Musing Mystical

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Author Archives: Alanna Kali

About Alanna Kali

Alanna Kali is an astrologer, numerologist, and pioneer spirit that loves to explore life through the lens of depth psychology. She has a passion for studying the humanities and social trends. Her academic work is centered upon reuniting body, mind, and spirit through eco-psychology. She loves reading, spending time in nature, and travel.

Elemental Spells, by Julieta Suárez Valente and Miranda Guerrero

Elemental Spells: Drawing on the Magical Energy of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water, by Julieta Suárez Valente with illustrations by Miranda Guerrero
Red Wheel, 1590035836, 56 pages, 44 cards, October 2025

Working with the elements in magic is one of the most timeless and powerful practices. Fire, Earth, Air, and Water are not only the building blocks of the natural world, but also energetic forces that live within us and shape our experiences. By aligning with elemental qualities, we tap into a balanced system of creation and transformation. Elemental Spells: Drawing on the Magical Energy of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water by Julieta Suárez Valente with illustrations by Miranda Guerrero reminds us that we are part of a greater whole, and through ritual and spellwork, we can harness these energies to bring our intentions to life.

This 44-card deck attunes readers to Fire’s passion and will, Earth’s grounding and stability, Air’s clarity and inspiration, and Water’s intuition and flow. Suárez Valente has designed the deck so that each card contains elemental symbolism that is meant to be activated and bolstered by ritual and spellwork. This deck is perfect for people who are seeking to actively engage in the magical process rather than passively absorb an oracle message, whether this be in selecting the card that feels most resonant for them at the time or being open to following their intuitive pull of the deck to point them in the right direction.

The cards have a soft, neutral tan background, which allows illustrator Miranda Guerrero’s colorful artwork to stand out. At the top of each card, there is the elemental glyph and the name  of the card with a short subtitle for explanation. The banner color and image is the same for each card within the elemental suit.

Next on the card is a short description of the magical significance. Then there’s an image by Guerrero that captures the essence of the card’s focus. At the bottom there are practical instructions for spellwork, rituals, or magical applications, written in a clear, step-by-step format.

Suárez Valente’s suggestions of how to activate the energy of the card through magic are quite varied, as is the range of the cards within the deck. Some cards feature a deity or angels, others an herb or fruit. There’s cards representing crystals, tarot cards, animals and runes, as well as cards depicting specific astrological timing, such as New Moon in a Fire Sign. It’s definitely a mixed bag, blending different pantheons, cultures, and divination methods (astrology, tarot, runes, etc.).

The corresponding spellwork for each card is just as unique. For instance, the card Aeolus: Greek God of the Wind, invites the reader to go somewhere with a blowing breeze and say out loud an invocation to clear away stagnant debris and usher in renewed energy. For Saturn: A Planet Associated with Materialization, Suárez Valente provides a ritual to be done on Saturday using a brown candle and essential oils, specifically sandalwood or myrrh.

Sometimes the ritual or spell given requires multi-day effort, such as with Aphrodite: Greek Goddess of Love and Sensuality, while other times it can be done quickly, such as Whale: Symbol of Emotional Depth that encourages the reader to tap into the energy by look at pictures or listening to their sounds.

The variety of cards and spellwork make for a very fun and interesting card pull each time. I love how I’m consistently surprised. One of my favorite pulls so far has been Financial Healing: Recirculation of Matter. The card states “This exercise is ideal for healing your relationship with money.”1 The exercise was to make a monetary donation to show the universe that I have room in my life for more. Suárez Valente even shares what to say once the donation is made.

Well, right before pulling that card, I had noticed a little girl a few houses down selling bracelets and slime she made. For years, I ran a camp each summer focused on teaching little girls to be entrepreneurial where they spent a week making their craft projects. At the end of the week, we’d hold a sale for family and friends. Walking into my house, I was thinking how much I loved that she was outside doing this on a Saturday, so I went over to buy something, despite my husband’s protests that it wasn’t a necessary purchase. As soon as I got back, I went to work with the deck and pulled the Financial Healing card, confirming that I had made the right choice to spend my money supporting the little girl’s entrepreneurial spirit! I said the words at the bottom of the card out loud and felt the abundance flowing.

As for the guidebook, there’s no specific oracle message for the cards. Rather, Suárez Valente’s focus is on teaching more about each element. She provides a brief introduction about how the cards can be used (either intentionally picking out one that aligns with one’s goals or pulling randomly) and offers spread suggestions. She lists ingredients that might appear in the deck for readers that wish to be prepared. And then she delves into each of the four elements, beginning with fire.

Suárez Valente provides an overview of the element, including its significance in astrology and as a tarot suit. She then covers a few significant correspondence to give more insight into the nature of the element. Then there’s a page that lists all the cards in that element and a page that lists the spell for each of the element cards, which makes it easy to pick out the right card for your intention, if that’s how a reader is using the deck. While each entry in the guidebook is pretty brief, it is enough to foster further elemental exploration.

Overall, Elemental Spells is a very engaging deck that encourages readers to put into action their practical magic for the sake of self-growth, transformation, and manifestation. This deck is best for people who are open to cross-cultural magical inspiration and are willing to learn about and try new magical methods. The approachable spells make this deck suitable for readers of all levels. I really enjoy how the deck is more than just an oracle message; it’s a call to action that invites you to co-create with the elements. The power is within you yet as a reader you learn that by aligning yourself with the greater elemental forces, wonderful things come into being.

Kitchen Magic, by Laura May

Kitchen Magic: Over 65 Enchanting Recipes and Rituals for a Cozy, Witchy Kitchen, by Laura May
OH, 1035429659, 208 pages, September 2025

Ah, my kitchen witch heart is absolutely singing! Kitchen Magic: 65 Enchanting Recipes and Rituals for a Cozy, Witchy Kitchen by Laura May is such a wonderful addition to a cookbook library. Within these pages, May shows how each meal can become a spell, ritual, or act of sacred nourishment. Featuring delicious recipes and magical insights this is a wonderful cookbook for creating a warm, enchanted kitchen where food and magic come together.

As witches we love to share recipes, often including them in our grimoires, spellbooks, and even the community newsletter each month! But a hardcover cookbook filled with thematic pictures, culinary folklore, and delicious recipes takes on a life of its own. Flipping through the pages of Kitchen Magic, you can see the time devoted to infusing each page with reverence for the food we create, whether this be teaching readers about the magical correspondences of ingredients in the cupboard, blending herbs into a brew, or making pancakes for mindfulness.

