Category: Astrology

Astrology for the Cosmic Soul

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Books, Reviews

Long time readers know that I don’t discuss astrology books or review them very often. Astrology is hard and feels an awful lot like work to me. However, when the publicist at Rock Point (an imprint of The Quarto Group) emailed me about “Astrology for the Cosmic Soul: A Modern Guide to the Zodiac” by The Pulp Girls, I was sold.

I’m not going to lie; it was the artwork that drew me in. The Pulp Girls wrote and illustrated “Astrology for the Cosmic Soul” and went with an adorable and psychedelic vibe. It turns out that their art is what they’re known for, running a business that sells their creations. (And holy crap do I want EVERYTHING on their website!)

Art aside, it turns out The Pulp Girls are also effective communicators. The book is written in a friendly, sassy voice that makes for an entertaining read. The authors also do a great job breaking down the complexity of astrology into easy to digest parts. Once you catch the basics of sun signs, moon signs, and rising signs, they discuss the practical side of astrology such as compatibilities and the stereotypical sign tropes versus the actual more nuanced way signs define people. After that, things get magical with tarot, lucky amulets, and grounding exercises. The end the book with “Just for Fun”, which is a whole lot of fun! Mixology for the signs (which sadly doesn’t involve actual alcohol), the signs as fairies, the signs as movie genres, and more!

“Astrology for the Cosmic Soul” by The Pulp Girls is a fun introduction to astrology that would also be an excellent gift for an astrology enthusiast. If nothing else, this book has converted me to being a big fan of The Pulp Girls! It turns out they have a tarot deck that just released in October and I may have to check that out too!

You can learn more here.

Get your own copy here. (This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! Https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

What is Cinemastrology?

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Books, Movies, Reviews

We have got a fun book to discuss today! “Cinemastrology: The Movie-Lover’s Guide to the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars” by Stella Wonderly. In a world of overwhelming movie choices, thanks in no small part to the abundance of streaming services, “Cinemastrology” is here to help you use your Sun sign in deciding what to watch! See? I told you it was going to be fun!

Equal parts astrology, trivia, and movie outlines, each Sun sign is given quite a bit of information. First, Wonderly gives a rough outline of the characteristics of the sign, throughout which she makes film suggestions. Then you’re presented with some top picks, date movie suggestions, comedies, and classics. Better still, there is a section of suggestions for films for each Sun sign to watch with different Sun signs! For example, a suggested film for a Gemini and Scorpio to watch together is “Sin City” (a movie I love). Each section concludes with a list of film stars that are of that Sun sign (Ian McKellen and I are both Geminis with our birthdays only days apart! Apparently, I have the same birthday as Annette Bening.)

“Cinemastrology” by Stella Wonderly is a great book for film fans and astrology lovers alike! A fun pick me up for these shut in days!

You can learn more here.

To up the fun quotient, I am giving away a copy of “Cinemastrology”! As per usual, we are doing the giveaway using Rafflecopter! This contest is open internationally and ends on June 12, 2020 at 11:59PM eastern.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

Magical Symbols and Alphabets

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Books, Magic/Occult, Reviews, Symbols, Wiccan/Pagan

I’m 99% sure that I’ve stated this repeatedly on my site, and on social media, and in interviews, and I may have grabbed random people on the street to share this, but when it comes to compilation style books (encyclopedia, complete book of, compendium) there are two people I adore for it: Judika Illes and Sandra Kynes. And although it isn’t titled as an encyclopedia or compendium, there was no way I was not going to review “Magical Symbols and Alphabets: A Practitioner’s Guide to Spells, Rites, and History” by Sandra Kynes.

“Magical Symbols and Alphabets” is truth in advertising. This 260ish page book is PACKED, just stuffed, with information. Kynes doesn’t just tell you what a symbol or letter stands for, she puts it into context by providing histories and purpose. She does not just give you the tool, she tells you why it may be right tool for the task. “Magical Symbols and Alphabets” has 6 parts: Astrological Symbols, The Elements, The Fifteen Fixed Stars, The Ogham, The Runes, Sigils, and The Witches’ Alphabet and Other Magical Scripts. It’s everything you could want.

Let me be blunt, if you’re interested in magic, you need this reference book. It won’t be a treasured keepsake; it will be an invaluable resource that you will turn to again and again for as long as it holds together.

You can learn more here.

