Musing Mystical

✨ A Gathering Place for Magical Readers and Writers ✨

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.

Tarot Spreads, by Meg Jones Wall

Tarot Spreads: How to Read Them, Create Them, and Revise Them, by Meg Jones Wall
Weiser Books, 1578638550, 240 pages, July 2025

What’s your reading style? Are you a spread person or more of an unstructured reader, asking questions and pulling cards as you go along? I’m definitely more of the second type, as the typical past-present-future spread has always felt too vague and the Celtic Cross feels like too much to do for most readings, unless I’m really digging into something. If I do use a spread, it’s most likely one I’ve found online, usually for a specific zodiac season or related to the Wheel of the Year.

To be honest? I hadn’t really considered the spread as a vital part of a reading, focusing on the cards themselves, until reading Tarot Spreads: How to Read Them, Create Them, and Revise Them by Meg Jones Wall, which has given me so much more agency and empowerment in structuring my layouts and reignited my excitement for tarot readings! Within this book, Jones Walls does a deep-dive into an often under-appreciated aspect of tarot reading: the spread. From discussing the way spreads work to how to read them effectively, readers get the opportunity to learn how to read them effectively, create their own, or adapt/revise spreads to best get at the heart of the question at hand.

Jones Wall frames the spread as something that can be a personalized structure, capable of being customized and amended, rather than a rigid formula. With Jones Wall’s advice, readers can move beyond copying other people’s layouts and begin designing spreads that truly serve their unique questions and reading needs.

“What I’m saying is that a well-crafted tarot spread, regardless of its length of specificity, can deliver a very accurate, powerful, and useful reading, no matter the complexity of the situation or question. It’s all about learning how to work with the structure that the spread provides, and understanding the relationship between the cards, the positions, and the overall flow of the reading.”1

Divided into five parts, Jones Wall chronologically leads through the book, beginning with a heartfelt introduction in which she shares her journey to creating custom tarot spreads. Her empathy for others and insight to some of the struggles readers face at times is evident, making her a compassionate guide on this reading journey. Throughout the book, Jones Wall does a wonderful job of assuaging concerns, acknowledging the potential for disappointment readers face, and boosting the confidence of the reader by letting them know it’s okay to experiment, make mistakes, and do what feels right, regardless of what this book or any other has to say.

Plus, much of the content is written in an answer and response style, which adds to the feeling of being in dialogue with Jones Wall. I really like her style, as it makes for an engaging read. She has an uncanny knack for knowing just what the reader might ask next, keeping the flow of the book moving swiftly and intuitively. Truly, any question that popped in my head while reading was immediately answered within a few pages!

“Part One: Before We Begin” is an overview of tarot, which answers questions like what tarot is and how it works, along with providing a short description of the Major Arcana, numerology of the tarot, suits, and more. “Part Two: Reading Spreads” covers tips for reading cards, such as what to do if you don’t understand your reading and how to read reversals. While much of these two parts is tarot basics, I still appreciated Jones Wall’s unique perspective on the topic; every reader has their own little nuggets of wisdom, and I always enjoy hearing what insights they’ve picked up through their tarot journey.

In “Part Three: Writing Spreads”, Jones Wall teaches the art of creating your own spreads. She covers topics like why and when we might choose to create a spread ourselves, what to include in a well-written spread, and provides three different methods for crafting spreads, aptly named The Way of the Magician, The Way of the Hierophant, and The Way of the Priestess. She even offers advice for writing spreads in collaboration with others.

As much as I enjoy writing, the editor in me was thrilled to see a whole next dedicated to editing your spread. In “Part Four: Revising Spreads” Jones Wall offers insight on when to revise and when not to revise, as well as sharing where editing might be needed: adding a position, removing a position, switching the wording of a position for more clarity, etc. Along the way, in both “Part Three” and “Part Four”, Jones Wall includes examples and exercises for readers to see what she’s talking about in action as well as practice it for themselves.

Finally, “Part Five: Spreads for Every Occasion” provides tons of spread ideas that readers can use for inspiration to edit, tweak, or revise on their own. Jones Wall includes one-card spreads, three-card spreads, Celtic cross, zodiac spreads, Wheel of the Year spreads, and a bunch for different themes (love, creativity, self-reflection). For those who are a bit nervous about starting from scratch in creating a spread, the spreads in chapter are perfect as a starting point!

Tarot Spreads has really gotten me back into my tarot practice, which was feeling a bit stale; the content was exactly what I needed to feel confident in my connection with the cards again. The idea of a spread as a static, unchanging, and something that must be followed precisely for the “right results” is something I never questioned before, assuming that I couldn’t deviate from the layout formation of the cards. Yet Jones Wall made me see that making your own spreads is an opportunity to use my creativity, hone my intentions for the reading, and commune with the cards more fluently. And this has me excited about tarot again after a year-long hiatus!

It might sound silly, but I honestly needed to hear that you don’t have to use the spreads “as is”. And I like that Jones Walls teaches too how to tweak layouts, adjust prompts, and make spreads your own while also emphasizing that it doesn’t need to be overly complex. It’s okay to create a layout you enjoy and then shift it as-needed depending on the circumstances. The whole process of creatively engaging with the spread through creating, revision, and focusing on what’s most important to know for the reading helps me slow down and be more intentional in my readings. This process of making the spread myself seems to have boosted my intuitive development as well as my overall reading skills.

Overall, if your tarot work has felt stuck in limited popular spreads often promoted in guidebooks or you’re tired of screenshotting card layouts content creators are putting up, Tarot Spreads offers a fresh and much-needed pivot. Jones Wall provides readers with the language, structure, and confidence to ask: “What does this reading need right now?” and “What layout will serve that question best?” For those seeking to move beyond standard spreads, stepping into more creative and personal layout designs to deepen the link between intention and card placement, this book is a must-read.

