Author Link - I was unable to locate any link directly to this author's page. If you find something, feel free to message me and I'll update the page.
Release Date - November 30, 2021
I'll start with a physical review of the book. The book is a great backpack sized hardcover book with a vibrantly colored and well illustrated cover. It has a standard index and glossary in the back of the book but does offer a reference wall chart for the reader. I'll go back to my last review from Quarto Knows to say that again the font on the title page is very small. The color of the page, combined with the font size makes this page very difficult to read.
This ten chapter book is not short on information. The author begins our journey into the magical world of runes by giving us a history lesson. Pages eight through twenty give us the history of runes and their origins. Including a simple (and short) explanation of the Aesir Gods and the Vanir Gods and how they relate to one another. Included in this is a table that outlines a few of the gods and their associated rune.
From there, our author takes us on a look at some of the Nordic Mythology. We are guided through the tales of Odin, Aesir & Vanir, The Norn and the nine worlds of Yggdrasil. Each broken down with basic information on location, residents and descriptions. Finally this chapter ends with three of the legends including the story of Ragnarok. Condensed, but an well written explanation of the tale.
Next we're taken into the main object of this book. Runes! The author breaks down the runes into Freya's aett, Hagal's Aett and Tyr's Aett and provides meanings, key ideas and images for each. The rest of the book is focused on our runes and how we interact with them. From cleansings to readings the book takes you through a step by step processing on the creation and care of runes. From a single draw to large spreads the author shows how we can conduct our own rune castings and run magic.
Overall this is a great book for the novice and learned practitioner a like. Even with my experience with runes, there was new information in this book that I found interesting. I feel the section on the Nordic Mythology as well as how the rune sets are broken down was extremely interesting. While a high level look at the history of runes, I believe it does provide a solid look at the tool and is worth the read. And the 18X24 wall chart isn't bad either!
Everyone has a gift of divination. A sixth sense that tells us when something is not quite right. Many believe that these gifts are something that happens randomly and by chance. To me, I think this is not quite true. I believe that we have the ability to not only see these gifts but also to enhance them.
My research for this piece began with a simple list of methods of divination. Every possible thing you can think of can be a method of divination. I believe that we all posses the "powers" to "see" things. Our use of technology and (though it is quite radical) the food we eat impact our ability to connect to the spiritual world.
Over the last few years I have spent countless hours working on my craft. As we are exposed to more television and media we lose contact with our natural abilities into the magical realm. Finding time to cut away from these distractions and focusing on your talents will lead to a stronger connection to the supernatural. Keeping your mind and body healthy and strong will only intensify this connection.
Practice makes perfect. This is completely true for magic as it is for the mundane. We take the time to water our plants, talk to them and watch the grow. We take out our brushes and paints, to create a wonderful creation time and time again. This is what we also need to do for our gifts of divination.
There are many ways to "read". Some of our more common types would be tarot card or oracle card readings. These are conducted by an intuitive who chooses a type of card and then lays them out in a specified layout to provide insight into questions asked by the client. The most common type is a past, present, future layout. Locating a reliable reader, with a strong connection is key to having a successful psychic experience. If you're interested in tarotmancy, I highly recommend The Bone Songs Witch. You can find her Facebook page here. She has an uncanny ability to get to the heart of the reading and provides a solid reading.
Scrying is another common form of divination. These are conducted as either water scrying - usually done with a bowl of water; fire scrying - usually done by gazing into a log fire but can be achieved using other sources of fire light such as a candle. Mirror scrying is another form. Traditionally an obsidian stone is used to gaze into in order to receive the message. Modern psychics use an assortment of mirrors including some amazing handmade creations available online.
These mirrors can be simple or ornately designed. Some amazing creations are available on the market including these examples from Primitive Witchery's website. You can also find more on their Facebook Page.
At a very young age I noticed that sometime I was able to "see" things about people that others could not. I would see shadows across the body indicating an illness or injury or a darkness behind their eyes showing deception. At times this was so frightening for me I would leave public spaces to hide their negativity. I found ways to "turn it off" if you will so that I could go about my daily chores without being completely exhausted at the end of the day.
Today, I very rarely do in person readings. This type of reading is similar to Psychometry, but does not require me to physically touch the item.
My photo reading are available to purchase on Facebook and are delivered either via email or messenger. My process is once an agreement is made, a photo is sent to me without any explanation. I will then mediate on the photo and provide any information that comes to me. I have found everything from medical problems to marital problems. It all depends on what the image is willing to share. There are even times when the photo has nothing to say to me. If that happens I usually reach out to the client and ask for a new photo.
