The Charles Dickens Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Charles Dickens Tarot by Chris Leech. Boxed set of 78 cards and companion book. Published by Schiffer Books £31.99

Quality presentation box with magnetic lid. The full colour book and cards are well produced with gold edged cards. The deck describes the Dickensian era and reflects the life and history of Charles Dickens through the Major Arcana, so we have real people, such as his family members and these are mixed in with the fictional characters from his books. 

The computer graphic illustrated cards are presented in landscape to suggest an open book. The 4 suits are Fire, Water, Air and Earth, and the Court Cards are Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter to give a Victorian family energy to the readings. We are given the card image, and each card carries a new title and the book to which they refer. Dickens taught himself as a young man to write in shorthand, and this is stylised in the deck with keywords. 

The Hoffman Process

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Hoffman Process - The World-Famous Technique That Empowers You to Forgive Your Past, Heal Your Present, and Transform Your Future by Tim Laurence. 

The Hoffman Process is a world-famous technique that empowers you to forgive your past, heal your present, and transform your future. This book provides a method to address hurts and heal the self. The method, the Hoffman Process was developed by Bob Hoffman and this book is written by the Founder of the Hoffman Institute UK and a Director of Hoffman International who studied with Bob Hoffman. A personal story is provided, with many exercises, such as a dialog with your parents, releasing resentments, letting go of old hurts, etc.

How To Save The Planet

 Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: How To Save The Planet - 10 Simple steps that can change the world by Luke Eastwood. RRP UK £6.95 : EU $7.95 : US $ 8.95 Published by Electric Publications. 

This small book is easy reading, and is packed with excellent information on how each of us can get involved in helping the next generations survive. It begins with us not waiting for the big guys to get on board. The author, Luke Eastwood is passionate about our planet. He is a qualified horticulturist and science graduate who has written many books and now is the editor of the magazine, Pagan Ireland. 

We are contributing to the destruction of our planet, yet we can take steps that - when joined with others doing the same - add up to a healthier planet. Less is more; it only means cutting down on unnecessary purchases, campaigning for change, and supporting those who also care about the future. 

This is a great little book that is concise, honest, realistic, convincing, easy to read and easy to follow its suggestions on creating a better world! Consumer pressure is the answer. Say no to greenwashing! 

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. 

Tree Wisdom Book Review

Mind, Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Tree Wisdom - The Definitive Guidebook for the myth, folklore and healing power of Trees by Jacqueline Memory Paterson, 356 pages paperback published by Thorsons. 

"The leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations" Book of Revelations

Written from a Celtic perspective, indigenous British trees are described. The author, a Glastonbury Archdruidess, and holder of a Bardic Chair of Avebury, died in 2004. She left this beautiful book with text written with great love and reverence. Hailing from North Devon, she appreciated trees as a young child. She senses them in a similar way to her ancestors, valueing, admiring and looking after them.

In today's world, we are disconnected from trees and nature in general and no longer understand or appreciate what trees offer us. This book helps us reconnect with the majesty, wonder  and beauty of the trees. We are invited to communicate with them and forge a relationship with them, getting to know their individual natures.

Tarot of the Mermaids

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot of the Mermaids by Mauro De Luca and Pietro Alligo. Pack of 78 cards and little white booklet. Published by Lo Scarabeo. RRP £25 

The original story of these wild and animalistic sea creatures is very ancient. In Babylonian times, the fish tailed deity, Oannes, lived in the sea during the night and came to land to teach writing, arts and sciences during the day. In Greek myths, mermaids were the children of the muse of tragedy and a shapeshifter. They were friends with Persephone when she was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld and the gods bestowed wings on the mermaids who were half women and half bird, each a mystery with double value, could make you drunk with pleasure or cause untold pain. They inhabited an island between Scylla and the home of the magician Circe. Seafarers wrecked their boats when they heard the mermaids sing. Ulysses plugged the sailors ears with wax and had himself tied to the ships mast when passing this island. Debra Khan was a Persian merman who gave false commands to helmsmen  during storms. During the Middle Ages, mermaids were long haired and naked sirens/seductresses, and were symbols of lust, and their sweet song supports the harmony of the stars. 

The Head of God

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Head of God - The Lost Treasure of the Templars by Keith Laidler PhD.

In the opening paragraph, the author misquotes the title of the Order, as ‘The Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon’. It seems a popular modern manipulation to cut out the most relevant part of their title, as templar knights were baptised and confirmed Christian, they recited the Apostles Creed, made Christian Confession, took Holy Communion, gave up their lands and family to fight unto death two thousand miles from home, and they received the Christian Last Rites upon their deathbed! They were the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ primarily, and also took vows of personal poverty, all wealth was owned by The Vatican.

The Sacred Cycles Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Sacred Cycles Oracle by Jill Pyle & Em Dewey. Illustrations by Jessie White. Boxed set of 50 cards and Guidebook. Published by Hay House. RRP US $21.99 : Can $28.99 : £14.99

Reminding us that our own health cycles are natural. There are greater natural pulses, such as night and day, the seasons, the moon and sun rhythms, and these are linked to animals and plants and all other species. All cycles are sacred and have great wisdom. We bless these cycles and honour them through our knowledge and recognition. 