While it’s absolutely suited for beginners, even intermediate or expert readers would gain something from this book because it’s a topic that most tarot books don’t spend much time delving into. The use (or not) of a spread is something readers don’t often consciously focus on, opting for their usual spread of choice or a premade one for reference. Tarot Spreads is a gateway to discovering how to make your readings more personalized, clarifying the intentions and focus for the reading, and speaking with the cards in a way that feels resonant. There’s so much possibility that’s unleashed when you embrace creative control of the spread!

Talismans and Tarot, by Lori Lytle

Talismans and Tarot: Magical Tools to Amplify, Attract, and Manifest, by Lori Lytle
Weiser Books, 1578638755, 248 pages, September 2025

Tarot cards and talismans both serve as bridges between the seen and unseen world, one offering insight into the unknown and the other embodying mystical energy in a special object. In Talismans and Tarot: Magical Tools to Amplify, Attract, and Manifest, Lori Lytle shows how combining these two practices creates deeply personal and powerful results. Within these pages, Lytle teaches readers how to handcraft talismans to encapsulate the essence, wisdom, and energy revealed in tarot readings, transforming spiritual guidance into tangible form.

“Humans have always turned to these touchstones when fearful or in need of comfort, or when inspired and ambitious and wanting to believe that anything is possible in this life.”2

Divided into two parts, the book begins with “Part One: The Basics”. In this section, Lytle provides an overview of the foundation of talismans and tarots. She shares about amulets, popular symbols used for luck and protection, and the importance of intention when creating your own talisman. She then moves onto tarot, teaching the fundamentals of suits, structure, and numbers in the tarot, along with a bit on court cards.

A lengthy portion of this part is focused on Lytle sharing her insights on each tarot card. Moving through the whole deck, for each card there’s a picture (Rider-Wait-Smith imagery), description of the card’s meaning, talisman intention themes, affirmation, and musings to further reflect on. For those already familiar with tarot, the most novel information in this section is the guidance on cards’ themes in regard to talisman creation. For instance, intention themes for a 10 of Swords talisman include “surrender, transformation, rebirth”3, while some intention themes of Wheel of Fortune are “Good luck, good timing, risk paying off”4.

The final chapter in this part is dedicated to reading tarot cards. Lytle covers all the steps of a reading from preparing for a reading, choosing your spread, formulating questions to weaving the story that emerges together. She even shares sample readings to show readers how to interpret the cards to create a meaningful story of wisdom and guidance. While engaging, this section seems aimed for beginners, as it’s the starter information; those who have even a bit of experience reading tarot will most likely be able to move through this chapter quickly.

Once readers are familiar with the basics of tarot and what talismans are, in “Part Two: The Process”, Lytle shares how to combine the two. While I’ve worked with tarot cards for the sake of manifestation before, specifically working with the card through visualization or meditation to call in the energy of the card, Lytle’s process is different and more open to the card’s intuitive guidance. She leads readers through crafting an intention and then doing a reading about the intention. Based on the story the reading tells, whether it’s just a one card pull or a full spread, Lytle teaches how to create a talisman from “what you have discovered about your intention.”5

I love this approach because it leaves room for the wisdom and spontaneity of tarot to illuminate new information about your intention, pointing you in the best direction. Rather than someone picking the card they think is best for boosting their intentions, this method leaves room for surrender to the tarot’s wisdom, opening space for unrealized insights to emerge. Just like divination with tarot, where you don’t know what will appear but choose to trust the guidance, this process of talisman creation also lets the cards lead the way.

As far as creation of one’s talisman, Lytle shares how to choose the material that aligns with your intention. She covers a wide range of crystals for different intentions, metals, symbolic representations, animal representations, and even found objects or things with personal significance.

Once the material is picked out and prepared to be turned into a talisman, this is where Lytle brings in the tarot. She shares a spread to find clarity around one’s intention, offers multiple sample readings to study, and then details how to craft an affirmation based on the story the tarot reveals. This affirmation is then used in the ritual process to consecrate one’s talisman, which Lytle leads readers through. The final chapter then focuses on working with the consecrated talisman and what to do when it’s time to release the talisman.

While this book is filled with novice tarot information, the talisman process created by Lytle is something very unique. It invites readers to use the tarot not just for reading, but for creating, consecrating, and carrying something that extends the energy of a reading into everyday life.  By translating an intention into a physical talisman, readers anchor them in the material world, boosting the manifestation process as well as aligning their intention with the mystic wisdom of the tarot.

Overall, Talismans and Tarot is a good read for those looking to add something fresh to their magic toolkit. While the tarot content is beginner level, the talisman process is a new way to interact with the cards, making this a fun read for all levels. Many look to tarot for insights about the future, but this process of focusing on one’s intention and bringing it to life in the physical world through talismans is a way for readers to be more co-creative in the manifestation process. Plus, Lytle leaves a lot of room for personalization too, from choosing the best time for their ritual to picking out materials that feel symbolic to them, making the process both an intuitive and empowering method for creating a talisman.

I’d recommend this book to those looking for a new way to manifest their intentions. The combination of connecting with tarot and then consecration a symbolic talisman is a two-fold magical method, adding double the boost of alignment. Lytle presents an accessible  way to work tarot as a living, active magical tool. As someone with many talismans, I know the potency of being able to physically hold your imbued intentions in your hand keeps your mind focused and spirit receptive to our heart’s desires also coming into physical form.

