The Secret History of Christmas Baking

The Secret History of Christmas Baking - Recipes and Stories from Tomb Offerings to Gingerbread Boys by Linda Raedisch, ISBN 978-0-7387-7235-6, RRP $17:99. Published by Llewellyn Publications. (8 Sept, 2023)

This is a magical exploration of the sometimes dark and always intriguing history of some of our most beloved baked Christmas treats. Many have surprising origins with many twists and turns in their development into the festive delights that we enjoy today. 

The 300 pages of this book are delightfully crammed with recipes, and also crafts! Good old fashioned wholesome crafts like making your own Christmas star shaped cookie tray or a paper angel! Homemade marzipan and how to make your own candied peel to name just a selection of treats. All the instructions are easy to follow and offer the relevant historical information of each.

Gathered from all over Europe and sometimes dipping into the ancient exotic cultures of Persia, Arabia, and Egypt, Linda Raedisch delivers everything you need to get you in the mood for the season. Written with wit and passion, it is an unexpected page turner. 

 

Elemental Tarot for Kids

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine: Elemental Tarot for Kids by Rayne Storm, published by Red Feather, Quality Box of 71 cards, card size: 5” x 3.5”. 

Renamed cards to represent Majors using words like Transformation, Balance, etc. The Minors are Earth (Green), Water (Purple), Air (Yellow), Fire (Red) also with simple titles. 

There are simple explanations and practice for kids who want to play with their first set of divination cards. In the box are several cards that provide information as follows: “Set up, ask a question, shuffle, layout, read, apply intuition, record the reading: Tarot is the art of reading a story laid out in the cards. Messages are hidden to give advice and guidance. Whatever could happen has not happened yet, so it can be changed to a good outcome with forethought, discussion and good advice. Never accept money or gifts for a reading; Only use the cards for entertainment; Never say that anything bad will happen!”

Oracle of the Fairies

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: ORACLE OF THE FAIRIES,by Karen Kay with illustrations by Ginger Kelly, Boxed set of 44 cards with Guidebook,Published by Hay House,UK £14.99 US $19.99 CAN $25.99

“May you discover your fairy wings inside the sanctuary of your precious heart”

The fairies of these oracle cards are protectors of the environment and guardians of the planet and they possess ancient wisdom that you can tune into for insight and inspiration. Fairies have been created by the Divine Intelligence and are evolving as humans are. They like us to care for the natural world in which they live, to recycle, avoid chemicals and any kind of pollution. This deck will provide enjoyment for nature lovers and fairy believers and all the 44 cards carry positive messages. The card illustrations are of long haired girls and slim young women, dressed in diaphanous gowns of soft pastel colours with rainbow coloured wings who sit in the dappled shade of a forest glade.

Earth Warriors Oracle Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Reviews: Earth Warriors Oracle - Rise of the Soul Tribe of Sacred Guardians and Inspired Visionaries by Alana Fairchild. Artwork by Isabel Bryna. Boxed set of 44 cards and guidebook. Published by Blue Angel Publishing. £17.99

Each card provides an ornate painting with female faces, big cats, birds, butterflies, moon phases, skulls, wings and plants. The guidebook provides information about how to use the cards, a channelled message is provided for each card and an extensive spiritual guidance write-up. There is also a powerful healing ritual for each card. There is a 4 card 'Earth Mother Speaks', and a 4 card 'Life Purpose Adjustment with Divine Guidance' reading. There is also a one card 'Simple What Do I Most Need to Know' and a 4 card 'Divine Healing and Spiritual Guidance Session.

This deck is a life changer in my estimation. It suggests a new politics for the New Age and protectors are required to birth a new way of being. I like this presentation and model of spirituality that Alana presents within this deck of cards. Alana was a lawyer but prefers teaching spiritual values through her books, card decks, DVDs and CDs. She doesn't disappoint! 🌟 Recommended!

Mother Earth Mandala Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck: Mother Earth Mandala Oracle by Fanny Menardi. Published by US Games Systems Inc., box of 44 cards plus guidebook. U.K. £20 

The word mandala means, in Sanskrit, circle - one that is symbolically designed to represent the order of the cosmos and one where you can co-ordinate your own personal internal image of balance and harmony. In the Buddhist Mandala, the deity is within the centre and acts as a power source. One connects through the outer layers to the inner and out again as the deity's radiation affects all life around it. The cards have a wide range of motifs, such as sun, moon, butterfly, Inca, Egypt India and other symbolisms all with artwork using the pointellism style of multiple dots, giving the cards an Australian tribal art feel. You can use the cards to ask about your mission, integrity and authenticity or however you would like to, ask a question, such as What do I need to heal in this situation? Pick a card at random, lay out the entire deck face down and choose a card, or use a three-card past, present and future reading. The deck is intended to empower the individual in their spiritual journey and can be read for oneself or for another and is idea for a beginner with advice, guidance and inspiration. 

