The Wife of Jesus

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Wife of Jesus - Ancient Texts and Modern Scandals by Anthony Le Donne

Would an itinerant preacher have the responsibilities of a wife and children, one wonders, especiall as Jesus provoked ire from the powerful Jewish elite! The Essenes were celibate, and John, the cousin of Jesus, an ascetic, may have been an Essene. Maybe Jesus was too! There is question whether The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife is a forgery! Was Jesus married and if so, to whom? This is the subject of this study and unlike many sensationalised and lucrative accounts, it is dealt with in an academic manner by a scholar of Jesus and the time in which he lived, and with an open mind and without an agenda! It is written in a chatty and easy, modern style. 

All aspects of Jesus’ sexuality are investigated. Did Morton Smith lie about Secret Mark to accuse Jesus of homosexuality because he was a homosexual himself? Is the Karen King document a forgery? Was Joseph Smith a fraud, advocating multiple sexual partners, claiming this to be a teaching from Jesus? Do we create a Jesus who teaches what we would want him to teach? Is Jesus a projection of our own desires for controversy? 

There is no evidence that Jesus was married, and his possible offspring are not mentioned in the gospels. There is no evidence that the Magdalene was his wife, and we do not know if she was not an old woman, a close relative of Jesus, or a confirmed spinster! It is frustrating that the Gospel of Mary is only a small section of this Gnostic book and the place where we see that Jesus kissed Magdalene is missing. Did he kiss her feet or her forehead, we do not know and cannot assume it was her mouth. 

Fascinating! Review by Wendy Stokes https://wendystokes.co.uk

Nature Quest Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Nature Quest Oracle  - Taoist Wisdom for Modern Times by Theresa Hutch. Boxed set of 50 cards and guidebook. Published by U S Games Systems Inc. £21.67 

Sample: Truth - Lao Tzu We give without expecting anything in return. We do not dwell on past accomplishments, and do not glory in any praise. Great savages never praise or blame. They live above the common drama of ordinary folks. In doing so, they tap into a greater consciousness and glow in a way that draws others near. Not much is known about Lao Tzu, the writer of the Tao, but he was able to tap into greater consciousness and describe the importance of humility, balance and flow. Tao #77 The Tao of heaven works in the world like the drawing of bow. The top is bent downwards and the bottom is bent up. The excess is taken from and the deficient is given to. Who is able to give to others from the excess? Only someone who is following the way of the Tao. Reflections: find lightness and playfulness in your day. Notice when you get caught up in a drama. Be more like water, strong yet yielding. Affirmation: go with the flow. 

Totem Guardians Oracle Deck

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Totem Guardians Oracle Deck by Tanya Bond. Boxed set of 42 cards and guidebook. Published by U S Games Systems Inc. £16.66 

Sample: 18 Cat. Cat spirit animal reminds you to embrace your physical form, connecting with internal feelings and physical sensations. We often reside in our head and rarely consult the wisdom of our body. Sleep when you need to, move when you yearn for physical activity, eat when you need nourishment. There is an intrinsic wisdom in your body. It helps you notice internal issues, energies and emotions that have become stuck. These feelings and memories need an outlet. Listen to your body, explore the sensations, even the uncomfortable ones. They all carry a message for you of an inner hurt denied, and inner cries unheard, that desperately want to communicate with you. As you direct your attention towards your inner life, you will notice that stuck feelings can manifest as heat, cold, electricity and magnetism. Your conscious attentions will help release these trapped thoughts and feelings from your body. 

The Light Seers Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Light Seers Tarot by Chris-Anne, published by Hay House. 

‘Into the Grey we follow like a thousand flickering stars. And there in a sunlit hollow we lose and find what is ours.’

This deck is versatile. You can read for yourself or others, work with archetypes that you make your own and bring new meanings to them. The cards can be used for meditation and you can converse with the characters. Upright and Reversal meanings (light and shadow) are provided in the Guidebook. How to connect to the cards and other full information is provided, including questions to ask. Suggestions for spreads are a Daily Message; Light & Shadow 2 cards; Light Worker Illumination 3 cards; Calling in Love 4 cards; and Soul Joy 3 cards. Each card has keywords for both upright and reversed and an affirmation. All 78 cards are individual full colour art. The Court Cards are Page, Knight, Queen and King, and the suits are Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.

Spirit of the Animals Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Spirit of the Animals Oracle by Jody Bergsma. Published by U S Games Systems Inc. £25.00

Sample : Moose- Wisdom. The Moose is a powerful totem. This is a powerful totem. It has a unique energy with many contradictions, awkward yet graceful, plain but beautiful and they have a strong presence. Most are masters of wisdom and perception. In spite of their large size, Moose are swift, confident and fearless. They stand 7 feet tall with a crown of antlers almost as wide. The antlers are said to act as antenna in the secrets and teaching from the wise ones. If Moose is your totem, you are a mystic and sit in the council of the ancestors. You are smart and outstanding in your field. You are intuitive, and from an early age you have experienced connections to spirit that have alluded others. You area survivor. Moose live a long life. Your lofty heights are not for the many but for the few. With Moose, you are sure to travel the long winding path to your destiny, wisdom and mastery. If the card falls upside down, have you wondered into negative territory? Have you ignored your intuition and been led down the wrong path? Do not worry. You are a strong individual that can handle anything. When in a struggle, take the higher ground. 

The Enchanted Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck review: The Enchanted Tarot By Amy Zerner and Monte Farber - Box containing 78 cards, 192 page fully illustrated guidebook Published by Connections Book Publishing. 

Through the Enchanted Tarot we are invited to enter ‘a realm of myth and magic’ and this quality deck certainly delivers both by providing a depth of symbolism within traditional and other tales. I can vouch that this deck will come up to expectations for Tarot and art enthusiasts. Its strengths lie in its profound wisdom set within the card concepts, and also the beauty and majesty of its detailed illustrations (which can be viewed under a magnifying glass for added enjoyment.) 

Insight Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Card Deck Review: Insight Tarot by Stanislav Reshetikov, published by Red Feather, Quality boxed set of cards plus guidebook. £33.99 Card size: 5” x 3”.

79 cards (including The White Card) in this elegant package with a magnetic flip type lid and instruction book. There are good leafed edges to the cards which are a nice touch. The creator, Stanislav Reshetikov is from Moscow, and is a Jungian psychotherapist whose depth psychology works with the unconscious mind, and explores myths, metaphors, symbols and dreams. We are invited to “Discover yourself, possess yourself! There’s much more to it than pain!”

Vlad Dracula Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Vlad Dracula Tarot created, written and illustrated by Travis McHenry, boxed set of 78 cards plus book. Published by Rockpool Publishing. US $ 25.95 : U.K.: £21.99

Gold leaf edged cards in a red and black box with gold lettering. Card size: 2 and a half inches by 4 and a half inches. 

After a visit to Romania and hearing stories of Vlad the Impaler (1431-1476) the author developed an obsession with the character, his exploits, and the times and place in which he lived.

Tarot Apokalypsis Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot Apokalypsis, published by Lo Scarabeo, text by Kim Huggens, artwork by Erik C Dunne. Boxed set of 79 cards and full colour hardback book 464 pages. £27.99

Who are you today in the Land of Apokalypsis?

This is the follow up to the award winning Tarot Illuminati, which was the first collaborative tarot deck between these two great tarot specialists, Kim Huggins and Erik Dunne, and is produced by the prestigious Tarot publishing house, Lo Scarabeo. It offers rich symbolism, astrological and kabbalistic meanings, and takes us across the world to ancient myths. To this deck, a new card has been added, creating 79 card deck.

Tarot Lenormand

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot Lenormand by Ernest Fitzpatrick (2006)

Inspired by the Lenormand card deck, named after the ‘the Sibyl of the Salons’ Madam Anne Marie Lenormand (1768-1843) of the French court of Napoleon, and his Empress Josephine. 

Inspiring images, beautifully portrayed in artwork. All usual titles, except The World is titled, Man.