“As little children, before we learn to speak, we are completely authentic. Our actions are guided by instinct and emotions—that is, we listen to the silent ‘voice of integrity’. Once we learn to speak, the people around us hook our attention and program us with knowledge. The ‘voice of knowledge’ comes alive inside our head, and it never stops talking, judging, gossiping, and abusing us. It constantly sabotages our happiness and keeps us from enjoying a reality of truth and love.” –Don Miguel Ruiz
The Voice of Knowledge Cards is a 48 card deck that shows us how to recover the silent voice of integrity and find inner peace by challenging the lies that we’ve swallowed along life’s journey. The glossy cards measure 4.7 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches, and features colorful, whimsical artwork by Lori Koefoed. One side of the card offers a statement, while the others side elaborates on the idea. Some examples include:
The mind is fertile ground for concepts, ideas, and opinions.
If we believe a lie, that lie takes root in our mind and can grow big and strong, like a tree. One little lie can be very contagious, spreading its seeds from person to person when we share it with others.
Emotional pain is a symptom of being abused.
Every time we lie to ourselves, judge ourselves, or reject ourselves, our emotional reaction isn’t pleasant. The pain is letting us know that we have to do something to stop the abuse.
We are born in truth, but we grow up believing in lies.
One of the biggest lies in the story of humanity is the lie of our imperfection. When we believe this lie, we use the lie to judge ourselves, to punish ourselves, and to justify our mistakes.
Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love.
If other people try to write your story, it means they don’t respect you. They consider that you’re not a good artist who can write your own story, even though you were born to write your own story.
The artwork on the Voice of Knowledge Cards is truly gorgeous. Most of the messages are very wise and penetrating, although a few can prove confusing to some. One of the reasons I wasn’t big on the book that these cards are based upon is because it seemed like a departure from Ruiz’s other works—especially The Four Agreements. There’s a lot of talk about lies and those who tell them, but what is truth? What is a lie? Ruiz talks a lot about personal stories, as does many Toltec, self-help, and New Age authors.
With some of the messages on the cards, I couldn’t help but hear Byron Katie saying “Is this true? Can you know for sure it’s true?” Katie asks us “who would you be without your story?”, and gives us 4 questions called inquiry that can dismantle every painful thought that causes suffering and separation. (If you want to be free you must get her books Loving What Is and I Need Your Love – Is that True?) But Ruiz, while acknowledging our beautiful storytelling and perfection, still paints with the brushstrokes of duality. We’re perfect as is, but not if we’re lying to ourselves. We’re amazing artists and storytellers, but we are swallowing lies.
If you’re an ardent fan of Don Miguel Ruiz, as well as his book The Voice of Knowledge, you’ll enjoy this deck. It’s not necessary to have read the book to use these insightful cards; however, for those who don’t accept things at face value, you may wonder what “the point” is for a few of the cards.
Below are 6 images from this deck:
Related Articles
Content copyright © by Janet Boyer. All rights reserved. This review was written by Janet Boyer. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission.