Tarot of the Old Path

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot of the Old Path. Artwork by Sylvia Gainsford. Authored by Howard Rodway. 78 cards and instruction booklet in pack. Published by AGM Urania. £20 

A Handbook of Female Wisdom! The deck is designed for witches, initiates of Wicca and the Craft, also known as the Old Religion or Old Path. The detail of intricate designs, plant and animal artwork is excellent with plenty of action. Some of the major arcana cards have been given different titles, such as Mastery, The Wise One, The Lone Man, The Close, The Guide,Temptation, Illusion, and Karma. 

Sylvia Gainsford is a member of the Fellowship of Isis and the card images contain many leaves of plants. A coven of eight consultants contributed to the card descriptions, meanings, verse and symbols, and gave advice on astrological and elemental correspondences. A 10 card Celtic Cross spread is suggested. It is an attractive deck of cards. Not for a beginner because the booklet carries a few words leaving the insight with the reader to gain inspiration from the cards rather than the booklet.

Sacred Rebels Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Sacred Rebels Oracle - Guidance for Living a Unique & Authentic Life by Alana Fairchild with artwork by Autumn Skye Morrison, published by Blue Angel Publishing, £15.99 boxed set of 44 quality cards and guidebook. Author's website: http://alanafairchild.com

Each card has a number, a title and an image. In the guidebook detailed information on each card is provided with a healing process suggestion of an affirmation and a meditation and frequently a prayer. The artwork is excellent, as in the sample provided of an owl, peacock and raven that sit atop a web and a beaked skull as a grey haired woman relinquishes consciousness. Are her last thoughts about the needs of nature, as we shed our physical body, so many species face extinction.  

The Spirit Animal Oracle

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Reviews: The Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid, Boxed set of 68 cards and guidebook, published by Hay House, U.K. £19.99 : US $29.99 : CAN $39.99 Card size: 6 “ x  4.5”

“The spirits residing in the natural world have much to share, and the secrets of their forgotten language are now available to us.”

The cards have a number, image, title and subtitle on the face and inside in the guidebook, there is a further 200 words of messages on upright cards and an addition 200 words of a protection message for each card that is reversed. 

Shadow Light Cards

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Shadow Light Cards By Elk Woman and L Guescini, £9.99, Published by Mystic Mouse Publishing, 52 cards and a leaflet of 16 pages. 

This card deck is for personal use only, not to provide readings for other people. These square shaped 3 inch by 3 inch cards are designed to carry concepts to help the user attain 'unity' of consciousness. The cards are contained in an attractive mauve coloured pack which depicts a mandala with a skull design in the centre. The fronts of the cards have a larger skull design. Crystal skulls are extraordinary artworks carved from quartz crystal in ancient times and are said to evoke inspired feelings and thoughts within those who meditate upon them. Some think these skulls can also predict the future. 12 of these cards have a white face, these are the 'light cards'. They carry single positive words, such as 'empathy' 'solitude' responsibility' and 'judgement'. 40 of the cards have a black face and represent the 'shadow'. These have dual words in opposition to each other, such as 'awareness and delusion' 'creativity and career' 'experience and challenge' 'empowerment and victim'. These are designed to make us think, become aware and also provide caution.

The Cathar Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Cathar Tarot - The Secret Wisdom of the Perfecti by John Matthews and Wil Kinghan. Boxed set of 78 cards plus explanatory book. Card size: 4.5 inches x 3 inches. U.K.: £17.99 US: $19.95 CAN: $22.95

“In heaven, there are angels, and good men and good women.” Peire Mary June 1324

“The heart of man is the church of god”. Arnaut Sicre, October 1321

This is a concept tarot deck specifically designed for those who are interested in Catharism. The Tarot according to the Cathars you could say! There is a chart comparing the traditional Tarot cards and the Cathar cards. The book contains information about the history of the Cathars and an explanation on how to work with the cards, how to get to know the deck and how to activate it. Each Major is retitled with the traditional Tarot title and a Cathar title, subtitle, explanation, divinatory meaning and keywords for the light and dark aspects of each card. The Minors have less information but it is sufficient to provide a reading. The Minors are divided into the Book of Shields, the Book of Swords, the Book of Love and the Book of Wisdom. 

The Promethean Oracle

Mind Body and Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Promethean Oracle by Sophia Kelly Shultz and Mark Cogan. Published by REDFeather, £33.99  Boxed set of 50 cards (size 3” x 5”) plus information guidebook. 

