Book Review: Burning Woman

Burning Woman is a powerful feminist manifesto, rooted in history but written for the modern woman, by Lucy H. Pearce, published by Womancraft Publishing.

Before I even opened the book, I could feel from the cover art vibe (by Robin Lea Quinlivan) that this was going to be a book that moved me. That was an understatement. This is not a book for the feint of heart. It will challenge you in so many ways. It will suggest that you face utter darkness (literally), and then get naked with your sisterhood around a fire. It will remind you of the shame you carry, as well as the light you project. It has the power to light you up and then make you uncomfortable, and back again. It is both empowering and horrific. It isn't always easy reading. It contains atrocities against women, both historical and ongoing. Things I was horrified to learn were still happening in this day and age.

There are many quotes from people and other books, along with poetry sprinkled throughout the book. The narrative itself often reads extremely poetically. I found it difficult at times to keep my attention focused, as I like to get straight to the point of things, so I sometimes lose my way when things get abstract and take awhile to get to a single point (which a personal issue of mine, I am wildly impatient, not at all a criticism of the author, who writes very beautifully). You can tell that the author wrote this book straight from her raw, open heart. I resonated so strongly with some parts of the book where she bared her soul and fears, it was like she took the feelings and insecurities straight from my own soul and put them down on paper. That connection was so powerful and comforting.

Another point where I felt the author could see into my soul was her experience of social anxiety, trying to be both Burning Woman and Good Girl, not feeling "good enough" to be a Good Girl, and carrying that burden of wanting to be both good and strong, both able to stand up for yourself and nice at the same time. "...as a Good Girl I hate conflict. As a Good Girl I want everyone to like me. But as a Burning Woman I can't stand conformity." YES. There was so much of me nodding my head and saying "Yes!" while reading this book.

This book is exceptional, from beginning to end, even in the minor details. Normally I skip right by the Table of Contents in a book. But something drew me to read the chapter headings in the Contents before beginning. I have never been more excited to read a book based on the chapter titles! I am writing them here for you to see what I mean:

Invitation
1. Burning Woman
2. A History of Burning Woman
3. The Masculine Dark
4. The Threshold
5. The Feminine Dark
6. Clearing Space
7. The Calling
8. Adventures in Energy Alchemy
9. Embodied Initiations to Power
10. Burning Woman Ceremony
11. Stories of Burning
12. Dancing in the Flames
Afterword

Doesn't that just light a spark in you already? Without even having read a word of it?

There are numerous exercises and question sections throughout the book that help you absorb the information you are reading, making it personal, making it your own.

My favorite takeaway from this book was the practice of  "Going Dark", which is more than just unplugging or going off the grid for a bit. It can be literally placing yourself in complete darkness, and just BEING in the dark. Living through the fear and discomfort, moment by moment. In a world of living so automatically, Going Dark is a feeling of really, truly, being alive in the present moment. It prompted me to take a night walk in the pitch darkness, with no lights around. It was very, very scary, but also more empowering than I can describe. Another time, I placed myself in a pitch dark room where I couldn't see an inch in front of my face. I stood there, through the discomfort, through the moments of wanting to see, to read something, to turn on a light, to know what was in front of me. The strong, primal urge to see something, to know what I couldn't know in the dark. It will be a practice that I return to and value highly. I feel that everyone will have their own favorite takeaway from this book. I know I will never dance nude around a bonfire with other women, but the darkness ritual is all mine now, and I am grateful.

I experienced a lot of synchronicities as I was reading this book. Synchronicities with dragons, fire, burning. I even burned my finger really badly when reading it. Also, I would find that I would hear/see/experience something which directly correlated with a passage I had just read in Burning Woman. You know you're meant to be doing something (in this case, reading this book) when the Universe is giving you powerful signs about it at the same time.

This book will wake you up. It will stir things inside you. It will make you feel so many things along the emotional scale, from ecstatic to terrified and everywhere in between. It is a call to step into your power, the feminine power that has been held back for so long. It is getting easier to do so, but we have a long way to go until the masculine-feminine power is balanced. This book will encourage you to stop holding back. To stop shrinking from being the strong, powerful, divine feminine being you were designed to be. It verges on making you feel ridiculous for not living your life with more power.

I haven't even touched the surface of this book in this review. There is so much more to it, so much more you will get out of it. And you'd have to be dead not to get something out of it. I don't believe it's a book you read only once. It is one I know I will return to again, and get more out of the next time around.

If you need encouragement to embrace more of your feminine power, Lucy H. Pearce is your guide, your counselor, your shoulder, your cheerleader. If you want reassurance that you are meant to be more than you are currently allowing yourself to experience, Burning Woman is your book.

Book: Burning Woman, by Lucy H. Pearce, published by Womancraft Publishing

Book Review: The Heart of the Labyrinth

The Heart of the Labyrinth is a soulful tale by Nicole Schwab, published by female-forward Womancraft Publishing.

Maya's world is about to change irrevocably. Her health is severely failing her, while her career, family and very identity disintegrate simultaneously. She discovers something about her past which leads her to follow the callings of her soul, returning to the home of her ancestors. There she meets two people instrumental to her physical and soul healing. The characters' stories are eventually all woven together beautifully. The story oscillates between various lifetimes while Maya rediscovers her purpose and reconnects with the divine feminine within. The story is fiction, but rings true.

The themes in the book include earth-based physical and soul healing, the divine feminine, priestesses and oracles, old and new religion, deliberate creation, following your soul's calling, dreams and visions, reincarnation and past lives. 

Everywhere you turn these days, there is a new spiritual book popping up. So many of them are simplified and dumbed down to appeal to the masses. They are vapid and empty of quality, depth and real meaning. The Heart of the Labyrinth is not one of those books. It is a refreshingly smart, deep and rich read.

