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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.”1

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.”2 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.”3

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”4 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.”5

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.

Naturally Psychic, by Karen Harrison

Naturally Psychic: Awaken Your Intuitive Abilities, by Karen Harrison
Weiser Books,  978-1578638796, 240 pages, April 2025

“Why did you instinctively pause at the green light, even though your eyes did not at first detect the car hurtling around the corner to run the red light?  Because you sensed a quickly shifting energy patter and were fast enough to react to it at an unconscious (psychic) level. Your eyes could not detect the accelerating car because it was out of your line of sight around the corner, but your psychic senses were on alert and aware on our behalf, transmitting the unconscious  information to your brain that you should not move forward.”6

Naturally Psychic: Awaken Your Intuitive Abilities by Karen Harrison takes the reader on a journey of opening to the instinctual nature within each of us, which when allowed to develop and flow in an organic way can be used as a tool of connection to our intuitive self. Using exercises, personal stories, and practical theory, Harrison cuts through the glamour and often elitist attitude towards psychism allowing for confidence building and trusting your abilities. 

This book is organized into ten chapters. The title concludes with pages of Suggested Reading and Resources, offering of endorsement for Charles Cox, an ordained Spiritualist Minister who works in communication with the dead. His website is referenced as a source of gaining more knowledge in this manner of psychic ability. An Index is included making it a user friendly title in returning to key points or subject matter. 

Thirty-seven exercises are spread throughout the title, giving readers ample opportunity to practice and relax into the use of different modalities in crafting their own abilities. And, although practice and work is indeed required, all the while readers are given agency to be in control every step of the way. 

The first three chapters offer readers a well-planned balance between practice and application that sets the tone for subsequent chapters and the narrowing down of what works and what doesn’t. Chapters 4 through 9 guide the reader into the many ways that psychic abilities may be used, offering plenty of exercises and discussion of the pros and cons of each scenario for use.

I especially enjoyed “Chapter 2: Clairvoyance and Other Techniques to Access Your Psychic Senses”. For those newer to the varied ways that psychic work is processed, the familiarity of starting from a commonly known point of clairvoyance in relation to psychism is perfect. 

“The term clairvoyance means “clear seeing” (clair meaning “clear” and voyance meaning “sight”). This technique is often used to read auras, or to interact with spirit guides to interpret the subtle energy patterns within, surrounding, and acting upon an individual.”7

Discussion of brain wave states and what the aura is follow and once these have been established, the other “clairs” are taken in turn: clairaudience (clear hearing), clairsentience (clear feeling), and claircognizance (clear knowing). Each is presented both theoretically and with tips from Harrison about how she employs them. This chapter concludes with information about the colors often visualized in a state of clairvoyance; their meaning and import in application of interpretation and understanding. 

Another very interesting section was “Chapter 5: Psychic Dreaming”.

“Dream interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to the events, symbols, images, feelings, and people that we experience in our dream states. In many ancient societies, dreaming was considered a supernatural communication or a means of divine intervention-an important message from the Gods or from spirits that needed to be seriously listened to.”8

This chapter explores the psychological underpinnings of dream work, the “sleep temples” of ancient Egypt and Greece and the function of the subconscious in allowing to arise within the dream state what we already intuitively perceive. The precognitive dream state is also discussed and its function and validity for receiving and sharing information of future happenings. The exercises of this chapter cover all of the necessary practices to be developed in retrieving, deciphering, communicating and making use of what is garnered in a dream state. 

The final “Chapter 10: Psychic Etiquette, Hygiene and Troubleshooting Tips” offers a reminder that all of the preceding work is of no use if you do not do what is necessary to care for and renew yourself. Harrison reminds readers to utilize the basic grounding and centering exercises offered in “Chapter 1: Sensing, Understanding, and Using the Flow off Energy in Psychic Work”, taking the reader back to the beginning and exemplifying the cyclical nature of psychic work.

“So before you begin any psychic work, always use the grounding and centering meditation techniques as outlined in Chapter 1. And as you ground and center yourself, extend that energy into the space where you will be working to clear and neutralize it as well.”9

Would I Recommend?

Naturally Psychic: Awaken Your Intuitive Abilities is a readily accessible book on a subject that often is overdone. This title provides clear and simple, yet potent, information and an approach that is less daunting and more organic than other books on the subject. The title choice of  “Naturally Psychic” is not a statement of enticement to readers; rather, it is the approach Harrison has taken throughout her book. The fact that we all are naturally inherently gifted with psychic abilities, the degree to which we are able to cultivate, recognize, and make usable of them  is the only variable in what is often presented as a “special” or “elitist” ability. 