So what I'd like to do now is offer a giveaway for three readings. Enter to win one of three readings in the Rafflecopter link below. I'll choose three people to win a free reading!
(Blogger, Rafflecopter, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. Readings are for entertainment purposes only and should not replace qualified medical/professional advice - Void where prohibited by law.)
Here are some assorted videos on different types of divination.
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness. I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath. I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole. I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 438,000 views.
As you know I'll be switching over to reviewing only e-copies of books shortly. I will miss handling the books but the amount of trash that I had piling up for all the shipping was just overwhelming. I will be doing a giveaway for the remaining physical books that actually arrive as well as asking my publishers to provide giveaway copies shipped directly to my winner's homes going forward for all giveaways.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
My review copy was a small smooth covered book with stars and planets across the front and back. It is a pretty thick book, which makes it a bit difficult to carry in a handbag but would be excellent in a backpack or tote bag. There are no real illustrations inside with only the all seeing eye image on the left side of each of the pages. The pages are in black and white only lacking any color at all, however I found that I enjoyed the jumps from black to white that the pages delivered.
This book is like similar oracle books on the market. The author takes a moment on the back cover and the front of the book to explain to the reader how to use the oracle book.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
We're asked to set our intentions, much like one would do for a tarot reading and then select our page using our intuition. The pages provide messages like - Conviction is a light that can never be blown out and Don't gild the lily. I worked with this for a few days and found it insightful and pleasant. My favorite I think was "There insecurities are not your reality". Good stuff.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
Overall this is a great book to give as a gift to a grad student, maybe a housewarming gift or something for the new witchling. I believe that anyone who is motivated by those "thoughts of the day" or positive affirmations would enjoy this book. It reminds me of the Magic 8 Ball in book form!
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness. I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath. I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole. I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 438,000 views.
As you know I'll be switching over to reviewing only e-copies of books shortly. I will miss handling the books but the amount of trash that I had piling up for all the shipping was just overwhelming. I will be doing a giveaway for the remaining physical books that actually arrive as well as asking my publishers to provide giveaway copies shipped directly to my winner's homes going forward for all giveaways.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
I received a cute little hard cover book to review. It is very small. It could easily be tossed in a handbag or backpack for on the go reading. The cover is vibrant and whimsical and looks has images of our typical divination methods. From runes, to the moon the cover leaves no doubt as to what this book is about.
This is not a how to book. It is one of those "spell a day" or "inspirational quote" books that can be found in most gift shops. The author invites us to pick up this book when we're sick with our tea (as if a witch could ever be sick of tea!) or frustrated by our tarot cards!
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Book
Unlike most books this book has the messages on both sides of the pages. I found that to be a bit confusing. I mean which message is the universe really trying to give me? One? Both? The pages are a muted color but the messages are bright. You'll find quotes like - Your positivity attracts good things to you and Today, it is up to you to create the happiness you long for.
Overall a cute book to give to a friend who is moving or maybe looking for a change in their life or even a witchling starting out their travels into the world of divination. I found the quotes to be fun, positive and well suited for all ages.
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 429,000 views.
As always I'll begin with a review of the physical book. This is a hefty book. I was sent a hardcover to review. The pages are easy to read and have clear plain illustrations. It has a strong index and takes a different approach to most "How To" tarot books. The book is divided into three sections, the introductions, self-care and the cards and how to optimize self-care.
The author starts us off with a basic introduction into self-care, leading off with a paragraph dedicated to debunking the buzzwordiness of self-care. She provides a list of the types of self-care currently out there, including mental, physical and spiritual. As we move through the section she continues to provide insight on the methods for creating a magical mood for divination as well as a crash course on reading the cards. From self cleansing shuffling techniques the author provides a great list of the dos and don'ts for manifesting a strong positive energy for the reader and provides several options for leveling up your tarot experience.
As we move into part two the author breaks down each of the cards for us in great details. She provides a basic interpretation of each card and a list of specific self-care card activities for each. The author also includes (which is often a pain point for new readers) the reversed information as well.
One of my favorite cards is the Star Card. She tells us the Star card speaks of hope and deep rejuvenation. She explains that this card reminds us to hold tightly to our ideals and find comfort in them. She tells us the card is reminding us to have faith that brighter days are head. She then provides the following self-care activities:
Mind: De-stress by avoiding busy, bustling environments that can overwhelm your senses. Instead of going to a loud, wild concert, visit an art museum.
