Review: Meditations for Psychic Development by Chandra Parkinson

If you are interested in learning more about how to strengthen your psychic abilities, Chandra Parkinson's book may be for you. Meditations for Psychic Development: Practical Exercises to Awaken Your Sixth Sense gives the reader an opportunity to learn more about their abilities and provides easy-to-implement meditation exercises to increase those abilities. The first section of the book covers the basics the author thinks the reader needs to know and understand in order to reach their fullest potential. There is a short introduction explaining how everyone is psychic to some degree and how to create a mindset that will nurture your psychic growth. The fundamentals of meditation and psychic work are also addressed, but only on a surface level. A quiz is provided to help readers determine how they best receive psychic information through one or more of the "clairs" (clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, and claircognizance). There are specific meditations that align with each of these clairs provided, as well as questions for journaling and reflecting on the reader's experiences. Then, the chakras are explained briefly and meditations for opening the third eye, enhancing your intuition, and grounding yourself for protection are included.

The next section of the book goes into more advanced forms of receiving and connecting with psychic messages. Meditations that address auras, spirit guides, mediumships, nature, and your higher self are included in this section. Like in the previous section, each meditation includes prompts for journaling and reflection.

Personally, to make these meditations work for me, I recorded myself reading them aloud and played them back as a guided meditation. Some people might be able to just read the meditations first and then go through the exercise on their own, but I was not successful using this book in that way. Of the meditations I did try, I felt the immediate benefits of a slower heartrate, and a calm, clear mind. It's too soon for me to say whether or not these exercises have increased my psychic abilities yet, but with continued practice, I'm hopeful. All of these meditations were easy to do and even those who have never meditated before should be able to complete them. I appreciated the addition of the journaling prompts because it allows me to track my progress as I do the meditations more and more.

Overall, this is a great beginner book for those interested in strengthening their psychic skills. I can't guarantee the exercises actually increase psychic ability, but I can say that I felt all the usual benefits from sitting down and meditating. So it's definitely not a waste of time and worth checking out if this is something that interests you.

My Rating: ★★★★☆

At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on August 8th, 2021.

*Thanks to the author, Llewellyn Worldwide, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: Tarot by the Moon by Victoria Constantino

Tarot by the Moon by Victoria Constantino is so much more than just a book of tarot spreads. I am OBSESSED with this book and have already pre-ordered a physical copy of it as an early birthday gift to myself. The title promises to give you tarot spreads and spells for each month of the year (and it does), but it delivers so much more! 

Perfect for beginner practitioners of tarot and/or spell work, basic knowledge on a variety of topics is covered through the exploration of the 12 months of the year. There is information about tarot, of course, including card meanings, patterns, symbols, significators, how to shuffle, and how to cleanse your deck, just to name a few. I've been studying tarot seriously for a few years after having dabbled in it over a decade and I still found several nuggets of information that were new to me, so I think it can definitely be beneficial to readers of all experience levels. 

After a brief introduction, the book is split into the twelve months of the year. Some information is given about that particular month's moon and about 4-5 tarot spreads are provided that align with that moon's powers.  After the tarot spreads are roughly 2-3 detailed spells and rituals that connect to the themes of that month. I have yet to do any of the spells, but I've noted a few that I will be trying soon. Most of the spells seem simple and require just the most basic materials that readers are already likely to have on hand (candles, paper, matches, etc.). While the tarot spreads and spells are organized by moon to maximize their power, the author explains that they can really be done anytime during the year depending on what the reader needs. An index at the end of the book makes it easy to quickly find spreads and spells on particular topics (relationships, career, health, money, etc.).

I was very surprised at how much information was actually included. I've read and skimmed through many tarot spread and spell books, so I thought I had a good idea of what to expect with this one, but it goes above and beyond tarot and spells. Constantino provides information about meditation, crystals, journaling, spirit guides, affirmations, plant allies, numerology, and manifestation, all of which compliments tarot and the moon in some way. These aligned topics are sprinkled throughout the book on single pages so the extra information is never overwhelming and it never distracts the reader from the month's themes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

My Rating: ★★★★★

*Thanks to the author, Llewellyn Publications, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

At the time of this review, this title will be available to purchase on August 8th, 2021.

Review: This Is Your Destiny by Aliza Kelly

This is Your Destiny by Aliza Kelly strives to link the science of astrology with manifestation so the reader can use the tools to cultivate their most abundant life. While I was very excited about this premise, I was disappointed with the delivery. There were no specifics that I could use to really connect my personal astrological signs to the various areas of life that the author covered. 