Because I am, as are many others, a highly visual learner, kudos to the publishers for printing a beautiful book. The font is in a lovely blue shade that graces the cover with gold enhancements and appropriately placed geometric and graphic design elements are spread throughout. The book has a very luxurious feel; I believe the paper stock is slightly heavier, giving the reader a feeling of holding something very precious in their hands. This is an excellent book for the beginner as well as a continuing practice for the more experienced.

About the Author: Karen Harrison 

“Karen Charboneau-Harrison has been involved with magick, the psychic arts and occultism since early childhood. Brought up in a household where these philosophies and endeavors were encouraged, she has been using herbal blends medicinally and magickally for decades. Karen obtained her Master of Herbology in 1980 from the Emerson College of Herbology, Montreal.

The proprietress of Moon Magick Alchemical Apothecary since 1978, her blends are used across the nation. She and her husband also own Isis Books, Gifts and Healing Oasis in Denver, Colorado.”10

Medium Mentor, by MaryAnn DiMarco

Medium Mentor: 10 Powerful Techniques to Awaken Divine Guidance for Yourself and Others, by MaryAnn DiMarco
New World Library, 1608687635, 224 pages, April 2022

Anyone else ever feel like they’re immensely intuitive, or maybe even a natural psychic, but have no idea how to cultivate this skill set? If so, Medium Mentor: 10 Powerful Techniques to Awaken Divine Guidance for Yourself and Others by MaryAnn DiMarco is a must, must, must (did I say must enough yet?) read! As someone who has considered themselves somewhat psychic since childhood, but has continually tried to ignore or repress my inner knowing, this information in this book finally gave me the empowerment to start taking this gift more seriously.

MaryAnn DiMarco is an internationally recognized psychic-medium, author, and healer. Teaching comes naturally to her, as she’s mentored spiritual influencers such as Gabby Bernstein, Jordan Younger, and thousands of students worldwide. Her workshops and classes focus on how to cultivate one’s intuitive gifts and be of service to others. This is her second book, following Believe, Ask, Act: Divine Steps to Raise Your Intuition, Create Change, and Discover Happiness published in 2016.

I felt a connection to DiMarco right away when I started reading Medium Mentor. I liked her style; there’s a sincerity within her writing. I could tell she wasn’t someone to sugarcoat things or beat around the bush.  You can tell that DiMarco genuinely wants to serve others and teach them to the best of her abilities. And I think it’s her personality, which comes through in her writing, that makes me trust her as a teacher.

Plus, the guidance in this book is unique. I’ve read a bunch of books over the years about developing one’s psychic gifts, but DiMarco touched on things others neglect, such as the need to take this work seriously and how to practically go forward and serve others with one’s psychic abilities. Best of all, DiMarco emphasizes that there’s no prescriptive one-size fits method of psychic development, and she continually prompts the readers to experiment and do what’s best for them.

“When we are able to sustain a connection with spirit and keep our lives in balance, our intuitive abilities gain the fertile ground they need to truly flourish. Getting balanced includes setting boundaries and reassessing priorities. It is intuitive and dynamic, and it’s absolutely key to our ability to move through the physical world while honoring the psychic world, too.”11

DiMarco covers topics that can be useful for a personal psychic practice, such as managing your ego, overcoming fear, setting strong boundaries, trusting one’s imagination, and use of different tools to enhance your readings. But she also covers extensively reading for other people by delving into topics like mastering how you convey the information (as well as learning to discern if information should even be shared), developing a sustainable spiritual practice and not just dabbling, integrating psychic abilities and daily life, using one’s psychics abilities to serve others, and feeling worthy in one’s path as a lightworker.

As a tarot reader who temporarily “retired” as I prefer to phrase it for previous clients or the recommendations they often send me, I realized that following DiMarco’s insights might actually help me create the appropriate structure to sustain doing readings once again. I often noted I would have “spiritual hangovers”, as DiMarco refers to them, when I didn’t have clear boundaries with my clients or was trying to do many readings at once. Her advice on managing these practical aspects of being a divine channel, based on both her own experience and that of her students, made me see that I could try this again but with more commitment this time.