Body: The Star calls for rest. Have a movie marathon at home, and give yourself permission to relax. Pop a bowl of popcorn, invite friends if you'd like an put on a favorite film series.
Spirit: Invite loving, happy feelings into your life with rose quartz. Meditate with this crystal or carry it in your pocket.
The book is filled from cover to cover with this exact set up for each of the Major and Minor Arcana. From the Fool to the King of Pentacles, each card is represented with the same outline. After 200 pages dedicated to this, the author then moves into part three. This section helps us look to optimize our self-care practices.
With sections related to meditation, crystal work and working with the shadow self, the author provides the reader with a way to delve into their own psyche and find within themselves the path to a higher existence through positive affirmations, meditations and dedicated self-care. She provides a section dedicated the card relationship to the zodiac and had this to say about yours truly.
Pisces (February 19-March 20): The Moon
The Moon tarot card is all about diving deep below the surface to get to the soft, tender heart of things, making it the perfect match for the emotional nature of the Pisces. Pisces dislikes superficiality and thrives in uncharted waters. Reserved, The Moon represents the Piscean tendency to get caught up in worrisome what ifs and become anxious.
She goes on to talk about the self-care for the Pisces:
The loving Piscean heart is beautiful and something to be treasured, but you often get swept up in emotions and ideas. Other people's baggage, moods, and grief can affect you on a deep level. Setting emotional boundaries will help protect your heart. Book a rejuvenating Reiki session to balance your energy. You'll feel more centered and in control.
Overall I found this book to be well worth the time to sit down and take a few days to fully review each card. I took it from the single card daily pull but I can see how using the section on spreads could indeed help one use the tarot as a full fledged life coach. Each card offering to the reader a way to pull themselves up by the proverbial boot straps, if you will and take each new day as walk to bigger and better things!
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 429,000 views.
As always I'll start with a general review of the physical book. The card pack I was sent had a few issues. First, the book was directly attached to the box for the deck. This makes it hard to read in my opinion. I would have to rip it off the glued box in order to read it as a book. Folding the box in 1/2 to read the book is nearly impossible as the spine is extremely wide and does not fit in the hands well. Secondly the deck fits into a slot cut in the left side of the box cover. When you open the box the deck is sitting on top of the book, instead of being nestled safely in the cover.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Two things in my opinion that hurt the overall presentation of this deck.Though a small deck in comparison to other decks I have reviewed, this deck only has the image on the card which means the reader will need to commit their meaning (as outlined in the book) to memory. There are no written words on the card to trigger the memorization so as opposed to many decks that offer an idea based on the scene in the card; here you'll need to read the book a few times to be able to successfully read the cards. A note should be made here the type face in this book is extremely small. Most of the cards definitions take up 1/2 a page so I'm confused as to why the decision to make the font so small was made. If I were to release an updated version, I would increase the font size to ease in legibility.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
The book begins with an explanation of Madam LeNormand's famed cartomancer of the 19th century. The author provides us with the impact it had on their lives and then jumps directly into the card layouts. The Cross, 7 & 9 and even a 19 card layout are provided along with examples of how to read them.
There is a quick overview section that provides a thumbnail view of each of the card's face and a brief sentence on each. Each offers the "see also" that directs the reader to the full description of each card.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Each full description card page includes information on how to interpret the card based on how it falls in the spread as well as its meaning. The Cross card for example is said to be the card of destiny. It goes on to say that you are looked after and your road is in the hands of the gods. If it falls by the heart, you're destined for love; if by the garden destine for a job.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Over all an interesting deck with meanings that are only revealed in the study of the book. The images are muted but legible and offer the reader the opportunity to learn what the pairings are telling them. Not my favorite deck but not the worse I have seen by far.
I found several YouTube videos dedicated to this deck. Here's a couple to choose from.
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 412,000 views.
I have to start by saying the imagery in this deck is absolutely stunning. Each card presents a view of sacred geometry in a rainbow of colors. The cards are slightly over sized in width which makes them a bit more of a challenge for someone with small hands to shuffle. The instruction book is larger than the cards which makes it a bit more cumbersome for putting in a bag to toss in a backpack or purse, however they both fit nicely in the box provided for taking your readings on the road.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
The book begins with an overall introduction of the deck with a visual affirmations and instructions on deck preparation. The book provides five draw or deck layouts with one for a quick one card draw and a more advanced seven card draw along the gender binary.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
The appendix contains a brief glossary as well as a overview of basic numerology, color symbolism and symbology. The stand out on these cards is the art. I cannot tell you how beautiful these cards are. I really was drawn to number 21 - FREEDOM card. It refers to being about to change or move freely. I was even more stuck by it when I found that my deck contained two of these cards.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Overall a beautiful deck with a strong accompanying guide. I highly recommend checking out these.
