The Book of Shadows Tarot is a unique project, many years in the making. It is an ambitious project based on a two-deck system. Each deck is designed to work independently but also to work together. The decks are based on the concept of As Above, So Below. The first deck, As Above, is a non-traditional (that is, not based on the Rider Waite Smith images) exploration of Wiccan/Pagan theories. So Below is a traditional deck that shows how magic is manifest in everyday life. The kit comes with the book and the As Above deck. The box includes a space for the second deck, So Below, available in February 2013. Below is a video created by Lo Scarabeo. Take a peek into the creation of

The other day I was on a radio show (click HERE to listen to archive) and a listener reminded me of an exercise I wrote about, so I thought I'd share it with you. Learning the meanings of the cards is the first step in learning to read the cards. The next step is developing the skill to form cards into coherent stories that convey a useful message about the question. There are lots of ways to practice this skill. A common one is to shuffle and lay out 3 - 5 cards and simply tell a story, starting with the first card and ending with the last. One thing readers learn is that certain card combinations will come up for similar situations or answers. This exercise will help with the

For some reason, the 2 of Swords has always been a problematic card for me. Is the person in the image refusing to face facts or is she cutting off all external input so she can apply only her logic to the dilemma? Let's see what Rachel Pollack has to say. This is from her new book, The New Tarot Handbook: Master the Meanings of the Cards (Image: a sketch for the 2 of Swords from a deck in progress) With swords held at her shoulders, a blindfolded bowman in a dress as gray as her surroundings sits on a stone bench in front of a pool of water. The theme of balance seems tentative here, as if the mind can only stay at peace by closing off options and especially communication.

When looking at new tarot decks, do you have a favorite card that you always check out first? I have several. One is Temperance. I love the Temperance card in the Witches Tarot, including Ellen's comments. The Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris, faces forward and stands at the edge of the water, her golden wings outstretched. Her sheer white gown has a golden triangle on the bodice, which signifies balance and creativity. Her gown flows softly around her, and one of Iris's feet is on land while the other dips in the water. Neither on shore nor in the water, she is in an enchanted location where she is in both worlds--an in-between place. In Iris's hands are two different goblets,