May begins the cookbook by inviting readers into her world. In first-person style, she sets the stage of her daily life during the seasonal transition into autumn, living in a boat and baking her recipes in a stack stove, creating a cozy sense of intimacy as we glimpse her routine. We get to know May through her morning coffee ritual, spellwork, and tale of what drew her to the path of being a kitchen witch.

“The philosophy behind my recipes is to give you a sense of meaning and consideration to everyday cooking – even the smallest acts can impact the way we live and see the world. The rituals aid us in discovering what we really want out of life and align our daily consciousness in order to get it.”2

The introduction also covers topics like what it means to May to be a witch, symbols of the witch, core aspects of ritual (opening and closing a circle, moon phases, spoken word, sigils, etc.), foraging in nature, and a list of magical correspondence of the herbs and spices commonly used in kitchen witchery. Overall, this section is very grounding, preparing readers to move ahead and test out May’s recipes.

As for how the recipes are sectioned, May has divided the chapters into the following: “Folk Medicine”, “Botanical Bakes”, “Ceremonial Recipes”, “Menstrual Magic”, “Broomstick Brews”, and “Practical Magic”. There’s a good variety of recipes to make, ranging from coffee syrups and protection cake to pumpkin gnocchis and tahini blondies.

Each chapter is unique and May has made the content extremely engaging and interesting to read. In the chapter “Folk Medicine”, she gives a history of all the elixirs she shares. One that I found fascinating is Four Thieves Vinegar, “a tonic for protection”3,  that is based on the legend of thieves “who used it to protect themselves against plague while they robbed the dead or dying” but was also “used as a disinfectant or immunity tonic.”4 May suggests readers now use it as a salad dressing, health tonic, or cleaning spray. I will definitely be making this one soon!

Then in “Botanical Bakes”, May “explores the folklore, histories, and personal stories” around seven of her favorite plants, focusing on the power and meaning of the ingredients specifically. “Menstraul Magic” teaches how to use food to nourish biological rhythms, where May offers insight into the four menstrual phases and a recipe to support each one. 

“Ceremonial Recipes” offers recipes for each turn in the Wheel of the Year, starting with Imbolc. She provides a bit of background about each sabbat and the recipes correspond to the magic best attuned to that season, such as Store Cupboard Soda Bread for spring cleansing during the equinox and Memento Mori Rosemary Soul Cakes for Samhain. Sometimes she includes rituals to do or words to say outloud, always explaining along the way the magical significance of the recipe as an introduction.

“Broomstick Brews” gets into the herbal liquid alchemy, which is something I am particularly excited to explore since I often forget this type of magic can be done in the kitchen, opting for cooking or baking instead. May teaches about witch bottles and how to carve your initials into fruit peels to bind the magic to you in her recipe for Witch Bottle Sweet Vermouth and offers a variety of coffee syrups to call in specific intentions for the day that can be amplified with candle magic too. She also offers variations of Moon Milk to manifest different goals ranging from attracting wealth to calming anxiety.

The final chapter, “Practical Magic”, is where the rituals get a bit more complex. May offers guidance on the moon phase, day of the week, candle color, incense, and crystal best suited for working the ritual. She shares incarnations and actions to do during the creation process, requiring a bit more of an energetic and time dedication in this magic making. All throughout, she offers tips and tidbits that add to one’s understanding of the spellwork.

Throughout the book, some of the recipes call for ingredients that I personally wouldn’t have on hand and would have to figure out how to acquire. For instance, Dandelion and Burdock Root Beer (I’ve never even heard of burdock yet I am learning so much from Kitchen Magic) calls for sarsaparilla root, burdock root, liquorice root, and dandelion root and petals, along with more common ingredients such as brown sugar, molasses, and cinnamon. This would definitely require a bit of planning to make, but I always feel like the hunt for the right ingredients in spellwork is part of the process.

While the recipes in Kitchen Magic do include quite a variety of ingredient, which at first makes the titles a bit intimidatingly fancy (Nettle Leaf Spanakopita Pie, Blueberry and Heartsease Cream Bread and Butter Pudding, Rose Hip Harissa Roasted Chickpeas), overall, a good portion of the recipes could easily be recreated by following May’s directions, whether you’re a novice or professional when it comes to the kitchen. As someone who thoroughly loves kitchen magic but is not a talented chef, May provides instructions that are detailed and simplified enough that even I’d have the confidence to follow along and see what I can create. Plus, venturing beyond my typical palette makes it feel even more ritualized and intentional for crafting these recipes.

Beyond all the wonderful text, the photographs in the book are absolutely mouthwatering. Nearly every page has a decadent image of the finished culinary delight set against a dark background with beautifully set tables. Sometimes there’s candles to set mystical ambiance; other times it’s a snap shot of ingredients, utensils, and flowers. Occasionally, we see May in action stirring or adding final touches. The texture of the food and the beauty of the presentation is just incredible. I could flip through this book over and over again just for the visual feast it provides!

The book is brought to conclusion with parting words from May, a list of ingredient suppliers, further reading, and a handy index. I love her sentiment when she writes:

“Remember, magic is not something far away or difficult to grasp. It lives in the ordinary moments – in the quiet stirrings of a wooden spoon, the fragrant herbs you sprinkle on a dish, and the warmth of a home-cooked meal shared with loved ones. The magic is always there, waiting for you to notice, to invite it in, and to make it a part of your life.”5

Overall, Kitchen Magic is by far one of the most impressive magic cookbooks I’ve come across. The way May weaves together ritual, folklore, personal insights, and delicious culinary crafts makes it a must-have for those who love to infuse intentions into their food. More than just a recipe collection, this book celebrates the kitchen as a sacred space where nourishment, magic, and ritual seamlessly come together to create meaningful revelation and transformation.

Whether a reader seeks to gain a stronger relationship with spice and herbs or nurture themselves through the seasons, May offers edible ways to support one’s intentions. May has shared her recipes with readers to be an opportunity to manifest our desires, foster connection, and honor nature’s cycles. Her philosophy towards culinary witchcraft is a heartwarming reminder that every meal can be more than just food—it can be a spell, a celebration, and a devotional act of everyday magic.

Magic Spells Oracle, by Judika Illes

Magic Spells Oracle, by Judika Illes
Weiser Books, 1578639220, 128 pages, 26 cards, October 2025

Looking to infuse your oracle readings with a dash of magic? Magic Spells Oracle by Judika Illes blends practical spellcraft with intuitive guidance, perfect for readers looking to add a bit of ritual to their reading. Illes brings her decades of experience, combining expertise in spellcraft, aromatherapy, and folklore, to this deck, offering readers an opportunity to use their divinations to set their intentions into the world through manifestation.