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Source - Book
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 412,000 views.
Starting as usual with the physical attributes of the book, I have to say this is one of the softest books I have held. The deck comes inside a covered box with the soft cover book laid on top. The book is a bit smaller than I would like but understandable considering the delivery. The print is a bit small for my 50 year old eye and working to hold the book open was a bit of a struggle. But I did manage to be able to hold it, although awkwardly.
The art on the cards is pretty amazing. It seems to be a cross between 1920's pop culture and 1990's flash. The author gives us the background of the inspiration for the deck and includes a personal note on how it impacted her. There are five options for reading the cards, from a standard one card draw to the more elaborate "As above so Below" draw. The majority of the book is of course, definitions of the cards. They are the 42 Ideals of Ma'at. I won't list them out here but I can say I found a special connection to "I live in Truth" and "I speak with Sincerity"
I generally have a difficult time with giving a fair evaluation of Tarot and Oracle cards, but the author helped me out quite a bit with a simple definition of the two. I had not really considered this until reading her piece on it.
"If the tarot serves as the blueprint of the spirit in structure and the archetypal elements that encompass the universe mind or consciousness, the oracle may be viewed as something of a Rorschach test, a peek into the subconscious mind and the language of dreams."
That indeed sums up exactly what I find when I use oracle cards and the approach I'm taking in working on my own deck. I'll be publishing my own creation dedicated to the Goddess Hecate in the not too distant future.
Overall this is a really nice deck. The art is fun and whimsical at times and feels very bold and modern. The descriptions are easy to read and the author provides an excellent backstory for the cards. I think this is a nice set for any oracle collector or devotee of Ma'at to have in their collection.
This book covers a plethora of divination topics. Numerology, Runes, Palmistry and Scrying all are included in this extra large book. Generally I'm not big on this size book in a soft cover but this one really needs this extra volume to provide the visual impact needed for explaining these crafts. The section on crystal reading discusses working with pendulums as well as a deep look at what each stone means. There is a large photo as well as the zodiac signs associated with each stone. There is a crystal directory sheet that the author recommend the reader use with a pendulum to find the stone that speaks to them. Then use the guide to look up the divinatory meaning of the stone.
I tried this out and found the rose quartz, a stone of Taurus and Virgo showing love and reconciliation. It talked about an opportunity to heal old wounds and practicing self love. Something surely I need to address at the present.
The next section in the book was related to working with Runes. It discusses the origins of The Elder Futhark, The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, The Younger Futhark and the Northumbrian Runes. Then delves into to each of the rules with a meaning, an interpretation, the letter sound and even a Tarot card association. The last, not something I have seen before. I have been doing a great deal of work lately with FEHU the rune of material wealth. A friend of mine, owns and operations a site called Primitive Witchery where you can find an assortment of items related to pulling the power of these runes into your daily life. I recommend working with her if you have the chance.
My favorite chapter of the book is the chapter on Scrying. It covers, water scrying, candle, flame and smoke scrying, and of course mirror scrying. I have spent many years reading photos and found that my active interest and practice of scrying in all sorts of mediums has helped my readings improve immensely. The key to this is to keep a well documented log of your readings. This book provides an example page of how to log your visions and if you intend to do any type of readings of this manner professionally I would highly recommend beginning with this type of log and just do readings through out the day/week. Practice on friends and family or even on yourself. You can never have too much practice at this.
I won't go through each section of the book but I will tell you the chapters that follow include, Teacup readings, Palmistry, Tarot/Playing Card reading, and Numerology. This is a great getting started book to learn about the assorted methods of divination. I highly recommend checking it out.
Lavishly illustrated with step-by-step instructions, The Ultimate Guide to Divinationpresents the oracles of the ancients to modern seers, from palm-reading and tea leaves, to fortune-telling with cards, runes, and crystals.
The Ultimate Guide to Divination
The Beginner’s Guide to Using Cards, Crystals, Runes, Palmistry, and More for Insight and Predicting the Future
By Liz Dean
April 5, 2018
$24.99 US · $32.99 CAN
224 pages · Paperback
ISBN: 9781592337781
Disclaimer: I receive no compensation for reviewing the books on my blog. The links to the books are not affiliate links and I do not get any revenue from your purchase of these materials.