This book takes you on a journey where you can witness the beauty of a soulful connection between humans and the earth, as well as the detrimental effects when there is disconnection between the two. Many times during my reading of this book, I would pause for awhile to absorb the sentence I had just read, then I would re-read it again. It was a luscious reading experience.

For the first few days I would read a passage from the book, then draw a couple cards from my Haindl Tarot deck. The cards would directly mimic the passage I had just read, like magic. This synchronicity served to emphasize the importance of the messages in this book.

The Heart of the Labyrinth encourages you to listen to the call of your inner wisdom. To return to a consciousness that incorporates the power of the divine feminine. To return to the earth for healing and spiritual connection. It is not a self-help book, but a journey within, where you are sure to recognize parts of yourself throughout Maya's journey. It is a wonderfully refreshing spiritual book that shines apart from the rest. It reminds us that we all have the power within us to be what we want to be, to live up to our spiritual potential, to stand strong against earthly destruction and to recognize the connection between the earth's health and our own. This book helps to waken us up from the dream we are caught in. Living a life of mediocrity and conformity is not necessary or inevitable. The Heart of the Labyrinth will help you remember who you really are and the beautiful life you are truly capable and deserving of living.

Book: The Heart of the Labyrinth, by Nicole Schwab, published by Womancraft Publishing.

Book Review: The Magic of Trees

The Magic of Trees is the newest release from the lovely Tess Whitehurst. It's a metaphysical reference guide to trees, which is something I have wanted to exist for the longest time! I'm so glad Tess was the one to write it, because I adore her energy.

The book is a healthy 374 pages. The Table of Contents lists the 102 trees in alphabetical order for easy reference. The Introduction explains how Tess came to write the book and her reasoning for the choices she made in selecting the trees to include. The Orientation section walks you through some of the methods of tree magic. The huge bulk of the book is dedicated to the individual trees and ways to work with each.

The book closes with three appendixes. The first lists magical uses and the corresponding trees. For example, if you were looking for a tree to work with to help you set boundaries, you would find Boundaries in the index, and see the trees listed beneath that title that you could work with (Hornbeam, Locust, Plum). This is a wonderful resource.

The second appendix lists the five elemental correspondences (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit) and the trees that fall under each category. The third appendix lists planetary correspondences.

One of the valuable things I took away from the book was that you don't need to have access to a tree you want to work with. Whether the weather is bad, you don't have proper transportation, or the tree you want to work with only lives on the other side of the world, Tess explains how you can work with the tree's energy from a distance. This was golden information.

I received an early e-copy of this book months ago, but wanted to have the hard copy in hand before reviewing it, as the e-copy did not have images yet, something I felt this type of book absolutely needed. Tess told me that she had fought to have sketches included in the book. It baffles me that this would even be up for debate in a book such as this! Each tree is accompanied by a small sketch. The majority of drawings are of a branch of the tree, so you can see what the leaves/fruit look like. There are a few sketches of a full tree, but for the most part, it's just the leaves. I really would have loved to have seen color photographs of the actual trees, for easier identification, but I understand it's not meant to be a field guide. That would be beyond the scope of the book. There are field guides you can buy to accompany this one, or you can simply use the internet.

Each passage begins with a brief introduction to the tree, including the scientific name, history, anecdotes, and sometimes the areas of the world you can find the trees. Again, not being a field guide, you won't find locations for every tree. This introduction is followed by the magical correspondences of the tree, of which there are always a few.

The magical uses are varied and plenty. Each tree will have a different variety of them. Some of the many magical uses are healing, love, protection, fairy communication, shadow work, wealth, sleep, shapeshifting, divine feminine, divine masculine and music, just to name a few! There are also spells, rituals, charms, baths, divination uses, beauty potions, and so much more! It really is a hugely expansive selection of magical uses.

The book doesn't read like a cold reference book. You can hear Tess's enchanting voice throughout the pages. She writes in a down to earth, conversational way. She weaves personal stories and experiences throughout the book, making every section a delight.

At the end of every tree section, you will find three magical correspondences: Element, Gender (yep!) and Planet.

I was thrilled to find that my favorite tree was listed in the book (Willow). For me, anything beyond that was extra!

There is something I want to address that bothers me on a soul level about the book. Being a book on the magic of trees, honoring their wisdom, interacting positively with them and asking for their help, it feels wrong that the book wasn't printed on recycled paper. It just made me feel a little hypocritical and sad. Don't get me wrong, I buy books left and right, but when it's a book or card deck about trees, I feel so much better utilizing tree energy when the tools I am using aren't exploiting/disrespecting the trees themselves. Obviously printing on recycled paper isn't an idea publishers are flocking to. I just thought it would be fitting in this case.

To clear my own conscious, I have thanked (and apologized to) the trees that were used to make the book, and my teenagers and I planted 27 trees in their honor (1 in Colorado, which was ravaged by the 2013 wildfires, to honor Tess Whitehurst's new home state, 2 in the South American Amazon Rainforest, 10 in Indonesia and 14 in Haiti.) This offering makes me feel more at ease in using the magic in this book.

To give you a taste of the book (see above photo), I opened it at random to the Chestnut tree (which is absolutely an amazing bit of synchronicity, as I have had the Billie Holiday song "I'll Be Seeing You" in my head all day, which references a Chestnut tree!).

_____

Chestnut Tree
The intro explains that the tree can live to be over a thousand years old and that it produces edible nuts. The magical uses include: Abundance, Attracting Animals, Relieving Worry, and Transforming Karma.

The section on Abundance states that chestnuts are sustenance, so aligned with abundance. There is a biblical reference to chestnuts and abundance and a Japanese reference to a New Year's chestnut/success tradition. There are also two suggestions on how to use chestnuts in your household for prosperity.