Tarot Emblemata, by Nitasia Roland

Tarot Emblemata: Decoding Magical Symbolism, by Nitasia Roland
Weiser Books, 1578638968, 192 pages, 83 cards, August 2025

What if the tarot you hold in your hands was also a pathway to discovering Renaissance wisdom? Tarot Emblemata: Decoding Magical Symbolism beautifully bridges the culture of the Renaissance and modern tarot reading. Inspired by Claude Paradin’s emblem book, Devises Heroïques (originally published in 1551), Nitasia Roland revives the intricate art of symbolic storytelling that once conveyed moral, philosophical, and mystical truths through image and maxim.

Unfamiliar with emblems, I immediately went to Roland’s introduction in the guidebook to better understand the deck’s concept. I learned how during Renaissance emblems were visual metaphors designed to convey moral lessons, awaken contemplation and insight, and share didactic information. Roland explains how Renaissance emblems were illustrations “accompanied by mottos of text and verse that allegorically and symbolically express sentiments, concepts, societal concerns, and parables that were current in the social and cultural life of 16th- and 17th century continental and Baroque Europe.”6

In Tarot Emblemata, Roland repurposes Paradin’s emblems, which can be viewed here, to provide a fresh twist on the traditional tarot cards. This unique deck is comprised of 83 full-color cards: the traditional 78 cards of the Major and Minor Arcana along with five additional oracle cards. Weaving the emblems of Paradin (as well as a few by Bernard Salomon from an updated 1557 edition) and Latin mottos into the tarot’s archetypal structure, Roland has created a deck that illuminates the timeless insights of the Renaissance. This truly unique approach makes for some interesting reads!

The deck comes in a sturdy, hardcover box, giving it gravitas and weight. The tactile linen finish on the cards makes them very easy to handle (I much prefer this finish to a smooth varnish or glossy laminate!). And the gilded silver edges add a little burst of elegance.

As for the design, Roland kept Paradin’s symbolic imagery and moral mottos, written in both Latin inscription and English, but brought them to life with color. At the bottom of each card is the name of the tarot card. The aesthetic is minimal yet steeped in mystique, the clean parchment background reminds me of illuminated manuscripts or alchemical engravings.

For those who are used to ornate or narrative tarot cards, this deck feels more refined, even cerebral.  What’s interesting about the emblems is how the symbolic language they convey is universal enough to be widely accepted and spread yet personal enough to instill the meaningful message. The emblems give a new perspective on traditional tarot, compelling the reader to sit with the imagery and to ponder its message, despite the directness of the associated motto. In this way, readers can both get a straight-forward message that appeases the part of oneself that is searching for guidance as well as an esoteric illustration that ignites the subconscious.

Granted, those who heavily rely on context clues from more elaborately designed tarot decks might find the deck a bit harder to connect with, but for those already familiar with the general tarot card meanings, it’s fairly easy to see how the symbol aligns with the card. For me it is honestly refreshing to not be bogged down with elaborate illustration, allowing the interesting symbols to activate my psyche, prompting revelation. Roland writes:

“Drawing a card or interpreting a spread encourages personal transformation, allowing the reader to tap into the magical archetypes and the universal mysteries that Renaissance iconography and symbolism inspire, connecting you to the guidance of spirit via the wisdom of the seen and unseen worlds.”7

Accompanying the deck is the 192-page, full-color guidebook. It is about 5.5 by 7.5 inches big, about the size of a small book, and very easy to hold and read. There’s a foreword, introduction, messages for each card (including the five additional oracle cards) and spread suggestions.

What I absolutely love about the guidebook is how much detail Roland provides for each card. Written in 2nd person (you), Roland addresses the readers directly. While the cards themselves are very symbolic, the messages from Roland are filled with clarity and purpose, providing meaningful direction. Roland artfully translates the essence of the tarot card through the perspective of the Renaissance emblem and motto. She doesn’t skirt around the message, rather she hones in with skill and precision, delving right into the heart and soul of the card’s energy.

It’s quite evident the time and thought Roland put into matching each emblem with the corresponding tarot card archetype and then contemplating how to translate the card for readers in the guidebook. She hits the mark, having the traditional tarot meaning still present in each interpretation yet illuminating a novel perspective for readers to understand the tarot by filtering it through Paradin’s emblems and mottos.

For instance, The Hanged Man in this deck has the illustration of a rope hanging down from a cloud, piling on the ground, while another cloud has a hand holding a sword emerging from it about to slice the rope. The motto at the top reads, “I resolve all doubts by self-refelction”8. And the guidebook entry opens with this line:

“A severing blade and sword of divine wisdom and truth bring clarity after a time of being held up, where the clock seems to stop, and where inner reflection is the only choice to get you out of the snag you are in.”9

Ah, I just love how Roland conveys The Hanged Man without resorting to any of the trite and overused interpretations that can just make some guidebooks so boring. Dedicating two pages to each card, she provides a fantastic entryway into each card for readers, leaving them with plenty of information to further contemplate. Truly, I am deeply impressed by this guidebook and have really enjoyed reading Roland’s guidance for each card.

Plus, the additional five oracle cards are a real bonus. These cards – Ancestors, Libations, Sovereignty, Regeneration and Caduceus – give readings a real extra boost. The entry for these cards in the guidebook is a bit shorter, but it’s more than enough for readers to learn their meanings and skillfully weave these cards into their spreads. I get extra excited when I see one emerge in a reading!

Overall, Tarot Emblemata is a very interesting deck to work with. Roland offers a one of a kind approach to tarot that transports readers to the flourishing Renaissance. Somehow the deck is artfully able to be both universally enlightening and individually transformationing. For those looking for a creative re-envisioning of the tarot, especially if you enjoy ancient history, this deck is perfect for adding to your collection.

I’d recommend this deck to those who enjoy a dose of practical advice coupled with deeper spiritual insights. This is not simply a “deck for readings” but a tool for exploration, reflection, and developing one’s intuitive and symbolic literacy, priming the psyche with meaningful imagery to activate archetypes that continue to be relevant to spiritual growth and human development.

