Category: Products

Santa Muerte Oracle

by Administrator, posted in Products, Reviews, Tarot

With tomorrow being Dia de Muertos it seems like the perfect time to talk about the “Santa Muerte Oracle” by Fabio Listrani (since according to R. Andrew Chesnut it’s becoming a “feast day” for Santa Muerte devotees).

There is a lot to unpack with this deck, and all of it is good. First, I must address the packaging. A solid box that the top pulls up from. Inside an actual booklet as opposed to those flimsy pamphlets you often get. Lastly, a ribbon to help you remove the cards from the box. All of these helps prevent wear and tear on the deck unlike the form fitting, thin cardboard sleeve style boxes that other decks have come in.

The artwork is striking. The deck contains 32 cards, divided into 4 parts: Emanation, Creation, Formation, and Action. Each part has its own style. There’re more than just images of Santa Muerte, but also Dias de los Muertos imagery, and assorted deities. Did Listrani use this bold style in his previous deck “The Santa Muerte Tarot”? Sadly, I missed out on that one, so I’m unsure.

Speaking of Listrani’s previous deck, the book included with the “Santa Muerte Oracle”, implies this deck could be used in addition to the “Santa Muerte Tarot”. Since I just have the Oracle, let’s focus on all the great ways you can use the deck!

Like most decks, this one features a simple 3 card reading. Personally, with oracle decks I like to do a one card draw reading. Listrani mentions using the deck for an “inspirational” card. This is where you search the deck for a card that you feel represents an energy you feel you need. Then you can carry it on you as a reminder or talisman throughout the day or keep it in sight for the day. This inspired me to put one of the cards on my home altar. The last way you can use this deck is the best, because this:

Can become this:

The deck. Becomes. A Ouija board. Boom. Mic drop. We’re done here.

Learn more about this deck here.

Lunar Nomad Oracle

by Administrator, posted in Products, Reviews, Tarot

If you follow me on social media and/or have been a long-time reader you know I have a big tarot/oracle deck addiction. To me there really isn’t such a thing as a bad deck, but after a while you start to seek out things that stand apart from the crowd and I have found something truly unique in “The Lunar Nomad Oracle” by Shaheen Miro.

It’s rare to find an oracle deck with so much intense thought put into its construction. “The Lunar Nomad Oracle” starts on the skeleton of the Lenormand deck, a 36-card deck of symbols that most likely evolved from a card game towards the end of the 18th century. Miro’s deck is expanded to 43 cards but holds firm to its Lenormand beginnings. The art for the deck and the design were both done by Miro, which I feel lends a grounding cohesiveness to the dream-like nature of the oracle. Miro indicates that there are three levels of symbolism in each card: archetypal, general, and personal. Personally, I feel that checks out.

All this work is to help you get in touch with your “Lunar” self, which I would sum up as your creative, magical self. Will it work for you? If it doesn’t, it certainly isn’t for Miro’s lack of trying. “The Lunar Nomad Oracle” truly stands apart from its peers.

Learn more here.

Favorite Things 2017

by Administrator, posted in Books, Messages from Rebecca, Products, Reviews, Tarot

If you’re new to reading this site, you may not know that at the end of every year I do a post about 10 of my favorite things that year. I try to publish in time for you to acquire said things for gift giving purposes, whether it’s a gift for yourself or someone else. Every year I also point out that my list is WAY better than Oprah’s because all of my favorite things are affordable. Particularly when compared to some of her picks. That’s when I point out that I should just be the next Oprah. Consider this paragraph, my annual “I’m better than/or the next Oprah” rant.

The list is presented in no particular order, and everything is new to me this year, not necessarily something that came out this year. I think that covers everything, so let’s get to the list.

“Everyday Witch Tarot” by Deborah Blake with art by Elisabeth Alba. It’s no secret that I love me some Deborah Blake, but trust me when I say she really hit it out of the park with her first tarot deck. Blake’s witchy interpretation of the traditional Rider-Waite deck combined with Alba’s whimsical art created an instant tarot classic that hopefully Llewellyn will keep in print for many years to come. Learn more here.