The book begins with an autobiographical account where Aliza Kelly details her life experiences and how she used astrology to manifest the life she has today. The book itself focuses on a handful of different areas in life where one can use astrology and manifestation, including money, relationships, jobs, trauma, healing, and psychic abilities. Each chapter includes an anecdote about a particular person who was struggling in that particular area. The author gives that person's birth stats (but unless you happen to have the exact same birth chart, that is really of little use) and explains how they were able to overcome their obstacles. The chapters end with two manifestations, one for the astral (internal) plane and one for the physical (external) plane. These manifestations are the best part of the book, in my opinion. In all honesty, a reader could just skip through each chapter and only read these exercises and still get as much out of the book as they would have had they read every single word. 

Perhaps my disappointment lies with misunderstanding what this book was offering, but I did not feel like I learned anything new about astrology or how I can implement it into my life. Most of the information I found valuable can be found in almost any article about intuition and manifestation. In fact, if you already practice manifesting on a regular basis, you might not find anything new here. Had there been more specifics that allowed me to apply astrological information to my own personal life, I would have rated this much higher.

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

*Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: The Zenned-Out Guide to Understanding Auras by Cassie Uhl

I first discovered Cassie Uhl’s work when I read The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Crystals (see review here) and practically devoured it in one sitting. I knew immediately that I wanted to check out the other two books she has available as part of this series on auras and chakras. If you’re familiar with any of these books, you’ll already know that they provide a wealth of information on the topic in an easy-to-understand and visually-appealing way. 

I was excited to dive into The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Auras because the subject has always fascinated me, even long before I started trying to figure out my spiritual beliefs. The book covers a wide range of knowledge that readers of all experience levels will be able to appreciate. It begins by giving background information about auras, including what they are and the various ways people can experience them. Explanations behind the various colors and what they mean about you and your energy are provided along with very pretty illustrations and infographic pages that sum up key ideas. Uhl teaches you how to protect, cleanse, and heal your aura. She gives a variety of options for each of these so every reader can find the method that works best for him/her. The final part of the book is about how to conduct aura readings for others, both quickly and more in-depth. This is not probably something I will try, at least not until I become more experienced in reading my own aura, so I didn’t try any of these techniques myself.

While I was skeptical when Uhl claimed that almost everyone is capable of “seeing” at least parts of auras in some way, I gave the exercises she suggested a try. Much to my surprise, after using a piece of amethyst on the third eye and a brief meditation, I was able to determine three colors of my aura. I kept an open mind and had no preconceived notions about the colors I might “see” during my meditation. Uhl says that it might take some time of practicing the various exercises she gives in the book before you can determine your aura’s colors, but she also provides a simple quiz that could help with this information too. I’ve been doing a lot of intuition work recently, so I believe that’s why I was lucky enough to get results on my first try. I plan on continuing to use the techniques daily and work them into my regular spiritual practices.

While I still have some questions, this book gave me the foundation and the confidence to continue exploring auras. Since auras and the chakras are connected, I think I’ll have a better overall understanding once I get a better handle on my chakras. If you’re new to the idea of auras or want to know more about them in depth, I highly recommend The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Auras!

My Rating: ★★★★★

*Thanks to the author, Quarto Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Crystals by Cassie Uhl

I am very new to crystal work, but have dipped my toe casually into other forms of magick over the years (tarot, meditation, spellwork, etc.). Crystals just never seemed to

interest me in the past, partly because I was skeptical of their power since I didn’t have a good understanding of how they work. In recent weeks, I’ve made more of an effort to at least learn more about crystals before judging them. That’s where “The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Crystals” by Cassie Uhl comes in.

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in working with crystals, but it is an especially useful resource for those who were a lot like me. The author provides a comprehensive (but not overwhelming!) background on the

science behind crystals and how they work. This was my favorite part of the book because it truly made me a believer and eradicated all my skepticism.

After the educational introduction, the book continued to wow me as it answered every beginner question I had regarding crystals. From how to connect to various stones to the cleansing, charging, and programming of your crystals, Uhl thinks of everything. I loved the informative and beautifully illustrated infographics that are scattered throughout the various chapters to review key ideas and useful information.

Even more advanced crystal users can appreciate parts of this book, such as the chapter on crystal grids which was definitely too advanced for my current abilities. The crystal guide at the end of the book which shows many useful correspondences is worth the price of the book all by itself! I've read that this author has similar titles on auras and chakras, so I'm definitely going to be checking those titles out.

My Rating: ★★★★★

*Thanks to the author, Quarto Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!