The section on Attracting Animals describes some of the animals that are drawn to chestnuts and chestnut trees. The author suggests planting a chestnut tree in your yard to attract animals or to encourage animal communication.

The section on Relieving Worry recommends the Bach Flower Remedy made from white chestnut blossoms to relieve worry. There is also information on how the chestnut tree can calm the mind, and how American Indians made chestnut leaf infusions to relieve headaches.

The section on Transforming Karma includes a lovely Korean legend involving chestnut trees and creating good karma.

The magical correspondences for the Chestnut tree are:
Element: Spirit
Gender: Masculine / Feminine Balance
Planet: Mercury

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Each tree's magical uses are so varied, that it seems like they are endless! Every tree brings new magical ideas and rituals. But what do you do if the tree you want to work with isn't included in this book? Tess says not to let that stop you! Simply communicate with the tree yourself and use your intuition to hear what messages and magical wisdom the tree has to share with you.

The Magic of Trees is an amazing magical reference guide to working with the energy of trees. It's beautifully written, entertaining, informative, intuitive and enchanting. It's well thought out and well researched. This is one I will refer back to again and again and again. If you feel called to work with trees, you really can't afford to be without this magical tome. It's a beautiful addition to your book collection, whether your interest is in trees, the metaphysical or both!

Book: The Magic of Trees by Tess Whitehurst, published by Llewellyn.

Book Review: Deviant Moon Tarot

The Deviant Moon Tarot book is a masterpiece. It feels like I had personally asked Patrick Valenza to write me the most wonderful glimpse possible into his artistic process, to discover that he wrote everything I could have dreamed he would, and more, (with added imagery) into his inner psyche, process and growth. What more could you ask for as a fan of the Deviant Moon deck?

I have been a long time fan of the Deviant Moon Tarot. Having received an advance review copy of the first edition of the deck back in June of 2008, I was a fan from the very beginning. I remember what it was like opening the deck for the first time, discovering each card to be as unique and enchanting as the last. This book is similarly magical, with something new at every turn.

(When I first received the book, I posted a photo to Instagram of my 12 year old daughter reading it. She got hold of it before I had a chance to sit down with it, so I had to wait my turn, as she was intrigued. She loves creepy things and was interested in the stories and drawings from the author's childhood.)

First of all, the book weighs a ton. It can be used to knock someone out if you don't have a frying pan handy. It definitely begs to be a coffee table book, because it's not something you want to keep hidden away in a bookshelf somewhere. The artwork is so bizarre and intriguing that it begs to be kept out, available for perusing.

The book itself is beautiful. I love how the black background on the cover contrasts with the bright colors of the cover image. And you can't tell from the above image, but the cracks running through the black background catch the light, enhancing the texture. The inside pages are thick and glossy. It measures 8 1/4" x 10 3/4" and is 1 1/4" thick!

Inside front cover

Before you even get to page one, you are treated with delight, for the inside covers are decorated with Valenza's twist on vintage ad throwbacks, using characters from the deck. The ads are different on the front and back, giving you twice the treat! The Hermit's anguished expression appears in an ad for hair elixir: "Balding? Get Luxurious HAIR like THIS! Use Dr. Arsenic's Scalp Fertilizer". The bald hermit (covering up his head) sits beside a character with 8 flowing strands of hair (the gal from the 4 of Swords). It's brilliant how well he matched the characters' expressions with the ads.

The couple from the 5 of Cups is featured in an ad for a divorce lawyer. The gal from the 9 of Pentacles models for a ladies' fashion line. One of the ads on the inside back cover features the fella from the Eight of Pentacles, with a humorous advertisement for a terrible job. There are a few sketches that don't accompany ads. There are several curious sketches mixed in with the ads, such as the one simply captioned "Mother's Surprise!", featuring a sketch of a mother coming to her toddler who appears to have cut off its own arm. I don't understand it, but the message I got was that I don't really need to. Perhaps it's just a bit of oddness for its own sake.

One of the most beautiful things about the book is the artist's openness as he shares his childhood memories. He includes photos and sketches from his youth. He shares nightmares and visions, all of which inspired his art. He describes his introduction to the world of tarot at a young age. It's a fascinating read.

Valenza shares how his artistry progressed as he aged. There are many images shown, evolving as the artist himself did, at different ages. I was awed at how talented he was as a young teenager. It feels like an honor, to be privy to the deck imagery at various stages in the artist's life. It's like a backstage pass, a behind-the-scenes look at a lifetime of work.

Another fascinating aspect of the book is seeing the sources of much of the imagery in the deck. Many of the backgrounds and textures come from graveyard tombstones and abandoned asylum structures. It's gothic in the most wonderful way. There are so many details I want to talk about, but I am holding back, so that you can have the delight of discovering so much of it on your own.

The bulk of the book gives detailed information on each of the cards' meanings, both upright and reversed. You get incredible insight into the imagery on the cards that wouldn't fit in the LWB that comes with the deck. Every card gets a full page color image. There is always something extra given with each card, be it an original sketch, a photograph relating to its inspiration, or a separate background story.

For example, the image above is an excerpt from the King of Wands pages. On the previous two pages, you'll find a full page color image of the card, followed by a full page description of the imagery on the card. On the next two pages (shown in the image above) are sketches of the characters and upright and reversed meanings of the card. This is then followed by an additional tidbit. There is a photograph of a piece of amber, and details on why many of the characters in the Wands suit carry amber with them. These little extras that you will find throughout the book really give it that something extra special.