“The Art and Science of Hand Reading” by Ellen Goldberg and Dorian Bergen. This book is the real deal. If you purchase this book you truly may never need another book about hand reading. It’s a massive text book full of more information than you may have ever thought available. For those looking to get serious with their hand reading work in the new year, look no further. Learn more here.

“The Tarot of Bones” by Lupa. Lupa is a well established Pagan author of works focusing on nature and her first self-published tarot deck is the culmination of her work as a scholar of nature and as an artist. Lupa’s use of animal bone and elements of nature create a whole new approach to the tarot and makes it a must own for tarot collectors and lovers of the natural world. Learn more here.

“Plant Magic: A Year of Green Wisdom for Pagans & Wiccans” by Sandra Kynes. “Plant Magic” is a reminder that one of Kynes strengths is her ability to catalog the connections between things. In this book the focus is entirely on plants including a plant’s relationship to a particular holiday, what plants grow best each month, and what plants can be found in the wild each month. And of course the magical correspondences of all those plants! Learn more here.

“Drug Wars: How Big Pharma Raises Prices and Keeps Generics Off the Market” by Robin Feldman and Even Frondorf. Not a light, easy read, but an important one for those of us interested in how prescription drugs work in America. Learn more here.

“Secret Medicines from Your Garden: Plants for Healing, Spirituality & Magic” by Ellen Evert Hopman. Reading “Secret Medicines from Your Garden” makes you feel like the author is personally leading you on a wilderness adventure. Hopman regales you with anecdotes from her spiritual journey and herbalism training. This is easily the most engaging book about plants ever. Learn more here.

“Fairies, Pookas, and Changelings: A Complete Guide to the Wild and Wicked Enchanted Realm” by Varla Ventura. This book is fantastic. The author’s enthusiasm for the subject matter is obvious as she relates assorted tales from folklore. I always love how she unearths the more obscure creatures for these books. In this one you’ll find fairies, pookas, and changelings (of course). You’ll also read about bonga, trolls, coblyns, brownies, and even Rumpelstiltskin! Learn more here.

“The Book of Thoth: Egyptian Tarot” by Aleister Crowley. If you’re an occult book nerd like myself, this new edition of “The Book of Thoth” is some hot book porn. This new facsimile edition of “The Book of Thoth” is a faithful reproduction of the Samuel Weiser Inc. 1969 edition, which in turn was a facsimile of the original O.T.O. edition printed in 1944. The text is digitally restored, printed on a heavy, coated stock, and features revised color plates and black and white illustrations of the Thoth Tarot based on new photography of the original art, courtesy of the O.T.O. and The Warburg Institute. The book text block is smyth sewn, with a rounded back, and headbands. Printed endpaper reproduces the Egyptian motif from the board covers of the 1944 edition. The cover is quality cloth over boards with gold stamping on the spine, and is wrapped with a jacket which again features updated art while matching the original design. Learn more here.

“The Yogi Diet: Spirituality and the Question of Vegetarianism” by James Morgante. I love food. I love learning about religions. This book talks about both, in depth. I loved it. Learn more here.

“Botanical Inspirations Deck and Book Set” by Lynn Araujo with art by Pierre-Joseph Redouté. This deck shares folklore, symbolism, and more for each flower or plant. It features absolutely beautiful artwork by Pierre-Joseph Redouté. This is the perfect deck for lovers of oracle style decks and/or fans of flowers. Learn more here.

Assuming the comments on the site are working, tell me some of your favorites of this year! Or tell me on The Magical Buffet’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts!

Botanical Inspirations

by Administrator, posted in Art, Products, Symbols, Tarot

Here in the northeast things are taking a definite fall-wards turn. However thanks to the “Botanical Inspirations” deck by Lynn Araujo I’ll be able to enjoy the delicate flowers of spring all year round.

First we have to talk about the fantastic artwork. The deck contains 44 cards featuring art by Pierre-Joseph Redoute. In Paris he did paintings of the flowers in the royal gardens. His etchings caught the eye of botanists who taught him more about plant anatomy. Redoute went on to do work for Marie Antoinette and Empress Josephine. That’s the guy whose illustrations make up this deck. Neat, right?

Deck creator Lynn Araujo dived deep into plant’s various roles as symbols throughout culture, leaning heavily on the “Secret Language of Flowers” from the Victorian Era that paired specific meanings to individual flowers. In fact, included with the deck is nice foldout sheet listing the “Secret Language of Flowers.”

Each card presents a flower with its common name, its Latin name, and a quote or key words to associate with the flower. To give you a complete experience I choose the share the Sacred Lotus card. You see “Sacred Lotus” with the alternative name “Nymphaea caerulea” directly underneath. Then there is the beautiful illustration with the word “Enlightenment” under it. It’s followed by the Thich Nhat Hanh quote, “No mud, no lotus.”

When you go to the book included with the deck, which is way more sturdy than your typical white print out style book that comes with many tarot decks, you’ll find more information about the Sacred Lotus and its “Inspirational Message”.

The lotus flower grows up out of the mud, yet each day as they unfurl and shed the droplets of water, the flower emerges perfectly pristine. For this reason, the lotus symbolizes purity and spiritual transformation. With its flower so distant from its roots below the water, the lotus also represents detachment, a necessary step for spiritual enlightenment. The golden center of the lotus is rarely shown in Zen artwork since it represents the elusive perfection of wisdom. The Egyptian sun god Ra is often depicted with a blue lotus. Because of this association with the sun, the lotus signifies rebirth.

Inspirational Message: Honor all the experiences that have brought you to this place on your path of spiritual growth but let go of the things that no longer serve you.

Araujo offers a few variations on how to use the cards in readings, but honestly, with decks like these I prefer to do a daily single card draw in the morning to offer insight into the day ahead.

“Botanical Inspirations” is a beautiful and fascinating deck that I would be hard pressed to find someone I wouldn’t recommend it to.

You can learn more about “Botanical Inspirations” here.

Yoga Cats

by Administrator, posted in Products, Reviews

It’s easy to dismiss “Yoga Cats” as just a fun gift for cat and/or yoga lovers, but there’s more to it than that. Don’t get me wrong, “Yoga Cats” would in fact be a great gift for yoga and cat lovers, but let’s look into it a little bit more, shall we?

“Yoga Cats” is a set of 44 cards featuring the fantastic photography of Daniel Morris and the writing of Alison DeNicola. Each card has a photo of an adorable cat doing a yoga pose, the cat’s name, and a thought to reflect upon. I chose Pip to share with you. Pip is doing the Reverse Triangle Variation. The Triangle Pose is my favorite yoga pose, and Pip here is doing the closest version of it to be found in the deck. So here we have Pip, who is super cute, doing the yoga pose, and telling you, “Your intentions are powerful, use them wisely.”

I'm your instructor Pip.

If you look Pip up in the companion book that comes with the deck you get a little info about Pip and what he’s doing. Then there are instructions on how to do his pose, and also some exploration of his message.

This makes “Yoga Cats” a great daily oracle and/or a fantastic yoga pose a day deck. Also, let’s be honest. It’s also just fun the thumb through the deck looking at the amusing cats. All together “Yoga Cats” makes a great, multi-purpose deck that just about anyone could find useful.

You can learn more here.

Tarot of Bones

by Administrator, posted in Products, Tarot

I love tarot decks! Who doesn’t? I have a stupidly huge amount of tarot decks considering I can barely use them. That doesn’t stop me from collecting them. I like all different styles of decks, but once you get to a certain critical mass, you start looking for decks that bring something different to the topic. This was why I invested in The Tarot of Bones Kickstarter, and am now the proud owner of the deck with accompanying guide by Lupa.

