Tarot
Journaling: Using the Celtic Cross to Unveil Your Hidden Story One of the (now common) practices for which I hold the most disdain is when Tarot readers and/or writers take away the life-productive benefits of this vibrant and insightful oracle while completely ignoring the spiritual and emotional aspects. Ms Kenner has done anything but that. Her beautiful book is an homage to the inner wisdom and spiritual depth inherent in the Tarot. Far from merely a lesson in journaling, this book explores in detail one of my own favorite spreads, the classic Celtic Cross, opening up each position of the 10 card layout to elaborate on its most intricate aspects. Far from belaboring the issue, Kenner's observations are fascinating for either the novice or the seasoned reader. With each position, she interweaves a marvelous extension into the overall explanation of how to read the cards, creating a clever microcosm/macrocosm effect. Plus she teaches the reader how to effectively record and explore the results of their Tarot readings. As a Tarot reader of 20 years, it is rare that a book comes along and really impresses me. This one did. 5
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More yin than yang, Notebook walks us through a number of exercises and observations of the internal psychology of Witchcraft, how it deeply affects and changes the practitioner and how to balance out the power inherent in its practice. One gets the feeling of reading one woman's progression through the unfolding of an older Witch, benefiting from what she might jot down here and there as noteworthy all the way through the spectrum from lovely ruminations to specific guidance. My particular favorite, which resonated deeply with me personally as a Pagan elder, remains the lovely chapter on "tending your spiritual garden." We should all be given such a "no nonsense" talk and taught to careful for our own gardens this well. I cannot recommend this
book highly enough. To have such a sedate and gothic cover design,
the inside positively glows with light. 5
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How could we not learn the "captivating commode spell?"
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pentacles out of 5 This book is available from:
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pentacles out of 5 This book is available from:
This book is available from:
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pentacles out of 5 This book is available from:
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pentacles out of 5 This book is available from:
Want to know when to buy, sell, plant, travel, fall in love or start a business? It's in here. This extensive study of the lunar aspects of 2006 leaves no stone unturned and no side of the moon without a bright light shown on it. Exploring a bevy of topics such as the placement of the moon in the natal chart, there is absolutely nothing about the moon you'd ever want to know that is not included here. In fact, the enormity of the volume of information is almost staggering. 4
pentacles out of 5 This book is available from:
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Continuing its tradition of marvelously quirky and lively writing, the 2006 Wicca Almanac does not disappoint. Less formalized than the Magical Almanac (scroll above), the Wicca Almanac is specific to Witchcraft and includes a score of wonderfully informative and enjoyable articles. Culling favorite Witchy authors such as Cerridwen Isis Shea and Christopher Penczak, the easy, friendly style of this almanac easily makes it my favorite. Vital to newcomers to the Craft as well as the seasoned practitioner, this handbook for the year is the perfect companion for ritual, life and spiritual planning. 5
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If you have an interest in Sumerian culture and literature, this book will guide you through an extensive study that will leave you well educated and ready to utilize the deck that goes along with it. If you are not familiar with Babylonian lore, you will definitely be lost. Of course, that is the objective of such a deck that takes on the odious task not only of providing an oracle for insight and precognition, but also of educating the user to a target subject. Ms Cicero accomplishes that objective well and with finesse. 4
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Grimassi, along with friend Stephanie Taylor and artist Mickie Mueller, has created a beautiful new system for exploring the spirit and the Universe, the internal and the external. Following the theme of Craft, the kit contains 40 cards depicting situations and items that will be immediately familiar to the pracitioners of Wicca and Witchcraft. The air of warmth and familiarity that permeates the deck is a welcoming spirit in and of itself. The guidebook that accompanies the deck gently leads the reader through three parts of each card, the Meaning, the Teaching and the Alignment. We are given divinatory spreads as well as rituals to following using the cards in different ways. Simply put, I love these
cards. I also am touched that Taylor and Grimassi used their own
images for the card "Initiation," showing that we are all initiates on the
