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Sacred Geometry of Relationships Oracles - A Review

Today I'm reviewing Sacred Geometry of Relationships Oracles by LON.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


Author Links - Link
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Release date: September 17, 2019

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

Your Guide to Mastering the Craft - Wicca - A Review

Today I'm reviewing Wicca: A Modern Practitioner's Guide - Your Guide to Mastering the Craft by Arin Murphy-Hiscock.


Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Cover




Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
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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.

As usual I'll start with a review of the physical book.  This book is small and will fit nicely into a backpack or tote.  I received a hard copy to review and the edges and pages feel good in the hands.  The color is a soft pink and I can see where a more vibrant dust jacket might be included in the book store versions.  If you're looking for photos, pick a different book. This book is cover to cover with words written in a font that's easy on the eye as well as informative.  That's not to say there are not tables.  The author did include a table, an extensive bibliography as well as one of the best indexes I have seen to date.

This book includes an introduction to the history of Wicca and covers topics such as creating sacred spaces, casting circles and simple rituals as well as power words in ritual and even a section on drawing down in the (I'm sure intentional) 13 chapters; which makes me hasten to call this an introductory book.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book



The author beings with a history of Wicca. The first sentence sets the stage for the entire book. The author writes: "It is inaccurate to say that Wicca is an ancient religion" and goes on to discuss Gardnerian Wicca created by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s.  She further explains Neo-Paganism, traditional Wicca and Electic Wicca. Of course including an overview of the Wican Rede as an ethical code for practitioners. She covers the basic belief system including respecting nature, working as a solitary and covens as well as a tolerance for the beliefs of others.

The following three chapters cover creating a sacred space, casting circles and spells and energy work.  To me the most important of these is the chapter on grounding. So many witches start out their practice without being in a stable mindset to attract the type of magic they're looking to attract. While I admit I do not practice Wicca, in my own craft intent is the key to any ritual. I need to be in the correct frame of mind to either welcome energy or disperse it. My mindset is where it all begins and ends. Without proper grounding, my ritual is destine to fail.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


Chapters five through seven address the ritual itself.   From providing a list of simple ready to go rituals for purifying, banishing, consecrating, dedicating and blessing to using witch's tools such as the cup, the pentacle and the athame to enrich the ritual, the author guides the reader through the ins and outs of the modern rite as we see it today.  She covers relaxed ritual as well as the formal ritual which may be used on special occasions such as sabbats and esbats.

Chapter eight is all about the wheel of the year with entries for quarter and cross-quarter days. This section is where we find our table which outlines the month with the old English Moon, the Colonial American Moon and the Cherokee Moon representations.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


Chapters nine through eleven address rites of passage as well as the power words in ritual.  It includes daily prayer exercises and chants in ritual practice.  Chants are great ways to connect with the energy or power that one is dedicated to. Isis or Hecate (or even our modern musicians) love to hear their name repeated and chanted. I have written several chants to Hecate but one of my favorite is not my own creation.  Below is one of my favorite chants, often referred to as the Goddess Chant.



Finally the last two chapters address something, in my opinion, that is a bit more advanced. First in chapter twelve see learn about drawing down and aspecting deities. My first introduction into paganism, witchcraft and magic was Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. This is where the energy of the moon is called forth and asked to possess the speaker. Generally something that is done by a seasoned priest or priestess of that deity. Invoking is serious business and shouldn't be toyed with. Think of this as a channeling type event, you're asking an energy to inhabit your body and speak through you. Care should be taken before moving into this step.  The author does provide alternatives, which is great to see.  The final chapter gives us a real world look at Wicca today, including online communities, living Wicca today and adding it to your daily life.


Overall, this is a great book for those looking to share their practice with others. This is a high level look at what Wicca is and how to begin practicing. I love the bibliography, as no book can be the be all end all of a subject.  The author references names like Scott Cunnigham, Raymond Buckland, Edgar Cayce and Dorothy Morrison just to name a few. This is a great addition to any novice or advanced witch alike. I could see this as a great gift for the newly initiated as well.





Amenti Oracle Feather Heart Deck & Guide Book - A Review

Today I'm reviewing Amenti Oracle Feather Heart Deck and Guide Book by Jennifer Sodini.  Illustrated by Natalee Miller.



Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Amenti Oracle

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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.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Amenti Oracle


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"

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Amenti Oracle


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.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Amenti Oracle


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.






The Divination Handbook - A Review

Today I'm reviewing The Divination Handbook - The Modern Seer's Guide to Using Tarot, Crystals, Palmistry, and More.

Photography - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - The Divination Handbook



Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
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Good Reads Book Link
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Release Date: Jan 22, 2019

Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an atheist witch.  I look for the connection between magic and science without the need for a deity. 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 15 years honing my craft.  I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts nearly 400,000 views.