So many psychic books make it seem like anyone can cultivate these abilities, and while DiMarco affirms this, she also acknowledges the challenges that come from integrating them with your daily life, from having to develop confidence in one’s chosen career, which is bound to get some odd looks occasionally, to fully committing to follow the guidance of spirit in order to release the ego and serve from a place of openness and love. I really appreciated that DiMarco highlights that when you delve into this kind of work, you will ultimately get to a point where you’re not just playing around anymore and you truly need to commit to take it to the next level.

“There comes a time in every psychic’s life when things get serious. Don’t get me wrong – it can still be fun. In fact, a light-hearted attitude is required. Humor, joy, and laughter are always welcome. Yet at a certain point, that spontaneous, joyful experience needs strong grounding for us to really flourish. The spiritual steps we take become dependent on our ability to take our role seriously.”12

And I think this book is perfect for people who are in this position of being called to develop their psychic abilities through a combination of trust, laughter, and hard work. It’s not to say a beginner wouldn’t benefit from this book; certainly anyone with an interest in cultivating their psychic abilities would gain immense knowledge from reading this book. But I feel like it’s a truly perfect fit for those who have some experience, perhaps using divination tools (crystals, oracle cards, tarot cards) or in mediumship or past-life regression, that are looking to take their practice to the next level.

The expertise of DiMarco’s teaching shines through in the book through the different techniques at the end of each chapter. As she describes in the introduction, she is focusing on the “DIY aspect of psychic development.”13 And as someone who learns by doing, this was incredibly helpful for me. I took the time to do every single one as I made my way through this book, and by the end, I had reestablished a connection with psychic self and spirit team, learned so much about fears holding me back, and felt much more empowered in my identity as a spiritual practitioner.

I’m still benefiting from what I uncovered from taking the time to connect with myself and move through each technique. They were so fun and insightful to do because it was a hands-on way to integrate DiMarco’s lessons. For instance, one technique helped me to get really clear about what my fears were, which surprisingly were not what I thought they were. Another one helped me to check in on the health of my chakras and feel into what each one needed. I learned my sacral chakra needed lemons, prompting me to make lemonade and buy a lemon essential oil, while my heart chakra needed flowers, so I’ve been getting fresh flowers for my house weekly and taking a walk each day to smell all the flowers in bloom. I also used one of the techniques to establish a spiritual schedule for myself, making me more likely to meditate and cleansing my space on certain days because I am developing a routine.

My favorite one of all was creating a spiritual mission statement because it gave me the confidence to shine my light and acknowledge the gifts I have to share with others. The way DiMarco guides readers to discover their mission statement was actually through acknowledging the way they judge others. She moves us through the process of taking negative emotions and turning them into a purpose that can move us forward on our path. I am definitely giving a summary, and it’s 100% worth reading the book to do this yourself, but I just loved DiMarco’s creative approach.

All in all, I can’t recommend Medium Mentor highly enough. Medium Mentor is filled with the guidance my spirit needed to take my psychic abilities to the next level. DiMarco has reflected on her insight as a medium to craft a how-to guide for readers that is the perfect mixture of left and right brain thinking, combining intuitive creativity with practical application. The techniques are bound to yield meaningful insights, and by the end of the book, you’ll most certainly feel more connected to spirit team offering divine guidance than when you started reading.

Blackthorn’s Protection Magic, by Amy Blackthorn

Blackthorn’s Protection Magic: A Witch’s Guide to Mental & Physical Self-Defense, by Amy Blackthorn
Weiser Books, 1578637619, 208 pages, March 2022

My spirit journey took an unexpected twist recently. After spending a year delving into the realm of mermaids, I suddenly felt very called to explore the world of superheroes, self-defense, and protection magic. For the first time ever, I watched all the Marvel movies, and I became inspired to increase my physical strength and psychic defenses. This is what led me to reading Blackthorn’s Protection Magic: A Witch’s Guide to Mental & Physical Self-Defense by Amy Blackthorn. It has been a game-changer, awakening so many new ideas with practical tips I can immediately incorporate into my practice.

I had heard of Blackthorn because of her best-selling books Botanical Magic, Sacred Smoke, and Blackthorn’s Botanical Brews. But I was very surprised to discover Blackthorn also has a background in security. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, is a blackbelt martial artist, and shoots pistols competitively in addition to teaching women self-defense. How freaking badass can only possibly be? I would have never guessed! Her experience in both magic and security makes for one all encompassing, hell-of-a read.