Want a shot at winning your own copy? Well, thanks to Sandra Kynes you have that chance! She was generous enough to provide a signed copy of “Magical Symbols and Alphabets” for my readers! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter! The contest is open now until 11:59PM Eastern on 05/29/2020! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Reviews

Astrology is hard. It’s a heavy lift and doesn’t come with the pretty art that tarot does. That said, I still enjoy reading the occasional book on the subject, and with today’s book I found a great fit. Today we’re discussing “Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars: Astrology, Our Icons, and Our Selves” by Claire Comstock-Gay.

I’m inclined to say Comstock-Gay’s book is written for beginners. She focuses on sun signs, which is the most basic astrological determination. When you read your horoscope in the newspaper (or these days it is more likely on websites or magazines), they are using your sun sign. “Madame Clairevoyant” explains how that is only one piece of your astrological puzzle, but it is a good place to start.

What comes next is a chapter by chapter breakdown of each of the signs, and here is where the book truly shines. Throughout “Madame Clairevoyant’s” Comstock-Gay comes off a bit self-deprecating in the fact that she uses popular culture to describe the astrological signs. However, and the author knows this, her use of people we are familiar with makes each sign more relatable and memorable.

Comstock-Gay adeptly references people and characters ranging from Celine Dion (Aries), Cardi B (Libra), Susan Sontag (Capricorn), Ferdinand the Bull from the children’s story by Munro Leaf and Fezzik from “The Princess Bride (Taurus), Donald Trump (Gemini), Nina Simone (Pisces), Pablo Neruda (Cancer), Christopher Nolan (Leo), David Wojnarowicz (Virgo), Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Scorpio), Miley Cyrus (Sagittarius), Jackson Pollock (Aquarius), and so many more. By giving us an intimate look at the work, and many times their work’s relationship with Comstock-Gay, she offers a nuanced look at each sign’s characteristics.

The new level of understanding I feel I gained by reading this book makes “Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars” by Claire Comstock-Gay a must read for anyone interested in astrology. Whether it is your first book on the topic, or your one hundredth, you will want to own it.

You can learn more here.

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

Moon Spell Magic

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Books, Magic/Occult, Reviews, Wiccan/Pagan

Sometimes you hit the jackpot. That’s what happened when Mango Publishing reached out to me about reviewing some of their books. They made a few suggestions and I said, “I’ll check out that Cerridwen Greenleaf book.” What shows up in the mail? THREE different books by the author! Crazy generous gesture, right? However, I do have a GIANT backlog of books waiting to be read for the site, and I’m already slow at producing my content. I realized as much as I would like to, I just didn’t have time to read all three books. So, I did an informal survey on The Magical Buffet’s social media as to what book I should read, the top pick was “Moon Spell Magic: Invocations, Incantations & Lunar Lore for a Happy Life.” (For those who were curious, second place went to “The Magic of Crystals & Gems”, and “Moon Spell Magic for Love” came in last.)

“Moon Spell Magic” is a delightful read. In many ways, it reminds me of some the first books about magic I read. Not heavy on rules, or strict on traditions, just pages and pages of spells. At first glance I assumed that everything magical in the book would somehow be connected to the moon, but that’s not the case at all. Greenleaf has compiled a range of magical activities addressing a variety of conditions, and then added a layer of how to use lunar phases and timing to get the most of the work on top. This makes “Moon Spell Magic” a wonderful resource for spells anyone, but an even greater resource for those who like doing their magical work after the sun sets.

There are spells and rituals for solitary practitioners as well as groups, including ideas for celebrating holidays. There is a section devoted to deities, their connections to the moon, and their spiritual correspondences. “Moon Spell Magic” has everything a beginner would be interested in, with enough variety that experienced practitioners would also find some new ideas.

You can learn more here.

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Ceremonial Magick

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Books, Magic/Occult, Reviews, Symbols

Llewellyn just dropped an EPIC book, “Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Ceremonial Magick: A Comprehensive Guide to the Western Mystery Tradition,” edited by Lon Milo DuQuette and David Shoemaker. DuQuette is a well-known author and public speaker on the topics of Aleister Crowley and Qabalah. He’s the United States Deputy Grand Master General for Crowley’s magical order Ordo Templi Orientis. Shoemaker is a clinical psychologist, the Chancellor and Prolocutor of the Temple of the Silver Star, and a senior initiate of Ordo Templi Orientis and AA. What I’m getting at is, I feel the task of vetting and compiling this book was put in the right hands. They found 11 authors to write basically 11 books and then Llewellyn put it all together into a massive 528-page book (available in trade paperback or hardcover).

