ISBN 978-1-4019-1755-5

Hay House

Since reading this book I look at people differently.

Face reading can provide a lot of information.

The author explains what certain features mean. The ears tell about childhood, the hairline about adolescence, the forehead has information about our 20s, the eyes are about our 30s, the nose is about our 40s, the mouth our 50s, the chin our 60s , the jaw our 70s and the sides of the face are about the 80s and 90s.

The author also explains about the 5 elements: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Each element has certain characteristics and dominant features. Most people are a combination of elements, with one or two dominant over the others.

By looking at the dominant features in a person you can determine what elements are more strongly represented.

As an example large ears are a water feature which also tells of endurance and the ability to take risks. Large earlobes indicate you are good with money. A strong chin equals strong will.

Thick, bushy eyebrows belong to the wood element and they indicate drive, confidence and ambition. A small space between eyebrows is a sign of a person who works best independently.

Curly or red hair, light in the eyes = fire element

A pointed tip of the nose tells of a curious nature, while a rounded tip speaks of enjoyment of the pleasure and comfort of life.

A round face, a big mouth, full lips are all consistent with the element of earth.

A large mouth indicates a generous person who treasure friendships. Vertical lines above the upper lips reveal disappointment, resentment.

A large nose, prominent upper cheeks, concave or lined lower cheeks are all signs of metal.

A perfect nose = idealist.

A bump just below the bridge of the nose indicates a need to be in charge.

Prominent cheeks show you can hold positions of authority and can handle giving orders.

Flat cheeks on the other hand suggest you prefer to work on your own and do not like to be supervised.

I personally find reading specific features or wrinkles easy. What I find challenging is identifying the predominant elements in a person. I guess that will come with time and practice. I can hardly wait as I believe that to be the most revealing part of this ancient practice.

As an example, to know that someone has a lot of water will tell you that:

he feels things deeply, will cry easily, needs a lot of time to make a decision, will have courage, determination and tenacity to spare. Water people love to lie down, walk and speak slowly, tend to be late often. They like to stay up late and sleep late. They like to wake up slowly from their fascinating and vivid dreams and they need a lot of alone quiet time. Water people wear soft clothes that tend to flow, the hair is often long, the footwear is the kind they can kick off easily. They like to live near water, they prefer open plan houses.

Fire people on the other hand are exuberant, joyful, yearn intimacy, are passionate, love change and new experiences. They laugh a lot, joke, talk and walk fast, they are great at multitasking. They love to flirt. They create drama, have a tendency to exaggerate. They like to be noticed.

They like to have fun with clothes, dramatic combinations, high heels, sexy styles. In the home cutting edge design, unusual architecture and design, collections. Fire people often work in marketing, public relations, sales or are performers.

To sum it up The wisdom of your face is a book that will make you look at people in a totally different way. It is funny, direct, compassionate and very informative. I highly recommend it.

Psychic Tarot, by Nancy Antenucci with Melanie Howard .

Published in 2011 by Llewellyn

ISBN 978-0-7387-1975-7

Paperback, 203 pages.

In my opinion this small, unpretentious, reasonably priced book has a lot to offer.

What I like most about it, is how it breaks down the reading process in a way that is easy to understand.

The book does not spend much time on the meaning of the individual cards.

The Minor Arcana are presented together as The First Family, followed by the Court Cards as The Second Family and finally the Major Arcana as The Third Family. Each group is presented briefly but effectively. The elements associations are clearly explained.

For the Major Arcana The Fool’s journey is presented in a concise but effective way. There are exercises and spreads to try for each family.

The experience of reading is broken down is six principles.

Grounding.

Intent.

Form.

Synchronicity.

Closure.

Integration.

Each step is explained in details.

The author also talks about energies, responsibilities, boundaries.

Example of Tarot readings using more or less intuition and psychic abilities are presented.

There is a chapter called Reading Tarot with the Sight.

It gives different examples of how to read .

1) A Tarot reading.

2 A tarot reading with a hint of the Sight.

3) A Tarot and Psychic reading.

4) A Psychic Reading with a hint of Tarot.

5) A Psychic reading.

Psychic Tarot is generous with exercises designed to help the reader understand the cards better . The book also provides a lot of spreads, big and small . I have only tried a few so far and I was truly impressed.

I loved the Turning Point Exercise 1 on page 49.

All in all Psychic Tarot is a great book, full of information delivered in an easy, direct way. It helps the reader trust her senses , question his or her beliefs and learn seeing the unseen.

I have read a lot of Tarot books and I have found this one refreshing.

Why do I like it so much?

Several reasons.

1) This book is not about memorizing meanings for the cards.