As with my other reviews, I'll be starting with a review of the physical book.  This book is a great size. I love that I can toss this is a purse or a backpack to read on the go. The introduction and index in this book are pretty much very little to nothing. While I understand it is a high level overview of the various divination methods, the key to any good resource book is being able to find information quickly.  I would love to see a bit larger index in this type of book.  The pages are smooth and aligned properly.  The cover is a hard cover book that is soft to the touch without branching over into that suede feeling. The images and illustrations in the book are very deliberate and appear only when to give a specific visual reference to a particular divination method.  An example would be in the section on crystals and the tarot.

Photography - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - The Divination Handbook
Photography - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - The Divination Handbook
 

I would have liked to see a more balanced representation on each divination method.  For example crystals (the first chapter) has a good twelve pages dedicated to defining crystals and their uses, yet the section on working with a pendulum is only five pages.  I would have liked to see a bit more on the history of the technique and maybe a bit more on the images.  Pendulums vary greatly and I their use is more common than one might think.

While not my method of choice, the section on the Tarot is extensive. The author gives us a brief overview of the tarot, an explanation of the structure of the desk and then breaks down each card in both the major and minor arcana.  The images are small and I would have liked to seem them a bit larger but they are completely adequate for learning the techniques provided in the text.  The author includes several basic spreads to get the learner ready for their journey into the tarot.

Photography - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - The Divination Handbook
Photography - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - The Divination Handbook
Overall this is a great introductory book on various divination methods. If you're unsure of where to start, this book gives a great deal of information on a wide variety of techniques allow the reader to make an informed decision on which path to walk. While not for the learned student, I could see this book being a great introduction or new witch's guide to divination.


The Ultimate Guide to Numerology - A Review

Today I'm reviewing  The Ultimate Guide to Numerology by Tania Gabrielle.

Book Cover



Author Links - Link
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Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an atheist witch.  I look for the connection between magic and science without the need for a deity. 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 13 years honing my craft.  I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts nearly 400,000 views.



As with my other reviews I'll start with the physical book.  This is an over-sized softcover book.  It makes it a bit cumbersome to carry around with you for a read on the go or just to hold while you're having coffee.  This one in my opinion requires both hands and a flat surface for doing the math.  The cover is smooth and the pages glossy.  The font however, is tiny. I had a bit of a challenge, with my 50 year old eyes to read the type.  It wasn't impossible but I did notice the size difference from the other books I have reviewed.   This book does contain an index and offers very specific instructions on working with numerology through out each of the chapters.
Photo Credit  - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Ultimate Guide to Numerology



As I have stressed on previous reviews on numerology, this is not my medium for divination. I work specifically with photo/aura/people readings and fire scrying. I have found that the process for working with divination should be based on tangible evidence. With each approach to numerology, whether it be working with the birth day or with the numbers in someone's name, I struggle to see how this can be anything other than random behaviors.  I like the zodiac, however we have to see that there is a large amount of generalizations that could very well fit any persons personality.  But I digress.

Getting back to this specific book I believe the author provides clear and concise instruction on how to come up with my birth code.  The book then offers direction on working with this birth code for manifesting fulfillment and abundance throughout my life.


Photo Credit  - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Ultimate Guide to Numerology


Chapters 1 and 2 review the instructions for location your Day Birth Number, Your Life Purpose Number and your Destiny Number. To me this is where it gets a bit tricky.  Unless your parents were into numerology, no effort to understand the random nature of a name can begin to dictate how one's personality would be developed by their name or how their interactions with the world are impacted by the personal energy that is expelled through-out one's life.

My root number is 8.  The vibration on this number according to the author is leadership, strength, abundance, financial security and power. It says it governs entrepreneurship and the executive but 8's are also shy by nature. Quite and dedicated.  Two sides to the same coin, showing I can be yin or yang. As I continued through this chapter the majority of the numbers seemed to have this balance. Showing each has an ebb and flowing creating a true harmonic dynamic.  Now is this due to the numbers or are the numbers an indicator as to what a person can be, not what they necessarily already have become.  As a side note, I was pleased to see a chapter devoted to double digit numbers.  As someone not necessarily familiar with the dynamics of numerology, this part helped me get back to the root number.

Chapter 6 breaks down the letters in your name.  It provides an analysis on each letter as well as the number to which it associates.  I have a lots of R's in my name.  When looking at the section on the letter R I found references to power, wisdom and the re-purpose of knowledge.  Well that is certainly what I try to do with this blog. 

Photo Credit  - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Ultimate Guide to Numerology

The book continues with information on astrology numbers and even the number associate with something as seemingly mundane as your home address.  Each one broken down with detailed explanation on getting the number and fully understanding the meaning behind them.

Overall this is a great addition to your magical or divination library. While not as compact as I would like the information within is easy to digest and share. If you're looking for a gateway into understanding numerology, this book is a great start.