Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards

Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards
By Doreen Virtue, Ph.D., H Life Styles (Hay House, Inc.) 44-card deck with 123-page guidebookTwelve artists contribute to the artwork displaying Goddess from many different pantheons, including the Christian mythos. The over-sized cards contain the name of the Goddess and her title/meaning above a unique artistic portrayal. Under each painting is a short quote from the Goddess to the reader. Even the quotes from the Goddesses considered “dark” like Pele are bright and upbeat. The deck has the “everything is right and good with the world”, New Age outlook.

The cards’ artwork is inconsistent throughout the deck, mainly because of the differing techniques among the varied artists, but that may add to its freshness or charm.
I was startled to find Mary, Mary Magdalene and Guinevere among the cards, but perhaps that is because of my non-Christian upbringing. I understand that some Pagans do worship the Christian women icons as forms of Goddess. I was also amused at the omission of Persephone and Hekate, but I suppose there are so many Goddesses that including more of everyone’s personal favorites would have been impossible.

The booklet is of a better quality than most guides included within a deck. It will stand up to the usage of regular readings without falling apart like a stapled pamphlet one usually finds with a tarot deck. Both the booklet and the cards come in a nice two-piece box that is also sturdy in its construction.

Inside the booklet is a table of contents making it easy to find the cards in your layout. Also provided are instruction on consecrating and using the deck, readings and variation on readings. The booklet includes “general meanings” on each card. The reader is encouraged to honor their intuition, something that is necessary to make sense out of any divination practice.

In all, the deck is friendly and the meaning and usage accessible to even a beginner. I would not recommend this deck for general use but it is nice to have as a secondary tool when using tarot in your daily meditations.

Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon

Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon – Lore, Rituals, Activities and Symbols
By Ashleen O’Gaea
New Page Books ((The Career Press, Inc.)

This book is the second of the series. The second half of the Wiccan year, Beltane to Mabon, follows the same format as the fist book.

The book gives the reader the history of each holiday and discusses modern day practices of the holidays. Rituals for the coven, family or solitary are thoughtfully explained. Activities and symbols pertinent to each holiday are also included.

The author has even thoughtfully included advice on celebrating one of the major holidays with non-Pagans in a non-confrontational way.

Surprisingly the chapters I found most useful in this book were the appendices. One discussed indoor celebrations. Many people cast their circles indoors even though Wicca is a nature religion. This section acknowledges that truth in a practical and non-judgmental way. Another appendix clearly states age appropriate activities for including your children in holiday celebrations.

This book is the perfect conclusion to its earlier companion book, Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara.