Musing Mystical

✨ A Gathering Place for Magical Readers and Writers ✨

Alchemical Tantric Astrology, by Fredrick Hamilton Baker

Alchemical Tantric Astrology: The Hidden Order of Seven Metals, Seven Planets, and Seven Chakras, by Frederick Hamilton Baker
Destiny Books, 1644112809, 242 pages, June 2021

Recently, my husband completed the course Spiritualized with astrologer Aeolian Heart, and it really ignited a lot of spiritual growth for him. The premise of the course was to energetically move through the alchemy of astrology to facilitate healing through the gateways of the chakras.

Curious to learn more about this, I was delighted to discover Frederick Hamilton Baker recently published Alchemical Tantric Astrology: The Hidden Order of Seven Metals, Seven Planets, and Seven Chakras, which seemed to essentially be drawing from the same alchemical/astrological associations as Aeolian Heart did in my husband’s course. Now it was my turn to take a deep dive into the material, and I’ve been delighted with the quality of Baker’s dedication to this subject.

Baker begins by sharing how he came to develop the Alchemical Tantric Arrangement (ATA), his own astrological system, through his time studying in California, serving in the U.S. Navy, and visiting sacred sites around the world. Blending his study of astrology, alchemy, and the chakra system of tantric yoga, Baker has concluded Capricorn to be the final sign of the zodiac and Aquarius as the first.

I really resonated with this conclusion, particularly after watching the events unfold during major alignment of planets in Capricorn in 2020 and getting to know my own Capricorn stellium in my chart. It simply makes sense, given the many “new beginning” holidays in Aquarius (Candlemas, Chinese New Year, Imbolc), and I personally have always waited until February to set my new year intentions.

Diving right into associations between chakras, astrology, and alchemical metals, Baker clearly lays out the correspondences that are the foundation of ATA. From there, he delves into the mythology of every zodiac sign, which was very beneficial as an astrologer to read. While I am familiar with most of the mythology, the way Baker illuminates all the archetypal energy within each zodiac sign through his interpretations was extremely insight.

By offering a cross-culture description of archetypal energies (gods and goddess) from different pantheons, my understanding of the energies of each zodiac sign expanded. For instance, I previously did not know that Hecate and Vishnu are both associated with Pisces. I also really liked his thorough descriptions of Mercury/Hermes roles, including some such as secret keeper, midwife, and seducer, which I hadn’t previously realized.

Next, Baker gives an overview of kundalini energy and the tantric aspect of transforming consciousness with astrological energy. He notes this process can also be referred to as Hermetic astrology, where the alternating feminine and masculine energies of the signs move up and down the chakras to facilitate shifts in conscious awareness. Therefore, Baker concludes, “Knowing the signs and their associations with the two directions of the chakras, those who are acquainted with transits can now use astrology to tune into the most appropriate time for their meditation and actions.”1

Baker teaches the reader how to sense astrological energy as having an upward motion (Aquarius to Leo) and downward motion (Virgo to Capricorn), moving the energy in a cyclical way, just like the continual inhale and exhale of our breathing. Through his very illuminating descriptions of the relationships between each zodiac sign and the corresponding chakra, I gained a deeper understanding of this upward and downward energetic motion he describes.

For instance, Pisces and Sagittarius are both associated with the second chakra, however Pisces is the upward energy of the second chakra, while Sagittarius is the downward energy of the second chakra. Additionally, he provides the Hermetic phrase for each zodiac sign, giving further explanation of how the astrological energies are expressed through the chakras. One example is “The key word of Hermetic Scorpio is transformation.”2

My Aquarius Sun and Mercury found the most interesting section to be when Baker moved beyond the Saturian planets, which have a long alchemical history, to explore the trans-Saturian planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Eris) with Chiron as a gateway. He relates Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto to the radioactive elements uranium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium (respectively), which completely blew my mind and is a connection I would have never made on my own, but fascinated me in terms of alchemy and the future.

Since Chiron is still rather new to astrology, discovered in only 1977, many astrologers are still working to figure out the energy of the asteroid. In his philosophy of ATA, Baker asserts “Chiron is the key to unlocking the central nadi in the chakra system and a bridge between the downward and upward paths of the zodiac signs.”3

He goes on to explain, Chiron serves as a guardian of the threshold between the traditional alchemical metals and planets and the radioactive metals and planets. His insight on Chiron is worth reading for those interested in astrology, for it presents an archetypal explanation of the role this energy may hold in how the future unfolds.

This section concludes with information on the numerology of the astrological houses, the connection between DNA and the chakra energy, and how astroyoga can open multidimensional portals through meditation. Baker offers written-out guided visualization processes for the reader to tap into this potent energy.

I also really enjoyed the final part of the book, which focuses on interpreting events through the lens of ATA, and is the practical application of this complex system. Baker teaches the reader how to understand this Hermetic Chart compared to a traditional Western astrological chart. They look quite different, and I had to hand sketch how my Hermetic chart would look because there’s no program to produce this. I’m still not sure exactly how to interpret the placements (yet), but it helped to understand the alchemy of my personal chart better.

I particularly enjoyed Baker’s focus on the alignments happening in 2020, which I had been waiting years to see how they would unfold, knowing major change is in store for everyone on both a personal and collective level. HIs interpretation of events, both past and future, did not disappoint. I find his evolutionary approach to astrology to be very aligned with my own conclusions, particularly his thoughts on the upcoming transit of Pluto through Aquarius, as it wraps up a transit through Capricorn. He certainly knows his stuff and has given immense thought to the impact of the transiting planetary energy currently shaping events.