2) It is a system that helps the reader experience the cards and come up with new associations for them.

3) It is fun.

4) The exercises expand the personal associations with the cards while providing insights into the experiences explored.

5) Once you understand the system you can use it for everything.

How does BIT work?

The system asks you to think back to an experience that you had or that you witnessed. Break it down into snapshots. Select cards to represent those images. Write down why you selected those cards.

Once you get familiar with the system you can use it to retell songs, movies, books, dreams. To find associations with places, holidays and so on.

You can use the BIT method with any deck you like. You can use it if you are new to Tarot as well as if you have been at it for decades.

Someone new to Tarot will likely select the cards mostly because of the images on them. As an example someone using the RWS deck may choose the Sun to depict the first time he rode a horse as a young child.

Someone who already knows the meaning of the cards may use the Sun to express a moment of pure joy as a young person or as an adult.

Something else I found interesting was a comment the author of the book made. Janet Boyer wrote that sometimes experienced Tarot readers can gain deep insight from figuring out why they did not choose a card that would be “expected” to represent a particular situation.

I also like the BIT system because it is very creative. Like in writing a story with words you can go straight to the point and use only a few cards or be quite descriptive and use as many as you like.

The Back in Time Tarot Book is reasonably priced. It is well written and a pleasure to read. It offers a fresh way to experience Tarot and the readings resulting from the exercises can be very revealing.

I would recommend the book to anyone interested in Tarot.

Echo Bodine is a well known psychic, spiritual healer and teacher. She has written several other books, but I haven’t read them yet. She is also the older sister of Michael Bodine, author of “Growing up Psychic”.

The gift is designed to help people understand and develop their psychic abilities.

175 pages long, the book explains in clear, easy to understand language what psychic abilities are, the different kinds that exist and the risks and responsibilities that go with using them.

Echo tries to dispel misconceptions about psychics and what they can and cannot do.

She devotes a chapter to debunk the belief that the Bible teaches psychic abilities to be the work of the Devil. She actually works hard to prove that psychic abilities are gifts from God, and that Jesus expected people to do great work with them.

Most of the book is designed to teach how to develop our gifts, how to interpret the information we get, and how to do so in a kind and ethical manner.

The book contains guided visualizations to facilitate opening up psychically, way to protect ourselves by grounding and clearing energies, as well as specific exercises.

I particularly enjoyed how Echo explains the way she receives information, as pieces of a puzzle that she needs to put together. She describes the process she uses to verify the information that she gets. She gives examples where she interpreted the information correctly, as well as instances where she made mistakes and why. I found the explanation of the process she uses very helpful.

The last chapter covers short interviews of five professional psychics. The aim I believe is to show that psychics come in different shapes and sizes, with different interests, talents and philosophies just like in any other field.

I have read the book in a week end. That is how I am, when I start reading I don’t want to stop.

I found the story of Michael very interesting.

Essentially, when Michael was about eight or nine years old a ghost made his presence known in the family home.

Michael’s mother need to understand what was happening in her house started her on a path of learning anything she could on the paranormal.

She was very open about this new found passion, and soon the house was filled with all sort of psychics and ghosts.

Michael and his two sisters, as well as a male cousin who lived with them did their best to adjust to their new reality.

Michael was quite scared by the ghosts.  He had a hard time living with them, and adjusting to the way his family life was quickly changing.  Michael lost his bearings for a while as alcohol and drugs took over his life at an extremely young age.

Eventually he cleaned out his act. Life was tough for quite some time and Michael did his best to avoid using his psychic abilities, but as he was surrounded by psychics he eventually accepted his gift.

Michael writes his story dispassionately. He doesn’t seem to make many excuses for himself. As I read the book I felt like I was there with him experiencing the good and the bad. His friends and his family felt very real to me. I admire how non judgmental he tried to be.

He is funny, and I could not help but smile even when I was reading about some of his lowest times.

All in all this is a good book. Michael has had a very interesting life, and he has been surrounded by very interesting characters.

The paranormal experiences he writes about are varied and I think the reader needs to keep an open mind.

This is not a book on how to develop your psychic abilities, it may even discourage you from trying.

This is a book about a young child growing up in a very unusual home and doing his best to come to term with it. It is also about family, friends, and trying to figure out what life is all about.

I enjoyed the book.

The writer is a psychic grandma somewhere in her seventies.

The book is 227 pages long. It is full of practical wisdom delivered in a straight forward, down to earth manner. In the book this very modern thinking lady writes about her life and work experiences. She speaks of how the Spooks help her with her work and with her life. The Spooks are the way she calls souls, guides and guardian angels.