One of my favorite cards in the deck is the Four of Wands. I have always felt drawn to that little hut on stilts. So I was delighted to see the preliminary sketch, along with the imagery of the heart made in the shape of the two heads coming together. It's something I probably never would have noticed on my own. This book is absolutely chock full of extra details that will enrich your reading of these cards, mostly in the descriptions of the cards themselves, but also in these extra tidbits he shares.

When you get to the end of the book, just as you think your journey is over, you discover the last few pages are dedicated to The Lost Suit of Coins. Oh, how I loved this! The artist originally created clay coins to be used as the suit symbol, rather than Pentacles. The coins are gorgeous, and part of me really wishes he had kept them. I am so happy that he shared this bit with us, because even though he decided to stick with pentacles, it's delightful to see the beautiful alternate universe for this suit.

I haven't finished reading this book, which is good for you, because I am forced to keep many things secret, thus enhancing your own reading adventure. This book is not something I wanted to rush through. I want to savor it, to make it last a long time, to pick it up every once in awhile and read a little more, glean a little more magic out of it. I know I will be sad when I come to the end of it. I know I will be left selfishly wanting even more. So for now I am savoring it bit by bit. It's a perfect book with which to disappear under a blanket and cup of tea.

I can feel with every paragraph I write that I sound like an overzealous fangirl. I have no shame in that. This book deserves every bit of the gushing it receives. In all my reviews, I like to include the bad with the good, for an honest, well-rounded review. But I have nothing negative to say about this book whatsoever, other than the fact that it comes to a conclusion after 340 pages. And I can honestly and safely guarantee I won't have changed my mind about that after having read every word.

Oh... my... god... I just now flipped the book over to read the back, something I hadn't yet done, to find that I am quoted on the back cover! I just gasped deeply and all my kids looked up at me. Ha! How exciting! The last quote on the back of the book is my very own, an excerpt taken from my review of the deck on my old blog, Tarot Dame. The review is now housed on this blog, here. The synchronicity is amazing, as the quote begins with something I opened this book review with - being delighted with the imagery, card after card. Well now this book literally couldn't get any better. :)

That's me! On the back cover! (The words... not the human-fish-(bird?) hybrid, lovely as it is.)

You don't have to own the accompanying tarot deck to enjoy this book, but if you don't already have it, this book will make you want it!  Please note that the image at the top of this post shows the book with the two different versions of the deck (original and borderless), but the decks are sold separately. The book is sold alone.

In summary, it should be fairly obvious that I can't recommend this book highly enough. I will end this review as I began it, expressing again, wholeheartedly, that it is a masterpiece.

Book: Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza, published by US Games Systems, Inc.

Book Review: Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook 2017

This will be the first year I will be using Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook (2017). I have a few planners that I will be working with in 2017, but this one will be kept separate and sacred, for my magical plans. But if you only want to use one planner, this could absolutely be used as an all-purpose datebook as well.

The datebook (cover and inside pages) measures 5 1/4" x 8" without measuring in the spiral coil binding. The binding adds approximately another 1/2" to the width. When I received mine, a great majority of the pages were stuck together. I was able to carefully pull all the pages apart individually, without any damage to the paper. This was inconvenient, but thankfully not damaging to the book.

The book starts out with a "How to Use" page. And right away, I found something wonderful in it for me: "This datebook was designed especially for Witches, Pagans and magical people." I grabbed a pencil and underlined "magical people" on my page, because it was such a refreshing acknowledgment! I have long classified myself as "spiritual but not religious", and now this description just hit the nail on the head. I am a "magical person" and need no further classification.

This section tells you about how to read the symbols on the calendar pages, from the moon signs, planetary movement, planting and harvesting days and color of the day. Love the color of the day! I'm curious how they arrive at the color for each day, but I'm blindly trusting on that account.

All the times and dates in the calendar are based on US Eastern time, so if you live in a different time zone, you'll need to adjust accordingly. For example, living in Mountain time, I will need to subtract two hours from the times listed for accuracy.

* Before I received my copy, I read someone's review on Amazon who said that the dates in the book for the New Moons were inaccurate. I was initially disappointed to hear this, but when I received mine, I checked, and was happy to find that they were all accurate. I don't know what information that reviewer was working with.

The next section features a series of five magical articles:

• The Smile Inside by Robin Ivy Payton
• Simple Amulet Pouches by Charlie Rainbow Wolf
• The Hag Knows Best by Suzanne Ress
• The Magic of Language by Elizabeth Barrette
• Mending Energetic Fences by Ellen Dugan

Next is the bulk of the datebook... the actual calendar days. A week is spread out on two pages, Monday through Friday on the left, and Saturday/Sunday on the right. Also on the right side of every page is a passage. The passages alternate between subjects such as crystal properties, holiday/seasonal ideas, drawings (by Kathleen Edwards) and recipes.

There are also little magical tidbits sprinkled on random dates... little bits of magical advice, spells and information. I really love this. It's like a little unexpected gift when you get to certain days. Here are a few random examples:

February 4: Fill a jar with nails and broken glass; bury it under the porch to protect a house from malicious spirits.

May 26: England repealed the last of its anti-Witchcraft laws in 1951.

August 29: Draupathi is an Indian fire goddess who walks over hot coals.

December 18: Jasmine is intensely feminine, corresponding to water and the Moon. This oil activates the goddess in you.

The last few pages of the book include bios on the authors, an appendix and three blank lined pages for notes. The appendix covers:

• Daily Magical Influences
• Daily Color Correspondences
• Lunar Phases
• The Moon Signs
• 2017 Eclipses
• 2017 Full Moons 
• 2017 Planetary Retrogrades
• 2017 Moon Void-Of-Course Data chart

My one complaint about this datebook is that none of the recipes are vegan-friendly. Not a single one! Every recipe includes either meat, dairy, or eggs, or a combination thereof. This was disappointing. Surely I'm not the only vegan magical person out there. I can veganize most recipes if necessary, but it's not really worth it when the recipe relies so heavily on many eggs and heavy cream. In future editions of this datebook, I would love to see some cruelty-free options included.