Some of you may recognize Lupa from a review I did of her book “New Paths to Animal Totems: Three Alternative Approaches to Creating Your Totemism”. She’s well known for her interest in and connection with nature. She’s an artist/crafter that works in animal bone and skins. And what started as an artistic interpretation of the Five of Pentacles for a tarot themed art show turned into a passion project to retell the tarot through natural elements.

Assorted wood, animal bones, rocks, shells, and dried greenery create a tarot deck unlike anything before it. The accompanying book, “The Tarot of Bones Companion Book” is a fascinating read, offering a unique perspective on tarot interpretation through the eyes of the animal kingdom. The book will work if you’ve never used a deck before, and offers insights that even an experienced reader will find interesting.

I know, I know. “Enough talk,” you’re saying, “show me what the cards look like!” I hear you, and here are a couple of images to whet your whistle.

The back of the cards.

By this point you’re hopefully kicking yourself for not supporting the Kickstarter campaign so you could get your own “Tarot of Bones” deck and companion book. Well don’t panic because you can buy your own copy right now from www.thetarotofbones.com! But, if you’re feeling lucky, perhaps I could interest you in a giveaway?

That’s right! Lupa, the creator of “The Tarot of Bones” was nice enough to give me a deck and book to giveaway to one lucky reader! This contest is open internationally to readers aged 16 or older. The contest runs until Friday, May 19, 2017 at 11:59pm Eastern.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Everyday Witch Tarot for Everyone

by Administrator, posted in Products, Tarot, Wiccan/Pagan

Rejoice tarot lovers! A new classic is out in the wild and available for purchase now! I’m talking about “Everyday Witch Tarot” by Deborah Blake with art by Elisabeth Alba.

Imagine the Rider-Waite tarot and then infuse it with witch whimsy and you have the “Everyday Witch Tarot”. The 252 page “Guide to the Everyday Witch Tarot” that comes with the deck is a fabulous, full color, affair. The card descriptions are written in an accessible manner and sometimes give you a new perspective.

The Devil

The Devil made you do it? I don’t think so.

A handsome devil of a mage with dark hair, a pointed black beard, and a swirling black cape is offering money to a male witch and an ice cream cone to a young female witch. While he is smiling and pleasant, a pointed tail curls out from underneath his cape and his eyes have a reddish gleam. Each witch has a cat who is trying to pull them away and is being ignored. A volcano smokes in the far background. The mood is ominous but not hopeless.

Contrary to what you might think, the Devil doesn’t represent some evil being who comes in from the outside world to lure and ensnare us. That would be easier to fight than the reality, which is that each of us has devils that we have created for ourselves: addiction, bad habits, obsessions, and unhealthy decisions that we cling to long after it is clear that they are leading us in the wrong direction or holding our lives hostage. Temptation can be so hard to resist. That makes this seem like a scary, hopeless card, but it isn’t. We often hold onto the devil we know because we are more comfortable with the negativity and dysfunction we are used to than we are the idea of starting over and creating something better. But you can do it. You chose this devil, and you can choose to say “no more.”

I offered this example to give you a taste of Blake’s writing style to be found throughout the book, but I picked this particular card to warn you that kitty cats abound in this deck. It’s no surprise considering Magic the Cat oversees most of Blake’s projects. But the cats in this scenario are attempting to help? Obviously written by a cat lover. We all know that although cute, cats are more than happy to let you screw up. (See examples of cats being adorable, yet evil here.)

Let’s get real though, when considering buying a tarot deck you want to see the art. ALL THE ART! Well, we ain’t doing that here, but I did want to show you a few more examples of the great job artist Elisabeth Alba did bring “Everyday Witch Tarot” to life.

The back of every card has this adorable and classic looking design.

Magic the Cat was the model.

Also, here the joyous The Sun.

Do you feel the sun on your face?

It’s no secret that Deborah Blake is my sister from another mister, but in all honesty this deck is a modern classic. Llewellyn would be stupid to ever let this go out of print because “Everyday Witch Tarot” is a deck that will be enjoyed again and again as it is rediscovered by each new generation of tarot reader.

Learn more about “Everyday Witch Tarot” here!