This deck includes 36 full-color cards along with a 128-page guidebook. Illes has structured the deck based on the elements (earth, air, fire, and water) with two additional balancing cards. Within each elemental suit, individual cards then have a magical correspondence reflective of the elemental energy. As an example, there’s Broomstick in the Air suit, Candle Magic in the Fire suit, Crystal Ball in the Water suit, and Amulet in Earth suit.

In the introduction, Illes explains:

“Magical energy radiates through everything–colors, sounds, fragrances, botanicals, natural phenomena, creatures, and human beings–including you–although how it manifests differs.”4

As someone who enjoys working with elements, believing attuning to them is a powerful way to enhance one’s spell work by grounding the ritual in the rhyme of nature, I appreciate Illes’ sentiment that magic can be found within everything.

The way Illes has offered different facets of each element by having the different cards in the suits further amplifies her explanation that everything carries its own distinct energy. By understanding these magical correspondences, readers gain the opportunity to connect with an elemental is a special way through spellwork and ritual. The cards become a bridge between the physical and spiritual world, creating a clear pathway for one to work their magic.

The deck’s aesthetic feels both enchanting and modern, blending mystical symbolism with a clean design. Each card features a central magical image—daggers, crystal balls, animals, or symbols—encircled within a dark cosmic backdrop, accented by golden details that add a touch of sacred shimmer. To me, the inner black circular design reminds me of peering through a portal! The archetypal symbols on the cards definitely open deeper layers of meaning for those who look closer.

For those who are just discovering their magical power, Illes provides ample information in the guidebook, including guidance on how magic and spellcasting works, how to prepare and cleanse one’s deck, how to create an altar space, and how to use the cards (with layouts). At the start of each elemental section, she also gives an overview of associated deities, what the element does naturally in the world, its spiritual power, and magical uses.

For each card entry, there’s an image of the card, the name and element at the top, an overview of its magical significance, and then a spell or ritual one can do. Most of the spells and rituals can be done with things on hand, but a few might require a bit of planning, prepping, and ingredient gathering.

This is definitely a deck for those seeking to learn more about magic and how they can cast spells to make desired changes rather than a deck that provides specific insight about what energies a moment in time holds. While Illes’ guidance is fascinating and practical, it is not a concrete answer like other oracle decks offer. The focus is less on inner reflection and divine wisdom and more on magical information that one can then apply in their spellwork.

Magic Spells Oracle teaches readers how to shape their own future rather than passively giving them insight into energies of their present circumstances. I’d recommend it for those looking to enhance their foundational knowledge of magic and focus on grounded inspiration about how to bring their desire to fruition. People who like traditional, straightforward oracle advice might find it hard to discern clear messages from the guidebook.

This being said, I do still think the cards can provide super accurate insights. I asked the cards what I could do to prepare for my upcoming labor and delivery (baby #2 is due any day now!) and I pulled Crocodile. This card is part of the Water elemental suit. Part of Illes’ guidebook description reads:

“Crocodiles are simultaneously deadly, dangerous creatures and magical animal allies–in particular, for pregnant and laboring women. In many legends, crocodiles have taught the birthing process to humans. Images or toys of crocodiles in a birthing room are a protection against danger.”6

I was honestly flabbergasted with the accuracy of this card pull! Can you believe the exact situation I asked about is discussed in the guidebook? Prior to this reading, I had no idea crocodiles were a magical birth ally! Now I’m planning on taking the card with me when I head to the hospital.

So, as you can see, the card didn’t give me a specific answer, such as “release fear” or “focus on gratitude” like many oracle cards. Instead, it provided me with a magical way to prepare for what I asked about. This deck calls for readers to be proactive in creating their own outcomes by believing in their magical prowess and utilizing the wisdom that comes through in the reading.

Overall, Magic Spells Oracle by Judika Illes is a well-structured oracle that stands out for its elemental clarity and practical magical guidance. The organization into four elemental suits provides clear, intuitive themes that are easy to engage with. The guidance is ideal for beginners looking to learn more about magic, especially if they have an interest in spellwork. Illes bring decades of experience to life within these cards, offering a wealth of information for those seeking to expand their occult knowledge.

Seasons of the Witch: Yule Journal, by Lorraine Anderson and Giada Rose

Seasons of the Witch: Yule Journal, by Lorraine Anderson with illustrations by Giada Rose
Rockpool Publishing, 1923208365, 208 pages, October 2025

Yule, which is celebrated during the winter solstice, marks the longest night of the year and the quiet beginning of winter’s embrace. As the world slows and darkness lingers, the season’s energy naturally calls us inward, inviting stillness, reflection, and renewal. This quiet time, when trees are bare and many animals are hibernating, is a moment to honor the cycles of rest and rebirth, tend the inner flame, and listen to the wisdom that emerges in silence.

It is in this silence where some of the most profound spiritual insights can finally be heard, especially with tools that attune people to their inner landscape. Journaling during the winter months becomes a powerful practice, offering space to reflect on the past year, release what no longer serves, and plant seeds of intention for the light’s gradual return. Similarly, the introspective energy makes this season a wonderful time for oracle readings, promoting deep spiritual work, reflection, and intention-setting for the year ahead.

Season of the Witch: Yule Journal crafted by Lorriane Anderson and illustrated by Giada Rose is a wonderful companion for the winter months, blending the art of journaling and oracle readings. This beautiful, full-color journal is designed to provide people with ample space for their solitary musings, seasonal observations, and oracle card readings during the Yuletide season.

Spanning 208 pages, this paperback journal includes 50 thoughtful journal prompts. 44 of the prompts come directly from Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle, making this journal a great resource for those who enjoy working with the deck (me!). The additional six new prompts offer further questions for reflection, creating space for even more insights to emerge. As an extension of the oracle deck, the journal deepens the experience of one’s reading by offering a place for personal reflection about the divinatory messages. 

However, Seasons of the Witch: Yule Journal can absolutely be used independently from the deck as a space for reflective writing. The combination of the beautiful illustrations with meaningful writing prompts promises an inner sanctuary for thoughts, musings, and spiritual nourishment. The prompts skillfully weave themes of gratitude, restoration, and inner wisdom, offering insights about what the darkest time of year emotionally, spiritually, and intuitively awakens within. Here’s an example of the prompt for Perseverance:

“Yule is a celebration of the return of the light. When you are facing a difficult time, how can you bring light to your situation? What are some ways you can carry the light in your soul despite the darkness you’re feeling?”7

As reflected in this prompt, Anderson really gets to the heart of the season with her questions. She approaches the process of journaling with a gentleness that leaves room for the writer to find their own voice. The questions are specific enough to give focus to a topic but also leave room for open-ended exploration through the journalling process.