"A road less travelled!" 

Hooray! There are so many card decks on the market that appeal to women. The Promethean Tarot has a masculine focus with powerful masculine energies, so it's ideal for male seekers and readers. 

Prometheus was the hero who stole fire from the Gods and brought it to humankind. With this deck, men can learn about themselves, not about their 'small' self, but about maturity and what they are capable of as individuals with great caring strengths and deep courage - the sort of men this world needs!

Seeker Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Seeker Oracle by Ravynne Phelan, published by Blue Angel Publishing. Boxed set of 55 cards and accompanying Guidebook. Card size: 10cm x 15cm. £18.99

Sample reading: Choose Love - Love is the force that binds and connects, inspires devotion and a willingness to commit. We choose to view the world through a filter of love. There are countless reasons to fear, but we can only counter them with love. We acknowledge that there is bad in the world. It is impossible to deny that humanity and its impact on the world can be destructive. It is also impossible to deny that mother nature can be unforgiving. We must choose to focus on and highlight that which inspires feelings of wonder and awe and do what we can to nurture and protect the source of those feelings. Make a choice to choose love. Act with compassion, empathy, and kindness. Face the source of any pain, anger, or fear with love. Do not allow hurts feelings to make you hard or cruel. When we choose love, we choose with our heart not our head. Well there are times when we must gather the facts, weigh the pros and cons, and then make a logical and rational decision. There are also times when we must put logic and reasoning aside and follow the dictates of our hearts. Sometimes our heart speaks truer than our head. Our head might offer the most logical option, but our heart knows whether our decision is going to bring us joy or sorrow. Do what we love. Be loving. Don’t withhold love. Love harder. Give compliments, show affection, show interest, and be supportive. Our choice to choose love could transform our life and the lives of those around us. Make “I love you” a part of each day’s conversations, let others know how much we care. All the time. Do it even if it makes us, or them, feel uncomfortable.

Ancestral Path Tarot

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Ancestral Path Tarot by Julie Cuccia-Watts, newly published by US Games Systems Inc. £18.75 Boxed set of 78 cards and booklet. Card size: 3.25 x 5 inches.

You are invited to “discover your own truths”, as the artist and card creator, Julie Cuccia-Watts expresses her own spiritual beliefs through this deck that describes human experience, histories, traditions and myths. Meaningful stories into the human condition are described for each card in 60 words. Four cultures are represented by the four suits: Japan (swords), Egypt (staves), British (cups), and Native Americans (Sacred Circles). One layout offered, the Celtic Cross Spread of 10 cards. 

The Avalonian Oracle

THE AVALONIAN ORACLE - Spiritual Wisdom from the Holy Isle by Jhenah Telyndru and Illustrated by Emily Brunner. Boxed set containing cards and guidebook. ISBN: 978-0-7643-5058-0 Published by REDFeather Mind, Body, Spirit. Previously issued in 2010 as Avalon Within - A Sacred Journey of Myth, Mystery and Inner Wisdom 

Follow in the footsteps of the Priestesses of Avalon and the Goddesses of the Ancient Welsh pantheon. This is a deck for true seekers of mystery, shadow and light. All things Avalon have a very special place in my heart. I had a strong guide in Morgan Le Fay, and fell in love with Marion Zimmer Bradley’s book The Mists of Avalon. It was where I started my own "path" and remains at the heart of my spiritual life. So it truly is a divine privilege to review this deck.

Wild Kuan Yin Oracle

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Wild Kuan Yin Oracle - Soul Guidance from the Wild Divine by Alana Fairchild, Artwork by Wang Yiguang, published by Blue Angel Publishing, boxed 44 cards plus guidebook.

"For free spirits, passionate hearts and dreamers of impossible dreams"

The Guidebook provides information about how to use the deck and suggests spreads: Bridge of Transition 4 cards, Seeing from a New Angle 4 cards. The Guidebook is excellent, providing different types of information about each card, meaning, divination, guidance and healing aspects.

The cards bear a number and a 5/6 word message and an artwork influenced by the Far East with many animals, women in flight, attractive fabrics and natural settings. The Award Winning artist, with a Masters Degree, has a distinctive style and is a teacher of Fine Art in China.

The Secret Language of Animals Oracle Cards

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: the Secret Language of Animals Oracle Cards by Chip Richards, published by Blue Angel Publishing £15.99 46 cards with explanatory booklet.

The booklet provides information about how to use the deck, with each card numbered and titled and provided with keywords, a spiritual perspective and a message and affirmation. There is a section about the importance of understanding current planetary concerns and some recommendations of charitable institutions who are involved in protecting endangered wildlife, many of which are teetering on the edge of extinction. 

