Book Review-The Tarot Playbook, 78 novel ways to connect with your cards

Rules should always be bent, if not broken. It's the only way to have any fun. 
 Alyson Noel 

The Tarot Playbook, written by Lynda Cowles and published by Schiffer Books is a wonderful new book that will take that lovely deck you have just purchased but just can't quite connect with and transform your relationship into a wonderful bond between you and your cards that will last a lifetime.


Living in England with her husband, daughter, basset hound and cat, Lynda  doesn't simply spend her days writing internationally acclaimed tarot books, she also blogs at Archer Tarot, runs an online Tarot store and studies ways of using Tarot that are unique...like finding her pesky missing keys.


The Tarot Playbook is a 176 page book that starts out with Lynda's explanation of why your deck wants you to read this book, for instance, some of us lucky enough, get to watch our new decks as they are being created step by step and often wait with baited breath until we finally get to hold that new deck that kept us on the edge of our seats for several months...but what if after we have this wonderful creation in our hot little hands, we somehow can't quite connect with it? 


For many of us, the poor thing ends up relegated to a dusty old book shelf or at the bottom of a rarely opened desk drawer, spending it's days in relative anonymity.


What a sad end to such a beautiful and promising deck...until now. So grab that long forgotten treasure and spend some quality time together playing through the exercises and get to know that amazing deck as you've never seen before!


Lynda starts out with chapter one, starting with the Fool and works through to the the Three of Wands in a section called "First Contact, 24 ways to get acquainted with your cards"  Including activities such as "Twenty Questions," "Voices in Your Head" and "Whodunit" which are designed to make it easy and fun while drawing closer to your deck.


Subsequent chapters include... "Stepping Out," "Friends in High Places," "Just my Archetype," and "Forever Friends."  These chapters deal with understanding the Minors, how to develop a relationship with those pesky Court Cards and  little ways you can show your deck you care.


In the back, there are lists of activities that are covered in the book and the page that they are found on, called Playlists. This is an amazing book and you will truly find yourself looking forward to the activities listed whether you go through them from beginning to end or by drawing a card and trying the activity listed for that card each day. I absolutely had a blast reading this book, I giggled, laughed out loud and even raised an eyebrow or two at Lynda's wicked fun sense of humor and I can guarantee that you will too!


So grab The Tarot Playbook and that long neglected deck and sit down to a real treat and bonding experience!


Author: Lynda Cowles
Publisher: Schiffer Books
ISBN: 9780764339882

Deck Review- The Transparent Oracle

There's a wonderful new oracle deck out right now, called The Transparent Oracle by Emily Carding, who is also the creator of The Transparent Tarot and Tarot of the Sidhe. Her latest creation, The Transparent Oracle is nothing less than fantastic.

The Transparent Oracle deck has seventy transparent circles, that can be used as a layered system by themselves or in conjunction with The Transparent Tarot. I absolutely love the layering concept because it gives your readings so much depth and combination possibilities and depending on if you choose three cards or more, you can see all the images and how they mesh together to develop an aesthetically pleasing mandala like picture. This kit also comes in a sturdy storage box and white reading cloth.

This outstanding deck is separated and inspired by seven directions, East; West; South and North as well as the directions of Above; Below and Within and the accompanying one hundred and twenty-eight page book explains that in order to understand the seven directions, it is helpful to consider yourself the center of your universe as you perceive it. The four directions North; South; East and West all correspond to the elements depending on where in this world we are at and the directions of Above; Below and Within are all the same no matter where we are all located.

When I first got The Transparent Oracle, I was a bit daunted by the thought of a round deck and just how I might shuffle it but with a little thought and a few tries, I was able to gently shuffle them just as I would any rectangular deck with no further issues. I absolutely love this deck and all the possibilities for interpretations it holds as well as it's unique shape and wonderful images.

After shuffling the deck well, with the question in mind about the grayer days of fall and winter ahead, I wanted to know how I might transition more smoothly, I drew three cards... (number 22) Rain which is from the direction West, (number 60) the Red Dragon from the direction Below and (number 26), the Otters, also from the direction West. 

The Rain card can represent melancholy and dissatisfaction... generally emotions that can easily set in in a climate like mine, known for the rain that keeps Washington state so green, the Red Dragon is about inner power and drive and the otters signify joy, family and play.

Pulling these cards together I saw a beautiful three layered picture about the fact that days are going to be getting much shorter with lots of good old Pacific Northwest rain, the need to dig down to my inner strength on the dreary days... knowing that in the Spring, the sun shall return and by adopting a playful attitude, enjoying my family and our time together like the otters, I will be able to combat my seasonal blah's. 

This is an amazing deck and I was absolutely struck by the cards accurate yet uncanny ability to see right to the issues I find myself mulling over now that the rain has begun and the days of warm summer sunshine are waning. This is an excellent deck for personal meditation, exploration and understanding and I highly recommend it to anyone, whether beginner or experienced!

The Transparent Oracle

Schiffer Books

ISBN: 9780764334863

Size: 6" x 11 3/4" x 1 1/2"