What’s really nice about the journal is the rounded spine and flat-lay binding, which makes it easy to write in. On the left side of the journal is an illustration by Rose that captures the many themes of the season from the starkness and chill of the snow to the merriment of coming together to feast with those you care about. Then on the right side, there’s the prompt at the top in a box followed by two additional empty pages for writing, making nearly three whole pages for reflections. For those of you who write big, the spacing of the lines is very easy to fit your script into! Though it’s worth noting, once in a while, some of the pages are left blank with no lines.

While I haven’t officially started writing yet (I’m waiting for December!), I can tell the amount of space for each prompt will make it easy to fit multiple entries in. Whether one is using it in tandem with the deck and a card comes up twice or you want to return to the journal year and year and keep adding to it, the size of the journal leaves plenty of space for multiple musings about each journal prompt.

Just flipping through this journal has given me so much excitement for Yuletide season! Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle is one of my favorite winter decks, and seeing the images on the cards amplified on the pages of the journal brings me pure delight. I also love the embellishments of holly, pine, pinecones, and little moons around the border. The whole journal really captures the essence of Yule.

And while I do enjoy working with my deck, and I’m sure I’ll use it in combination with this journal, I also like how the journal will be a safe space for me to explore without the external guidance of the deck always steering my reflections in a certain direction. I definitely see myself flipping through the journal and writing where I feel called to in that moment without any oracle prompting, which is why I know this is a great resource even if someone doesn’t have the deck.

Overall, Seasons of the Witch: Yule Journal shines as a seasonal, art-infused companion for anyone seeking introspection and exploration of their inner landscape during Yule. Its visual beauty, intuitive prompts, and thoughtful design invite a contemplative experience throughout the chilling winter season. If you already love the Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle, this journal adds a lovely layer of personal reflection. But it also makes for a wonderful stand-alone tool for navigating some of the darkest times of the year. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes through in my writing this Yuletide season, and I’d definitely recommend it as a gift for your witchy friends this winter!

Ritual Earth Oracle, by Andres Engracia and Selena Moon

Ritual Earth Oracle: Spiritual wisdom through rituals, festivals and celebrations, by Andres Engracia with illustrations by Selena Moon
Rockpool Publishing, 1922579599, 128 pages, 36 cards, October 2025

Ritual celebrations, no matter which culture they come from, remind us of our shared humanity. Whether it’s gathering around a bonfire, honoring ancestors, dancing in the streets, or sharing food in sacred company, these moments root us in community and tradition. Even when the customs are from cultures different than our own, they speak a universal language of joy, remembrance, and connection. Marking the turning of time, the cycles of nature, and the milestones of our lives, rituals remind us that across the world, people have always celebrated, mourned, and honored together.

Ritual Earth Oracle by Andres Engracia with illustrations by Selena Moon draws upon the spiritual energies, insights, and celebrations of 36 rituals and festivals worldwide to create a potent oracle deck. With great reverence, Engracia honors the specifics of each culture’s rituals to honor their “own indigenous spirits, folklore, and ceremonies.”8 In the introduction, he also offers guidance on how to use the deck, offering tips for cleansing the deck as well as spreads readers can use for structure.

For each card;s entry in the guidebook, he shares the location of the ceremony or festival, keywords, the card’s significance from an oracle perspective, and information about the ceremony or festival. There’s also a ritual included for readers to tap into the card’s essence, attuning themselves to the spiritual energies of the ceremony or festival described. Most of the rituals are accessible, easy to plan, and doable with supplies on hand.

While I haven’t pulled every card yet during a read, I did take some time to read through the guidebook and found it all absolutely fascinating. Engracia has done a wonderful job in both choosing a diverse array of ceremonies and festivals as well as capturing the heart of what their spiritual intentions are within the oracle advice. Many of the ceremonies and festivals I had never heard of and it was thrilling to learn more about each location’s regional celebrations.

Some of the ones that were new to me included Songkran in Thailand, Butter Lamp Festival in Tibet, Inti Raymi in Peru, Guelaguetza Festival in Mexico, and Matariki in New Zealand. I loved discovering more about the spirituality of these traditions and how they’re celebrated. Even the festivals I was more familiar with – Green Man Festival in Wales, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Walpurgisnacht in Germany, and Bacchus’s Feast in Rome – were expanded upon by Engracia’s oracle interpretation and informative background context.

Meanwhile, Moon brings these ceremonies to life on each card with vibrant colors and exciting illustrations, inviting readers to physically connect with the energies. There’s distinctly sensual energy to the deck’s images, drawing readers into their bodies as much as their spirits. The lush, layered artwork pulses with rhythm and movement—pulsing fire, swirling cosmic backgrounds, evocative floating masks, and liminal places that seem to breathe on the page.

Moon’s artwork awakens the primal side of ritual that taps into the passion, ecstasy, and the raw joy of being alive. There’s something almost tactile about the imagery, as though you can feel the drumbeats, the heat of the sun, or the press of bare feet against the earth just by holding the cards. She does a wonderful job blurring the line between sacred and sensual, reminding readers of the humanity of these festivities and celebrations, often creating large gatherings of people in which bodies come together to make magic through performance, dance, feasting, and ritual.

The way Moon captures the desire, vitality, and pleasure as powerful forces that are undercurrents to the spiritual expressions of these different ceremonies through her illustrations provides a great balance to the more informative and insightful writing of Engracia in the guidebook. Readers have the opportunity to engage both mind and body, learning about the ceremonies and then also having an image portal to tap into the energy, for spiritual insight.

This balance comes through too in the way the cards are still named for the higher divine lesson they offer rather than the name of the festival or ceremony; the focus is on the spiritual transformation happening while the information about the ceremony provides more insight within the guidebook for spiritual seekers to learn.

Having the cards designed this way offers people the opportunity to do readings without necessarily referring to the ceremony since the name of the card and keywords can be enough for psychic guidance. Though, I still think becoming familiar with the ceremonies, festivals, and rituals associated with each card is the real source of power of this deck!

