Nature's Whispers Cards

Nature's Whispers Oracle Cards are 50 attractive individual artworks by Josephine Wall, with guidebook text composed by Angela Hartfield. The cards are hard boxed with the guidebook which provides all necessary information: how to use the deck, clear the cards, and ask a question, shuffle and choose. The booklet also suggests a one card daily message, a 3 card reading of past, present and future, and a 4 card Relating Spread. Each of the cards is explained in approximately 50 words and carries a number and a title. As we live in a high tech world, we are estranged from the wisdom and beauty of nature and this deck suggests we can create opportunities to reconnect with it. Whispers of Love is a companion deck by the same artist and writer, also with 50 cards. 

Seasons of the Witch Mabon Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Seasons of the Witch Mabon Oracle by Lorriane Anderson & Juliet Diaz. Boxed set of 44 cards and guidebook. Published by Rockpool Publishing. RRP US $24.95 UK £18.99 (6th July 2023)

“ To find enlightenment, seek nowhere, it lies within you.”

Mabon, The autumn equinox a time of balance, slowing down, evaluation, surrender, transition, creating boundaries, letting go, clearing blocks, developing new perspectives, and preparing for winter. A time to enjoy the season as colours and energies change. The deck can be used throughout the year, not just for autumn equinox. Yule, Beltain, Samhain and other seasonal festivals are also available. 

Queen Mab Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Queen Mab Oracle – Divine Wisdom from the Queen of the Fae, by Tess Whitehurst. Boxed set of 45 cards and guidebook. Published by Blue Angel Publishing. July 2023  £19.99 ISBN: 9781922573773

 Channelled by the Rocky Mountains author, Tess Whitehurst, we peer deeply into the images, created by two illustrators, Melanie Delon and Cecilia G.F. The box has an attractive glint. The figurative images are female, young, slim and pretty, as one would expect from fairyland. Crowns, butterflies, flowers and the moon are suitable motifs. There are some multi-cultural images too. The principle colours are sombre russets, dark blues, browns and greys, so for me, this is an Autumnal card oracle. 

Animal Totem Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson with illustrations by Eugene Smith. Published by Llewelyn Worldwide.

"Each animal is a teacher, imparting wisdom beyond words. May their lessons guide you on your way."

This is a workbook that connects animals to the tarot and has with space for writing experiences on the animals wisdom detailed in the cards. The book provides information about power animals and animal guides, totems, archetypes, elemental energies and how to perform a reading with these cards. Each major arcana card represents an animal and has a channeled message from each animal, plus information about the meaning of the card and its message when it appears in a spread. Each card carries information about Business & Career, Family & Relationships, Health & Well- Being, Card- of-the-Day and Journal Prompts.

Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle by Siolo Thompson. Published by Llewellyn Publications. 40 card set in sturdy presentation box with full colour instruction book. £22.50

Enjoyment from the Boundary Lands! 

Siolo Thompson is a self taught artist living in Seattle, Washington. She uses multi media for her artwork which draws inspiration from the grimoires of the foraging witch and healer. She also created the Linestrider Tarot deck.

The artwork is intended to allow identification of the plant and the book provides information on herb lore, the history of the 40 plants with seasonal recipes, an associated Tarot card, descriptions of plants, where to find them, the way they were used and how to use them, what part is used and whether they are culinary or medicinal. The deck offers guidance for the seeker or a focus for meditation and it can also be used as a flash card study guide as the seeker learns how to identify plants, blossom, leaf shoots and fruits.  It is a way for the seeker to approach the natural world, gaining delight, knowledge and magic.

The Essential Lenormand Review

Mind Body Soul Ezine Book Review: The Essential Lenormand - Your Guide to Precise and Practical Fortunetelling by Rana George $21.99 Published by Llewellyn Worldwide.

The Robin Wood Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Robin Wood Tarot, created and written by Robin Wood and Michael Short. Published by Llewellyn Publications. 

Robin Wood passed into higher life earlier in 2021 with carcinoma. She is hugely missed and was well known for her visionary artwork of dragons for board and internet role playing games, Second Life, etc.  This deck took nearly a decade to design. It combines traditional tarot with natural symbolism. It is much loved by pagans with its expressive artwork that is full of tarot and pagan symbolism. 

Meditate on each card and make a note of your associations and emotions as this information will become your own personal guide to interpreting this deck. 

There are standard card titles,  with 5 sentences of meaning for uprights and 5 for reversed. Pentacles, Wands, Swords and Cups; Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages. 3 layouts are suggested: The 15-Card, The 10-Card and The 5-Card. 

The Lantern Oracle

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Lantern Oracle by Angelina Mirabito, illustrated by Yuly Alejo,  Boxed set of 44 cards plus guidebook, published by Blue Angel Publishing, £17.99

Maybe this is more a deck for young people who will see their age group largely reflected in the illustrations though the deck is divided into four sections, Maiden, Mother, Guardian and Crone so all ages of women are reflected. Information on how to cleanse and use the cards includes a 40 day card working process where journaling is suggested. The book’s write ups assist with times of change, challenge and confusion. 

Two other spreads are provided: A 4 card ‘Lantern’, and a 5 card ‘Luminosity’.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti, Magnetic box set of 78 cards plus guidebook. Published by Llewellyn Worldwide. U.K. £25.00 : US $29.99

The accompanying book is titled ‘Gateway to the Divine Tarot’ and it begins with an extensive storyline; a setting of the creation and potential destruction of our planet and the change to civilisation that is coming. Those who are prepared and survive the Great Change - the ‘remnant’ will rebuild. The kingdoms of air, fire, water and earth must be in health. The Legacy Project is decreed by the Emperor’s Council and all knowledge and achievement is preserved within a capsule. 