Tarot as Storyteller, by Salicrow

Tarot as Storyteller: Psychic Development, Cartomancy, and Reading the Web of Fate, by Salicrow
Destiny Books, 979-8888502068, 320 pages, June 2025

It’s one thing to memorize the meanings of tarot cards, but it’s another level entirely to weave them together into a story. Tarot as Storyteller: Psychic Development, Cartomancy, and Reading the Web of Fate by Salicrow is an engaging guide that invites readers to view their cartomancy practice not just as rote card-reading but also intuitive storytelling. Sharing her decades of wisdom, Salicrow teaches cartomancy as a psychic and intuitive art through which readers can become skillful narrators of the cards that are dealt.

Divided into three sections, the book begins with “Psychic Storytelling”, the foundational topics of the psychic arts and divination. Salicrow provides an overview of what it means to be a seer, delving into topics like the different ways to receive intuitive information, empathic abilities, cartomancy, and lunar and solar cycles. Filled with techniques ranging from opening the third eye to entering a light trance state, this section lays a great foundation for anyone performing readings. She also emphasizes the importance of self-care and personal healing work too, as this can fuel one’s psychic activities and shape one’s interpretation of the cards:

“Having walked through our wounding and out the other side we are often far more compassionate and understanding of other people’s situations, and sometimes our personal experience is what holds the best path for others as well.”10

From here, Salicrow moves into the art of storytelling through the cards. Salicrow offers methods for readers to tap into the living thread that connects the cards and querent, specifically tapping into the web of fate, seeing karma within the cards, and asking the right questions. All of this is done with integrity and ethical consideration, another topic Salicrow covers.

One of my favorite pieces of advice from this section was to create space in a spread or reading to hone in helpers. Salicrow writes, “we should docs on things like how the querent knows them, what they look like, what position do they hold, and the best way to contact them.”11 Reading this was like a huge dong on the head for me. I get so caught up in my own inner world during readings, leaning towards a spiritual interpretation, that I often forget the cards can also provide practical, direct guidance too.

I also extremely enjoyed Salicrow’s take on telling time in tarot. She offers some suggestions for telling time, but overall explains how timelines are always changing. I love her metaphysical explanation for why readers don’t always get the timing correct:

“People often change their own timing by rushing ahead or putting the brakes on after a reading.”12

Mind blown! I had never thought about how the reading in turn impacts the timeline of unfolding events.

Similarly, I enjoyed Salicrow’s approach to readings as open-ended rather than pre-determined. She encourages readers to keep going until a pathway that feels good is seen rather than accepting things as-is if it doesn’t feel right. Her techniques shared in the next section “Spreads and Layouts”, such as activated prayer, healing boards, and spellwork, give agency to the readers, allowing them to weave the web of fate through their focused intentions.

Within this second section, Salicrow also offers a variety of card spreads. There’s one for each turn of the Wheel of the Year, along with “soul-level card spreads”13 that assist with identifying soul purpose, querent’s magic, communication gifts, and more. She suggests exploring spiritual journeying, specifically through the story in the cards of one’s reading.

The final section, “The Tarot”, assists readers with creating their own personal connection to each card to draw upon when doing their readings. Salicrow writes:

“The images on the cards are interpreted through the psychic’s personal experiences and the knowledge they have obtained through study, which in turn translates into the information relative to the situation. The more personal experiences we have with a card, the broader our viewpoint.”14

To facilitate this relationship development with each card, Salicrow takes the readers through the Major Arcana, Suits/Minor Arcana, and Court Cards, offering a general description, what it means if you notice certain aspects of the card, and a guided meditation to journey with the card. I enjoyed reading this section, especially the way she groups the Minor Arcana cards. For each number, Salicrow covers all four suits at once, offering insights into commonality and contrasts within the cards. There’s also Rider-Waite-Smith pictures for each card, so readers can really get a good look at what’s being described even if they don’t have a deck on hand. At the end of this section, Salicrow covers numerology, offering yet another way to find the story within the reading.

There’s countless books on reading tarot, but Tarot as Storyteller really stood out as exceptional to me. I love all of the personal insight Salicrow incorporates into the book, as well as her overall approach to spirituality and tarot reading; I feel readers of all levels would benefit from her techniques, especially those of a beginner to intermediate level.

Approaching tarot through storytelling adds so many nuance layers, opening pathways for interpreting one’s readings and going deeper into the meaning of what the cards are revealing. This is where intuition, symbolism, and psychic awareness come alive, turning the assortment of cards within a reading into a cohesive narrative that speaks directly to the soul.

This book is perfect for those who want to hone their reading skills, especially if they have a goal of professionally doing readings. Reading tarot as a story moves the reading beyond card interpretation and into the realm of artistry, where intuition guides them to see the deeper message unfolding between the lines. True mastery of tarot comes not from reciting keywords, but from sensing the living thread that connects each card in a spread, and this is exactly what Salicrow teaches readers to do.

The Goddess Casts the Runes, by Anu Dudley

The Goddess Casts the Runes: Divination and Wisdom of the Earth Mother, by Anu Dudley
Destiny Books, 1644117266, 128 pages, September 2025

For many modern divination practitioners, myself included, the runes carry an energy that can feel sharply masculine, rooted in conquest, battle, and the legends of Odin. However, this perspective overshadows the quieter, more cyclical wisdom that also flows through these ancient symbols too. Born from the living earth, carved from wood and stone, whispering the language of nature long before patriarchal retellings reshaped their origins, the symbols on the runes have an even deeper history that still can be connected with today.