The book is divided into four parts and covers mind, body, and spiritual protection. Then the last part is the additional information section that shares information about timing work according to the day of the week/moon phase, color correspondences, and plants to use for different types of spellwork. Plus, Blackthorn provides a fantastic introduction into the topic of protection magic, writing about ethics, boundaries, and her own magical point of view. Her very straightforward approach made me more comfortable with the idea of using protective magic, and I especially liked how she clearly defined magic, curses, hexes, and jinxes for readers. There’s even a curse assessment for readers – how cool is that?

This book is the perfect blend of practical advice for self-defense and instruction on how to perform protection magic. What really stands out about Blackthorn’s writing is her conversational tone. She uses anecdotes to illuminate the content, such as bravely sharing her story of dealing with a stalker, and also ensures readers are taking the utmost precaution with their supplies. For instance, she continually reminds readers essential oils should never be used on infants and notes when certain herbs or essential oils are not appropriate to use. It feels like Blackthorn has your back as you read, which is such a reassuring feeling.

Blackthorn even wants to protect us from getting scammed! I really enjoyed the section of the book where Blackthorn shares how to determine the quality of essential oils and crystals. She goes into depth about how one can determine if they have a diluted essential oil or if it’s using low-quality ingredients. Then she discusses how to know if a crystal is legit, which I’ve always struggled to figure out. I will absolutely now be testing the quality of my essential oils and more discerning in my crystal selection.

I also now want a tactical pen to carry around with me. And I convinced my husband we should practice Blackthorn’s advice on how to get out of being tied up. I also looked into going to a shooting range because for the first time ever I saw the value in being able to defend myself. And all of this is so out of my typical lifestyle in so many ways, but it’s exactly what my hippie-heart needed to read to remember we can be loving and badass at the same time.

Another great thing about the book is that Blackthorn offers so many suggestions of how to incorporate protection magic into your practice that every reader is bound to find something that works for them. From energy practices (breathing, grounding, shielding) to outdoor gardening, the options offered seem limitless. And Blackthorn is thorough! The section on crystals did a great job of explaining their properties and it came in handy later when she talked about creating a crystal grid for protection. Her information on gardening, both indoor and outdoor, for home protection was wisdom I’ve never read elsewhere. There’s incense recipes, tarot spells, mirror boxes, and so much more.

The energy practice that I’ve been using most (and with great success) is one where she discusses visualizing oneself in an eggshell. Visualization practices usually never stick for me, but the way Blackthorn teaches it, including customizations one can make to their eggshell, has really stuck for me. I feel so much less anxious being around a lot of people now and haven’t felt “pulls” on my energy since I’ve started practicing this energy technique.

The only thing missing that I wish was included in the book is information about protecting oneself online, such as insights on tech-defense and thoughts on how to protect one’s energy in the digital world. Society is becoming more reliant on technology, most people use the internet daily, but with the amount of animosity, hate, and confusion that spreads like rapid fire nowadays, it can be tough to know how to protect one’s energy online.

I have developed my own practices, and based on the wealth of information given by Blackthorn, readers could definitely piece together a spell for online protection. But I just value Blackthorn’s insights so much that I wish I could learn her thoughts on digital safety and protection too. However, this in NO WAY detracts from the immense amount of information provided in the book for day to day protection.

All in all, Blackthorn’s Protection Magic is the best book I’ve ever read on the topic. Blackthorn gives her readers the low-down we all need to stay safe, strengthened, and shielded from harm. Her unique blend of practical and magical wisdom make for a comprehensive how-to guide when it comes to protecting oneself on all levels: mind, body, and spirit. I feel strong after reading this book – and more street smart. I highly recommend this one for your collection!

Psychic Reading Cards, by Debbie Malone

Psychic Reading Cards: Awaken your Psychic Abilities, by Debbie Malone and illustrated by Amalia I. Chitulescu 
Rockpool Publishing, 925924763, 36 cards, 96 pages, February 2021

I’ll admit that the Psychic Reading Cards by Debbie Malone deck piqued my interest immediately because of the vivid imagery of a phoenix on the deck box done by illustrator Amalia I. Chitulescu. You know what they say about judging a book by its cover, but great cover art will get my attention every time.

Malone, is a celebrated psychic medium and clairvoyant from Australia who has assisted police departments across her country in missing-persons and murder investigations for well over a decade. She has written other books that mainly center around this work, including Clues from Beyond: True Crime Stories from Australia’s #1 Psychic Detective and Never Alone: A Medium’s Journey – Real Life Files from a Psychic Detective.  The author has also created two other card decks, Angel Reading Cards and Guardian Angel Reading Cards, also both illustrated by Chitulescu.