The pages themselves are matte with a slightly yellowish off-white color. (They appear whiter in my photos.) It gives the feeling of recycled pages, without the actual benefit of them being recycled. (At least, I don't see it marked anywhere in the book that the pages are recycled.) I would have preferred white pages, as it would have felt cleaner to me. But it's not a big deal.

The book is bound in plastic spiral, which allows you to conveniently lay the book flat.

I did a test to see what pens were safe to use with this planner and which ones would bleed through. My colored Ultra Fine Point Sharpies bled through. But the rest of the pens I tried worked just fine, with no bleed through to the other side of the pages. Obviously your run of the mill ballpoint pens would work just fine. But I also tested the following pens with success:

• Sharpie Pen - Fine Point - Black and Colors
• Paper Mate Flair - Felt Tip Pens - Medium Point - Colors
• Staedtler Triplus Fineliner - Porous Point Pens - 0.3 mm - Colors
• Sharpie Highlighters
• Gel Highlighters

The image to the left shows a close-up examples of the symbols and information on a given day... again, the symbols all being explained in the beginning of the book if you are unfamiliar with many of them (as I am).

Strangely, on the day of a New, Full or Quarter Moon, the date is not listed, instead showing an image of the moon. For example, the image to the left is July 23. Where the number 23 would be on any other day (to the left of "Sunday"), instead there is the symbol for the New Moon. So to know the date, you would need to look at the previous or next day as reference.

I obviously haven't had a chance to break the book in yet, so I can't tell you how the pages and binding will hold up over a year's use. But I am very pleased with it and look forward to planning my magical year ahead with this datebook. I'd definitely recommend it for witchy and magical minded people!

One last note: The price for this datebook is amazing for the value, retailed at $11.99, but currently at just over $8 on Amazon: Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook 2017!

Book Review: The Girl Before

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The Girl Before: A Novel by JP Delaney

This psychological thriller follows the narrative of two women, living parallel lives, in the same house in different points of time, each trying to rebuild their lives after traumatic events.  The narrative alternates each chapter between Then: Emma and Now: Jane. The minimalist, tech-savvy house takes on a character all its own and comes with a long set of strict rules that the landlord (very Christian Grey-esque) insists upon being followed.

I finished this book within one day, simply because I could not put it down. The chapters are brief enough that you sail right through them, thinking, just one more...

There are unexpected twists and turns in the story, and it's always refreshing to read a story that isn't predictable. Within the story line, I found hints of Gone Girl and elements of 50 Shades of Grey.

Although it was probably intended to do the opposite, the book had me continually contemplating the benefits of severely minimizing one's possessions in life. However, I would never be able to abide by the "no books" rule. That's just insanity.

The story kept me on my toes and held my interest the entire way through. You'll find that even the title leaves you with a surprise. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy psychological thrillers. I look forward to seeing what they do with the movie (to be directed by Ron Howard).

Side note: There were no quotation marks in the type, so sometimes it took a moment to differentiate between narration and dialogue. Yet there were a few pages in the entire book that did  have quotation marks, which was weird. I received an advance review copy, which was marked as an "uncorrected proof" so I can't be sure if the punctuation format will remain in the final printing.

My book rating for this would be R, due to graphic sexual situations.

Following is the description of the book which ensnared me into requesting a copy to review:

• • •

Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life. 

The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.

EMMA 
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.

JANE 
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home's previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.

The Girl Before is available for pre-order, and will be released January 2017.

Published by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books

Book Review: Rogue Oracle (Delphic Oracle: Book 2)

Rogue Oracle (Delphic Oracle, Book 2)
by Alayna Williams (Pocket-Juno Books)

(Also available on Kindle)

"Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional.  Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing.  There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts.  Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder.  The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker.  Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationship with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day.  And a nightmare that  began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen..."

Rogue Oracle is the sequel to Dark Oracle, which I reviewed here. Tara is back! And this sequel is even more engaging than the first! The killer in this book murders his prey in a way that completely shocked and fascinated me. You will have to read it for yourself to find out just how he does it, because I dare not spoil that surprise for you. (It's revealed right from the get-go, in the prologue, so you won't have long to wait, once the book is in your hands.  And what a way to start a book!)

I'm going to keep this review brief, because the beauty of reading a novel is uncovering all of its secrets for yourself, one page at a time. There's nothing worse than reading spoilers before reading the book for yourself. So I'll just give you the basics, and hope that you trust my glowing recommendation.

I thoroughly enjoyed reuniting with the cast of characters I met in the first book.  Tara returns, and her tentative relationship with Harry (her Knight of Pentacles) is finding its legs while they work together to find a mysterious murderer whose goal is to facilitate worldwide horror and tragedy in a most unprecedented manner.

Cassie and the Pythia are also back in this sequel with a storyline of their own, which eventually merges with Tara and Harry's quest.  There are also a few new characters who keep things entertaining.

The story centers around Chernobyl and the aftermath of the devastation that happened there.  A few days after I finished reading this book, the explosions began at Japan's nuclear power plant. The synchronicity was uncanny.

The Use of Tarot in the Book
As in the first book, Tara uses her tarot cards (which she hides in a cigarette box in her purse) throughout the book, and we get to experience each reading.

She also has several tarot related dreams, where figures from certain tarot cards come to life and guide her, giving her clues as to what the future has in store.

Following are the spreads and readings you will find in the book. Each reading is detailed with the card drawn, the position it falls under, and the interpretations. Tara also frequently connects the cards to the cards drawn in previous readings throughout the book.