In The Goddess Casts the Runes, Anu Dudley offers a reimagined perspective on the Elder Futhark runes, shifting away from the more dominant Odin-/Viking myths to place them in the context of veneration for the Mother Goddess. Dudley offers a pathway to re-envisioning the runes with a more balanced lens that honors the feminine, intuitive, and nurturing forces of creation. Reading the runes from this perspective highlights the relatedness, responsiveness, and receptiveness of feminine energy, which Dudley asserts is most aligned with their original essence reflective of the Mother Goddess, described as “the Divine Entity who created life and endowed it with strength, compassion, and wisdom.”15.

“The purpose of this book is to provide an ecofeminist, Earth-based perspective on the runes that takes into account salient principles of feminism, environmentalism, and the sacredness of the Earth as well as the archeological, mythological, spiritual, and etymological origins and significance of the runes. It reclaims the runes for the Mother Goddess, whose grace and power these ancient symbols were originally created to honor.”16

“Part 1: Reclaiming the Runes for the Goddess” has three sections. First, Dudley explains the origins of the runes in relation to the Mother Goddess. Next, she provides an overview of Odin and how the runes were “won” through his sacrifice, which mythologically was representative of the shift from a worship of the Mother Goddess to a male dominated patriarchal culture. And just as a note for readers, these sections are only a few pages, summarizing huge portions of history into a quick framework for understanding the context of this book.

In the final section of part one, Dudley offers guidance on casting the runes. She covers topics like crafting your questions, selecting your tools, and how to interpret the way the runes land. Though this section is introductory, I found it quite insightful. Dudley goes into how to notice the overall shape along with advice for interpreting the way runes land, such as “dark” or facedown, on their side, or even overlaying one another. She even provides a sample of a reading to provide clarity.

“Part 2: Reading the Runes” moves into the “historical, spiritual, and mythological exploration of each rune”17 from this feminine-centered perspective. Dudley has re-visioned the three Aetts of the runes into Maiden, Mother, and Crone. For those who read the runes in the traditional manner, the overall interpretation of each one does not change too much, however the way Dudley highlights where the Goddess is present in each interpretation, definitely brings in a new perspective. She reframes the runes as part of a broader, more inclusive spiritual tradition tied to Earth, nature, and the divine feminine.

Here are some examples of the way Dudley weaves in feminine wisdom, spiritual insight, and ecological awareness:

  • • For the rune Gebo in the Maiden aett, Dudley describes how as “children of the Earth, we are natural givers”18. From our gratitude of the world around us to our physical exhalation of carbon dioxide to plants, we are inherently giving creatures. She ties this into the traditional meaning of the rune as the “Marriage Rune”, where we are giving of ourselves to another.
  • • For the rune Jera in the Mother aett, Dudley introduces Near Eastern goddess Jerah, who was descended from Vedic goddess Jara, ruler of “cycles of time and transformation”19. The natural cycle of things are used as examples of time management and inherent responsibilities that come along with the tending of our harvest.
  • • For the rune Inguz in the Crone aett, Dudley notes how the sacred yoni, the portal of birth, was known as the Earth Diamond, symbolized in this rune. She writes, “The diamond shape is made by taking a square, a classic earth symbol and tipping it up on one of its corners so that it radiates vibrancy and creativity, the essential elements of fertility.”20

It’s truly fascinating to learn about the goddess associations for each rune, along with how Dudley ties in the aspects of nature that reflect the rune’s meaning as well as other symbolism that brings forth a deeper feminine meaning. This feminine-rooted, earth-centered approach brings the runes to life for me in a whole new way. Suddenly, there’s goddesses I can learn more about or connect with spiritually to enhance my understanding of the meaning. I can see runic insight happening in nature as the wind blows or seasons turn. I can apply this knowledge for reflection, divination, and meditation that reflects my personal values of compassion, connection, and balance with Mother Earth.

Overall, The Goddess Casts the Runes is a refreshing and empowering reclamation of an ancient divinatory system that has skewed too far into patriarchal territory. Dudley beautifully restores the runes to their earthy, life-giving roots, illuminating the presence of the Goddess within each symbol. This approach brings new insight into rune meanings as well as a deeper spiritual framework that centers on feminine, Earth-based spirituality.

I highly recommend this book for those who are seeking to work with the runes not just as symbols, but as living tools for spiritual insight, ecological awareness, and feminine wisdom.  In reclaiming the runes through the lens of the Earth Mother, Dudley invites readers to reconnect with the sacred cycles of nature and rediscover the divine balance within creation, reawakening the intuitive and nurturing aspects of the runes. The Goddess Casts the Runes ultimately reminds us that divination is not only about seeking answers but about entering into relationship with the land, the symbols, and the living wisdom of the Goddess herself.

Crystal Alchemy Oracle, by Kate Mantello and Amy Salomone

Crystal Alchemy Oracle, by Kate Mantello with illustrations by Amy Salomone
Rockpool Publishing, 1923208314, 128 pages, November 2025

Crystals and chakras share a natural harmony, both working through the subtle language of energy. The many crystals and chakras each vibrate at their own frequencies aligned with certain energetic states, which when attuned to can shift one’s state of being, such as deepen spiritual awareness, enhance emotional healing, or promote mental clarity. When used together, crystals can act as tuning tools for chakras, helping to clear blockages, amplify the flow of life force energy throughout the body, and activate the energy of each chakra.

In Crystal Alchemy Oracle, creator Kate Mantello, renown for her work in crystal therapy, brings the vibrational medicine of crystals into a beautifully-structured deck that guides readers in working with crystal energies for personal growth and transformation. Filled with a luminous fusion of crystal wisdom, energy healing, and spiritual insight, each card captures the essence of a specific crystal and chakra while also inviting readers into a meditative dialogue with their own intuition. And thus, the alchemical process begins!