The cards in this deck sport vibrant illustrations and mostly single word titles, such as Coins, Nature, Abundance, Celebration, Mirror, and Doorways. I’m always curious what my first draw will be from a new deck. This one was an accurate acknowledgment of my present reality with a card titled Juggler – illustrated with a woman sitting cross legged and juggling several different items including a clock, a house, a book, a dollar bill, and some baby shoes.

I was indeed juggling quite a few different obligations the day I drew the card, and I chuckled at the deck’s sense of humor. Interestingly, the following day I did a group reading for over a dozen people and not a single card repeated itself, until I drew one for myself… yep, still juggling I was.

The single word (or in a few cases, multi-word) titles evoke a strong meaning on their own, which coupled with the illustration for each card seem to speak volumes. In the single card readings I did most of the querents felt like they knew exactly what the card was saying without any explanation from me or from the accompanying book.

The guidebook, though, is a beautiful addition, full of wise uplifting words and gorgeously illustrated on every glossy page with full color renditions of the cards and beautiful graphic design throughout. 

All in all, I did over a dozen single-card readings, as well as half a dozen multiple-card readings using the spreads provided in the accompanying guidebook. There were many things in common among the responses from querents – but the two that were unanimous were an excitement about the images and the sense that the deck spoke very clearly to their current situations.

Several people commented they had unspoken questions answered and had received much clarity, such as this actual comment sent to me by a querent in response to her reading (quoted here with her permission):

“I loved the imagery of the cards. They felt so comforting and it was easy to gather the messages from the images. The words that accompanied the images were spot on. What I love is the realness and earthiness of the card descriptions. Sometimes I feel confused by card descriptions but these were really simple to read through and follow. They were relatable and straight to the point. The questions the creator asked in the cards were perfect as well.

In terms of the reading itself it is most definitely resonating. I started to put into works a trip to visit a friend soon. I’d been thinking about it but this spread helped me take some action on it and confirmed for me that was a good step to take. The doors opening and phoenix were so timely as well. I felt there was such a nice flow with the messages of these cards.”

The above comments are indicative of the responses I received from all the querents I read for using this deck. The card meanings in this deck and guidebook all lean towards the extreme positive, which could be partly the reason that all of the comments I received about readings were very positive and optimistic! And even though the card meanings are positive, the author doesn’t hesitate to ask powerful questions that will possibly evoke strong emotion from honest answers.

Each card description begins with an italicized sentence that gives the overall idea for the card. For example, the card titled Phoenix, which is pictured on the deck/book packaging, encapsulates its message in the sentence “It is your time to rise and begin again.”14

The card descriptions go on to not only give advice, but to also ask very good questions that would make for powerful inquiry and journaling prompts. The Phoenix asks:

“Have you been feeling stuck and blocked with your spiritual journey? Have you found it difficult to let go of issues from the past? Do you feel that everything in your life seems to be going wrong? Do you question when will it be your time to shine? Do you feel that you don’t have the power and ability to achieve your goals?”15

As for specifics, the cards are very large – 4 ½ x 5 inches. They are not so easily shuffled if you have small hands, but the trade-off is having those large, gorgeous images. The cards are made of quality glossy cardstock that is thin enough to shuffle easily and thick enough to feel durable. The book is just shy of 5×7 inches and both items come in a beautiful and sturdy box that closes with a magnetic clasp. The lovely, sturdy case is definitely a plus in my book.

I would recommend Psychic Reading Cards for anyone looking for very positive oracle cards, beautiful surrealist collage art, and great journaling prompts for doing deeper work and encouraging intuitive messages.

The Diamond Rose, by Daniela Valenti

The Diamond Rose: A Sentinel 10 Novel, by Daniela Valenti
Daniela Valenti, 1777427304, 258 pages, 2020

I love a good paranormal-romance, mostly because as an intuitive person that’s how all my life usually feels, if only in my own mind. I can always relate to the trials of learning how to use one’s powers wisely while encountering spirits, energies, and deities with their own agenda. I appreciate when a fiction book strengthens my confidence in my own intuition from inspiring me with how a strong character handles what comes their way; sometimes it’s just more relatable than reading a nonfiction book on a topic because I can develop a connection to the characters and use them as inspiration. Therefore, I was thrilled to discover The Diamond Rose by Daniela Valenti, which is the first book in an on-going series, that kept me hooked from the start with a relatable, intriguing plot. I could not get enough of this book and am already eagerly awaiting the next one coming out in 2021!