10 Questions with Tess Whitehurst

by Administrator, posted in Interviews, Products, Tarot

1. Out of all the themes for oracle decks, why flowers?

In my work with them, I’ve found that flowers are living sacred geometry, and that they’re completely attuned to vibration and emotion. Simply placing our attention on them and opening up to them allows us to receive an instant energy healing and wisdom infusion that is both gentle and thorough. I’ve also found that they don’t have to be physically present in order for us to receive these benefits: like angels or totem animals, we can draw upon their essence to gain insight and spiritual guidance. Plus, they’re beautiful! So they seemed, to me, the perfect choice.

2. In the introduction to the companion book you mention having spent a year communing with flowers. What did that entail?

I bought a membership to Descanso Gardens, which is a truly magical botanical garden in the foothills of Los Angeles. Then, 2-3 times a week, I spent time with the flowers, relaxing and opening up to their energy one at a time. Once a flower’s gentle wisdom and vibrational signature began to take shape for me, I translated it into English and wrote it down. That was the main research process for my book The Magic of Flowers, which was the precursor to the deck.

3. You discuss the cumulative benefits of working with the Magic of Flowers Oracle, versus perhaps a book. Why is that?

Magical consciousness speaks in the language of symbol, and by working with meaningful imagery, over time, it becomes a part of our own personal energy field. Connecting the wisdom with the images – particularly when the wisdom is relating to your own life – makes inroads into your magical and spiritual intelligence in ways that go beyond the simple accumulation of information.

4. How did you end up working with the artist Anne Wertheim on this?

Barbara Moore – the tarot and oracle acquisitions editor at Llewellyn – got me in touch with her. …And I’m so lucky she did, because I absolutely love the way Anne brought life to my ideas.

5. What influence did she have on the deck?

Besides creating absolutely breathtaking art for every single card, she also helped talk out some of my ideas and helped fine tune my visions in marvelous ways.

6. What is your favorite piece of art she created for the oracle?

The mermaid card! Also known as the Wisteria card. With every card, I chose images that spoke to my energetic experience of each flower, rather than the purely physical experience of them. So, obviously, wisteria doesn’t grow underwater! But it certainly feels watery, soft, fluid, and ethereal in precisely the way the mermaid card does. It is so wisteria energy! But I have to say that I have a lot of favorites. Lilac, Magnolia, Camellia, Bougainvillea, and Hydrangea are a few of my others.

7. What was the hardest part of creating the Magic of Flowers Oracle?

Before this project, I had never created anything visual before: all my previous projects were traditional books. So learning how to communicate my inner visions clearly was a new challenge for me. But for the most part, the process went surprisingly smoothly.

8. If there is one thing you hope people learn from using the Magic of Flowers Oracle, what would it be?

Always be gentle with yourself. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the flowers, navigating the changes of life never needs to be harsh, scary, or self-condemning. And in fact, everything always works better we’re sweet to ourselves.

9. Do you have any upcoming projects my readers should be on the lookout for?

Thanks for asking! Yes, sometime in 2016, look for a reference book about the magical properties of trees. The title isn’t set yet, but it may very well be The Magic of Trees.

10. Parting shot! Ask us here at The Magical Buffet any one question.

Oh ok, fun! What are your feelings on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic? (It’s my favorite show.)

I actually have never watched it. I was never really a My Little Pony gal so I haven’t checked it out. However I DO love cartoons! I get ready for work most mornings with the Powerpuff Girls playing in the background and curl up for naps with Danger Mouse. And then there’s Futurama, Codename: Kids Next Door, Family Guy, Adventure Time, American Dad, Invader Zim…

About Tess Whitehurst:
An award winning author, feng shui consultant, and intuitive counselor, Tess presents ancient, sacred, and empowering wisdom in a friendly, joyful, and accessible way. In addition to creating the Magic of Flowers Oracle, she’s written six books that have been translated into nine languages, and her articles have appeared such places as Writer’s Digest, Whole Life Times, and Law of Attraction magazine. She’s appeared on morning news shows on both Fox and NBC, and her feng shui work was featured on the Bravo TV show “Flipping Out.” You can learn more at: http://www.tesswhitehurst.com/

9 Questions with Gabriela Emma Olivera

by Administrator, posted in Interviews, Products

1. When did you discover jewelry design?
I always liked this kind of jewelry and the mysticism that goes around them.

2. What made you decide to design purses as well as jewelry? (Or was it the other way around and you did bags first and then decided to do jewelry?)
The bag goes after for a women it’s a must and complements the style.