The one thing I do have to say about the ATA, as forward-thinking and integrative as it is, I would assert these ideas are not new and others have drawn similar conclusions as well. While this lends credence to the ATA system, I also think it’s valuable to acknowledge a lot of this system is rooted in alchemy, astrology, and yoga practices that have existed for centuries.

Nevertheless, Baker’s perspective, stemming from years as a researcher and practitioner of these arts, certainly bolsters the knowledge on these subjects and integrate them in a way that can be practically applied in one’s life for energetic attunement with the zodiacal energy. He has a way of sharing his wisdom that makes it easily accessible to readers, both logically and intuitively. There is plenty of information for readers to gain from Alchemical Tantric Astrology, and it is a wonderful book for readers to become acquainted with Hermetic Astrology.

I have been truly delighted to discover similarities in my own astrology practice with Baker’s practice. Currently, I am looking forward to seeing if I notice the downward energy shift as the Sun moves into Virgo next week. I feel like this integration of the tantric energy into my nature-based spirituality and astrology practice will be bolstering my awareness.

The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception, by Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso

The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births, by M​​arguerite Mary Rigoglioso
Bear & Company, 1591434130, 192 pages, April 2021

Every year on Christmas Eve, it always strikes me as odd that there is not more focus on Mary in the story of Jesus’s birth: a devout virgin, pregnant with the child of God, relying on faith alone amid adversity and uncertainty, in labor delivering Christ to the physical realm. Clearly, Mary had to be a pretty incredible woman to be picked for this divine conception, yet her story always seems glossed over in religious text. While scholars debate even the most minimal nuisance of Biblical text, many remain mysteriously mute on the subject of a virgin birth.

The more I learned about the divine feminine, ancient priestesses, and sacred sexuality, the more I became convinced there had to be something about Mary which made her able to fulfill such an extraordinary task, but I never could find any validation for this intuition. Finally, many of my questions have been answered by Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso in The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births, which hands-down has been one of the most life-changing books I’ve ever read.

The premise of The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception is based on the Infancy Gospel of James (Protoevangelium of James) that dates back to the 2nd-century. It was never canonized, and in fact it was condemned by Pope Innocent I in 405. Rigoglioso chose to use the version of the gospel, which she refers to as the Birth of Mary, as translated by Ronald Hock. And let me tell you, this is one juicy gospel!

The author of the text claims to be James, Joseph’s son from his first (and only) wife. Described in the Infancy Gospel of James are Mary’s upbringing, her publicly acknowledged spiritual authority, her relationship to Joseph, her experience of pregnancy, her journey to Bethlehem, and finally the birth of Jesus and the events immediately following.

Piece by piece, Rigoglioso deciphers the text for the reader with the belief that certain parts of the text needed to be cryptic in order to keep the truth concealed. Based on her research, lineages of divine priestesses had been trained to conceive partheogentically, which is asexual reproduction where the egg turns into an embryo without the fertilization of sperm. According to Rigoglioso, Mary was impregnated by Logos, or “through some kind of unification with the divine creative sound, the divine order, the wisdom essence of the universe.”4

Mary’s unusual childhood prepared her to serve as a divine birth priestess, and she showed advanced spiritual mastery at an early age. She was prepared for this sacred duty from the time of her own parthenogenetic birth by her mother Anne, who was also a skilled divine birth priestess. Some of the things done to ready Mary for divine birth were imbibing consciousness-altering substances, eating a specific diet, and learning special songs and dances.

At the appropriate age, Mary is taken to the temple to be raised. She remains there until it is time for her to undertake her duty as divine birth priestess and is given to Joseph, who was chosen to protect her. Contrary to popular belief, Joseph and Mary never married, and from the text, he was rather resistant to caring for her at first. It is clear the conception, energetically initiated by Mary, was not at all aided by Joseph, who in fact didn’t believe at first she had conceived and remained a virgin.

Despite the miraculous nature of Mary’s feat, the Infancy Gospel of James also documents the trials she was put through by her own religious community to ensure she was telling the truth. This text reveals the distrust and suspicion surrounding the miraculous feat of a virgin birth and demonstrates the need for Mary to be concealed from the public as her pregnancy progresses.

Ultimately, Mary does give birth to Jesus, once again on her own in solitude. Joseph and the midwife he found return to find the baby has been born. The birth did not require the assistance of a midwife, which is considered another miraculous feat. The divine avatar, Jesus Christ, has been brought into existence.

After this brief synopsis of the Infancy Gospel of James, you might be doubting the veracity or questioning all that you’ve been taught. For this reason, I think it’s important to acknowledge Rigoglioso’s impressive career to highlight the background for this book. First and foremost, Rigoglioso is a distinguished expert on the subject of virgin births, previously authoring Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity and The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece. She holds a Ph.D. in humanities and a M.A. in philosophy and religion from California Institute of Integral Studies, along with an B.A. in psychology from Vassar College.

Her scholarship is focused on ancient Mediterranean mystery traditions, bringing to light suppressed histories of holy women. Rigoglioso also teaches workshops, courses, and mentors people to assist them reclaiming the priestess path through offerings such as Priestess of the Dove Oracle Training and the Holy Womb Chakra teachings. She has many free spiritual resources on her website SevenSistersMysterySchool.com, which was very fun to peruse.

Needless to say, the content in the book is well-sourced and filled with references to ancient texts. Yes, Rigoglioso does interpret the Gospel of the Stars in her own way, but given her academic training and spiritual knowledge, I find the information credible. It takes someone with insight into ancient culture, Biblical history, and soulful wisdom to interpret the text as Rigoglioso has done.

Just reading the Infancy Gospel of James was an eye-opening experience, as I’ve done much studying of the suppression of Mary Magdalene in the Church’s history, but had never thought much about the Virgin Mary. I’m actually curious to learn more about their relationship, as it seems that Mary Magdalene is always portrayed as a sacred sexual priestess, which Rigoglioso very thoroughly distinguishes from the divine birth priestesses, who remained virgins their whole lives.