path, just walking it in different places. 6 pentacles out of
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The overall theme of the book is one that is dear to my heart: the idea of power with the natural energies rather than power over the natural energies. The writers compliment one another in philosophy and writing style quite well. The energy behind such things as symbolism, color, elements, moon phases and holidays is thoroughly explained and conveyed in a manner that is well understood and almost lilting. If I were not already a Witch, I would thirst to be one after reading this book. 5
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In this fascinating volume, Malachi tells a compelling story of Mary Magdalene, woven through a series of "cycles' as preserved through the oral tradition of Sophian Gnosticism. In the Introduction, he is quite clear that the stories told are not intended to serve as fact or historical documentation, but as a means to inspire and awaken the Christ self within all of us. With the re-awakening of interest in Mary Magdalene through Dan Brown's book The Davinci Code there has been an outcry from the public on two different sides: those who wish to end any speculation of Mary as anything other than a prostitute barely referenced in the Bible and those who passionately wish to learn more about this maligned presence subdued by centuries of gospel censorship. The author provides the insight of one tradition, which to me, makes much greater sense even as speculation as does the majority of "conventional" consensus. I was troubled that even through the female-friendly Sophian tradition, Mary is still regarded as a prostitute when historically, there is no evidence to back up this claim and it is largely thought to have been a direct machination of subsequent patriarchal regimes to subdue any degree of power and sacredness of a female deity. Still, the 250 entries spread over these six cycles of Mary Magdalene hit their mark of providing wisdom and inspiration to those who choose to approach the tradition with an open mind and a willing spirit. Certainly, the writing contained in this book are equally as divinely inspired as any in the Bible or Koran and I would easily given them equal credibility. Whether it is an oral tradition that is passed mouth to ear over many generations or an apostle writing from memories decades old, we must seek out our enlightenment where we can find it. I would definitely consider this to be a very worthy book to take into consideration for those who are seeking to learn more about the Holy Grail in human form. 5
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To often, I think, the merit of a book is determined by its inherent readability and assimilation by the masses. In some ways, I believe this works to the detriment of quality in the mass market wisdom and knowledge. So much attention is paid to broad spectrum appeal that specialty books that target a select audience of advanced practitioners are often at a minimum with only a fraction produced compared to the plethora of beginner books available. The Higginbothams covered the beginner aspect admirably in their previous work, Paganism: An Introduction to Earth- Centered Religions. I found the book to be far superior than virtually any other primary book on Paganism. Their next edition follow up on the practice by going deeper into the spirituality of Paganism. A good bit of this is likely to go right over the head of the novice practitioner and well it should. It is a handbook intended to address the developing magickal skills and understanding of an experienced practitioner. Their message seems to be, "OK, now that we've gotten the basics cleared away, let's get down to the good stuff." Set up pretty much in
textbook style, each chapter gives the readers questions to discuss,
visualizations and journaling to do. It is a book for the dedicated
Pagan who is eager to do more, learn more and be more once they have
mastered the basic magickal lessons of first and second level practice. 5
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This book made me cry... and that is a lovely thing. Dianne Sylvan takes on unapologetically through a screaming, crying, keening and wailing spiritual release of the unreasonable and unachievable stereotypes and social demands placed on us by a society bent on pushing us into painful molds of the emaciated and skeletal. She urges us to reclaim our soft, feminine bodies as the sacred altars they were in times past and to see ourselves as beautiful as we are. The Body Sacred gives us a comprehensive study of our relationship with food, our lost ability to nurture and mother ourselves, our sexuality and basically reprograms us to embrace the Divine Feminine within us. Her "side bars" of comments on the text she is writing are particularly personal and pleasantly candid and informal. Every woman should read this book, regardless of their stage or status in life. But I am not anointing myself with menstrual blood. Nuh uh.
5 pentacles out of 5 This book is available from: |
Cottage
Witchery:
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The
Babylonian Tarot