Chapter 1: 3-card (Heart/Mind/Spirit)
Chapter 2: Celtic Cross
Chapter 4: A couple of impromptu 3-card draws; 1-card draw
Chapter 7: 1-card draw
Chapter 8: 3-card (Body/Mind/Spirit); 1-card Advice
Chapter 10: 2 "jumper" cards; 4-card directional reading (N/S/E/W)
Chapter 13: 1-card draw; 9-card relationship reading
Chapter 15: 4-card draw; 1-card draw
Chapter 7: 5-card (Distant Past/ Recent Past/ Present/Near Future/Distant Future)
Chapter 19: 1-card draw; 3-card draw

(I think I got 'em all!)

There are some mistakes I noticed, with my tarot reader's eye.  In one reading, the main character drew the Devil followed by Temperance. And the text follows: "She was reminded that Temperance always followed the Devil in the sequence of the Major Arcana, suggesting evolution." In fact, Temperance precedes the Devil in the tarot, so if following a linear timeline, the subject of her reading would be moving backward, rather than forward.  So, for the sake of consistency, we just have to assume Temperance follows the Devil in Tara's world. ;)

There was also a typo when the character pulled four cards and used the card numbers to make a single combined number (Ace of Cups, 8 of Cups, 6 of Swords & The Fool = 1860). The number was spelled out: "One, three, six, zero" (italics for emphasis is mine). But later referred to correctly as "1860". It's a trivial typo, just something I guess I'm trained to notice, being so used to correlating the numbers to the tarot cards. :)

This engaging paperback is 360 pages, with 21 chapters. I'm assuming the number of chapters is a wink and a nod to the numbered Major Arcana cards, as I believe Dark Oracle also has 21 chapters.

Rogue Oracle definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf.  But be sure to start out with Dark Oracle, if you haven't read it yet, so you will be familiar with the characters and their back stories.

The Fate of Tara's Future?

I asked Alayna if there would be additional books in the series, and she says she was only contracted for the first two Oracle books. She has an outline waiting for the third book, if she gets the green light from Juno Books. I'll be crossing my fingers, because I really, really want to explore more of Tara's adventures!

This book review was originally posted on my previous blog (Tarot Dame) on 4/11/11.

Book Review: Dark Oracle (Delphic Oracle: Book 1)

Dark Oracle
by Alayna Williams (Pocket-Juno Books)
(Also available on Kindle)

"As a criminal profiler, Tara used science and her intuitive skill at Tarot card divination to track down the dangerous and depraved, including the serial killer who left her scarred from head to toe. Since that savage attack, Tara has been a recluse. But now an ancient secret society known as Delphi's Daughters has asked for her help in locating missing scientist Lowell Magnusson. And Tara, armed with her Tarot deck, her .38, and a stack of misgivings, agrees to try."

Dark Oracle is a mystery novel by new author Alayna Williams. When I received the book from Alayna, I was excited to dive into a story whose main character was a tarot reader, even if in the back of my mind, I expected the storyline to pale in comparison to the tarot bits I was looking forward to. I was delighted to find that the entire story captured my attention and held it. It kept me on my toes, turning pages, wanting to find out what happened next. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, start to finish. It contained action, mystery, mysticism, drama, romance and Tarot (as well as other divination methods).

The Plot
Tara was a criminal profiler, using her intuitive tarot skills to help her track suspects and solve cases. She abandoned her career after a near-fatal experience with a serial killer she tracked down. She is urged out of hiding by Delphi's Daughters, a secret society her mother was a member of. They request her help with the case of a missing scientist who has harnessed the power of dark energy, which in the wrong hands, could prove disastrous for humankind.

Tara's unlikely partner is left-brained Agent Harry Li. Their attraction to one another develops throughout the story, hindered along the way by Tara's secret intuitive side which she keeps hidden from him, along with her self-consciousness from being physically and emotionally scarred.

While Tara and Harry are on the trail of the missing scientist, they are being tracked themselves by a wayward and dangerous member of Delphi's Daughters and corrupt government officials who want Tara dead.

The Use of Tarot in the Book
As the story progresses, Tara pulls out her tarot deck every once in awhile to guide her in the next direction. We are privy to her readings, as she uses several spreads.

Following are the spreads and readings you will find in the book. Each reading is detailed with the card drawn, the position it falls under, and the interpretations. Tara also frequently connects the cards to the cards drawn in previous readings throughout the book.

Chapter 1: Celtic Cross
Chapter 5: Impromptu 3-Card Spread
Chapter 8: A 9-Card Past-Present-Future Spread
Chapter 15: Two 1-Card Readings & a 7-Card Ouroboros Spread
Chapter 16: Impromptu 2-Card Spread
Chapter 20: A 9-Card Tree of Life Spread (This is the only reading she does for another person.)

In addition to tarot cards, there are also other methods of divination used by the members of Delphi's Daughters including geomancy, runes, scrying and pyromancy. I loved this fascinating additional layer to the story.

The experience Tara goes through, in hiding her tarot cards from Agent Li is something I think a great many tarot readers will relate to, as hiding this aspect of one's life from certain people is an unfortunate reality I believe many tarot readers have had to deal with at one time or another.

Behind the Story
I was interested in learning more about how tarot played a role in Williams' writing. She told me that she has been reading tarot since she was a teenager, though not professionally, reading mostly for herself and occasionally for friends. The deck she learned to read with was the Hanson-Roberts.

Although the deck featured in Dark Oracle is fictional, Alayna did use a variety of decks to help her with the storyline and character backgrounds, usually grabbing whichever deck was handy at the time. These included the Hanson-Roberts, Quantum Physics Tarot, Dragon Tarot, Thoth, Rider-Waite, and Mystic Dreamer (the latter being her current fave.).