So, what “books” does this book have?
Book One: Foundations of Western Magic by Sam Webster
Book Two: Qabalah by Anita Kraft and Randall Bowyer
Book Three: Planetary Magic by David Rankine
Book Four: Alchemy by Dennis William Hauck
Book Five: Demonology & Spirit Evocation by Dr. Stephen Skinner
Book Six: The Magick of Abra-Melin by Marcus Katz
Book Seven: Enochian Magick & Mysticism by Aaron Leitch
Book Eight: The Golden Dawn by Chic & Tabatha Ciecero
Book Nine: Thelema & Aleister Crowley by David Shoemaker
Book Ten: Polytheistic Ceremonial Magic by John Michael Greer
Book Eleven: Magician’s Tables by David Allen Hulse
Epilogue: The Future of Ceremonial Magick by Brandy Williams

For the purposes of context and disclosure I should tell you that the advanced readers copy I got only had the first part of each of the books. With that said, I found the quality of writing to be excellent. The spread of topics is fantastic. I couldn’t think of anything that needed to be added. This is certain to be a great reference for those interested in ceremonial magic. Overall, it’s a pretty sexy hunk of book.

You can learn more here.

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

The Greater & Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Books, Magic/Occult, Reviews, Science, Symbols

Get yourself a cold shower ready, because today we are talking about some seriously sexy book porn. We’re talking about the 250-page, illustration packed, “The Greater & Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd: Macrocosm, Microcosm & Medicine” by Joscelyn Godwin. This gorgeous book is hardcover with a built-in ribbon bookmark.

Robert Fludd was an interesting man. Godwin describes him as a Renaissance man, and he is correct. Fludd was a doctor who was heavily influenced by the Christian theology of the time. You would recover if it was the Lord’s will. And yet, he was a man of science, conducting experiments that we would describe as alchemy. Along with this, he was a supporter of the Rosicrucians, an inventor, and with his fascination of how the Earth operates he would link music and math, and study astrology. For being a man who I feel allowed his religious beliefs to limit his scope, he truly was a man deeply involved in all of the proto sciences of what we regard as science today. Robert Fludd created the encyclopedias of his day.

What truly set Robert Fludd’s work apart from others was his extensive use of illustrations. He understood the value of an image, and if Godwin is to be believed (which I think he is), the illustrations are much easier to understand than Fludd’s writing. Surprisingly, Fludd didn’t do these himself, however, some of the best of the era created them for his writings.

“The Greater & Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd” has 201 GORGEOUS illustrations, each with thoughtful commentary from Godwin.

Joscelyn Godwin and Inner Traditions have put together a truly covet worthy work.

You can learn more here.

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

12andus and a Freebie!

by Administrator, posted in Astrology, Messages from Rebecca, New Age, Psychic, Symbols

Do you guys remember Angela Kaufman, author of “Queen Up! Reclaim Your Crown When Life Knocks You Down”? (I interviewed her in March 2018.) She reached out to me about a website that she’s been doing some writing for called 12andus.com. Angela thought you guys might be interested in it.

So, what is 12andus.com? From their website:

Astrology is neither an exact science nor is it deterministic. However, through astrology we can know ourselves deeply. Astrology can uncover aspects of ourselves that might be difficult for us to see through other means. Astrology is the reverberation on the inner plane of the outer planets.

We created 12andus to help people reveal their unique astrological birth qualities and how they match with others. Every relationship, just like every individual person, is a unique constellation of compatibilities and qualities.

We can match another person on many levels: romantic, friendship, business, and spiritual. When we are with a certain person, our connection becomes almost like an independent entity with its own traits. With different people, we may feel practical, affectionate, artistic, sensual, and adventurous, or we may feel lazy, superficial, and argumentative.

12andus will show you the harmonic and conflictual qualities that exist between any two people. In addition to the individual birth reports and relationship reports, we offer forecasts and relationship forecasts.

Another aspect of 12andus’ mission is to collect surveys and big data to statistically demonstrate that astrology works. Research and discovery are our ultimate goals.

Basic membership is free, but I’ve been given a promotional link that will allow people who sign up for the site through it to get the premium membership for free! Premium membership allows access to more personalized reports and chart comparisons with other users as well as access to transit interpretations and tips for the day based on current transits. (This link is specific to The Magical Buffet. I make no money from its use; it is solely for tracking purposes. This promotion ends 10/15/2019.)

If you’re interested in checking out 12andus.com, click here!