One of my favorite cards pulled so far is Marigold Dreams, depicting the celebration of Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. Engracia talks about how this two-day festival happens on the first two days in November, coinciding with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, describing how families create home altars of departed loved ones adorned with yellow marigolds and photographs. The sage oracle advice he offers is as follows:

“This card urges you to seek comfort in the loving embrace of friends, family or your partner. It is time to rest your body and settle for a while, so slow down, take a breath, and relax. You are not alone and you are not without support.”9

I loved this reminder to tap into the loving support systems I have in my life, including my ancestors who have passed on. I felt so calmed after pulling this card during an especially hectic time. While I didn’t fully perform the ritual Engracia suggests of creating an altar for my loved ones who have passed on, I did take the time to look at photographs I already had up and remember their loving presence.

Overall, Ritual Earth Oracle offers a fresh take on deck design by weaving global cultural celebrations into a spiritual tool. It’s ideal for readers who feel drawn to ritual, folklore, and creative community expression as paths to intuitive insight. This deck invites readers to dance in spiritual heritage, explore multi-culturalism, and discover new perceptions about how their spirit can learn and grow from joining in the celebration. Engracia is a wonderful storyteller who has a knack for distilling the spiritual wisdom within these festivals, while Moon does a wonderful job bringing the essence to life through the deck’s artwork.

Magick for All Seasons, by Marla Brooks

Magick for All Seasons: A Grimoire for the Wheel of the Year, by Marla Brooks
Weiser Books, 157863850X, 256 pages, September 2025

Looking to follow the path of the Wheel of the Year more closely to celebrate the eight pagan sabbats? Magick for All Seasons by Marla Brooks is a hands-on, welcoming guide to weaving magic throughout the year to mark the shifting energies of the seasons. Brooks’ use of multigenerational wisdom coupled with her decades of experience as a witch create the perfect blend of a traditional and modern spin on magic.

In the book’s dedication, Brooks introduces readers to her Great-Grandma Sophie, a wise woman and witch. Throughout the book, Great-Grandma Sophie offers her own insights, providing readers with an additional point of view. Brooks even warns readers they might feel Sophie’s presence as they move through the book, as the grimoire of seasonal magic is both influenced by her and dedicated to her. I enjoyed this spiritual connection and made a point to thank Sophie and welcome her energy each time I started a new chapter!

“The Wheel of the Year is a term that is used to refer to the changing of the seasons. Each season is marked by a series of holy days called sabbats to honor the qualities of each time of the year, life’s lessons as revealed through nature, and our relationship with the god and goddess.”10

Starting with Samhain and moving through Mabon, Brooks guides readers through the energies of the sabbats, along with a variety of ways to make use of the energy of each season. While every sabbat has its own energetic rhythm, as reflected in the content of each part, Brooks has a general format that stays consistent throughout.

She begins by sharing background information about the sabbat, including its significance, history, and magical practices good to do at that time. She also includes a list of symbols, activities, incense, spell works, deities, gemstones, trees/fruits/herbs, animals, and colors associated with the sabbat. From here, she further goes into seasonal activities, spells, and concludes with recipes.

My style is quite mix and match eclectic, so I especially appreciate the variety of ideas Brooks shares. Her multi-faceted approach to working with seasonal energies, from practical things to cleanse the home to delicious treats that can be made, provides plenty of avenues for magical practitioners of all kinds to find something that resonates with how they want to honor the sabbat. With so many options, readers will easily be able to draw new inspiration year after year, picking out what’s speaking to them most at that time.

I began reading this book right before Lughnasadh/Lammas, so it was this part I dove right into. In this section, Brooks guides readings in crafting a magical wand, offering the personality and use of many types of bark, along with how to make a manifestation box. Aligned with the energy of this season, many of the spells focus on attracting money and decluttering one’s mental/energetic space.

As I mentioned before, Brooks has a playful sense of humor and often incorporates modern holidays into the spellwork. Apparently, August 26th is National Toilet Paper Day in the United States, so she shares a spell to flush your troubles away! I absolutely plan on doing that one tomorrow!!

As a natural planner, I’ve also picked out some of the spells from the book that I am excited to do now through the end of the year (trying not to get too ahead of myself!):

Mabon 🍂

• The Magickal Apple (to welcome the season)
• A Nutty Prosperity Spell
• Autumn Leave Wishes
• Keeping House Spirits Happy
• Bake Saint Jan’s Bewitching Banana Nut Tree Bread

Samhain 🎃

• Jack-O’-Lantern Spell
• Samhain Renewal
• Thanksgiving Spell of Appreciation
• Create an Ancestor Candle

Yule 🎄

• Wish upon a Pinecone
• Holiday Protection
• Throw the Snow!
• Leave the Year Behind

And all of my current picks are only a few choices within each section, leaving plenty of other things to try out another year!

What I really appreciate about this book too is how Brooks writes about different topics throughout, so it’s an interesting read even if you’re not in the current season. For instance, all the birthday magic spells are in the Samhain section (I’m guessing because it’s the first section?). I was glad that I took the time to go through all the sections, even though I’m in a different time of the year, to discover the gems hidden within.

For instance, at the end of the Mabon section, there’s a few pages dedicated to historical witches where Brooks shares a mini-biography of these spiritual ancestors. Within Samhain, Brooks covers different types of divination, such as cartomancy, and offers an overview of astrological signs. Ostara teaches how to cleanse, consecrate, and charge magical tools. And Yule has a whole list of birthstones for readers to find out more about theirs. These magical insights are useful year-round, so the text makes for a good read regardless of season.

Overall, Magick for All Seasons shines as a warm, accessible, and inspiring seasonal grimoire. Brooks strikes a lovely balance of infusing folklore, magical activities, and ready-to-use spells with seasonal depth. Almost all the ideas in this book can be done with a few tools or ingredients, making it easy to integrate magic organically into daily life and seasonal observances. The approachable recipes, spellwork, and exercises offer a fresh take on natural alignment, providing inspiration on how to make the most of each sabbat.

This book is definitely a kitchen-table companion: one reader can return to again and again as your seasons shift and your practice evolves. I know it’s going to continue to be one of the books I reference each sabbat when planning out my magical intentions for celebrating and working with the energy of each season.

The Altar Within, by Juliet Diaz

The Altar Within: A Devotional Guide to Liberation, Revised 2nd Edition, by Juliet Diaz
Rockpool Publishing,1923208624, 256 pages, September 2025

In this revised 2nd edition of The Altar Within, Indigenous Taíno Cuban-American author Juliet Diaz presents a radical devotional guide designed for inner and collective liberation. This inspiring read frames spirituality as a revolutionary act of healing deeply intertwined with justice, mutual aid, and ancestral wisdom. Within these pages, Diaz offers readers the opportunity to discover their sovereignty, finding a path that blends personal healing and community care.