This especially piques my interest because Rigoglioso describes Mary’s parthenogenetic conception as this lineage was actively being dismantled by patriarchal forces. It makes me wonder, given the potency of the divine birth priestess, if Jesus would have been in a physical relationship with Mary Magdalene.

Another thing that really struck me as fascinating was Rigoglioso’s suggestion that the three wisemen actually came to see Mary, the most holy one who had accomplished this miraculous feat. Her interpretation of the three gifts they brought (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) makes much more sense as offerings for her as currency for financial support (gold), sacred temple herbs for her to burn in holy places and claim her spiritual authority (frankincense), and an embalming oil (myrrh) for when she needs to anoint Jesus’s body at his death.

That last bit might have you a bit confused: how would Mary have known about Jesus’s death at the time of his birth? The Infancy Gospel of James describes a prophecy Mary has right before giving birth, which Rigoglioso points out illuminates her spiritual mastery to hold the knowledge of cruelty the world will inflict on her son and remaining open to love nevertheless.

“It must be a disturbing reality for this young priestess to know that her child, no matter how holy, will be entering the world of matter and duality, and that all those associated with him will have to come to terms with that. In a sense, she is in this very moment, just before she is about to give birth, also able to foresee the circumstances of her son’s death, in which the duality around his teachings will be played out in a deeply painful way. Once again, we can really appreciate Mary as a human woman who will have to grapple with maintaining the high vibration of love amidst agony and fear as the events of her son’s life unfold.”5 

Once again, Rigoglioso demonstrates that Mary was not a naive young woman, ignorant to the spiritual mastery of her son. Rather, it was through her training and active agency that Jesus, the son of the God, also considered a divine avatar by some, was able to physically manifest in this plane of existence. Her role as a most holy divine birth priestess is what allowed for a being of elevated consciousness to be conceived to elevate all of humanity.

Simply sitting with this truth changes everything for me. The information Rigoglioso has shared is so deeply empowering for me on a personal level, and I believe on a collective level too as more people awaken to the spiritual abilities of the divine feminine. For too long, women have been stripped of their spiritual authority, oppressed by patriarchal values, and denied the right to know the full potency of their potential abilities.

More than anything, I hope the information in The Mystery Traditions of Miraculous Conception becomes more wide-spread. I’ve been actively sharing what I learned from reading it with friends and family, initiating discussions about the topic of a virgin birth and Mary’s spiritual lineage. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the divine feminine, especially within Christianity. Rigoglioso has packed so much information into this text that I know I’ll be reading it again and again. I love that it’s filled with references and sources to assist the reader in doing their own investigation. All in all, this book is the major missing piece to the history of Christianity that is sure to spark meaningful revelation in all readers.

Animal Spirit Wisdom, by Philip Kansa and Elke Kirchner-Young

Animal Spirit Wisdom: A Pocket Reference to 45 Power Animals, by Philip Kansa and Elke Kirchner-Young
Earthdancer Books, 1644111154, 112 pages, May 2021

The lovely little paperback, called Animal Spirit Wisdom: A Pocket Reference to 45 Power Animals, by two shamans named Philip Kansa and Elke Kirchner-Young is a nice encouragement to open one’s mind to accepting the wisdom and assistance of animal spirits “energy from other dimensions,” as they write on page 8. Philip and Elke have been on a journey, for over 21 years between them, to share the wisdoms of this native tradition, known as Power Animals, or Animal Totems. I personally took their encouragement to heart as I read through this book, because I already have a love for animals in the world of mundane biology. I was quite interested in what the spiritual plane had to offer from animals too!

This book brought me a feeling of warmth and friendliness. I could really grasp the concept of calling a power animal to one’s side as a companion. This was my first true introduction to animal spirits, so I will need to gain more knowledge on the practice, before I might incorporate it into my own spiritual practices. That said though, I look forward to trying out the exercises written in this book, because unlike many other references I’ve seen, Animal Spirit Wisdom seems to take a gentle, guiding approach, rather than a strict format that stresses a lot on technique. That’s not to say the strict approach is wrong, however the easy going nature of this book seemed to match the writer’s intentions perfectly.

Reading through Animal Spirit Wisdom feels like you’re taking a spiritual walk on a path of nature with two friendly tour guides showing you the way. There is a schedule, for Philip and Elke shall also guide those next in line to be lead, but you must also stroll and allow the power animals to come along the path when you’re both ready to learn and grow from the experience.

Animal Spirit Wisdom is written in a succinct, organized style, and it features a clear and precise connection exercise with which to call on each of the 45 spirit animals referenced. Phillip and Elke also include a brief list of keywords and helpful descriptions for ideas on how calling forth any of the power animals may aid and protect you. Each spirit animal page contains adequately sourced and vivid images, which allow for the perfect visual aids for beginners.

I was only slightly confused by one part of this book, but I think that’s because I was taking things literally. I’ll only include my bamboozlement here, because I’m still not completely sure about it. On page 9 of Animal Spirit Wisdom, our shamans state “in order to discover your animal, make a spirit animal journey (see p. 12) with a shaman or another spiritual teacher.” As shown in the quote, there is another page number listed to see. On page 12 there is a whole exercise titled “A Spirit Animal Journey.”

Now, since our authors are shamans themselves, I’m inclined to believe they are indeed the “shamans with us,” so to say, on this particular journey. I don’t know if this might seem nit-picky, but I honestly wasn’t sure if that’s how I’m supposed to read these particular sections, or if I should actually contact either shaman directly and seek their counsel, as it were. Either way, don’t let the confused mutterings of a beginner sway you. The aforementioned curiosity didn’t take anything away from the book’s experience at all. I simply wish to remain transparent and forthcoming with my review.

Overall, Animal Spirit Wisdom by Phillip Kansa and Elke Kirchner-Young was a truly impactful and enlightening reading experience. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, of any level, who is interested in acquiring an introduction to the tradition of spirit animals. I genuinely believe the two beautiful shamans who put this book together delight in sharing this very knowledge with you. After my journey through these pages, I am moved to see the animals around me in a much more spiritual light. I wonder if the power animals will know my awe for them. Yeah, they probably will, as they’re the ones with the wisdom, after all.

Super Tarot, by Sasha Fenton

Super Tarot: Interpret the Cards Like a Pro, by Sasha Fenton
Hampton Roads Publishing, 164970197, 176 pages, February 2021

Sasha Fenton’s Super Tarot: Interpret the Cards Like a Pro is an instructive paperback that seems to be gaining popularity as I write this! It features a rather encouraging forward, written by Theresa “the Tarot Lady” Reed. There’s not much else to add about the forward, as it is only 2 ½ pages long, but it does complement the rest of the book nicely. I found myself excited to turn the page toward the book’s 1st chapter, even though I already comfortably involve tarot reading in my own personal practices!

Of course, we all can always learn more, and improve our skills for everything we do, but honing my own skills in tarot specifically is why I picked up Super Tarot, and boy, did Sasha Fenton deliver! Fenton, a professional astrologer, palmist, and tarot card reader since 1974,  is also a well established instructive writer on divination, and Super Tarot adds another to the over 100 books in her already massive repertoire. I’m only focusing on one of her books for now, though, and that’s Super Tarot. 

The very first (honestly refreshing might I add) thing I noticed about this book is the feeling of almost casual friendliness that shone through page after page. Fenton seems more like a friend giving advice than an author telling you what to do. I liked the overall positivity of finding several examples of what you should do as well, rather than seeing the negative counterpart of  teaching what you shouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I understand and value the importance of warning beginners of the potential downsides one may face, but as someone with mental disabilities, having more than one different example helps me to better understand the abstract concepts I can struggle with.

Speaking of several examples of things to do, I learned an interesting spread from this book that I somehow hadn’t come across before. I know I’m no expert on tarot reading myself, but I had already gotten comfortable enough with the Past, Present, and Future spread to not really have many questions of how to advance it, but this book sure did give me an answer that turned out to be something I found Incredibly useful! I was nearly complacent in drawing just one card for each of the elements in the title of the Past, Present, and Future tarot reading, all totaling a count of three cards. From Super Tarot, on page 112, I found a spread that actually involves drawing two cards for each of the past, present, and future elements, totaling in a 6 card spread.

Right then, I put the book down for a few minutes, and picked up my tarot cards! The 6-card spread resulted in a far more accurate, and informative reading than I had ever gotten from pulling just 3 cards, and that might seem obvious, but remember, I was already comfortable with the amount of information I’d gotten with the way I was already doing the Past, Present, and Future spread, so to have even more to work with was amazing to me. I already feel more confident in my own reading abilities by just practicing one exercise from Super Tarot.

Simple as my own discovery may seem, Super Tarot is not geared towards beginners. Fenton forgoes the usual “what is,” and history chapters for only a few beginner tips, and a brief review of the Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, and card suits, before jumping right into her more advanced instructions on interpretation and skill building. If one would like to gain a more comprehensive beginning look at tarot from this author, Fenton herself directs the readers of Super Tarot to a different book of her works: “My book, Fortune Telling By Tarot Cards, is designed for beginners.”6

That doesn’t stop Fenton from continuing her reputation for writing in a clear style that’s easy to understand with Super Tarot, however. This book is filled with comprehensible, useful infographics that depict clear examples as well. While it’s not a new idea, there is still a bit of book mechanics information to note: In the suit’s description of Super Tarot, Fenton uses Pages, and Coins to describe the cards of those ranks. Respectively, other common names used to refer to those cards are Princes/Princesses, and Pentacles.

Overall, and as a person with disabilities that cause me to struggle with the abstract symbolism and emotional concepts that make up the very essence of tarot card reading, Super Tarot has helped me immeasurably. Author Sasha Fenton’s down to earth tone, and clear instructions with different examples to follow them from will stay with me, as I feel more confident than ever in my understanding of the interpretation of tarot card readings.

I enthusiastically recommend Super Tarot to any who might struggle with the same issues I do, or those who simply want to strengthen their grasp on tarot reading for any reason. You might even close the book with the inspiration to offer your own readings as a service for some extra cash! As for me though, the knowledge and confidence I’ve gained by reading this book, has allowed me the motivation to broaden, and personalize  my personal tarot divination practice by creating my own unique card spreads. If you need me, I’ll be shuffling my cards!

The Last Ecstasy of Life, by Phyllida Anam-Áire

The Last Ecstasy of Life: Celtic Mysteries of Death and Dying, by Phyllida Anam-Áire
Findhorn Press, 9781644112656, 175 pages, June 2021

Death plays such a huge role in our lives. It is something that a lot of people would rather not think about even though it is all around us every day. Though some may call it morbid, I have an interest in learning about how different cultures view death. Seeing how communities treat those who are dying can reveal so much about them. Ireland in particular has such a fascinating culture, steeped in rich history. I wondered what insights I could glean from reading more about how a person from that culture would view topics such as death and grief. Thanks to Phyllida Anam-Áire and her book The Last Ecstasy of Life: Celtic Mysteries of Death and Dying, I have the answers to that question.