The premise of The Diamond Rose is the protagonist, a medical student named Amanda, suddenly develops psychic abilities during a solar flare. Luckily, her best friend since childhood, Lydia, also has her psychic powers activated so she’s not alone in this venture. Together, the women are encouraged to join the most powerful secret society in order to learn how to control their powers and receive protection from a mafia-like Committee. The fact that the Committee is the most powerful, filled with secrets, and may or may not have its Sentinel’s best interest at heart only adds interest to how this will play out in the long-run within the series. Meanwhile, Amanda struggles with feelings for her stoic, handsome, and ripped partner James, while also fending herself from the attraction of Alain, a rogue assassin stalking her. The mixture of intrigue and romance set the stages for Amanda as she navigates this new way of life in a way many modern women can relate to – drinking her tea, lots of baths, and frequent shopping.

What I liked most about The Diamond Rose was the cast of characters that Valenti brings to life. From the start, she develops layered-interactions between the characters, generating enough conflict to be engaging but also a sense of teamwork. It made me wish I had my own team of psychics to tackle energy-suck plasma and mind-controlling bad guys with! The variety of characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, make for a force to be reckoned with. You can see they are a team, but there’s still alliances that are forming, which keep it interesting as you keep guessing at what may transpire between them.

I especially appreciate the focus in the plot on Amanda’s relationship with her best friend Lydia because it demonstrates a healthy and mature friendship between women. Too often, women are pitted against each other as competitors, portraying them as envious or not to be trusted. I found it refreshing to see the dynamic between these two, who openly share their opinions on the other’s love life (is the guy ever really good enough for your bestie?), work through their disagreements, and continue to be honest and loving with each despite differences of opinion.

Beyond the variety of characters, there’s also competing secret societies, each with their own agenda that add even more complexity to the story. The book perfectly satiates readers’ curiosity about these rumored secret societies, so often alluded to in modern times, while laying a web that ties another main character, Basil, and his family to these different organizations.This is just one example of the foundation laid by Valenti that keeps the readers questioning what lay ahead for the characters further into the series.

Another unique feature of the book is Valenti’s profession as a psychiatrist, which allows her to expertly weave in psychological and medical concepts. Being that many of the characters have a scientific background, she creates the perfect counter of reason and logic to all the paranormal happenings, which adds humor and keeps the story grounded in a reality that seems plausible to the reader. Valenti’s use of contrasting perspectives enables the reader to see the characters’ perspective from a scientific view-point and also supernatural one, especially in disagreements between Lydia and Amanda, and leaves the reader’s reflection on whose point is right.

My favorite part of the book was when the Sentinels get their initial training. I have been very into studying defense and protection magic recently, and Amanda gave me a lot of inspiration for accepting my abilities and learning how to protect myself with them. I used the technique for turning off psychic receiving that Amanda got in training in real life with much success. It was fun to engage with the experience of the characters in this way and to imagine what it’d be like to be a Sentinel myself.

One-downside of the book for readers may be their frustration with Amanda’s romantic choices. Just like a good friend, you’ll be screaming “Why are you putting yourself through this heartache?” when she full-fledge throws herself into a rather toxic relationship. Since it seems Amanda’s childhood wounds are only healed by utterly consuming love, she tosses all reason to the side and dives in headfirst to an “unconditional” love affair with a domineering suitor. It’s a classic mash-up of toxicity and bonding over abuse that fuels the love, in my opinion, and this may have some more level-headed women smacking their palm to their face saying, “Girl, get a grip.” However, by the end, the twist of events certainly seems to be a set-up for the evolving plot in the upcoming books. As much as I wanted to hate on Amanda for her choices, I also have experienced my fair share of flings with the bad boy. Being that she’s young, I hope to see her mature as the series goes on.

The only other thing worth mentioning about The Diamond Rose is that it’s lacking any BIPOC in it, which is a bit disheartening. I think a little more diversity would make it more appealing to a wider range of audience. Amanda is a very much “basic white girl,” though still with enough depth to make her an interesting lead.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Diamond Rose and read it under 24 hours (I even stayed up late one night because I wanted to know what would come next). I think Valenti is off to a great start with the series – I’m already invested in the characters – and I look forward to seeing what’s next for the Sentinels. This book perfectly blends the suspense that comes from a good thriller with the romance at the heart of chick lit. I highly recommend it for anyone whose is seeking a paranormal-romance, especially for those who are looking for a fictional role model to inspire them as they hone their psychic abilities.