“Life itself is built on the backbone of alchemy, the underlying principle that teaches us that the highest and purest expression of ourselves comes when our energetic offerings are of higher value than the energy we consume to create them. It is the process of turning our fears into strengths, knowledge into wisdom and shadows into light.”16

Within the guidebook Mantello offers plenty of insight about how to best work with this deck. She teaches readers how to understand and use the cards, provides insight on finding one’s own meaning for the cards, shares how to cleanse and protect them, guides how to use the cards intuitively, and offers spreads to use for this deck.

The deck is structured by chakra, which all have their own color. Going beyond the traditional seven chakras (Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, Crown), Mantello also includes the Soul Star Chakra and Earth Star Chakra. For each chakra, there’s four different cards, each represented by a crystal, bringing the deck to a total of 36 cards. The gilded red edges of the card make for a fun shuffle and visually appealing aesthetic.

My initial impression of the deck was that it is whimsical, light, and ethereal. When I first opened the deck and saw the rainbow of colors, I felt a tingle go up my spine, as though just holding the deck made my chakras come alive. The illustrations by Amy Salomone seem to shimmer with the living energy of the crystals themselves. Yet when I dove deeper into the deck, I saw that amid the beauty there was also plenty of deeper spiritual knowledge; it’s not all light and love – the shadow too has a place in this deck as a base to start our transformation with.

Salomone’s artwork, which is delicately layered in a collage-like format, evokes the natural attraction of each crystal while also capturing the chakra energy that the crystal represents. Filled with symbolism, each card has its own special energy that covers the full range of human emotion within the deck. It’s gorgeous how Salomone bridges anatomy, crystals, spheres of light, celestial objects, plants, animals, and sacred geometry to show the progression from the cards representing deep Earth through the human body up to the stars.

The soft yet radiant images create a surreal quality that evokes both the geological beauty of crystals and their metaphysical resonance. These are cards that I absolutely want to keep on an altar where I can see them over and over again to meditate on them daily. Each card feels like a sacred portal, providing the visual stimulus to activate the chakra energy.

One thing I love about Crystal Alchemy Oracle is how you can access the frequency and move through the alchemical process without needing to purchase or work with the actual crystal. This saves a lot of time, money, and energy that would otherwise be spent hunting for the right crystal; the deck is more than enough to activate the energy on its own, making it a potent yet practical tool to have on hand! This also provides new ways to learn about the crystal through Salomone’s symbolic depictions and Mantello’s oracle insights.

For each guidebook entry, Mantello has provided a spirit and shadow keyword, key energies, affirmation, healing opportunity, and crystal alchemy. The crystal alchemy section “includes practical suggestions and prompts” for working the crystal that highlight its properties based on “colour, mineral composition, energy and shape.”21

Together, Mantello’s insights provide plenty for readers to reflect on to assess the current energy in play. Being able to acknowledge the healing opportunity presenting itself and then also read the crystal alchemy section for guidance on what practical things can be done to realign this energy is very useful. I appreciate when a deck is direct yet leaves plenty of room for the reader’s intuition to be heard too, which is just what Mantello has made happen in Crystal Alchemy Oracle.

So far, I keep pulling Star Soul Chakra cards. Mantello explains how this chakra is a very high vibration, connecting acting as a “doorway through which you can connect with your higher self and the spiritual realm.”22 Crystals in this suit, such as Clear Quartz and Apophyllite, have shifted my attention to my greater life purpose and how reaching this potential requires releasing old trauma to allow for deep healing to occur. As I realign my direction right now, it actually feels good to rip the band aid off some wounds I’d been neglecting to truly look at and tend to with care. Based on this guidance, I am spending more time outside having quiet moments to listen for higher wisdom, opening up to the advice of my spirit guides and divine protectors.

Overall, Crystal Alchemy Oracle is a beautifully crafted deck that merges crystal guidance with energy work through the chakras. There’s so many ways one can work with this deck, including for divination purposes, deepening one’s spiritual connection, facilitating personal growth through inner wisdom, or to do energy work. It can serve as a daily source of affirmation, a companion in meditation, or a way to align one’s energy with specific intentions. The versatility of this deck makes it a wonderful, multi-purpose tool.

This oracle deck is ideal for readers who want to deepen their relationship with crystals, energetic anatomy, or intuitive healing. The combination of Mantello’s crystal therapy expertise and Salomone’s ethereal artistry creates a sublime experience that feels nurturing, radiant, and deeply empowering when reading with this deck. It’s perfect for healers, intuitives, and anyone drawn to the subtle conversation between crystals, body, and soul.

The Mythical Creatures Tarot, by Jayne Wallace

The Mythical Creatures Tarot, by Jayne Wallace
CICO Books, 176 pages, 78 cards, October 2025

Throughout history, mythical creatures have served as reflections of humanity’s hidden emotions, instincts, and mysteries. From dragons breathing the fires of transformation to mermaids singing of love’s depths, these beings live in the realm between imagination and truth animated by the unseen forces that shape our lives. In tarot, they become messengers from the mythic realms, guiding readers toward greater self-awareness and spiritual insight.

The Mythical Creatures Tarot by Jayne Wallace invites readers to step into this enchanted landscape, where every card holds the spirit of a legendary mythic being, pairing their ancient wisdom with the guidance of tarot. This approach adds a deeper layer of meaning to the tarot cards, reminding readers that myth and magic are always alive in our everyday experiences and that these sacred guardians are here for counsel. Serving as a bridge between reader and these magical creatures, this deck is a reminder that myth and intuition often go hand in hand.