3. What inspired the Khalama collection?
The unknown of the different cultures, the different stones, metal, seeds, that they have to be together in a perfect and unique way.

4. Can you take my readers through the process of how a piece of jewelry goes from being a design to a piece for sale?
One day when I start to make the first necklaces I explain to a friend of mine that I have to be inspired, and she told me yes… because it’s like a paint or a sculpture it’s a unique combination, it take me some times minutes, sometimes hours and may be days. It’s incredible that in one day I could make four five complete. The women who wear it have to feel that it’s a beautiful combination of the beads, stones, some times wool, everything, cultures, religions. Every women has a color to match not just with the cloth, it has to match her… When I finish them there’s some very good people who cooperate on this journey. They take the pictures then uploaded them to the web, make the social media and all the work to sell them.

5. Do you feel the stones and materials you use provide a particular energy to the jewelry?
I feel that the combination of the materials, specially the stones and the person who wear it make a combination and creates an energy around them on all the paths that can be.

Bracelet from Khalama Collection

6. What is one of your favorite pieces and why?
I love the Amethysts because my country Uruguay is one of the majors origins of them. They have a spectacular color and for who believe the energy of the stones protect you and give a positive energy.

7. When not wearing your jewelry, what is some of your favorite jewelry to wear?
I like the silver a lot and the pre-Columbian gold.

8. When you’re not working on the Khalama collection, what else do you like to do?
I have another two companies so I have a lot of work to do, one of logistics and the restaurant so I love to cook!! I read and I have to boys that are my life. I have to take care of them and I spend time with them.

Bag from Khalama Collection

9. What else can my readers look forward to from you and/or Khalama?
Look for a combination of nature with, seeds, wool, stones, and much color.

About Gabriela Emma Olivera & Khalama:
When Miami-based designer Gabriela Emma Olivera envisioned her handbag and hi-end accessories line Khalama, she planned on a brand high in spiritual wealth and abundant with cultural richness: beautiful and boundless with beads imported from such countries as Morocco, Colombia, Peru, Tibet, Uruguay, and India, the extensive Khalama line lends itself to a unique cross-continental interconnectedness rarely found in fashion.

Clinging most closely to it’s Tibetan meaning of “Sky Path”, Khalama’s spiritual energies echo lotus flowers, koi fish, Buddha, and Lord Ganesh while drawing energy from natural stones and organic materials including turquoise stones, lapis lazuli, amber, and coral. The Khalama Collection expresses the natural and spiritual.

Favorite Things 2014

by Administrator, posted in Books, Events, Food/Drink, Products, Reviews, Tarot

Here it is, actually past due for me to get all Oprah on you and give you my 10 favorite things from 2014. This year was really hard to pick just 10 things, and immediately after I did the list more things came my way. So next year you may see some things that were featured on the site late this year. Enough about that, let’s get to the favoriting! (In no particular order of favorite-ness.)

1. “Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea” by Varla Ventura. As someone who has always loved myths and stories about sirens and mermaids, “Among the Mermaids” was a definite stand out for the year. Not only did Ventura fill the book with lore and legends of merrows, mermaids, and sirens, but the resources section in the back lists books, movies, and shopping. Shopping! Want your mermaid tail?