The Real Witches' Kitchen Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Real Witches Kitchen - Spells, Recipes, Oils, Lotions and Potions from the Witches' Hearth by Kate West, published by Thorsons/Element.

Useful and interesting, this book describes how to be a witch and enjoy the razzmatazz of creativity and discovery, either alone or to share with others. What is a witch? You will find out! The Wheel of the Year is important for rites and ceremonies, sacred space, spellwork, a Book of Shadows, and personal development and responsibilities which are promoted.

Gnostic Healing

 

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Gnostic Healing - Revealing the Hidden Power of God by Tau Malachi and Siobhan Houston, published by Llewellyn Publications, 190 pages, Paperback £12.99

"We are all an emanation of the divine" For those who enjoy deep metaphysical study, these two academics have put together a practical sysnthesis of 'Sophian Gnosticism', based on understanding which combines healing with Christianity, Kabbalah and Rosicrucian belief. The instruction is easy to follow and designed to facilitate a spiritual awakening and there is an importance stressed on the development of inner life. There are suggestions on how to work with negative people, for the laying on of hands, a healing for the self image, and a text for invoking the Holy Guardian angel. There is a section with a Gnostic prayer for the dying and baptism for the dead.

A Theurigist’s Book of Hours

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: A Theurgist’s Book of Hours by Jeffrey S Kupperman, published by Avalonia Books. £18.99

From the introduction: In brief, prayer nurtures the mind, makes us more receptive to divine beings, habituates us to the otherwise potentially lethal divine light, perfects our ability to contact the gods, uplifts our minds to those of the gods, links us to them, purifies our pneumatic vehicle, brings out the divine element in the human soul, and makes us “the familiar consorts of the gods”. Prayer is so important that “no sacred act can take place without it”. 

Soul Cats Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Soul Cats Tarot by Leeza Robertson, illustrated by Adam Oehlers, Presentation boxed set of cards and full colour, large reproduction companion book, £25 Published by Llewellyn Publishing. 

Here we have 78 beautiful artworks with interesting write-ups on each Tarot Card, guidance for uprights and protection for reversed cards. The deck begins with a beautiful creation story. Life, death, faith, love, health, family, prosperity, and numerous other life lessons are given in this deck. The Majors are mixed breeds having adventures, the Court Cats are Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages. Cups are Bengal, Wands are Bombay, Swords are Siamese and Pentacles are Maine Coon. Every one a gem! 

Tarot Interactions

 
Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Tarot Interactions - Become More Intuitive, Psychic & Skilled at Reading Cards by Deborah Lipp, published by Llewellyn Worldwide, 252 pages paperback £16.99 www.deborahlipp.com

The author is an initiated Gardnarian witch and high priestess of a coven and teaches Wicca and pagan practices. She has 30 years experience of Tarot. She is keen to express the importance of 'seeing the big picture'. The combinations of possible tarot readings is astronomical, 25,000 combinations easily. With the use of ten or more cards, we approach a quarter of a million possible combinations!

Shamanism

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Shamanism -Your Personal Journey to Healing and Self Discovery by Mark Nelson, Quality paperback, all text 264 pages. Published by Llewellyn Books US $18.99 : Can $26.99 U.K. £14.99

Wholeness, balance and harmony are suggested by the author as keywords for shamanic practice. 

Mark Nelson presents workshops, teaches and provides other services and programs on shamanism. 

The book provides information on the history of shamanism, the customs and practices with additional information on divination, rituals, journeying, dream work, distance healing, the natural world, ancestral healing, types of spirits, seasonal ceremony, sacred space, the elements and directions, crystals, death, spirits of place,  shapeshifting, soul retrieval, altered states, and working with power and shamanic tools. 

The Shaman's Oracle Cards

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Oracle card deck review: The Shaman's Oracle Cards for Ancient Wisdom and Guidance by John Matthews, illustrated by Wil Kinghan, Published by Watkins Publishing

Publishing in a good quality box with pull out drawer with excellent card stock. Pack contains hardback book, 52 cards and a template pictorial of a hand to aid reading. Pack price: £14.99, yes, brilliant value for money!

Information is provided about palaeolithic art which is found worldwide, in Australia, the Americas, Europe and China and has inspired the artwork for this deck. Each card carries a different image. Other information provided is about shamanism as an ancient spiritual practice. There is information on how to use the cards and how to frame questions. A sample layout helps with this process. Beautiful poems accompany each card. The images were excellent in transporting me into an inspirational space where the reading flowed quite naturally, sometimes without needing the book's

Pistis Sophia - The Goddess Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Pistis Sophia - The Goddess Tarot by Kim Huggens and Nic Phillips Published by Red Feather (Schiffer Publishing) Boxed set of 22 Majors-Only cards and guidebook £31.99

Kim Huggens and Nic Phillips have added to their very successful fully illustrated 78 card Sol Invictus - The God Tarot, published a decade ago. Sol Invictus is the Invincible Roman Sun God. This is an entirely masculine myths and historical tarot deck so it is no surprise that after more than ten years of development, an all female Majors-Only of 22 cards is available. Pistis Sophia takes its title from a Gnostic work from early Christian times with esoteric teachings from Jesus. Several Christian elements are included in what is largely international in scope.