Says Williams, "Whenever I got stuck on plot or needed information on a character's motivations, I started drawing cards. It's really a fun way to write. The Tarot makes great visual story prompts."

When I finished the book, I wanted more. I wanted to know what was next for the characters. So I was very happy to hear Alayna's answer to my question of whether there would be sequels: "DARK ORACLE is intended to be the first in a series. The sequel, ROGUE ORACLE, is coming out in March 2011. In that story, Tara and Harry are pursuing a Chernobyl survivor who's selling nuclear secrets to the highest bidder. I wrote it the same way, with cards at hand." 

UPDATE: Read my review of the sequel, Rogue Oracle.

About the Author of Dark Oracle
Alayna Williams has an MA in sociology-criminology (research interests: fear of crime and victimology) and a BA in criminology. She has worked in and around criminal justice since 1997. Although she does read Tarot cards, she's never used them in criminal profiling or to locate lost scientists. She recently took up astronomy, but for the most part her primary role in studying constellations and dark matter is to follow her amateur astronomer-husband around central Ohio toting the telescope tripod and various lenses. Like the Pythia in Dark Oracle, she's been known to belly dance. Unlike the Pythia she'd never consider herself a professional.

This book review was originally published on my previous blog (Tarot Dame) on 8/31/10.

Book Review: The Back in Time Tarot Book

The Back in Time Tarot Book by Janet Boyer (Hampton Roads Publishing)

The Back in Time Tarot Book (BIT for short) offers a new approach to making the tarot cards more familiar and personal.

Boyer's BIT method encourages the reader to connect with the cards by recreating a memory or experience from the past. Deliberately selecting cards which, when viewed together, serve as a "snapshot" of the memory will make the cards more meaningful and relevant. When creating a BIT snapshot, you select cards that capture the essence of the experience as you experienced it. After having done so, you will then have a personal reference when each of those cards come up in future readings.

Using a very obvious example, if I were to create a BIT snapshot of giving my cat meds, I would undoubtedly use Strength as one of my cards, as it illustrates a woman opening the mouth of a feline. What's interesting about this method is that the cards you choose for each experience will vary depending on what deck you are using, as the artwork and interpretations are different in each deck. As the selection of the cards is so personal, even two people who had experienced the same situation together would probably not select the same exact cards, even if using the same deck.

The method is simple, and its explanation takes up only a small portion of the book's pages. The bulk and beauty of the book consists of examples of BIT snapshots, contributed not only by the author, but also from other seasoned tarot professionals, many of whom will be familiar to readers, as they are tarot deck and book authors, artists and editors.

Boyer also uses the BIT method to capture scenes from books, TV, movies, historical events, famous personalities, states, songs and holidays. She shares many detailed and interesting examples of all of the above. In short, if you can experience it in some manner, you can apply the BIT method to it.

In addition to the many examples given, the book is also sprinkled with a plethora of exercise prompts, encouraging you to use the BIT method for yourself in various ways.

I can definitely see the advantage of doing these snapshots, whether you are a beginner or experienced reader. Making emotional connections with the cards and experiencing their essences first hand can only be beneficial to a reader. And with the inspiration in this book, you will have no shortage of material to practice with!

I really enjoyed seeing how the different tarot readers arranged their individual BIT snaphots. If you enjoy peeking into the inner workings of other tarot readers' applications of the cards, and are interested in seeing the BIT method in action, The Back in Time Tarot Book is an entertaining and thought-provoking read that will have you looking at situations in your life through a new tarot lens. 

This book review was originally published on my previous blog (Tarot Dame) on 11/6/10.

Book Review: The Vitruvian Square

The Vitruvian Square - A Handbook Of Divination Discoveries
by Scott Grossberg (Leaping Lizards Publishing)

The Vitruvian Square is a book containing a plethora of reading methods, all of which revolove around a central template which is the Vitruvian Square (VS).

This is a difficult book to review because there is so much dense and detailed information packed into the 170 pages. I've read through it once, but haven't even begun to absorb all the information contained within it. There is so much to consider, and such enormous potential for paths upon paths of possibility with this square template.

The Vitruvian Square is divided into nine equally sized inner squares, with an additional 10th square added at the top. It is inspired in part by the ancient Chinese Lo Shu Square. The VS has modified the original number placement into a more sensical arrangement.

Each inner square of the VS is assigned its own meaning, using an incredibly wide and varied amount of possibilities.

Each square has its own:

• Meaning
• Number
• Alphabetical letters
• Color
• Astrological signs
• Alchemical assigment and stage
• "Hero's Journey" landmark
• Sacred geometry association
• Tarot card assignments
• Subconscious oracle
• Sepharial's "Of Things Lost" assignments

Basically, anything that you can classify can be arranged in this square.

When you are doing a reading using the square, you not only use the inner squares themselves, but there is also specific meaning in each vertical, horizontal and diagonal line of squares, the lines between the squares,  and the intersections of the lines.

So how does one use this square?  The possibilities are endless. The book explains many options in detail.  You can do a reading on a name, noting which squares the letters fall in. You can do a reading on a birth date, noting where the numbers fall in the VS.  You can use the VS to add incredible dimension to your card readings. After doing your intial reading as you normally would, you can now greatly expand on it by placing your tarot/oracle/playing cards on the Square, arranging them either according to the numbers on the cards, or whatever other method you wish to invent.  It's also a great utility for throwing stones or runes, or any other method of casting lots.

And again, you are reading not only the inner squares themselves, but placement as a whole.  Emphasis is given where there is a majority of activity in one part of the Vitruvian Square. And the voids are also significant. Connections are made in the lines of squares, and sometimes what is missing is just as important to notice as what is there.