There is a dedication to the 'loving, living pulse of Mother Earth and all her sacred children' and that God speaks through nature and how our evolution is bound up with our awareness. The whale, bee, snake, eagle, all so different, all so unique. The author was influenced by nature as a child in Colorado and now living on the coast of Australia where he feels in communion with the natural world.

Archetype Cards

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Archetype Cards by Caroline Myss, published by Hay House, boxed 80 card deck with information booklet. £28.00 Author website: https://www.myss.com/

The information provided assists you in self examination to discover which archetypes are active in your life. Questions help self examination and learning. How can I be more fulfilled? What is my purpose in life? I think these archetypes are a big improvement on astrological horoscopes as they look at self improvement and the question of 'life assignments'. The book examines: life journey, unique challenges, life lessons, behaviour patterns, the inner shadow, and how to step into your archetype.

Tarot of the Kingdoms

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot of the Kingdoms by Paige Ozma Ashmore. Published by REDFeather, a subsidiary of Schiffer Books. £31.99 Boxed set of 80 cards with full colour guidebook.

• Solid card stock in an attractive box. All 80 cards are pretty pastel crayoned artworks. The deck’s creator, Paige Ozma Ashmore, is a mural artist and creates Soul Portraits. She worked on the film, Eleven, as a film artist.

Sample from the book: Ace of Fire - The Phoenix rises from the ashes of an old dream.  

Divinatory Meaning: A birth of something new. Sometimes a troubling birth, but it rises brilliantly. Direction to Take: An action on your part is required. Take that step. 

This deck is designed to dispel negativity, and to help you find your higher purpose. Majors, described as Archetypes, are rainbows. Air is pink, wands, east, and of the fairy kingdom. Fire is red, swords, south, kingdom of the phoenix. Water is blue, west, and kingdom of the merfolk. And Earth, green, north, pentacles, kingdom of the tree spirits. The fifth element is a card titled Spirit. Another addition is a card titled The Universe. Animals are well represented as are women, nature and multicultural influences. 

Auset Gypsy Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Auset Gypsy Tarot by James Jacob Pierri, original illustrations by Rebecca Stotsenburgh and Heather Scott. Published by REDFeather. UK: £22.99 US: $24.99

Mind Body & Spirit Ezine Book and Card Set of 78 Cards and full colour guidebook is contained within a magnetic clip closure quality presentation box. Good sturdy card stock with gold leafed edges, size: 7 inches x 4 inches.

The concept of this deck is unconventional. It’s an ‘on the move’ dream-like adventure, with modern styling and a hint of antiquity. It was 20 years in the making! It dances, struggles, juggles, charms and heals. It’s quirky, joyful, Bohemian, and it is full of the wonder and magic of the goddess Isis and of the Gypsies. There is autobiographical information provided, as the deck is the very personal perspective of the Creator, Designer and Writer, James Jacob Pierri, an Astrologer and International Tarot Reader who was known under the name of the Auset Gypsy when reading cards at Islands of Adventure in Universal Studios Theme Park. From there, he built a clientelle of movie stars and other celebrities. The two female artists are graphic artists who add their quirkiness to the mix. Within the deck are astrology, myths and secrets, gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, and it has a canny style of know how, and it introduces us to all the fun of the fairground! It unlocks spiritual insights but always suggests you use your own intuition. The cards can be used for meditation, inspiration, and personal development. “The bitter truth is better than the sweetest lie”. 

The Knights Templar in the New World

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Knights Templar in the New World - How Henry Sinclair Brought the Grail to Arcadia by William F Mann, published by Destiny Books. 

Did Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and a Scottish Prince, in 1398 sail to the New World of Nova Scotia and was this recorded by Micmac legends about Glooskap? Did the same Prince offer refuge to the Templar Knights after their persecution by Philip the Fair of France at the beginning of the fourteenth century? What do the archaeological sites reveal? Was there a refuge for the Templar Knights and their followers and did they have in their possession the sacred Grail cup or bloodline connecting Jesus and Mary Magdalene to the Merovingian dynasty? What are the indigenous legends? Was sacred geometry handed down to the Freemasons? These questions are answered, using original research by the author, Wm F Mann. Bill is an esteemed Officer of Canadian Order of Knights Templar with many accolades and credentials to his name.  