Information is provided on how to use these cards that can be used alone or with other card decks. We can give a reading to friends or use them ourselves. Instead of choosing a card at random, I worked with choosing a suitable card that represented a current cycle. I suggest the cards are for women, maybe a young woman just finding out about her own cycles. 

Finding Heaven Here

 Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Finding Heaven Here - By John C Robinson Paperback £9.99  240 pages  Published by O-Books Author’s Website: http://www.johnrobinson.org/

Dr John Robinson holds two doctorates, as an American interfaith minister and as a psychologist. In this book, he explains very simply, the complex subject of finding Heaven here on Earth. This is where psychology meets spirituality. The book allows the reader to touch what feels like the spiritual realms, if only for a moment. Heaven is a state of mind, and if we can spend time in this beautiful place, the trappings of the modern commercial world fade into the distance and are replaced with peace, contentment and appreciation.

The Ark Before Noah Review & Extract

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Ark Before Noah - Decoding the Story of the Flood by Irving Finkel. Available also as an ebook. 

There are many stories of a flood where humans and animals are saved in a boat by god’s grace. Many are  described in this book, the Hebrew, Gilgamesh, the Koran and others. But here we have a very special story of The Ark Tablet, told by Londoner, Irving Finkel PhD in Assyriology with a thesis in Babylonian Exorcist spells, a Curator at the prestigious British Museum and a world specialist in the ancient Mesopotamian language. When the oldest map in the world, 2,600 years old, is depicted on a clay tablet, and had a missing corner; Irving Finkel found the missing piece - on his birthday! 

Kingdom of the Ark

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review - Kingdom of the Ark - The Startling story of how the ancient British race is descended from the Pharaohs by Lorraine Evans 

I read this in hard back with the title depicted in gold! I enjoyed the story immensely. It kicks off with investigation on the Hill of Tara and archaeological finds of a boy’s skeleton and fiance beads that link a special necklace with Egypt at the time of the 18th dynasty pharaohs, and another found in Devon of very similar design. If this was not sufficiently an amazing connection, an Egyptian boat was discovered in Yorkshire! The Kingdom of the Ark describes in detail, the 18th dynasty pharaohs, Amenophis III, and his heir Akhenaton, who brought about a new religion and art form, a new centre in Armarna, his wife, the beautiful Queen Nefertiti, and the exalted Scota (aka Mayati), their daughter and later his wife, who supplanted Nefertiti. What a time in history! It is a thrilling story of discovery, amazement and wonder! The conflict that destroyed the god Amun and instigated worship of the Aton, the building of the new city to the Aton and its terrible demise are all wonderfully described. 

Scota was promoted to Queen of Egypt but fled war, plague and the Amun priesthood and, as a late teenager, married a foreigner, maybe the Prince of Tyre. Trade between Egypt and Mycenae was established, but more interestingly amber, used as a principal mode of barter, had strong routes across Europe as long ago as 5,000 years ago. Into Algeria and through Morocco it is suggested, after many great difficulties, they travelled, maybe they left an image of the Aten Sun Disc on a mountain pass, and maybe left their DNA in the Berber like tribe known as the Tuareg, who still survive in the High Atlas Mountains today. From there, Scota and her people took a boat to Cadiz, known to the Phoenicians, and made their way along the River Ebro. 

Sacred Destiny Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Sacred Destiny Oracle by Denise Linn, published by Hay House. US $22.99  Can $29.99  UK £16.99

Since ancient times, shamans, seers, medicine women and healers have been able to access wisdom from the natural world and these cards have been designed to help you to decipher the spiritual and psychic messages of animals, flowers, birds, lakes and ponds, moon and sun, in feathers and rainbows seen within the landscape.

Angels and Ancestors

 Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Angels and Ancestors Oracle Cards by Kyle Gray with artwork by Lily Moses, boxed set of 55 cards and guidebook, published by Hay House £13.19

The guidebook contains all the information required to conduct a reading for self or others, including how to read the cards, create a bridge between this and the Otherworld, reversed card readings and what to avoid. A message of kindness and balance is given from archetypes that uplift, inform, guide and inspire. The deck is divided into sections with symbols, seasons, ancestral wisdom keepers and international guardians, with information about each and a short and more extended message.

Moonology Oracle Cards

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Moonology Manifestation Oracle Cards by Yasmin Boland. Published by Hay House. Boxed set of cards and guidebook. Oct 2021 £17.99 

Opening up the doors! Relax, focus, believe, open and step up. 

The Moon is the magical queen of the sky. She is our ally when it comes to manifestation. We create our life with our feelings, thought and actions. It’s all about mind set - not moon set! There are no easy fixes! Complex questions are raised here. Here the Moon is female.

Sacred Traveler Oracle Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Sacred Traveler Oracle Cards by Denise Linn. Published by Hay House. Boxed set of 52 cards plus guidebook.