The book illustrates the VS placement on the palm of a hand, for added insight into palm reading.  There are also options detailing the utilization of the square by delving into platonic solids using Role Playing Game (RPG) dice, sacred geometry, mythic legend association, working with the medicine wheel, and even allowingintuition to select three random numbers using the threefold number method.  You can also use the VS to find lost items, withSepharial's "Of Things Lost" square assignments.  All of this, and a great deal more, is covered in the book.

One of the most exciting aspects of this method of reading is that once you are familiar with the basic areas of the VS, you can do readings in your head, even without any tools or physical square available. I spent hours upon hours the other day physically laboring at something. When I finally laid down for a bit of a rest with my eyes closed, I intutively thought of three numbers in my head. Using the threefold number method, I mentally placed my numbers on the square in my head, and it gave me an accurate assessment of how I was feeling about the day.

Not only can the Vitruvian Square be used for reading, but it also has other potential, as addressed in the book, such as sigil work and manifestation intention.

The only thing lacking is a Table of Contents, which would have been useful for easier reference.

This book really is incredible, and this review doesn't even begin to do it justice.  Scott Grossberg has a gift for taking an idea and expanding its reach as far as possible. He did this with his Deck of Shadows, giving us an oracle that includes titles, subtext, images, symbols and playing card associations; somehow accomplishing this without the cards feeling cluttered. And now, with the The Vitruvian Square, he takes a simple concept and expands it into worlds of possibility in the art of divination.

The Vitruvian Square has the potential to add as much dimension to your readings as is limited only by your imagination. One of the things I love about the world of tarot/oracle reading is that there is always room for learning more, no matter how long you have been reading and how much you have studied.  This never-ending learning process is one of the things that keeps the art so exciting to me, year after year. This book is a testament to (and celebration of) that reality.

Note: The above image of the Vitruvian Square isn't the complete version. A more detailed version of the chart is featured in the book, including the color associations, sacred geometry symbols and alchemical assignments.

Scott also offers an exclusive Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth on his website. I don't have one, but it looks gorgeous! Definitely something for the wish list.

Book: The Vitruvian Square - A Handbook of Divination Discoveries (by Scott Grossberg)

(Scott Grossberg is also the mastermind behind the book: The Masks of Tarot (see my review here) and the oracle cards: Deck of Shadows (my review here) He also has an amazing blog you should totally visit.)

This book review was originally published on my previous blog (Tarot Dame) on 7/18/11.

Book Review: The Masks of Tarot

The Masks Of Tarot
by Scott Grossberg (Leaping Lizards Publishing)

This is a book of secrets. Or, more correctly, a book on how to obtain secrets. It is a synthesis of ideas made to center on one useable theme; that, by allowing our Querents (those who seek our insights) their masks, they reveal to us their truths. Our work, as Readers, Tellers and See-ers thus becomes more "telling".

This is the intriguing first paragraph of The Masks of Tarot, a book revealing a unique, interactive reading method utilizing only the 22 Major Arcana cards of the tarot.

The querent (not the reader) is guided to look through the Major Arcana and select their favorite card, which becomes the foundation for the rest of the initial reading. The chosen card represents the client's Mask, and is applied to a template referred to as the Hiding Places System which will magically unveil not only details on the mask the querent wears, but also his or her personal Beast, Light and Shadow. (After making this initial assessment, you can then move onto the more detailed spread included in the book, which utilizes additional cards.)

Following are the main attributes of each archetype you will uncover about your querent after the selection of the initial card:

The Mask
• What I take for granted in myself
• What makes me who I am
• How I view myself
• What I am attracted to

The Beast
• What I resort to under stress
• What I excuse in myself
• How others view me
• My deepest urge

The Light
• What I desire to accomplish
• What I look at with wonder
• What others think I need
• What I need for balance

The Shadow
• What I think I have left behind
• What I become when all else fails
• What I still must learn to control
• The thing I have no wish to be

The book generously provides a sample Hiding Places analysis for each of the 22 Major Arcana "masks". While the template stands as a necessary foundation for the process, you are encouraged to use your intuitive skills to provide your own assessments when doing a reading.

The next part of the book offers an additional layer of reading, where we get to see every card read in each archetypal position (Mask, Beast, Light, Shadow).

The Hiding Places template can also be used with different systems (not just tarot). The author shows us how it works with The Alchemy of Human Needs, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators, Enneagram/Personality Types, and Hand Types for use with palmistry.

Once the initial reading is done, you can then move onto the related Hiding Places Spread, a 5-6 card spread which utilizes, then expands on, the Hiding Places System. The spread is interactive as well, as the cards are deliberately chosen by the querent. There are four sample readings included.

At the end of the book, there are several worksheets for practice, along with a 6-page list of keywords (emotions and personality types) for sparking your imagination when using the Hiding Places System.

I won't go into the details of how the ingenious system works (you'll need to buy the book for that), but I can tell you that I applied the Hiding Places System to my own favorite tarot card (my own personal mask) and the assessment made a lot of sense. I actually laughed, because it hit pretty darned close to home!

The Masks of Tarot provides a fascinating new way of looking at the Major Arcana cards and how they relate to one another. A detailed study of the concepts in this book will not only offer a new way of reading the cards, but will also greatly expand one's understanding of the cards themselves, thereby enriching any reading performed, with or without this system.

Book: The Masks of Tarot (by Scott Grossberg)

(Scott Grossberg is also the mastermind behind the book: The Vitruvian Square (see my review here), and the oracle cards: Deck of Shadows (my review here). He also has an amazing blog you should totally visit.)

Book review originally published on my previous blog (Tarot Dame) on 7/19/11.