder to listen to and honor all aspects of our bodies as we move through life.”

—Jay Nahani | Creative Life Coach

“Just as our body holds innate wisdom, truth and healing, so do Courtney Putnam’s Body Cards. Courtney’s artistic renderings on each of these cards alone are a journey to explore, though the depth and intrigue of this lovely art is then amplified by the powerful messages and energies contained within each card. The connections between body parts and words and messages they represent as Courtney has postulated, resonate with my own internal workings and intuitive guidance. Because of the resonance I feel with this deck of cards, the clarity in readings both for myself as well as individuals I work with feel to be spot on each and every time I utilize them.”

—Mary Lydia Ryan | Vocalist, Songwriter, & Performer

“I was first attracted to the Body Cards by the gorgeous artwork. As I’ve been writing my trauma memoir and participating in the #MeToo movement, I’ve found them to be an incredible tool to reconnect with my body. Many of us with Complex PTSD from the trauma of childhood sexual assault shut off from our bodies. I’ve had a lifetime of muscle armoring and holding my breath. While contemplating self-love, I turned over the card Kidneys: Priority. Kidneys filter toxins. My kidneys remind me that the best way for me to experience self-love is to watch my back and to filter out narcissists as well as environments in which I do not feel safe, wanted, and appreciated. While looking at money problems, I drew Stirrup Bone: Listening. ‘Perhaps there is a part of you that is still that child, waiting for the bad sounds to stop.’ Exactly right – I was still hearing the ridicule and humiliation and danger I grew up regarding money. I stopped listening to those old messages and an unexpected check arrived, credit was approved, and fear lifted. Body Cards have become a regular part of my work as a creative professional and my mindfulness practice reminding me of the wisdom my body carries.”

—Diane Sherlock | Actress and Author