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Review: Magic Spells Oracle
Title: Magic Spells Oracle Author: Judika Illes Publisher: Weiser Books Date: October 6, 2025 Pages: 36 cards and a 128-page guidebook “… [T]he world of magic is open and welcoming to everyone. Magic and magic spells are the birthright of us all. No previous experience is needed to access this primordial force – or to use these cards,” Judika Illes states when introducing her “Magic Spells Oracle.” The deck is a tool; each card is a key to guide readers on their personal journey to discover their own magic powers, navigate life’s situations, and create the life they desire. Judika, perhaps best known as the author of “The Encyclopedia of…
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Notes from the Apothecary: Clematis
Clematis is known as a climbing plant that produces glorious, beautiful blooms in summer. In fact, there are so many types of clematis, many of which bloom in spring and some even in early autumn. Some have petite, pretty flowers, while others produce huge discs of colour. Some grow extremely fast, while others are more ponderous, ideal for small pots in limited space. Like humans, clematis plants embody diversity. Let’s take a closer look. The Kitchen Garden If you’re looking for a tasty addition to a practical kitchen garden, veer away from clematis. Every part of this plant is toxic, and you should encourage children and pets to stay away…
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Oracle Deck Review – The Midnight Sun Oracle: Magical Messages From the Nordic Midsummer by Selena Moon
Oracle Deck Review The Midnight Sun Oracle Magical Messages From the Nordic Midsummer By Selena Moon Published by Rockpool Publishing 112 Page Guidebook Publication Date: June 4, 2024 I’m really more a fall-and-winter person than a summer person but that doesn’t really matter – this deck takes me back to my youth – when I was a summer person – when I went camping on the beach – living day and night in a bright red string bikini and a white lace throw-over – partying with a giant group of friends – going from sunrise to sunset – dancing around the bonfires we used to make – oh! what a…
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Tarot Deck Review – The Animystic Tarot by Willow Fay
Tarot Deck Review The Animystic Tarot By Willow Fay Published by REDFeather 78 Cards & Guide Book Publication Date: November 28, 2024 It’s that time of year again, when we are giving gifts and buying new things for ourselves. If you’re like me, you probably have friends who are as into the Tarot and Oracle decks as I am – my daughter-in-law is a total devotee and I always give her a new deck for Yule – Here’s a new one to add to your list. This deck is beautiful and different. I have never seen cards like these. Based on the concept of “animism” – which is the…
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Tomorrow
A box of saltines… a damn box of saltines wedged in between the fridge and the wall—the one place I hadn’t looked yet. The cupboards held cans I can’t open, bread too stale to choke down, and mouse turds. How did I miss this box of crackers? I bend and snake one wiry arm down to grab it. My chest drops at the empty weight of the cardboard before my brain can catch up. No crackers. Of course not. My stomach decides to mock me just then with a growl. It had been two weeks since Dad came home with a few boxes from the food pantry. I always say…
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Weyland’s Whey, December 24th-January 20th 2026, Birch Moon Column
The Celtic Tree Calendar, often used by modern Neopagans and Druid practitioners as a way (no pun intended) to connect with nature and olden Celtic spirituality, was inspired by Celtic and Druidic traditions. It’s primarily based on work of the poet Robert Graves, assigning a different tree to each of the thirteen lunar months, based on the Ogham alphabet, which was a medieval script used to write early Irish. Graves used letters of the Ogham to correspond to different trees, which he employed to develop the calendar. Modern pagans often use fixed dates for each of these lunar months instead of the waning and waxing selenic cycle to prevent this…
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Book Review: Dream Sorcery by Nikki Wardwell Sleath
Title: Dream Sorcery Author: Nikki Wardwell Sleath Published by: LLEWELLYN Pages: 358 Have you wanted to improve, explore or even learn a new way to perform your magick? Ever thought about the possibility of it being done with your literal dreams? Or maybe help with that upcoming presentation at work? This is where you should begin if you’ve already learned how to lucid dream as it would be easier to do but can be helpful for those of us new to lucid dreaming. Open your psyche and the answers are here for us to find and utilize. Nikki proverbially grabs our hands through the pages, taking us on an adventure…
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Book Review: Feral Magick Unleash Your Inner Animal Self by Denny Sargent
Book Review Feral Magick Unleash Your Inner Animal Self By Denny Sargent Publisher: Weiser Books Published Date: July 7th, 2025 184 Pages Do you remember as a child, imagining yourself as an animal and playing in the woods? What about making animal sounds? Denny Sargent’s guide to Unleashing Your Inner Animal Self will have you reconnecting with your own Feral Magick again as you flip the pages in his new book. A PNW resident and world traveler, he connects the traditions of Shamans from around the world to a new term, Neo-Animism, “the belief that nature spirits are not just real but are also accessible if you open…
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Oracle Deck Review – 13 Sacred Nights Oracle by Lara J Day
Title: 13 Sacred Nights Oracle: A Yearly Solstice Tradition Author: Lara J. Day Publisher: Beyond Words Date: September 30, 2025 Pages: 52 cards and a 272-page guidebook With this oracle deck, Lara J. Day invites readers to “[d]ive into the potent stillness within the womb of winter and plant your dream seeds in the fertile soil of the radiant darkness.” She introduces a practice to immerse themselves in the magic of the winter season and celebrations by connecting with nature’s wisdom and receiving divine guidance for the coming year. When the world is cold, dark, and still, slowing down and spending time in reflection aligns with the rhythms of the…
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Yuletide, Saturnalia and Closing Out 2025
Hello everyone, I hope you’re all enjoying your holiday season, and that it continues to go well for you. For many, this time of year is difficult for a multitude of reasons, including myself. While I won’t get into why, I do want to offer some closing thoughts for those who have had a less-than-spectacular 2025. For many, 2025 is the final shedding of the skin (it is the year of the Snake, after all), and that skin shedding process can be painful. Loss, death, change, and even dramatic life altering events are likely to have happened. Whatever 2025 brought you, I wish you resolution, peace, and joy as the…