2. “The Encyclopedia of Crystals” by Judy Hall. I love gemstones, rocks, and minerals. The end. Okay, not the end. This book makes learning more about crystals super easy. The stones are divided up by color, but also listed in alphabetical order in the crystal index in the front of the book, and of course there is a thorough index at the back of the book. Each entry has a fantastic image or two to help with identification and then they list: crystal system, chemistry, hardness, source, chakra, number, zodiac sign, planet, and what it’s beneficial for. After that there is a paragraph with historical and folkloric detail.

3. “The Daemon Tarot” by Ariana Osborne. Based on Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy’s “Dictionnaire Infernal”, this 69 card deck isn’t just a divinatory tool, but a piece of occult reference. Obviously it cannot be used exactly as a tarot deck, but thanks to a researched and well thought out companion book, you’ll be doing a single card draw or a six card spread in no time.

4. “The Witch’s Broom: The Craft, Lore & Magick of Broomsticks” by Deborah Blake. As one would suspect, there are oodles of nifty, witchy, bits of broom magic to be found in “The Witch’s Broom”. However, it’s the tons of stuff that you can appreciate whether you’re a witch or not that makes this book a favorite. You can learn how to make your own broom, how to decorate store bought brooms, there are get great gift ideas, and there is fun broom folklore and history.

5. “Encyclopedia of Goddesses & Heroines” by Patricia Monaghan. Monaghan published the first encyclopedia of divine females in 1979, and that book has stayed in print in one form or another right up to today. The latest is newly expanded and features more than 1,000 heroines and goddesses from folklore, literature, and religion from around the world. It. Kicks. Ass.

6. “365 Tarot Spreads” by Sasha Graham. A different tarot spread for each day of the year. They’re unique and thought out. If you want a tarot workout in the New Year, get this book now!

7. “The Yoga of Cleaning” by Jennifer Carter Avgerinos. Weird, right? Nope. Avgerinos background as both a certified yoga instructor and having worked in the consumer packaged cleaning tools industry for the past several years indeed gives her a unique perspective on these two seemingly divergent topics. She brings them together in a way that, I swear, makes you want to clean.

8. “Sacred Objects, Sacred Space: Everyday Tools for the Modern-Day Witch” by Dayna Winters, Patricia Gardner, and Angela Kaufman. These are the ladies that wrote “Wicca: What’s the Real Deal?”, and just like with their first book they did a fantastic job a packing an incredible amount of information into an easily digestible amount of book. This trio discuss just about any object you can imagine being used in magic, along with the appropriate care and ways to craft your own or personalize it. They also cover every space in which magic can be worked. This is a must own.

9. “The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences: How Understanding NDEs Can Help Us Live More Fully” by Dr. Penny Satori. There have dozens of books written about near-death experiences, however in my opinion this is the one we’ve been waiting for. Dr. Satori’s book is based off of the UK’s first long term prospective study of near-death experiences and she was awarded a PhD for her research in 2005. That’s right, it’s science. Although the research is grounded in science, Satori also includes many of her experiences from her 17 years as an intensive care nurse. This makes “The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences” a compelling read.

10. Helderberg Mead. 2014 gets to be the year that I fell in love with Helderberg Mead. As Peter Voelker said when I interviewed him about Helderberg Meadworks, “Most mead that you can buy in the wine stores around here either tastes like a low alcohol honey syrup or a nice soft white wine. While there’s nothing wrong with that (I love a nice Vidal Blanc), HMW takes a different approach. We use techniques that would have been used many moons ago and produce a mead that has big, bold and feral qualities to it. We’ve adapted old world methods to modern day sanitation and palettes without catering to any particular group of consumers. This is mead as we think it should be. With that said, there are 2 major differences between HMWs mead and others. The first is our alcohol content, which has a range on the label of 15% to 16%. Our current “Burgundy Wax” batch is at the high side of that range. Most others are from 8% to 11%. The second difference is our use of oak aging. Back in the days before metals were commonly available, oak would have been the preferred storage vessel for nearly all drinks. We have taken this concept and applied it to our mead. The result is a powerful mead (shouldn’t all traditional mead be POWERFUL?) with a whiskey-like nose and great honey flavor without being overly sweet.”