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Review: The Doodle Tarot
So life has been super busy – obviously, because I haven’t blogged in a few minutes – what with the Day Job, school, summer travel adventures, and all kinds of other stuff. However, back in July, I made my annual pilgrimage to Mystic South, which is always a blast – and one of the things I do love about this particular conference is the amazing vendor room space. It’s chock full of people who create magical, mystical things themselves – no drop-shipped mass-produced nonsense – and you get to meet the person who actually made the thing you’re purchasing. It’s delightful, and I scored a super cool broom from Blossoms…
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Review: The Lost Tarot by Hans Bauer
I’ve been collecting Tarot decks for about thirty years – I’ve probably given away more sets of Tarot cards than most people own in a lifetime – and every once in a while I run across one that really makes me stop and say, “Wow. This is COOL.” Hans Bauer’s Lost Tarot is one of those decks. The Back Story One of the things that intrigued me about The Lost Tarot from the get-go was the backstory. Think of this as a concept deck – Bauer has created not only a collection of lovely Major Arcana cards (more on those in a moment) but also crafted a clever origin story…
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Book Review: Embracing Willendorf
If you’re not familiar with Byron Ballard’s writing, you really should check out her blog over at My Village Witch. As the official village witch of Asheville, NC, Byron has spent many years studying and teaching the traditional mountain magic of her ancestors. She’s also an absolutely amazing person who always seems able to conjure up early morning coffee, even if you’re watching the sun rise in front of a tent in the woods with her. Her newest book, Embracing Willendorf: A Witch’s Way of Loving Your Body to Health & Fitness, is one that I can’t even begin to say enough good things about. It chronicles her journey to…
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Book Review: Wicca, Plain & Simple
I periodically open my mailbox and find copies of nifty stuff from publishers asking me to review new and upcoming titles. A lot of times I don’t get a chance to do it, because I’m writing my own stuff, and I have a personal policy of never reviewing someone else’s material when I’m working my own. However, right now I’m in the middle of a very brief lull, and so I thought I’d share a few reviews with you over the next couple of weeks. I’m going to begin with Wicca, Plain and Simple by Leanna Greenaway, because I really like it. Wicca, Plain and Simple, from Red Wheel/Weiser, is just…
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Review: Tarot of the Pirates
I’m a huge fan of pirates — even wrote a kids’ alphabet book about them — so when I saw that there was a pirate Tarot coming out a few years back, I had to have it. Tarot of the Pirates is just plain fun. What do I like the most? Frankly, the artwork in this deck is really nifty, and not what you typically see in Tarot artwork. It’s sassy and brash, dark and dangerous, and the imagery is nicely matched to the Tarot card meanings. The Pirate Tarot deck is one I use a lot when reading for male clients, or for women who are empowered, independent and…
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Review: Byron Ballard’s Staubs & Ditchwater
This is a review which originally appeared on my About Paganism site – the content has recently gone away (because book reviews generally don’t garner a ton of page views) but since I’ve been delving deeper into Appalachian folk magic recently, this is a good time to re-share it. Book Review: Staubs and Ditchwater: A Friendly and Useful Introduction to Hillfolks’ Hoodoo, by Byron Ballard. I first met Byron Ballard in March 2012, when I visited Asheville, North Carolina, to cover the story of the Buncombe County School District and their religious materials policy. She’s one of those people who makes everyone feel comfy and welcomed, with her earth-mother vibe and say-what-you-mean-mean-what-you-say…
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Review: Mrs. B’s Guide to Household Witchery
This article originally appeared on my About.com site, but since book reviews tend to show an underwhelming long-term performance there, I’m going to be gradually migrating some of them over here instead. I thought I’d kick things off with one of my favorite reviews, of a book by one of my favorite people, Kris Bradley, also known as Mrs. B. If you were familiar with Kris’ blog, Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, that she ran up until 2013, you know that she spent a lot of time encouraging readers to find the magical in the mundane, and to look for the spiritual in everyday things around the house. By bringing…
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Review: The Witches’ Almanac Coloring Book
I love to color, and as much as I hate to sound like that annoying hipster barista at your favorite coffee shop, I was actually coloring a lot before it became a trend. It’s therapeutic and keeps me from throwing rocks at people or eating my feelings. One of the best things about coloring becoming popular, though, is that now, instead of being stuck with Dora the Explorer and Ninja Turtles, there are a floppity-million coloring books out there for grownups. No matter what your interest – I have Outlander and Game of Thrones – there’s something for you to color in. Which is why, gentle reader, when the nice…