Nostradamus and The Lost Templar Legacy

Mind Body Soul Ezine Book Review: Nostradamus and The Lost Templar Legacy by Professor Rudy Cambier

Rudy Cambier is a linguist of ancient languages including Picard, and researched the verses of the Nostradamus opus for a decade. He noticed they were relevant on three levels. One conclusion was that these are not words from the time of Nostradamus, nor are they from the region of Provence. His studies show that the stanzas - reputed to be from the pen of the French visionary - were written by a Cistercian monk, in the era of between 1323 and 1328, and from the borders of the area of Belgium - and Rudy Cambier reveals the site of Knights Templar treasure. 

The author translated the Nostradamus 'prophecies' and discovered that a Prior by the name of Yves de Lessines had waited many years for someone - known as the l'attendu' - to collect the treasures of the Knights Templar but he failed to arrive. In order to record where the treasures were kept, the Prior wrote this cryptic lay which was stolen by Michel de Nostradame. The author is said to have traced the instructions and found a hoard of Knights Templar treasures!  

The Templars History & Myth

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Templars History & Myth - From Solomon's and Herod's Temples to the Freemasons, a Guide to Templar History, Culture and Locations by Michael Haag, published by Profile Books, 384 pages with black and white diagrams and photographs.

"The Templars have something to do with everything!"

A factual and readable account of the building of Solomon's Temple to the instigation of the Knights Templar, including the many crusades, their castles, banking empire, successes and failures, alleged conspiracies, trials and exiles, to the capture, imprisonment, torture of members, and to the eventual burning at the stake of their Last Grand Master. Details of the Chinon Parchment - which proved their innocence - and their escape to various countries, under various guises and denominations.

Goddess, Grail and Lodge

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Goddess, The Grail & The Lodge – The Real Da Vinci Code and the Origins of Religion by Alan Butler, paperback 360 pages £12.99 published by O Books 

With a foreword by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, this book has excellent credentials. I loved Alan Butler’s last book ‘Rosslyn Revealed’. ‘The Goddess, The Grail and The Lodge’ does not disappoint! 

Templar Antiquities

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Temple Antiquities – The Templar Papers II By Oddvar Olsen Published by O Books Paperback 260 pages

This is book II and follows ‘Templar Papers: Ancient Mysteries, Secret Societies and the Holy Grail’ and is compiled by Oddvar Olsen as a collection of essays by a number of writers, some very well-known in their field and with a love of research into the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon (known as the Knights Templar). This was a Mediaeval Western Christian military and religious order (1129-1312) that guarded pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. They were the most important figures of the Crusades and began a banking system so that pilgrims could deposit money in one place and collect it in another. Philip IV of France borrowed large sums of money from them and the Pope of the day declared the Order was heretical and many were tortured and put to death, and it is said some escaped.

History of the Knights Templar

Mind Body Soul Ezine Book Review: The History of the Knights Templar: The Temple Church and The Templars by Charles G Addison, 332 pages, reprinted and published. Hardback, paperback and Kindle. 

Written by a member of London’s Inner Temple (ie and licensed to practice law), the author, Charles Greenstreet Addison, refers to Latin, French and Early Modern English citations and source material,  and describes the origin of the Templars, their popularity, their rivalry with the Knights of Malta, (Hospitallers), their activities in the Holy Land, eye witness accounts of the battles' wins and losses, the 1312 suppression of the Order, their arrest, accusations of heresy and secret rites, their torture and the execution of the the last and highest of the Order. The London Temple Church, their headquarters in the UK, its architecture and history and how the area became the centre of the legal profession, a hostel and school for lawyers. All is detailed, with the culmination of the survival of their legacy. Expertly written and researched. 

Dungeon, Fire and Sword

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Dungeon, Fire and Sword - The Knights Templar in the Crusades by John J Robinson, 494 pages. 

The Holy Land was considered to be the centre of the world and the Christian Warrior Monks known as the 'Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon', were created to ensure safe passage for pilgrims, and to defend the area against attack. Sacrificing their ordinary life, these men vowed to maintain poverty, chastity and obedience, and with expectations to be martyred on the battlefield abroad, they devoted their life to their religion and their duties to the Papacy. Land in Jerusalem was donated to them by King Baldwin, and after many successful battles which increased their wealth and prestige, their doom was sealed by failure to maintain a Christian enclave far from Christendom, where Sunni, Shi-ite, Kurds, Arabs and Turks out-manouvered them. 

The Templar Revelation

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Templar Revelation - Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, published by Corgi Books.
Visit: www.picknettprince.com

Exciting research and interesting speculations about the Order of Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon! Why is St John the Baptist so important? Who was Mary Magdalene and was she Mary of Bethany? What is the connection between St John the Disciple and Mary Magdalene? What is the 'John gesture'? Are there Mysteries encoded within Leonardo's work? Whose image is on the Turin Shroud? What did the Templars discover in the Holy Land? What is special about Friday 13th? Was Mary the 'Ark of the Covenant'? How important was alchemy to the Templars, the cathedral builders, Leonardo and others? 

