Weiser Book & Deck Reviews
Scott Cunningham: The Path Taken, The Beloved Dead Oracle Cards, and The Language of Lenormand
I am very excited to review these titles for you from Weiser Books. Many thanks to the folks at Weiser for letting me check out their new releases!
This is a reminder that I provide honest reviews and so if you see it here, it is truly how I feel about the product. I have three reviews for today, so you get a video review and a print review for each one in case you are not positioned to watch a video.
Scott Cunningham: The Road Taken by Christine Cunningham Ashworth
To order: https://redwheelweiser.com/book/scott-cunningham-the-path-taken-9781578638086/
The author, Christine Cunningham Ashworth, has been on my Facebook friends list for some time, so I knew she was a wonderful writer and interesting person. When this book released earlier this year, I was immediately interested. Cunningham, of course, is a pioneer in the Pagan world and for many of us who came into the Pagan aspect of our spiritual selves in the 70s and 80s, he was one of the few authors on the shelf.
As a prolific writer, he populated many of our personal libraries. His seminal book, Wicca: A Guide For the Solitary Practitioner, was one of the first times a voice of some degree of authority dared to say that a person could be a Witch or Wiccan without a full coven initiation. He was brave. He was ground-breaking. He was taken from us too soon.
The words that came to mind as I read this book were “heartfelt” and “intimate.” Christine takes us into the immersive experience of living in a family full of love and support. As you read this book, you can feel the depth of emotion present for these people and it is both humbling and inspirational.
The passages Christine wrote herself are warm and filled with love and admiration for her brother and it would be easy to say that it is family bias, but she also includes testimonials from other Pagans about how Scott affected and influenced their practice.
Another part of the book that I enjoyed was an analysis of some of Scott’s most popular books and a discussion of how they impacted and influenced the Pagan community, as well as insights as to how they came about.
By the time the book ends, the reader truly feels as if they know the Cunninghams and Scott in particular. The author details many stories from their family life and shares photographs and personal inclusions such as Scott’s natal chart. The most evocative (for me) part of the book were the excerpts she shared about Scott from her parents’ Christmas letters from 1957-1993 when he passed.
I will absolutely make Mom’s Gigantor Cookies and share them with my adult kids.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who does not know who Scott Cunningham is or why he is important and I particularly recommend it for this who do.
The Language of Lenormand: A Practical Guide for Everyday Divination by Erika Robinson
To order: https://redwheelweiser.com/book/the-language-of-lenormand-9781578638055/
Anyone who knows me, knows I lovvvvvvvve Lenormand. I have read Tarot and oracle cards since 1983 and wrote a book called Tarot For Real People. Tarot and oracle cards are a passion for me. I first came upon Lenormand in 2015 or so. I played with the deck for a while, decided it wasn’t for me, and rehomed it.
I did not think any more about it until the COVID lockdown in March 2021 when we had to close our metaphysical store for three months due to county restrictions. I decided I would learn something new during that time and after a quick sweep through Udemy.com, I came up on a Lenormand class by Astrid the Witch. From that moment forward, it was game on for me and I quickly learned how easy and accurate Lenormand readings can be.
There are many Lenormand decks on the market, some of which extend beyond the classic 36 card deck to include additional cards. One of the things I love about Lenormand is the consistency. The first 36 cards are always the same. Interpretations are not very subjective. Snake means this and Ship means that. You do not need to get a nosebleed interpreting the color of the child’s coat or the direction the birds are flying or the numerology used on the card. The meanings are concise and specific.
But I am not here to sell you Lenormand. I am here to tell you about this amazing book.
Erika Robinson does such a fine job of honoring the classic meanings of the Lenormand cards while exploring them on a deeper level. I loved that in reading her explanations of each card, I felt like she was in my head. I do not require that people agree to me to garner my approval, but let me tell ya, it sure does help.
The book is easy to follow, the instruction is clear, and the writing is enjoyable and engaging. There are exercises to practice what you learned and the various spreads depicted are relatable and uncomplicated.
Traditionally, we read Lenormand cards in pairs unless we are in the Grand Tableau, but Erika provides a wonderful method for reading the cards individually in relation to those around it. As she puts it so delightfully, “Listen to her sister cards.”
I fully recommend this book as a starter book for new Lenormand readers or an enjoyable supplemental for experienced readers.
“The Beloved Dead: An Oracle for Divining Ancestral Wisdom” by Carrie Paris and Tina Hardt
To order: https://redwheelweiser.com/book/the-beloved-dead-9781578638109/
I know what some of the people on my holiday gift list are getting this year! After reading Tarot and Oracle cards for more than 40 years and writing my own book on the Tarot, it is rare that anything related to cards impresses me. Having owned hundreds of decks myself and having over a thousand different decks pass through my shop inventory, I started to get the feeling I’d seen it all.
Rarely does any deck get my attention, but hello! The Beloved Dead? I’m listening. The title says it all: “An Oracle for Divining Ancestral Wisdom” As soon as I cracked open the deck and started working with it, the short hairs on the back of my neck jumped up to attention, a sure sign that my spirit guides are getting frisky.
This deck made it so easy for me to connect to my guides and hear their messages. The images are stunningly evocative. The words chosen for each card go beyond the usual oracle card trope and dig into everything from social positions to life experiences to psychological states of being. The deck is thick and chonky because it covers so much territory in such a neat package. Anything an ancestor or spirit guide would want to talk to you about is right there.
The book that accompanies the deck lives up to the standard of quality established by the deck. The images are color plate and the accompanying text eloquently explains the intended meaning of the card, which is then perfectly represented by the image itself.
There are no numbered identifications on the cards, but they are listed alphabetically in the book, so are easy to locate.
Carrie and Tina effectively create an elegant harmony between the image and the meaning of the card, which can be a challenging balance to achieve, especially when two visionaries work together on a deck.
I love this deck and I can assure you it will remain in my personal collection. Those who watch our Witches At The Crossroads broadcast with free Tarot and oracle card readings the first Thursday of each month will absolutely see this deck again (www.facebook.com/crossroadsoccult for the broadcast)