There’s a special feeling when opening a new tarot deck and the packaging and presentation of The Mythical Creatures Tarot add to the tactile and collectible appeal. This deck is housed in a sturdy keepsake box illustrated with a luminous full moon circled by two air dragons hovering above a serene body of water. Opening this box reveals a large, full-color, hardback illustrated guidebook. And underneath this is the deck itself in yet another hardbound case, safely housing the mystery and magic of this deck, with a beautiful blue ribbon to assist with pulling it out. There’s also a blue ribbon within this case holding the deck to once again aid in collecting the cards easily into one’s hands.

The matte cards are nice and large. They’re bigger than your average card deck, yet still a good size to hold in one’s hands. My first impression was how smooth the cards were; there was no friction when shuffling and none of the cards stuck together. The cards have nice weight to them too, adding a palpable pleasure to the physicality of working with this deck.

The artwork on the cards is soft, dreamlike, and filled with gentle movement, creating a sense of stepping into a living scene. Each card is rendered in delicate watercolor tones that blend earthiness with ethereal light, giving the deck a serene yet mystical tone. The imagery feels both ancient and timeless with the mythical beings depicted with grace and reverence, harmonizing with natural landscapes of misty woods, glowing skies, and flowing waters. There’s a gentle blur to the artwork too that allows for the mind to release its grip, opening up to the blending of the fantastic and familiar for new insights when gazing at the cards.

Most imagery on the cards align with the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) illustrations, giving experienced readers a familiar foundation for their readings. Yet it is not to the point where it is a mirror of the RWS deck; there’s plenty of creative interpretation in the depiction of the legendary beings and nature-filled landscapes. Wallace includes the card name and one keyword on the card for readers to be able to quickly discern the card, yet there’s still plenty of visual space for the eyes to wander and contemplate the messages coming through visually. The symbolism of the chimeric creatures opens up a whole new array of interpretations in a reading, providing a fresh perspective on the traditional card meanings by infusing them with mythic insights. 

As for reading the cards, the Major Arcana is a mix of different mythological beings, including Griffin, Kraken, Pegasus, Centaur, and more. The Minor Arcana suits follow elemental creature associations:

• Swords/Air → Dragons 
• Cups/Water → Merfolk 
• Wands/Fire → Phoenixes 
• Pentacles/Earth → Dryads

For those who are new to mythological beings, Wallace has included a list in the guidebook providing a short description of each one. She also includes guidance on reading the cards in this deck and ideas for spreads to use.

For each card entry in the guidebook, Wallace has shared the name and main keyword at the top, followed by a few more key words, description of the scene the card depicts, card meaning, mythical message, and an affirmation. She writes with a tender tone, offering heartfelt wisdom. The card meanings are distilled from her tarot expertise spanning decades, while the mythical messages perfectly translate the traditional tarot meaning into a greater archetypal message that resonates on a soul level.

I particularly love how the guidebook is a well-bound hardback that’s extremely easy to hold in one’s hands with a ribbon to mark the current page. As someone who enjoys journaling, this makes it very easy to refer to the guidebook while I’m recording my thoughts because it’s  easy to flip from one page to the next. Plus, the full-scale, colored image right next to the card’s message is perfect for contemplation.

So far, I have really enjoyed this deck because the elemental symbolism of the Minor Arcana makes me feel intuitively connected to the natural rhythms of the world around me. I love working with elemental beings (especially merfolk!), and I feel this deck really serves as a bridge, connecting readers to this realm. While there’s decks devoted solely to many of these creatures, such as dragons and phoenixes, it’s nice to have them all come together in unity within this deck.

There’s something about stepping away from the humanness within the RWS deck or other traditional tarot cards that prompts revelation. The archetypal energies of the tarot are given a new avenue of expression, and Wallace has done a magnificent job translating the grandiose essence of these mythical creatures into applicable and meaningful guidance. It’s easy and very human to get caught up in the fear of the unknown, turning to the tarot for answers about what lies ahead or the best course of action. But the mythical creatures of this deck remind us of our inner strength, imaginative freedom, and flowing connection to the special energies these legendary beings share with us.

Overall, The Mythical Creatures Tarot is a beautiful and powerful addition to the tarot world. It’s ideal for readers who are drawn to mythology, folklore, and imaginative reimaginings of the cards that stretch beyond traditional interpretations. Those who appreciate a touch of fantasy in their readings will find the vibrant depictions of legendary beings both enchanting and immersive, especially if they enjoy working with elemental forces or mythic symbolism. Readers of all levels will find Wallace’s interpretations accessible, inspiring, and heartfelt, guiding them toward deeper understanding and self-discovery through the wisdom of these extraordinary creatures. It’s definitely a deck that I will be turning to again and again!

A Traveler’s Guide to Making Magic, by Lisa McSherry

A Traveler’s Guide to Making Magic, by Lisa McSherry
Crossed Crow Books, 1964537460, 220 pages, September 2025

Travel is a journey through thresholds, both seen and unseen. Every new landscape, culture, and experience becomes a portal, inviting us to step outside the familiar and into the realm of possibility. In these liminal spaces, where the routines of daily life are left behind, magic finds fertile ground to awaken. A Traveler’s Guide to Making Magic by Lisa McSherry teaches that travel itself is a magical act, offering endless opportunities to adapt our practice, expand our awareness, and discover parts of ourselves we may never have met without crossing those borders.

I’ll admit that I started this book feeling disenchanted with travel, a rare feeling for this Sagittarius moon. For the past year, I’ve been studying astrocartography, which over time transformed locations worldwide, rich with their own culture, traditions, and history, into astrological lines on a map. Focusing on the technicality of my readings diminished the more intuitive resonance I usually felt when thinking about traveling to faraway places.