Rex Deus and Rosslyn

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Rex Deus - The True Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau and The Dynasty of Jesus by Marilyn Hopkins and the late Tim Wallace-Murphy, published by Element Books. 

A work of the late Tim Wallace-Murphy, Founder of the European Templar Heritage Research Network, suggesting Jesus Christ lived after the crucifixion to travel with Mary Magdalene to France where his descendants have retained a pure blood line to this day. It describes Jesus as the founder of a wisdom based dynasty originating with 24 Jerusalem kings, and follows how descendants joined forces to found the Knights Templar. What is the symbol on the Rex Deus ring? Links are made with the Cathar, Rosicrucians and Freemasons. 

The Templar Treasure of Gisors

Mind Body Soul Ezine Book Review: The Templar Treasure of Gisor by Jean Markale, Published by Inner Traditions/Bear & Co. Paperback 304 pages, £15.99 Using source documents, this controversial author, the late Jean Markale, considers that Templar treasures were hidden within the Cathedral at Gisor, possibly within the many underground chambers and passageways that are held to be too dangerous to investigate by modern archaeologists. The author accepts that the original confession of the Templars to heresy (conducted under extreme torture) was true and ignores their following retraction. Jean Markale (1928 - 2008) was the pen name of Jean Bertrand - described by himself as a Celtic and mediaeval scholar at the Sorbonne. Here he suggests that within the Knights Templar Order was a secret band of knights who had access to knowledge and wealth, spiritual and material, that is still to be found. This author has been discredited more than a couple of times!

The Square & The Circle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review - The Square & The Circle - The Influence of Freemasonry on Wicca and Paganism by Payam Nabarz, published by Avalonia Books. paperback £10.99

Wow! Connections between Freemasonry, Christianity, Mithraism, ritual Wicca, Sufism, Zoroastrianism, paganism, esotericism, and more! We might think that the great minds behind religious movements are inspired by revelations, but they borrow more from the ancient past than we think! If a set of moral codes, rituals and beliefs has survived for millennia, why not add and take from established literature and use what works! 

Of interest to all levels, from historians to the general reader. It reads like a written painting, with broad brush strokes, a revelation in every sentence! How imperative it is for those who develop religious, spiritual and social networks, brotherhoods, etc., that they declare where their ideas originate, and what they have absorbed from other dogmas. 

I'm impressed by this study. Recommended! 

Rosslyn Chapel Decoded

Mind Body & Soul Book Review: Rosslyn Chapel Decoded - New Interpretations of a Gothic Enigma By Alan Butler and John Ritchie, paperback, £10.99 US $21.95 Published by Watkins Publishing, 262 pages.

This is an outstanding book by two prominent authors in current esoteric investigation who are specialists in the enigmatic Scottish architectural masterpiece known as Rosslyn Chapel. What new is there to say? Evidently lots! Why was the Chapel built? What is so very special about the building? What ancient knowledge was used in its design? Was an ancient religious movement involved? What special information do the authors insist is given to visitors to the Chapel? When all is silent, what can be heard? Is there a scent in the building, and what is that scent? 

The Hiram Key

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Hiram Key - Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas 

Written in an easily understandable style with a summary every few pages. This book of discovery and expose took six years of research and unravels the story of Jesus and the earliest Jerusalem church. Were  there initiations practised by early Christians that were similar to Freemasonry initiations? Could these initiations originated in Egypt?  Did the early Christians have connections to other religious groups such as those mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls? There are secrets of Freemasonry initiations and their possible connections to Gnostics and Templars. Parallels between Mithras, Attis, Indra, Adonis, Dionysius and others. And revelations of the origins of the Hiram Abiff story. 

The lost story of Jesus is described. Was he from a town called Nazareth, or was he a Nazorean, a word meaning 'fish'? Was he the Messiah? What do the apocryphal Gnostic books state? Who was Jesus Barabbas? Was Jesus a rebel who was an Essene of the Qumran Community and what power had they in the Jerusalem Church? What is special about the white robe? What is the association with the rebuilding of Solomon's Temple, the Essenes, the Knights Templar and Freemasonry?  

Rosslyn Revealed

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Rosslyn Revealed - A Library in Stone by Alan Butler and John Ritchie, Hardback at £19.95 

Rosslyn Chapel is a most extraordinary building but so much is known about it already: I wondered what Alan Butler and John Ritche would be able to add to my knowledge. Alan Butler is a Templar expert and an astrologer, and he joined forces with a local expert on Rosslyn, John Ritchie to explore the chapel. 

