Tag: occult

Tarot by the Moon

Wow! This book was a very pleasant surprise for me. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the title, but Tarot By the Moon surpassed my expectations, and it’s one I am surely adding to my library in print form.

My best description is that it’s a hybrid of Farmer’s Almanac, a tarot technique book, divinatory technique, shadow work, and lunar occult ritual book. The official stance of the book is that it’s targeted towards readers who want to make meaningful change, so it’s an active, rather than a passive read. I find that because of this, it’s well-suited to shadow work, because that’s generally the area where readers want to create tangible change. It’s really much more than a moon phases or basic tarot book.

Tarot Deciphered: Decoding Esoteric Symbolism in Modern Tarot

I’m giving this book 5 stars, even though I didn’t enjoy reading it, here’s how that works: it’s an extremely well-written, knowledgeable resource. I just didn’t enjoy it because I discovered that the esotericism of the tarot isn’t what interests me about tarot. I don’t read with the two main decks created out of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Thoth and RWS, I like decks based off the RWS system to the deck itself and Thoth has never been my thing. So, unsurprisingly, this book wasn’t really for me.

Potions, Elixirs, & Brews: A Modern Witches’ Grimoire of Drinkable Spells

What a fun, fast read! Baby witches today are quite lucky (and by that, I only mean “witches under age 30” — no ageism here, I know baby witches can be quite knowledgeable and experienced!) TikTok and other social media platforms where this author is an established influencer help baby witches find their people and forge strong bonds to work their craft together — this was not always such an easy task, so in that regard I think baby witches today are quite lucky, because some of those influencers go on to write books like these. I wasn’t aware of the author’s status when I requested book or began reading, so keep in mind my review exists separately from their social media platforms.

The Truth Is We Are Perfect

This collection of poetry is infused with spiritual intention, and it’s easily one of the best poetry books I’ve read during quarantine. I’ve read and re-read it several times, following my first Writing and Ritual workshop with Janaka Stucky and Pam Grossman.

This is a tremendous collection for poets, those concerned with matters of the spirit and soul, and where those two identities converge.

The Halloween Oracle

This is what I would call a great “starter oracle”, hence 4 stars as opposed to 5. There are 36 cards in the deck, and like many decks produced by Blue Angel, they’re a bit bigger than average, with a glossy finish. This makes shuffling a bit difficult if you have smaller hands. The approach to Halloween images and themes is on the general side, which makes the deck accessible — hence, my description as a “starter oracle”. The cards contain a keyword phrase on them, so you don’t need the guide to perform a reading, and at a page or less per card, the guide doesn’t offer much depth or added context — which is fine in a starter deck.

Myths & Mermaids:

I’ve had 4 different oracle collaborations featuring the art of Jasmine Becket-Griffith, and without exception, they are all wonderful additions to any collection. This was my first of their collaborative decks, so it holds a special place in my heart, as a Florida girl with a special affection for the Weeki Wachee mermaids.

The Asylum Oracle

** spoiler alert ** This is easily my favorite oracle deck, and it’s both friendly and accessible to readers at any stage, whether or not you’re already familiar with Emilie Autumn’s music or Asylum world.