For all the talk of travel in the astrocartography circles I’m in, no one seemed to really be addressing the actual experience of traveling, especially for magically-minded folks. It felt more like people were thinking in terms of what a location can offer them based on astrology (Where can I go to find the right job? What location will bring love?) rather than how they could open themselves up to fully experience the depth of location, embracing the genius loci.

And it’s for this reason that McSherry’s keen insights, practical advice, and magical know-how in A Traveler’s Guide to Making Magic were an absolute breath of fresh air! This, THIS, is the book that I was craving and needed to reignite my love for seeing and experiencing new places, especially while keeping my magical practice flowing and open to new revelations. McSherry has created a wonderful guide for those who are seeking to keep their practice alive, grounded, and meaningful while traveling that also includes the reality of travel (delayed flights, packing, being aware of other culture’s attitudes towards magic, ecological impact, etc.).

The beginning of the book really lays the foundation for the spells that come later. In her introduction, McSherry shares her view on magic, sharing that she perceives it “as a spiritual practice rooted in transformation, awareness, and responsibility.”1 She offers resources to plan sustainable travel, emphasizing the need to respect the ecology, limit one’s impact, and support local businesses that are sustained by tourism rather than larger chains that tend to be more exploitative. This was a great overall reminder of the need to center our travel within our belief systems, ensuring we are respecting the land and people we choose to visit.

The first two chapters cover the basics of magic and correspondences. McSherry covers the four main steps in her model of magic–intent, creation, raising, and sending–along with energy work, breathwork, and sympathetic magic. Then the next chapter on correspondences is packed with useful bullet-point lists and tables. The information McSherry provides is thorough! She provides lists of correspondences for animals, colors, metals, plants, seasons, stones, and tarot cards. Then there’s tables for the four elements, planets (yes, including Pluto!), and playing card meanings. For those traveling, this chapter is perfect for quick reference!

Now that readers have the basics of magic down, McSherry focuses on preparing to travel. This is one of the longer chapters in the book, which I appreciate because I feel preparation is key for a successful journey. From deciding where to go to picking out how to actually spend your time in that place, McSherry offers both pragmatic and magical guidance.

She teaches how to leave offerings at sacred sites and communicate with the divine both while planning and once at  your destination. For those in need of inspiration, she shares lists of sacred places around the world, along with a spell to manifest the travel desired. She goes in-depth about what to pack, even including types of packing storage and good-to-have items. This chapter definitely grounds the travel experience both magically through intention and realistically with the material items needed to make it as smooth as possible.

The remaining chapters focus on the actual travel experience. McSherry has a chapter on magical tools, guardian spirits and deities, locational magic, and spells and charms. There’s guidance on creating signals, enchanting one’s clothing, creating a portal ritual kit, along with elemental spells for connecting with air, earth, wind, and fire within a landscape. The list of travel deities is quite long, and readers are sure to find one that feels aligned with their energy while traveling.

For those a bit hesitant or nervous to travel, rest assured McSherry provides lots of spells for protection and safe travels. There’s a whole section called “Don’t Panic! Coping With (Inevitable) Trouble” where she teaches how to make due with common items (soap, mints, matches, napkins, etc.) for magic-on-the-go. McSherry offers ideas for a DIY first aid kit that can all fit within a prescription pill bottle to keep handy. And she even shares the phone number to contact the U.S. State Department, if needed, along with a list of specific scams to avoid and safety measures to take in case your belongings are stolen or lost.

The many specific spells and charms even further amplify readers’ magical protection. McSherry has spells for overcoming anxiety, clear communication, charm bags, vehicle protection, and multiple for safe travel and travel success. Plus, spells to manifest travel and divine where is best to go.

The final chapter, “Travel is a State of Mind”, reminds readers that you don’t have to even leave home to travel. McSherry has a whole list of ways to explore other locations without even walking out your door, ranging from taking virtual tours of museums worldwide to learning a new language. And since most people do leave home at least once a day, she offers magical ways to enhance the journey of stepping outside the comfort of home even when they’re not going far. Additionally, at the end are four appendices with additional magical guidance, a glossary, reference and resource list, and bibliography.

What I like most about this book is McSherry’s writing style. She often uses humor, bringing a smile to the reader’s face, but just as often she has a commanding tone that reflects her travel experience and accumulated wisdom. I really enjoy reading all the anecdotes in the book of her travels or her friends’ travels. Travel stories are always so interesting to me and hers really bring to life the context of what she’s talking about. I loved this one story of how she felt a man sending her negative energy and she pulled out a compact mirror to send it back to him, ultimately with him feeling ill and leaving the restaurant. Quick magical thinking!

Overall, A Traveler’s Guide to Making Magic is the single book I would bring with me on a trip, aside from a fiction novel to keep me occupied! This book is more than just a manual; it’s a companion for the road, offering wisdom, encouragement, and practical tools to weave enchantment into every step of the journey.

McSherry does such a great job covering all the bases of travel from the preparation to the safe return home and all that’s in-between. Whether or not one is a skilled magical practitioner, McSherry’s approach is accessible and easy to implement. Plus, her practical guidance is superb and akin to reading a travel guide. Her advice is much appreciated and definitely something I plan on making use of for my next big trip.

There’s a great blend of spellwork, divination techniques, elemental magic, and deity work for readers to pick and choose from as they adapt their travel magic on the go. And McSherry’s focus on cultural sensitivity, sustainability, and responsibility while traveling expands the awareness of readers, reminding them that actions have impact and it’s important to be a mindful global citizen.

McSherry shows that travel isn’t just about reaching destinations, but about opening ourselves to transformation, connection, and deeper awareness along the way. With this book in hand, even the most ordinary trip becomes an opportunity to explore new realms and carry your magic wherever you roam.

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.”22 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.”1

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”23,  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.”24 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.”25

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.