The Sign And the Seal

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Sign And The Seal - A Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant by Graham Hancock. 

Graham Hancock is a wonderful story-teller and I love his writing, especially on this fantastic adventure. 

He visited Ethiopia in 1983, a few years after the overthrow and assassination of the reigning ancestral monarch, Haile Salasse. The Red Terror had unleashed death squads which executed people and then claimed the cost of the bullets before the corpses were released to their relatives for burial! Haile Salassie claimed he was the 225th generation in an unbroken line of succession from the Queen of Sheba who visited Jerusalem and returned to Ethiopia bearing King Solomon's son, Menelik. Menelik visited his father and is said to have returned to his mother with the Ark of the Covenant which is guarded in the Church of St Mary of Zion in Axum. The original measurement defined in Exodus is 2.5 cubits x 1.5 cubits x 1.5 cubits (a cubit thought to be 18 inches). Many Ethiopians have similar religious practices to the ancient Jews, and celebrate their sabbath on Saturdays. In every church throughout Ethiopia, a replica of the Ark is positioned in the holy of holies. The Ark is said by the guardian to have raised massive stone blocks with the aid of celestial fire. 

The Murdered Magicians

Mind Body &  Soul Ezine Book Review: The Murdered Magicians - The Templars and their Myth by Peter Partner, hardback, published by Crucible.

This is an interesting study which is balanced, realistic and well researched. Is it possible to explain the Templars as great rogues, heroic yet ordinary men involved in a blame game by the King Philip 'the Fair' of France with the reluctant collusion of Pope Clement V?  The Order began with a dream of Saint Bernard and ended with a mythic curse from the tortured and dying Jacques de Molay.

This book does not artificially praise the Order, due to accusations of avarice, pride and other sins of their day, yet we are made aware of their honour and of their suffering. Most interesting, the court cases are described in detail along with the privations of their incarceration. 54 were burned to death in 1310 and the two Templar leaders burned to death in 1314. All went to their deaths claiming their innocence. What was their wrongdoing? They had no money and they failed to have further successes in the Holy Land. Were they really stupid to keep the secrets they were accused of? 

The Templars

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Templars - The Dramatic History of the Knights Templar, the Most Powerful Military Order of the Crusades by Piers Paul Read. 

The Templars were a multinational force of religious warriors, the first uniformed standing army in the Western world. They owned and managed vast estates and were pioneers in many fields, including fighting, travel, banking and building. Were they guilty of the charges to which they pleaded guilty under torture of blasphemy, heresy and sodomy yet withdrew their guilty plea knowing that death by fire awaited them? What relevance has their story for our modern times? 

Each of the Jerusalem temples are detailed, the founding of the Templar Order, their daily lives and responsibilities, each of their battles, including Acre and its fall, and the many colourful characters, Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, Louis of France, etcetera are covered. The author provides a balanced account, and documents some interesting scandals, errors and tragedies. Each success and defeat is described and the many complex circumstances that led to their demise are detailed, including a major internecine dispute about the marriage of a Princess in Tripoli. A tracing attempts of the Templars to protect their treasure takes it from Sidon then to Cyprus, with many lost battles along route. An interesting piece, page  249, about Roger of Flor, son of a falconer of Emperor Frederick II, extortionist, commander of the  Falcon galley and the Olivetta, expelled from the Templar Order, he sailed to Marseilles, then Genoa, making vast sums through piracy, leading Catalan mercenaries, in 1302 he commanded 32 galleys and a force of 2,500 men, and was eventually assassinated. He was one of the very few recorded renegade Knights Templar.

The Second Messiah Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Second Messiah - Templars, the Turin Shroud and the Great Secret of Freemasony by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, published by Fair Winds Press, paperback 260 pages $18.95

This book is well researched by the authors of The Hiram Key and ties up many loose threads. From after the death of Jesus, the Jewish members of the royal House of David, a hereditary priesthood, have largely been forgotten, or perhaps intentionally hidden, maybe killed, by the early leaders of the emerging Christian sect. These blood relatives would have been the real Popes in a true succession, unlike the modern claims of apostolic succession from Peter. Was there a bloodline that was protected until the time of the creation of the Knights Templar Order, when 11 selected, related, French knights under Hughes de Payen, searched under the Jerusalem Temple for possibly scrolls, valuables, relics or other finds, hidden for safety and left to them by their ancestors when Jerusalem fell in AD 70? 

The Coming of the Holy Grail

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Coming of the Holy Grail - The Exact Location of Heaven's Treasure and the Promise of Retrieval by Claire Nahmad and Michael Revill, paperback, 341 pages, published by Cygnus. 

