New Books of Interest

We just received a bunch of new books. So many of this bunch look amazing. Here is the list of books and some small reviews:

The New Complete Book of Tarot: A step by step guide to reading the cards
By: Juliet Sharman-Burke
Cost: $17.95 ISBN: 031236346x
This is the newly revised training book in tarot. Sharman-Burke has grouped the study of the tarot into 6 or 7 major arcana and a group of minor arcana for each section of study to help spread out the learning. She addresses numerology in relation to the cards, details some of the esoteric symbols and their meanings, and provides you with some idead for clear understanding of the cards. At the end of each section, she has provided interesting and inspiring exercises full of insightful questions anyone should be considering. At the end of the book she gives you a few journal pages to get you started on keeping a tarot reading journal. This book contains the illustrations from Sharman-Caselli deck which is just a stunning and easy to read tarot deck. This book accompanies the deck in the box set. However, we just received the book alone at the store. A worth-while purchase for anyone starting out or revisiting their tarot decks and leaning to read the cards.

Magic That Works: Practical Training for the Children of Light
By: Frances Harrison & Nineveh Shadrach
Cost: $29.95 ISBN: 097359321
At first glance, you would think this is a beginners guide for solitary wiccan practice. Then you are surprised by the hebrew language, the angelic references and the other esoteric material. I certainly was. With some further research I realized this was a book about Middle Eastern and Eastern Magic. It was written for those interested in solitary practice of the Magic Society of the White Flame. You need not specifically be interested in that group to benefit from this book. It draws from Indian, Araibic, Judaic, Lebonese, Indonesian, and many other cultural backgrounds. This book teaches you about Jinns and Angels, different kinds of magical tree systems, rituals, elemntal magic, and planetary magic. While it says it is a book for the beginner, I would consider it more for the intermediate practictioner.

Faith and Magic in the Armed Forces: A Handbook for Pagans in the Military
By: Stefanie Barner
Cost: $18.50 ISBN: 9780738711942
It is about time we see a book of this nature! Military Pagans face very different issues than the average civilian. Their faith is challenged every day as they are moved over and over, deployed overseas, preparing for or actually in combat situations, coming home as veterans, dealing with comrades who have fallen in the field, and widowed families. There are other challenges to the faith of Military Pagans. These are legal issues, religious rights and freedoms issues and more. This book addresses them all. It is divided into sections based on the Witch's Pyramid: To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent. In the To Know section, the author addresses isues that anyone considering getting into the military ought to consider (options, rights, training and survival basics), as well as questions to ask superiors. It advises military pagans on what to bring when they are deployed and what they need for survival and spirituality. In the To Will section, tha authro addresses the issues of standing up for what you belive in, the role os service and sacrifice, the willingness to kill and how to congure peace in a culture of war. In the To Dare section, the author raises the issues of courage and daring to deploy, dealing with separation from family and facing confronting danger. The chapter on separation is also helpful for the family that is left behind as it provides discussion and meditations to help them cope, too. In the last section on To Keep Silent, the author explores the issues of coming home. This includes what can be expressed and what cannot, and sometimes the problem of not being able to express what needs to be. The book contains interesting case history stories caller Pagan Perspective written by people in different situations and how they handled them. It also contains prayers, hymns, protections spells, divination techniques, meditations and rituals. How can I possibly recommend this book more? It is amazing! One of the better Llewellyn publications this year!

WITCH SCHOOL SERIES
First Degree, Second Degree, Third Degree, and Ritual Theory & Practice
By: Rev. Donald Lewis-HighCorrell
Costs: $22.95 - $34.95
These four books are the training manuals for the Wtch School. They are of the Correllian Tradition. More information about this tradition can be found here: http://www.correllian.com/
These books help the student move through the degrees and understand the tradition, as well as master Wiccan practice within this tradition's framework. The books are good for anyone wishing to study this and are especially beneficial to students registering in the Correllian Wtch School: http://www.witchschool.com/main.asp

Seanachai: Modern Celtic Fairy Stories
By: Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone
Cost: $25.00 DVD Private Production
When staff of Melange Magique were at Gaia Gathering Conference, we had the pleasure of sharing time and space with Brendan Myers, a good friend of Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone. He provided us with only 6 copies of this limited DVD of Janet Farrar telling Celtic Fairy Stories. All copies are also signed by her!!