“The journey towards building a life of sovereignty starts by recognizing the inner altar we each hold within, the center of our power, the seat of our wisdom, and the home of our deepest truths.”11

In an author’s note, Diaz describes how in this 2nd edition she changed the layout and flow of the book “with the intention of supporting those who are actively using this work in their personal and professional practices, in community settings, and within social movements.”12 There’s also an additional chapter for readers to delve deeper into the work of “inner and collective liberation”13.

Diaz has sectioned the book into four offerings, each one focusing on an aspect of liberation work. Within each offering are subsections that she refers to as devotionals.​​ In a traditional mindset, one might liken these devotionals to chapters, however the amount of content within does make them feel like spiritual opportunities for readers to reflect on their own journey and integrate what comes up for themselves. I really like the wording Diaz chose for her content because it invites an openness when approaching the content; moving through each devotional is an act of offering oneself to a higher power for the greater good.

While each section differs in topic, there’s a seamless flow to the book that guides readers through shedding layers of their conditioning to discover the magic within. Diaz includes incantations, lessons, reflection prompts, writing prompts, and practices for readers to embody the information. This is definitely not a read-through-and-then-be-done-with-it type of book; it’s a text that readers can continually come back to as they learn, experience new things, and change internally as a result.

There’s even a whole devotional that honors self-discovery in which Diaz reminds readers it’s not about having a “static identity; it’s about connecting to a deeper essence, one that evolves as you grow.”14

This devotional is a great reminder that people will always be finding out new things about who they are, shifting their creative expression, discovering new gifts, and redefining their relationship with the past. This ultimately leads to uncovering more layers of the Self, and as a result, can be a journey that is celebrated and cherished rather than feared, controlled, or stifled. Continual reflection, exploring values, and  redrawing boundaries is part of the process that Diaz aids readers in undertaking.

One of the best aspects of The Altar Within for me is how the text is very grounding, allowing for the wisdom we discover to find its home within the body and move outward from there. One of my favorite sections was about decolonializing wellness, where Diaz reminds readers “that wellness is not a luxury or privilege, but a right, tied to social, environmental, and cultural factors.”15

In this way, wellness becomes something relational, non-commodified, and Earth-centered. Diaz encourages readers to examine wellness in their own life, reassess beauty standards, and offers a practice called “Honoring Authentic Beauty Through Self-Connection”, which I highly enjoyed doing.

I also highly enjoyed the offering “Centering Collective Liberation”, in which Diaz teaches readers how to co-create community, engage in mutual aid, rebuild society through collective visioning, and protect our Earth through environmental justice. After moving through the first two offerings, focused more on internal work, this section really made me aware of how I could branch out and extend myself to make a difference in the world, which sometimes I think I forget I have the power to do.

The final offering, “Magic for the Revolution”, provides even more hands-on ways for readers to participate in societal change. Diaz writes:

“Revolution requires not only a willingness to envision a better world but also the courage to destroy what stands in its way.”16

Spells and rituals for doing things like cutting out the roots of white supremacy, dismantling capitalism, weakening systems of oppression, banishing colonialism, and calling in ancestors to support the uprising make for some potent magical workings. Luckily, Diaz has made them all quite accessible in regard to material needed and easy to do with step-by-step instructions. This offering also includes prayers and incantations for readers, if this is more their style, for inner libration, collective liberation, ancestors, and future generations.

Overall, The Altar Within stands out as a spiritually and politically resonant book, woven from ancestral memory, social justice, and honest self-care. Its strength lies in guiding readers toward self-worship—not in narcissistic terms, but as reclaiming one’s divinity amidst trauma, colonization, and cultural erasure. Diaz ties personal healing to collective liberation, offering a much-needed community-based, intersectional, and decolonial approach to magic and spirituality. 

There’s a perfect balance of Diaz’s raw, honest, and grounding writing style that guides readers through acknowledging the shadows of the individualistic, colonial, capitalistic, predatory and oppressive systems of the Western world that have had a hugely detrimental effect on so many people worldwide. She holds space for readers as they acknowledge how far off course society has gotten and awakening to what can be done both personally and collectively to rebuild a society that is based on equity, justice, and love.

Like all great teachers, Diaz gets readers thinking for themselves. She unveils these uncomfortable truths without preaching or shaming others into believing them. The many prompts, practices, and rituals offered are for the reader to move at their own pace in this process. Unpacking shame, acknowledging ancestral trauma, overcoming spiritual by-passing, are tough things to do on your own. Diaz understands this wholeheartedly, and it’s clear this book was written for readers to know they are not alone and do have the power to face these things.

As someone who spent the morning fretting about current events in the United States, it was such a relief to remember I could do something proactive for myself and my community: reading The Altar Within. This book would resonate most with those who are seeking support in being an activist/advocate, looking to decolonize their spiritual path, longing for connection between their personal healing and community care, and feeling ready to do the inner and outer work to create a more inclusive, loving, and healthy world for the future.

“Our innate magic is amplified when we unlearn the conditioning of oppressive systems and reconnect with our authentic selves. By shedding layers of colonialism, capitalism,and white supremacy, we reclaim the sovereignty of our Spirit.”17 

Akasha Oracle, by Emily Nicolle and Carla Cartagena

Akasha Oracle: Unlock wisdom from previous lives, by Emily Nicolle with illustrations by Carla Cartagena
Rockpool Publishing,1923208195, 128 pages, 48 cards, September 2025

The Akasha Oracle: Unlock Wisdom from Previous Lives by Emily Nicolle with illustrations by Carla Cartagena is a one-of-a-kind deck that invites readers to explore the limitless depths of the Akashic Records. Through its richly symbolic imagery and intuitive divining boards, this deck opens a channel to the soul’s timeless journey, offering glimpses into past lives, karmic patterns, and spiritual lessons that continue to shape the present and future.

The imagery in this 48-card deck has a striking aesthetic: detailed black-and-white illustrations accented with selective bursts of color. When looking through the cards, I see how the images reflect the deck’s core intention of guiding readers into the shadowy archives of the soul while illuminating hidden truths with the light of wisdom.

There’s something timeless about the monochrome tones of grayscale images, almost as if mirroring memories or echoes of the past, perhaps even the liminal space between lifetimes. Yet the vibrant color accents shine through, reminding me of the flashes of insights that emerge from accessing the Akashic Records: the lessons, gifts, and revelations waiting to be unlocked.

Plant life, specifically flowers, herbs, and trees, also play an important role throughout the deck. Each card pairs its theme  with a specific plant ally—camellia, sunflower, and many others. This connection grounds the cards in Earth-based symbolism, reminding us that even while exploring the soul’s eternal journey, we are still rooted in nature’s cycles and healing energies. The flowers act as guides, softening the heavier themes that come from exploring the Akashic Records. Each card has the plant ally’s name written on it, and there’s also more information about the plant’s symbolism in the guidebook.

 I do find these cards work best with a mutli-card spread, where the cards give insight into each other. Working with this level of guidance requires creating the space to really delve in, draw a full spread, and take the time to sit with the messages that come through. As someone who prefers to pull one card for a quick answer, this deck was an invitation to settle into a more thorough reading, slowing down to really integrate the potent information coming through. Nicolle provides quite a few spreads to choose from in the guidebook, offering a range to fulfill reader’s intentions.

As for the guidebook description of each card, the entries are fairly short. For each entry, Nicolle states directly what the card is showing you, but only in a few sentences. She leaves quite a lot of room for readers to tap into their own intuition and decipher how the message is relevant to their personal circumstance. There’s also a sentence about the symbolism of the plant ally featured on the card for further insight.

This deck is especially powerful in that it bridges the gap between divination and deep spiritual memory work. The spreads aren’t just revealing insights about what is to come. Rather, the cards act as keys, unlocking hidden wisdom and forgotten experiences that can shed light on past blockages or reveal opportunities for future growth; seekers can uncover patterns from past lives, gain clarity about present challenges, and receive guidance on how to align more fully with their soul’s purpose. Yes, this does add the layer of needing to then intentionally work with the information that’s come to light, which isn’t always easy but holds the potential for true spiritual integration and transformation.

Additionally, the inclusion of the divining boards, which Nicolle teaches how to use with a pendulum, offers even more pathways for deck readers to receive information. This enhancing inclusion makes the Akasha Oracle not just a tool for reflection, but a living channel for higher knowledge. The deck becomes more than just another oracle, serving as a portal to higher channeled wisdom.

These first divining board, Place and Era, allows readers to uncover the time period (prehistory, antiquity, middle ages, modern era, and contemporary times), location (Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, and America), and if the lifetime was as a man or a woman. The second divining board, Date, goes even further into specific times, offering the chance to figure out the exact day, month, century, decade, unit, and whether it was BCE or CE. These boards can be used to find out more about a past life or to divine the timing of future events.

I definitely recommend journaling the readings done with this deck, as it can be a lot of guidance to take in all at once, and readers may need time to integrate what comes through. I’ve often found that when working with Akashic Records that pieces of a certain lifetime or specific wounds that span lifetimes are revealed in bits and pieces, so as to not overwhelm. Having a detailed record of previous readings will help to keep track of the information that’s coming through, better allowing readers to put together the whole story in a holistic way. Similarly, it’s always great to write down divinations about the future to see how they ultimately manifest.

Overall, Akasha Oracle is perfect for anyone drawn to soul evolution and karmic healing. This deck offers a rare and transformative way to access wisdom that transcends time. The Akasha Oracle serves as both a guide and a key, helping readers access forgotten knowledge, heal wounds from past lives, and realign with their soul’s purpose. Whether looking to understand recurring challenges, discover hidden gifts, or simply connect more deeply with your higher self, this deck provides a sacred space for reflection and revelation.

Earth Magick, by Cheralyn Darcey

Earth Magick: A Grimoire of Nature Spells, by Cheralyn Darcey
Rockpool Publishing, 1923208306, 336 pages, September 2025

Earth Magick is an absolutely gorgeous book to behold. Author Cheralyn Darcey has beautifully brought together her background in botanical history, ethnobotany, gardening, and spirituality to create this remarkable collection of nature spells. Reminiscent of an ancient tome of magical knowledge, this hefty book reminds readers of the potent power plants have as our magical allies.

Darcey has a deep connection to nature, as evident by her other flower reading decks and plant-centered publications, which include The Language of Flowers Oracle, Oracle of the Roses, Green Witch Oracle, and The Language of Houseplants. In this book, she shares 180 personally-written spells sectioned into Flower Spells, Herb Spells, and Tree Spells. Her writing honors the healing and transformative power of plants, framing them as ancient energetic allies. Darcey writes:

“In a world that often moves too fast, we can forget the old ways – the methods by which our ancestors communed with Nature, not only to heal the body but to mend the spirit and guide the soul. This book is a way back to that place, a gentle yet powerful guidebook that teaches you how to work with plants as allies in your magickal practice.”1

The book begins with an introduction to earth magic where Darcy shares guidance for growing places, harvesting tips, and what to do if you don’t have access to the plants needed for certain spells. She also covers the basics of spellwork, such as timing, ingredients, tools, and how to create and cast spells, including a section on magical correspondences. There’s even a section on why a spell might not work–a great reminder that sometimes things are not meant to be.

As mentioned, Darcy has divided the book into three main types of earth magic spellwork: floral, herbal, and arboreal. At the start of each section, she offers some insights to keep in mind. For instance, she comforts readers concerned about harming flowers when using them in spellwork. Later, in the tree section, she teaches readers how to make a proxy tree if they do not live within range of the tree needed for the spellwork. These little reassurances demonstrate how much Darcy cares about ensuring readers can work the spells to the best of their ability and circumstance.

Within each type of plant spell (flower, herb, and tree), there are subgroups for specific intentions. For instance, there’s flower spells for success and prosperity and transition and change, while there are herb spells for home, family, and pets and spirituality, faith, and devotion. Some of the subsections for the tree spells include spells for modern problems and change and empowerment. It’s interesting to see how the different plants are best for certain types of magical outcomes. Plus, the glossy makes it very easy for readers to find exactly what type of spell they want.

And, my oh my what a great collection of spells Darcy shares! For each one, there is an introduction to the spell, timing suggestion, what to find and gather, the detailed spell, alternative plants that can be used (except for trees), and extra tidbits of information about the plant (history, folklore, magical and healing uses, etc.). There’s also at least one or two illustrations per page, which makes for a gorgeous aesthetic.