The text provides an investigation of the creation of the Grail, why it was stolen and why it has been kept secret, and by whom, where it is now, and how it is ready for exposure. From the Mary Magdalene church in the remote village of Rennes-Le-Chateau, Father Berenger Saunier, the priest, discovered the mountain retreat of the Chief Guardian of the Grail and the last of the Morovingian royal dynasty, King Dagobert II. He was kidnapped and held captive in Ireland in his youth due to his holy bloodline, and was eventually murdered by Pepin the Fat. The Grail was buried in the crypt of the church which was once King Dogobert's private chapel. During the Crusades, it was taken to the newly created Lincoln Cathedral, built on an ancient shine to Mary Magdalene in AD60. It was kept in the Lucy Tower - the Tower of Light - where Knights Templar were imprisoned and inscribed their fate on the walls.       

Odin & The Nine Realms Oracle

Mind Body Soul Card Deck Review: Odin & The Nine Realms Oracle by Sonja Grace. Published by Findhorn Press. Boxed set of 54 cards plus book.

Quality magnetic flip top box containing a set of cards and instruction book. Biographical information is provided about the author, who is also the artist of this deck. The images are hand drawn and painted and have a beauty and power within their simplicity. Sonja Grace is a visionary, a 'spirit traveller', and channels many topics from Spirit. Included in the book is information about the Norse gods and goddesses, and the runes. Each card offers a message of life wisdom. There is a short message for several reversed cards. There is a lot to learn about Norse myths, the deities and rune energies.
An interesting deck! For those of Viking ancestry and interests who will learn how to pronounce the deity names and runes correctly!

Black Moon Astrology Cards Review

Mind Body Soul Card Deck Review: Black Moon Astrology Cards by Susan Sheppard. A boxed set of 52 cards plus guidebook. Published by Blue Angel Publishing. £17.99

The cards are divided into 3 sections, planets, constellations, houses, elements and additional astrology aspects. Each card carries an image, number, title and subtitle. The guidebook provides information on how to use the cards which provide an easy method to get involved with astrology. No previous knowledge is required. Key words and a quotation are provided for each card with both a brief and extensive explanation. The cards correspond to the tarot. Several spreads are suggested: 15 cards, Here, Now, Later; 12 cards, Astrology Wheel; 5 cards, Black Moon; 4 card, Planetary; 4 card, Course of Action, 7 card, Black Moon Romance.

The Dion Fortune Tarot

                                               

                                                 Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Dion Fortune Tarot Cards by Dion Fortune.

The Dion Fortune Tarot Cards are based on the conclusions of Dion Fortune as provided in her book 'The Mystical Qabalah'. The box includes 78 cards, divided into 22 Grand Arcana and 56 Lesser Arcana cards with a booklet that explains about personal and spiritual development and exercising the imagination. Card size: 6 inches by 3 inches. The deck has been devised and assembled by the long serving and esteemed member of her Society of the Inner Light, David Williams. The cards are primarily for meditation and reflection. The card backs show the deck should be read upright only and the information in the instruction booklet only gives basic, traditional and upright meanings which are based on her research of the Order of the Golden Dawn of which W B Yeats was a member.There are helpful titles printed on all the cards, and information on how the cards can be used for meditation, especially of the Major Arcana , where meanings and significance, pathworkings and numerology are provided with the Lesser Arcana, wands, swords, pentacles, cups, included. There is information on the Qabalistic tradition, such as supernal triangle, ethical and astral triangles of the Tree of Life. The cards rely on the reader's knowledge and little information is provided. 

Tarot Gothica

Mind Body & Soul Card Deck Review: Tarot Gothica by Janne Koivuniemi published by Schiffer Publishing. US  $24.99 : UK  £16.99

“Light to lighter - darker to darker!”

78 card deck and a guidebook are contained in this black and blue magnetic box. This Tarot is fashion conscious, modern and unusual. It’s the young goths party tarot reading deck - and ideal for Halloween! Unusually, the card backs are obviously showing which way they have been dealt. I would think no reversal readings, only upright. 

Hallowquest

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Hallowquest - Tarot Magic and the Arthurian Mysteries by Caitlin and John Matthews 254 page book to accompany the Arthurian Tarot Cards by Caitlin and John Matthews. 

This book contains black and white scans of each of the tarot cards in this deck, each of the Greater Powers has an extensive explanation, with archetypal and divinatory meanings, and there are comprehensive write-ups on the Lesser. The template for this deck are the Celtic myths and early mediaeval stories of King Arthur and the Round Table. Spear, Grail, Sword and Stone are the 4 Hallow suits and each have traditions, correspondences, archetypes of Kings, Queens, Knights and Maiden of four castles all described in a good level of detail.