These cards show possibilities and potentials for the future. Life is a sacred quest - or a pilgrimage - towards our own self development and authenticity, where we seek clarity and learn wisdom and understanding. Oracle cards can be pointers towards this journey of enlightenment and can help us find our life purpose. The Sacred Traveler cards are designed to answer questions we might have and can be used for self readings or readings for another person. Each card has a meaning and a Sacred Traveler Message. There is also a section in the book to discover the hidden meanings in your nightly dreams and the cards can be used for meditation. The guidebook provides information on how to store, recharge, prepare, choose, layout and interpret the cards. There is a One Card Reading, a Daily Insight, a Monthly Layout, a One Year Spread, a 3 card reading, and a 5 card spread.

Lo Scarabeo Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: 'Lo Scarabeo Tarot - The art of divining begins a new chapter' by Mark McElroy with artwork by Anna Lazzarini and published by Lo Scarabeo £17.99 

Lo Scarabeo is my favourite card deck publisher. 20 years old this year! These are slim-line cards 4.70" x 2.60". If someone has only one deck, this Lo Scarabeo is the one to have! It is a combination, a fusion of three premier tarot decks: The Rider-Waite-Smith, the Thoth, and the Tarot de Marseilles, and it is introduced by Lo Scarabeo as a "flagship" deck. It can be used for reflection and study or as a divination deck and the traditional meanings apply. It offers a flexible approach to divination suggesting the use of intuition though a good tarot book will be necessary for beginners as contained in the pack with the 78 cards is a little white instruction leaflet that gives just the card titles and two keywords, one for upright readings and one for reversed readings. A sample reading of the suggested 9 card 'Lo Scarabeo' spread is provided.

The Druid’s Primer

The Druid’s Primer is an excellent book on the subject of Druidry and is an inspirational read for anyone who is seeking to tread this spiritual path 

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: The Druid’s Primer by Luke Eastwood
Published by Moon books Paperback price: £15.99 e-book price: £4.96 www.lukeeastwood.com

The Dragon Riders Oracle

 Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Dragon Riders Oracle by Christine Arana Fader. Boxed set of 43 Cards and Guidebook. Published by Earthdancer, an Inner Traditions Imprint. US $19.99 : Can $24.99 

Are you a dragon rider? 

Sample card: KuanYin & Susuri - Kuan Yin is deeply revered in many countries. She is an ascended master and delivers forgiveness and transformation. She also brings comfort and hope. Kuan Yin teaches us to practice goodness, forgiveness, sympathy, compassion, and love. As the practice of her worship spread from the east to the west, her power grew, and she became the goddess of mercy. She is also known as Kuan Shi Yin, which translates as “hearing the cries of the world”. Her message: Follow my teachings and learn to love without expecting anything in return. In doing so, you will discover unimagined inner riches. Listen to your caring thoughts. They are most valuable spiritual possession. Let your light shine brightly. In your mind, imagine your love expanding, breath pink energy, use the name Kuan Yin to spread this pink luminous light. From the dragon Susuri: Allow me and my liked of divine love to have old you. Let me penetrate the very depths of your being. Allow me and my divine love to hold you. Let me penetrate the very depths of your being. Let me strengthen you from within so you can break your inner chains. To do this, see the beauty of the card and feel how, with my resonance I am at work within you. Over the next few days, work with the affirmation. I am divine love in action. 

A Lantern in the Dark

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: A Lantern in the Dark - Navigate Life’s Crossroads with Story, Ritual & Sacred Astrology, by Danielle Blackwood, in kindle and paperback 234 pages of text, no images, £14 Published by Llewellyn Books. 

“With unflinching wisdom and compassion, Blackwood guides us towards the holy grail of a meaningful, examined life.” Steven Forrest, author of The Inner Sky

What happens when we find ourselves at a crossroads in life? This crossroads is a threshold, and you can use astrology to assist your understanding and progress. Myths and folklore can also provide guidance. This book helps you and others to make peace with the past, navigate now and move on to your life purpose. This book will also help you to transform your crossroads into something sacred. The author is an astrologer and educator of 30 years duration. She provides meditations, stories, affirmations, and rituals. Every major astrological transit is covered, Saturn returns, Uranus opposition, etc. There are self-care tools, journalling, crystals and herbs, all for beginners. Beware of the self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Nature-Speak Oracle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Oracle Card Review: The Nature-Speak Oracle by Ted Andrews, published by Dragonhawk Publishing in a good quality box which contains 60 cards plus explanation booklet. Card size: 11.9 x 9.4 x 4cm  http://www.dragonhawkpublishing.com

The cards are related to the ‘Green Kingdom’ and bear photos of nature within an oval frame. Cards bear titles and subtitles and are divided into 4 suits - ‘Landscape Oracles, such as beach, borderland, desert, forest, garden, hot spring, lake and pond; Flower Oracles, such as iris, gardenia, orchid, tulip; Seasons and Climate Oracles, such as fog and mist, summer, snow, blue moon, clouds and Tree Oracles, such as maple, walnut, palm, redwood and rowan.