Here’s a list of some of the spells I am most looking forward to performing when the time is right:

• Iris and Passion Flower Inspiration Spell
• Yellow Rose New-Beginning Spell
• Azalea and Chrysanthemum Personal Protection Spell
• Jasmine New Opportunity Spell
• Wild Yam and Potato Money Spell
• Juniper Berry Personal-Boundary Spell
• Ginger and Peppermint Creativity-Boost Spell
• Cacao Physical-Energy Spell
• Maple Tree Positive Energy Spell
• Holly Tree Find Balance Spell
• Pine Tree Increase Intuition Spell

Sometimes the flower, herb, or tree will not be within the reader’s immediate vicinity to work with, which can be a bummer if you’re really called to that spell. But as mentioned, Darcy offers plenty of ways to work around this. One of the most accessible ways is to work with an image of the plant. The alternative options shared for the flowers and herbs are another way for readers to substitute ingredients they have more readily on hand. Plus, the list of magical correspondences at the end make it so readers can tweak the spells to fit their needs even more by using Darcy’s spells as a general outline to work from.

Darcy has included a whole section at the end about creating one’s own spells. She offers magical correspondences of colors, timings (moon phases, days of the week, time of the day), and crystals. There’s also a lengthy list of flower and herb meanings. For those really called to learn more, I highly recommend Darcy’s other books that go more in-depth into the meanings and symbolism of different plants.

Overall, Earth Magick is a richly botanical and aesthetically thoughtful spellcraft guide, ideal for those interested in nature-based rituals, plant lore, and crafting personal magic with herbal and plant allies. For those who seek to deepen one’s relationship with the natural world and embrace plants as living partners in magic, this book is a perfect addition to one’s library. The variety of spells makes for plenty of creative possibilities, offering readers the opportunity to expand their plant magic practice in a meaningful way.

A Guide to Reading the Runes, by Laura Daligan

A Guide to Reading the Runes: Harness the wisdom and power of the ancient Norse symbols, by Laura Daligan
CICO Books, 1800654537, 144 pages, September 2025

About a decade ago, I received a message during a channeled reading that I was meant to work with a wooden rune set. Nearly a year after, through synchronistic events, a wooden rune deck came my way, and I knew it was the one the channeler had foretold.

However, unlike astrology and tarot, which have ample information to study, the runes always felt more cryptic. The material I could find swung between overly complex or much too simplified. There isn’t solid information online and the books I found were too heady –all text without any stimulating visual content to bolster my intake of the information. Needless to say, my rune set often goes through periods of being quite dusty from lack of use.

A Guide to Reading the Runes by Laura Daligan has completely re-sparked my interest in the runes! For the first time, I have an accessible, fun to read and easy to understand book to guide me  through learning how to work with my set. I love how Daligan transcends the gatekeeping I often find when trying to study the runes and has chosen to make this knowledge accessible to those who feel a calling to learn more.

While Daligan does have an impressive academic background (she holds a  master’s degree in Viking Studies with a focus on Viking Age magic and mythology – how cool!), the content within this book serves as an entry point for modern practitioners to integrate the runes into their spiritual practice. Daligan blends her scholarly, informative writing with practical, hands-on magical ways readers can work with the runes, creating a balanced approach.

Daligan frames runes not merely as letters from the Elder Futhark but as dynamic energies that can “open doorways to understanding.”13 She shares so many ways for readers to start and or strengthen their connection to the runes, ranging from learning their mythological tales to finding runic correspondences in nature, inviting readers on an esoteric adventure.

The book begins with a history of the runes, covering the rune’s origins, along with a colorful depiction of the runes in order by Ætt,”which is an Old Norse term for clan for family.”14. Daligan shares insight on rune poems and eddas as well as giving an overview of Old Norse cosmology, specifically the Nine Worlds and Yggdrasil. There’s even a meditation to meet Odin and have him pick out the rune that is the gateway for your journey. This first chapter is very grounding and sets a good foundation for what’s to come.

The following chapter, “Meeting the Runes” by far the longest, as it introduces readers to each rune grouped by Ætt. At the start of each Ætt, Daligan provides an overview of the deities associated with it and the overall focus of the grouping. So far, I’ve found it very helpful to study one Ætt at a time, focusing on the eight runes that compose it and their similarities and differences.

The structure of each entry makes it very easy for readers to get a feel for the rune. At the top, there is an image of the rune and a general meaning for it. Underneath is the name of the rune with pronunciation and insight about the run. Daligan provides keywords along with the corresponding letter, deities, elements, colors, animals, tree, oil, and crystal and mineral. There are then mini-sections which provide specific insight into the rune. For all entries, Daligan shares how the rune can be worked with in practice and divination meanings.

The information on each rune spans about 2-3 pages, yet it’s more than enough to gain relevant insight for reflection, meditation, and further research. I really appreciated how Daligan also includes a page on the blank rune, even though she admits she doesn’t use it in her own readings, because little did I know my rune set has a blank rune that I pulled in a recent reading! I was very confused about it at first, and then thrilled when I discovered the entry for it in this book. Daligan’s writing on the blank rune in practice was spot on for me, and I connected deeply with the rune’s connection to “wyrd, fate, and the unknowable.”18

“Chapter 3: Divination with the runes” teaches readers how to get started with this practice, including useful items and how to ask questions. There’s meditations to settle into calmness, connect to one’s personal roots and star, and meet the Norns. Daligan also provides different rune spreads, guidance on casting runes, and tips for reading runes for others.

The final chapter, “The runic path”, focuses on customizing your personal journey with the runes. Daligan shares information about creating one’s own rune set, suggesting different materials that can be used. She also offers a guide to tree lore that shares the corresponding deities and magical properties of different trees. There’s also content about meeting the runes in nature, where Daligan teaches how readers can work with land spirits through the runes. Some topics covered are signing the runes, noticing the messages from animals, plants, and clouds, and doing environmental projects. My favorite is Daligan’s suggestion of witch walks, or “an intuitive walk, wander, or experience that opens us up to the spirits of the land.”19

My favorite aspect of this book, aside from Daligan’s approachable writing style that makes for wonderful content, is how the book’s design makes readers feel comfortable engaging with the runes. There’s plenty of colorful illustrations all throughout, the text has different style and size fonts to keep things engaging, and the images of the runes are featured over and over, helping readers to become familiar with the symbols. This aesthetic approach makes the information so easy to absorb and integrate.

Overall, A Guide to Reading the Runes is a wonderful introduction to runes that is filled with tools for creating your own intuitive relationship to these sacred symbols. Daligan provides a good mixture of Norse historical and mythological background with insightful ways to tune into the spiritual guidance the runes hold for those ready to undertake the journey of working with them. This book is perfect for beginners eager to learn more or season practitioners who are seeking a visually appealing reference guide. I’ll definitely be keeping this book handy for my future rune readings!