To say that Phyllida Anam-Áire is intimately familiar with death would be an understatement. Throughout her life training as a nun and then as a therapist where she trained with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, she learned to view death in a unique way. To her death is not a looming spectre waiting menacingly off in the distance. Death is a constant companion that she has embraced with love. Having found the sacred nature of what it means to live while facing one’s own mortality, she passes on this wisdom through flowing poetry and thoughtful prose.

The first chapter introduces us to some core topics and important information about the author’s beliefs about the nature of life itself. An overarching question of this section revolves around the concept of identity and just what really is the “I” that we speak of when we talk about ourselves. What parts of us can really be considered the true expression of our ‘self’? She shares the Celtic belief that “creation came about by the out-breath of life force and so it was”. This breath that gives us life does not belong to us, but it is something to savor while we get to experience it. She chooses not to question the specifics of what this “breath” might be, instead she surrenders to the mystery and encourages us to do the same. Pondering the unknowable will distract us from living out the fullest expression of life. At the same time she states that it is important to make some personal sense out of what we can observe about the nature of life around us.

With references to works by others in the scientific community, she speaks about the natural energetic field within and around all living organisms. Anam-Áire states that to her the life force that fills and balances all things is a force of love. “This Love does not judge or condemn as its core is the Universal Heart, the heart of compassionate energy.”7 This Universal Heart can act as a source of love of life in the world. It is a beautiful way to view life. Viewing things with compassion and empathy in mind leads to a kinder, more understanding world.

From there the author spends the majority of the book discussing the types of processes we undergo as we die. The energy within us starts to weaken and eventually is released from us as we die. She uses sprinklings of poetry throughout the book to help highlight the emotional themes she brings up. Even the prose she writes reflects her poetic spirit. While the words she uses are not overly complex and the tone very conversational, Anam-Áire weaves together beautiful sentences that evoke certain deep feelings throughout the book.

There are a number of blessings and visualization exercises written throughout the book. Trying those exercises for myself I felt myself more at peace as I went through them. It was interesting to explore these types of thoughts and feelings from the safety of my home. One of the exercises that I found the most impactful was located at the end of chapter three. This exercise, entitled “Let Love Heal…Now”, led me into a deep meditation of healing and self love. The text went on for a few pages, the experience diving deeper as things progressed. I felt the sacred nature of my own divinity and the healing power of love from the Universal Heart. Afterwards I felt at peace and relaxed, having healed bits of myself that required it. Luckily this was near the end of that chapter, which gave me time to reflect.

At the end of each chapter the author leaves a list of questions for the reader to ponder. Taking a few moments to digest and reflect on what I had just read, I found those questions enlightening. They cause us, as readers, to reevaluate our preconceived notions about ourselves, divinity, and the nature of life and death. Taking time to think on these questions, I was led to some interesting personal conclusions that I had not previously considered. With that in mind I was able to sit with a more complete knowledge of myself. Contemplating those questions has given me a greater understanding of what I want from my life as well as my death.

Reading The Last Ecstasy of Life was a journey of self discovery. Led by a guide who speaks with wisdom and a clear reverence for life, the reader is led to examine themselves. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn to approach death with compassion and have a deeper appreciation for life. This is an excellent book that was a pleasure to read. Anam-Áire has managed to breathe such a vibrant sense of life and love into a book all about the topic of death and dying. She has left me with questions to ponder for the remainder of my life as I try to shape what that life will look like. Though when death finally does come for me, I believe I will be more prepared.

Pagan Portals – Temple of the Bones, by Jennifer Teixeira

Pagan Portals – Temple of the Bones: Rituals to the Goddess Hekate, by Jennifer Teixeira
Moon Books, 1789042828, 112 pages, June 2021

Pagan Portals – Temple of the Bones: Rituals to the Goddess Hekate author Jennifer Teixeira has been a practicing witch for over two decades, and in 2009 went forward on her priestess path with The Starflower Coven and The Amazon Blood Mothers of San Francisco Bay Area in California. Beyond being a practicing witch, the author’s specific relationship with the Goddess and experience leading ritual dedicated to Hekate more than qualifies her to educate on the specific rites and rituals presented within these pages.

At just 112 pages, the book is compact and reads as a literal handbook for developing and maintaining a relationship with Hekate, specifically as a group. The writings are in large part the actual public rituals of The Temple of Bones, a group dedicated to Hekate that meets in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

The book begins with a Foreword written by Rowan “Briar” Rivers, one of the Temple of Bones leaders, who begins by telling the story of how they came to be a dedicants of Hekate, and how the group came to be formed. Rivers goes on to explain some of the many symbols and signs that Hekate may use to call upon and invite you to also enter into a relationship with Her.

Hekate is known for having many names (I’ve read in places that there are hundreds at least) and we are shown more than a dozen of them in this book. The Temple of Bones chooses one epithet to work with each month, and the chapter titled “Epithets of Hekate” gives us the exact format that is used to facilitate Her monthly prayer circle where each month another of Her names is called upon for community healing and protection.

The ritual format continues to be explained in the following chapters, “Casting the Circle in the Temple of Bones,” “Elements of Hekate,” “Ancestors of Blood and Affinity,” “Calling the Goddess,” and “The Ritual Working.”

These chapters are succinct and direct with instructions given for leading these portions of the ritual.

The chapter titled “The Bone Oracle” goes into great depth with the Temple of Bone’s “Bone Divination Guide.” Having next to no knowledge of reading or “throwing” bones, and also having an interest in lithomancy (fortune telling by reading crystals and stones) I was thrilled to see that the Temple’s “bones” include crystals, stones, shells, bones, herbs and other interesting, assorted items including alligator claw, coyote claws and teeth, a fossilized stingray barb, and an iron nail. The guide explains the meanings attached to each item and how to use them in divination.

The pages following are a virtual recipe book of offerings, spells, incense formulations, potion recipes, flying ointments, and rituals for the phases of the moon. There is a simple recipe for Florida Water, which I happened to be looking for and delighted to find (and thrilled to realize how simple it is to make!)

The Chapter “Hekate’s Garden” lists the herbs used by the Temple of Bones and explains a bit of history and usage for each. This chapter, as well as the “Bone Divination Guide” are worth the price of the book alone as a reference for working with Hekate.

“The Temple of Bones Ritual Pit” gives the outline for the public ritual of the Temple of Bones and is wonderfully complete in its instruction and would be useful for anyone desiring to lead a Hekatean ritual.

The book wraps up with suggestions for further reading.

I would recommend Pagan Portals – Temple of the Bones to anyone who is interested in working with or learning more about the Goddess Hekate. It is a lovely addition to my own small Hekatean library and I’m sure I’ll use it often in the future at the very least for its lists of herbs, explanations of specific “bones”, incense formulas, and of course for that wonderful Florida Water recipe.

Sex Magicians, by Michael William West

Sex Magicians: The Lives and Spiritual Practices of Paschal Beverly Randolph, Aleister Crowley, Jack Parsons, Marjorie Cameron, Anton LaVey, and Others, by Michael William West
Destiny Books, 1644111632,  256 pages, March 2021

Riveting and yet delightfully easy to devour, Michael William West’s book Sex Magicians: The Lives and Spiritual Practices of Paschal Beverly Randolph, Aleister Crowley, Jack Parsons, Marjorie Cameron, Anton LaVey, and Others is a spirited collection of biographies of history’s most renowned sex magicians. Vice, voice, and breakthrough come together for the quite young yet practice of sex magic in the West, with the usual suspects of Aleister Crowley and Marjorie Cameron dancing side by side with the lesser known names such as the tragic leviathan Ida Craddock. West captures the personality and quirks of each magician with a finesse and sense of fun that perhaps only a fellow practicing sex magician could bring to the table. 

West drops us squarely into the lives of renowned practitioners with such a unique immediacy—it’s a joy to gallop along with him as he recounts the meandering and often mad loves and appetites of the spirited way showers and metaphysicians of the Western tradition. 

As a female-identifying practitioner, I’m fascinated by female identity and sex magic / eros in relationship to magic and gender, specifically female eroticism and occultism. I’m a student of my body in this way. Ecstatic personal rites and experiences are fascinating to me, as is the sovereign tantric path of sexual tantra and sacred sexuality. What struck me most in reading this book was the singular path each magician discovered, having developed their own lexicon, practice, and walked their own oft misunderstood path to illumination. Sex magic is a living tradition, as is magic, one that requires a certain diablesse and courage. 

I loved Sex Magicians for it’s deep and windy dives into the lives of actual practitioners, and there’s something beautiful about a book that’s about sacred sexuality and not interested in virtue signaling or defining the ‘sacred’, but rather moving in the realms of exploration of the profane. It was a refreshing lens, a colorful one that adds dimension to the conversation on sacred sexuality. I have a soft spot in my heart for the colorful characters whose faustian will is so consuming that they use everything they can (sex included) to illuminate, inspire, and instigate their own awakenings, trials, tribulations, tragedy and all.

West’s obvious enjoyment of the topic shines through in his recounting. Beyond the sensationalism, sex magic’s major gift to us (or as West calls it, “The Open Path,”) in the here-present is a different way to the rancid landscape and psychic poverty inherent in modernity’s modus operandi of hook up culture. As West shares in the introduction, “Utilizing (sex) magic to know thyself and change your reality is a personal journey that requires imagination, creativity, and doing things your own way.”8

Anyone who is interested in — or practicing — at any level— will enjoy this benchmark book. West gives context, but the text also instigates in its own way an inner journey for the reader to contemplate what to take from the past, what to leave behind, and perhaps where their own sovereign journey will bring them.

Permission Granted, by Regina Louise

Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Love, by Regina Louise
New World Library, 1608687268, 320 pages, June 2021

In a world filled with many voices claiming to be able to easily and quickly show readers the pathway to self acceptance, Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Love by Regina Louise is really the only book you need ever pick up. Packed full of information and actual real-life strategies that make sense, this book cuts through the noise and provides the tools needed to go on this journey and find the pot of gold at the end.

As a speaker, coach, author, and teacher, Louise is no stranger to hard work and dedication. Her frank prose allows you to connect instantly with the source material and to make connections within yourself that previously you might have overlooked. With fourteen “Kick-Ass Strategies” in the table of contents, readers can jump to whatever they need in the moment or go through the book in a methodical way. Personally, I always read the whole thing front to back, although in this case I was sidetracked by Kick-Ass Strategy #6: Be Big (and Small).

In this chapter, Louise explores what it means to take up space and to lean into it. Having been told for much of my life that I need to tone down, be quieter, watch my language and all that, this chapter resonated with me so much I needed to put the book down and take a few breaths  Louise pinpointed precisely what I feel during those moments, saying:

“…if you’re anything like me, and you’ve been told that you’re a big personality, that you’re too much, which you translate as ‘I’m not wanted’ and ‘I’m about to be abandoned’, then the next thing you know, you’re lost in a big-ass trauma response.”9

I hadn’t thought of it like that, in terms of a trauma response. In reflection, it makes sense, and it’s these moments of realization that makes this book so worth the time investment. Louise writes with such authenticity and awareness that only comes from someone who has walked this path before.

Along with this is the sprinkling of personal anecdotes, a skill that not all books in the same realm as this one can say they’ve mastered. I find that in most situations, anecdotes can be overused as the writer might not have enough content for the actual book, and so it ends up reading more like a memoir. Not that I mind reading about other people’s journeys: I am completely interested in hearing about their challenges and how they overcame them. I just want the book that is sold to me to be the actual book I get after purchasing. This book is precisely what it says it is and I couldn’t be happier.