A lot of material is covered here. Mystic Alice discuss Karma, past lives, soul purpose, death and dying. She explains the law of return, dreams, out of body experiences. She gives tips on how to work with affirmations. She touches on Alternative Healing methods. Alice gives tips on how to learn to see auras, increase psychic powers and be more aware of what goes on around us.

What I liked most were the personal stories and how they related to the discussed topics. There is something for everyone in this book. You get an understanding of what goes on between a client and a reader. You see what works and what doesn’t. The snapshots of people’s lives are great at showing the connections between beliefs, actions and results.

Something that is repeated over and over is how important it is not to judge, how we all rush to do it, and how we all pay dearly for it. Alice Rose Morgan is in my opinion a very wise and funny lady.

I truly enjoyed this book.. Paul Quinn shares his vast knowledge in an easy direct style, that sounds like a conversation with a good friend.

The fairly thick book flows easily, and Quinn’s sense of humor makes it a pleasure to read..

In part one: Foundation

Some very important topics are addressed, like different ways to use the Tarot.

A life long key to unlock your Inner Wisdom

flash cards for your intuitive development

a set of visual affirmations

a meditation focuser

a spiritual advisor

a tool for self-understanding

are just some of the ideas offered by Quinn.

Some of the principles underlying the Tarot are also addressed, specifically:

As above so below.

The law of attraction.

Synchronicity.

The Self and Individuation.

Integration of Opposites.

Masculine and Feminine.

I found this part very interesting, and something most Tarot books don’t really address.

The Major Arcana are explained first, followed by the Minor, organized suit by suit, ace to king.

All cards are explained in details. Quinn works with the Rider Waite deck. He addresses the symbols present in each card and what they represent. He explains the Numerological significance of the cards.

Each card has a section called Attributes, where we find a list of Key words, and possible meanings divided under Being, Doing, Shadow aspects, Reversed and Possible advice.

If that wasn’t enough, Quinn provides a list of Questions for Reflection for each Major.

Something else that sets this book apart are the true stories told for each card.

The anecdotes are great ways to show how the energies of a card can translate in real life, and may also help the readers become more flexible with their interpretation.

At the end of the book Quinn provides some Tarot spreads, some tips on how to formulate good questions and customize your own spreads. He also addresses the pro and cons to read for yourself or others and different approaches to reading.

In my opinion this book can be helpful to both beginners and experienced Tarot readers. Great work!

This is a good book. The 282 pages flew by. Jodi Livon strikes me as a kind person, grounded, sensible, and with a big heart. In the book she writes about her experiences as a psychic, medium and woman. The book is full of information and guidance. It is clear to me that her intent is to help others with budding psychic abilities to find a way to handle them with grace and respect. The many true stories that she shares are touching and insightful.

This is a small book, 144 pages, that I read in a flash.

The author is Lorraine Roe, a former reporter and television producer, who developed her psychic abilities suddenly in her late thirties.

She is funny, in your face, direct.  The book gives information and practical tips on how to handle new psychic experiences.

I would recommend her web site www.psychichousewives.com to anyone interested in psychic abilities or experiencing strange things. You can find her blog there, along with those of other psychic housewives, and you can even post your own experiences . I like her videos on YouTube, and you can view them easily from her web site.

Sonia Choquette, is in my opinion, a very gifted writer, intuitive and spiritual counselor.

I have read most of her books, which I always find very informative, and inspirational. I like her direct , practical style and fun approach to life.

Here I am going to mention two of her books, that I have read recently, and therefore are still fresh in my mind.

True Balance

“True balance” is a great book that demystifies chakras. I think it would be of interest to any of my Reiki clients, and to anyone interested to find easy way to stay healthy and vibrant.

In her clear and concise style Sonia explains the seven energy centers , their functions and how they work.

In this step by step work book she teaches the reader how to recognize if the chakras are working well, the consequences if they do not, and practical way to bring them back to balance.

It is one of those books to keep close by and use as needed for daily life.

The Intuitive Spark

“The Intuitive Spark” originally known as “The Wise child”.

This is a book I would recommend to any parent who wants to foster a creative, six sensory life in her/his own children.

Here Sonia helps the reader to rediscover intuition, imagination, and a sense of wonder. She gives practical ways to bring harmony in the home, and trust in our natural gut feelings. I also enjoyed her wise tips on how to deal with partners who may not share our enthusiasm for an intuitive lead life style, and who feel strongly about teaching the kids an analytical, logical approach to life. She generously share her own experience as a child and as a mother.

Sonia clearly explains spiritual principles, and shares practical ways to apply them in ordinary day to day life.

www.soniachoquette.com