Subsequent chapters deal with big topics that could actually be books in their own right. This meaty book delves into a lot of muck that we tend to ignore in our quest for happiness and security and love: things like championing yourself, reconnecting with our inner child, fully engaging in our messiness, and giving ourselves permission. In Kick-Ass Strategy #5: Compose a Permission Statement, Louise takes us through the challenging exercise of drafting a permission statement that ultimately gives you mentorship of yourself. Louise says:

“Drafting a permission statement is an act of enormous generosity toward yourself. It’s evidence of your willingness to get on board with who you are, and it offers you the chance to examine your values and beliefs and to own your inherent right to flex your personal power.”10

It’s writing like this that pulls you in and helps you bypass some of the resistance you might feel around doing the exercises. This chapter also raises interesting questions around being fully seen and feeling psychologically safe in those moments and challenges the reader to fully engage with the material.

Part of this exercise includes selecting words from a list that best describe you. In doing this particular exercise, I found it hard to pick only the suggested number of twelve adjectives, and harder still to reduce that number down to six. Challenging, but not impossible.

It meant I had to sit with myself and really dig deep to find out which words actually resonate with me and which ones I wanted to be. There is a huge difference there. It’s exercises like this that teach us how to connect with who we really are and to start to accept ourselves as just that: not good, not bad, just who we are. 

The combination of anecdotes and writing exercises makes this book an absolute treasure. Louise’s way of taking the reader through the self-discovery process is delightful, if a bit painful at times. Part of this process includes uncovering those parts of the self that might be resistant to change and helps to uncover the roots of why that might be. If this sounds like shadow work, it absolutely is. While it might not take the usual form of what would normally be classified as shadow work, Louise’s book most definitely falls into that category.

If you thought you could bypass doing any actual work just by reading a book, Louise’s book will change your mind and encourage you to engage with the material. Honestly, digging deep into your own psyche is not fun, but feeling like Louise is right there with you, telling you how they managed to get through it and what the results were make a huge difference and helps you to feel less alone while you root around in the darkness. Trust me.

Those who identify as being on a journey of discovery through self-awareness of behavior and societal triggers would benefit from this book. In fact, I would suggest that most people even interested in the idea of being self-aware would derive a lot from Louise’s fantastic book.

Permission Granted is about more than just accepting yourself. It’s also about finding space for otherness, for those who aren’t like you but exist in the same space. Once we discover that those around us aren’t really that different, perhaps that knowledge could lead to a better, more stable foundation upon which we can build a more sustainable society. 

All the Yellow Posies, by Elaine DeBohun

All the Yellow Posies, by Elaine DeBohun
Independently Published, 8572925623, 367 pages, April 2021

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I love being immersed in the cultural norms of a time before, as I find there’s a certain romance that the modern world seems to lack. All the Yellow Posies by Elaine DeBohun is set in the time frame between World Wars, which often feels overlooked despite it being filled with movements such as prohibition and women’s suffrage. This romantic novel tells the tale of how love can guide the way beyond both time and space, perfectly intertwining those who are inevitably linked by destiny.

Main character Lou, an aspiring journalist and young woman determined to make her own way in the world despite her wealthy family’s desires for her life, leaves home following the last outbreak of the 1918 influenza to return to her college town of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Immediately she finds a room to rent by a kindly gentleman Mr. Thompson, who runs a successful tailoring business, where his children Holden and Madeline also work. He has two other sons: the youngest Jamie, who is in medical school, and the oldest Dane, who is an artist living in Europe.

Lou quickly feels at home among the Thompson family, who take her in as one of their own. She lands a job as the secretary of their family business and settles into her new life quite nicely. Right off the bat, Holden catches her eye with his charisma and provocative antics. Though he is married, they develop a close kinship based on their love of literature and writing aspirations.

Lou becomes a source of solace for Holden, who is struggling with shell-shock from his service in World War I and having difficulty transitioning back to civilian life. Consistently drinking his prescribed alcohol, Holden’s behavior can be erratic and extreme, with moods rapidly shifting due to his deep thinking and emotional intensity. Let’s just say, it’s a rollercoaster of emotion for Lou who realizes a romance with Holden requires courage and a willingness to embrace the unknown.

Unforeseen circumstances completely shift Lou’s life upside down though, and soon Lou finds herself in Paris, France. I hesitate to go much more into the plot at this point though, or I might risk revealing a spoiler alert. Let’s just say, in her path to make meaning of her life and pursue her ambitions as a writer, she comes to realize she must follow the signs beckoning her in this new direction.

One interesting part of the book is when Lou visits a Romani gypsy and has a tarot card reading. The gypsy gifts Lou with a tarot deck, which she uses quite often for insight. Just like common belief that symbols such as feathers and pennies indicate a message from a passed loved one, Lou comes to make a connection with bluebirds that appear when she is on the right path. Ultimately, Lou’s grief and pain lead to her ultimate happiness as she embraces the mysterious path being laid out before her.

There is a wholesome quality to All the Yellow Posies. It is sentimental and romantic in an old-fashioned way where men knew what it meant to be gentlemen. Nevertheless, the women characters are strong, independent, and keen on pursuing their paths.

I especially enjoyed the relationship between Lou and character Bette, who many authors might pose as enemies, but DeBohun decides to portray as mature women, capable of acknowledging their shared bond of love. I felt like I was wrapped up in the Thompson family, sharing their joys and losses right along with them.

I will admit delving into Holden’s character, filled with what would now be considered post-traumatic stress from the aristocracies he witnessed during his time on the battlefield, was tough at points. My heart definitely broke at times as I was brought to tears by the story’s events. All the Yellow Posies certainly isn’t a fluffy read, and it invites the reader to truly move through a whole range of human emotion.

DeBohun does a wonderful job of tackling the tough emotions with intimate delicacy, showcasing her own emotional depth and talent as a writer. By the end, all of the characters have moved through loss, sorrow, and anguish to become a better version of themselves. There is a higher power in this story, but it is not religious or even very spiritual, it is love that guides the way making it universally relatable.

I recommend All the Yellow Posies to those seeking a heartfelt read. The dynamic interplay of emotions beautifully plays out within the containment of one family and their close relationships. All the characters make an impression on the heart, which I know will still be with me for a time to come. Plus, the time period and unique culture of both America and Europe during this time is very interesting to be immersed within.

Heal Yourself and the World with Tai-chi, by Bob Klein

Heal Yourself and the World with Tai-chi: How to make your life powerful and become a healer, by Bob Klein
Artistic Video, 189219869X, 428 pages, January 2021

Reading Bob Klein’s Heal Yourself and the World with Tai-chi: How to make your life powerful and become a healer was truly an epic voyage. At just over four hundred pages of pure text, this book is an ocean of experience and wisdom that can help the reader come to a deeper, harmonious resonance with themselves and, by extension, the rest of the world.

As Klein advises, simply reading this book cannot bring you the healing understanding indicated in the title. That can only be gained through an embodied practice. However, as a motivational aid and discussion of the fundamental principles of Tai-chi, his book is a perfect starting point for those (like myself) who are intellectually interested in the practice, but have yet to take the first physical steps on this path.

Klein presents a fascinating tour of the guiding principles of Tai-chi and zookinesis with a writing style that is both easy to comprehend and full of profound insight. His constant use of metaphor and analogy often grounds his exposition through humor, and allows him to clearly communicate ideas that might otherwise be quite “heady” and abstract. For instance he writes:

“The image you use to influence the body should be passive – like hitting a gong and letting the sound do the work of reaching everyone’s ear. . . Once you hit the gong, you don’t need to then run over to everyone and push them toward the dining room.”1

This style is a perfect reflection of one of Klein’s main points throughout the book: that modern human beings have become terribly divorced from embodied experience. Our awareness is all too often solely localized to our heads: our mind as opposed to our body.

Again, this is why reading the book isn’t ultimately going to impart the transformative knowledge that Klein talks about. Alongside the book, he recommends using videos (if not attending classes) to develop the expanded awareness necessary to heal oneself and the world.

However, Klein also notes that only taking classes or learning the Tai-chi forms may not yield this embodied awareness either, as he laments that many contemporary teachers possess only a shallow understanding of Tai-chi’s power. Similar to the typical yoga classes that you find nowadays, they are all form and no substance: simply an exercise for the body.

This is one of the main reasons why I found Heal Yourself and the World with Tai-chi so stimulating: it is a companion text to the practice which allows one to find the deeper power of Tai-chi when a suitable teacher/class isn’t available. In our time of remote/online classes – rather than traditional, in-person mentorship of the past – Klein’s book is perfect for marrying a purely form-based practice to the deeper wisdom of your “body-mind.”

This book is most definitely not an instruction manual for the Tai-chi forms, so if that’s your only interest, Klein’s book is probably not for you. Nor is it solely a discussion of the practice of Tai-chi itself. There is an incredible breadth to the topics in the book, and it often feels more like a spiritual treatise than a text about the practice. But this is in no way a bad thing, and is precisely the reason that the book is an ideal supplement for the physical practice of Tai-chi. 

The winding flow of Klein’s style carries you along from one topic to the next, weaving an integrated philosophical narrative while always bringing you back to the grounded, embodied discussion of the practice. If you are a reader who likes short, contained sections with lots of page-breaks and subject headers, you might have a little difficulty moving through this book. But I think that Klein’s way of writing perfectly reflects many of the principles that Tai-chi helps you to learn. The book itself exemplifies these ideas through its holistic presentation and through its demonstration of the interconnectedness of its various topics.

Sometimes you might get the sense that the text is a little repetitive, but I never found this to detract from the book. In fact, rather than being directly repetitive, I think it’s more that Klein takes you on circuitous detours in his exploration of a given topic. So, when he returns to the original point, this is what might give the impression of “I’ve been here before.” However, you have come back to the idea with new insights, metaphors, and explanations that were gained in the interim. I love the organic feel that this writing style lends to the book – it feels like Klein is guiding you through explorations of a living landscape rather than leading you down a dry, flat road.

Again, this reflects another principle emphasized by Tai-chi: awareness that is not one-dimensional. We are obsessed with linearity in the modern age: straight roads, squared-off architecture, rational/scientific modes of thought. While none of these might be “bad” per se, the accumulation of linearity in our lives gets us stuck outside the rhythms and patterns of Nature. Klein presents the intriguing point that flat walking surfaces, such as our floors and sidewalks, contributes to one’s awareness staying confined to the head, rather than being distributed throughout the whole body.

We don’t have to be aware of our environment (and can “get things done” in our minds) because the ground is so predictable – and yet, we might trip over the slightest imperfection. The unfortunate consequence is that, while convenient in some ways, traveling across linear ground removes us from being aware – being present – to the here and now.

Although many of the principles that Klein discusses will be familiar to those familiar with Taoism and other spiritual traditions originating in Asia, I think the aspects of Heal Yourself and the World with Tai-chi that sets it apart from other books are two-fold. First, Klein’s self-exemplary style – the form of the text is aligned with its content – and second, his emphasis on embodied practice rather than purely intellectual understanding. These two features allow this book to truly stand out as an enjoyable journey over Klein’s ocean of wisdom.