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Tarot Spellcaster: Over 40 Spells to Enhance Your Life With the Power of Tarot Magic
Presents spells for using the tarot to achieve professional, personal, and spiritual goals, including spells for passing examinations, friendship, settling disputes, and self-protection.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published December 19, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 26, 2015
I had mixed feelings about this book.
On one hand, with the pictures as colorful as a cookbook, it's great as a book you can read before a fireplace and a cup of tea by your side on a cold and snowy night. The colors are vibrant, the setup appealing, and the follow-along is rather easy. Not all the pictures are complete according to the instructions, but who cares if it's not entirely accurate? It's a cool book to snuggle up with.
On the other hand, I'm not a big one on magic-as-psychology or vice versa. It could come in handy for those who enjoy fantasy, dreams, creative visualization, role-play, and tripping around with other-worldly beings, but...eh...I'm not into that, not really. Yeah, I know it has it's place, and yeah, I understand the imagination can be a portal to what you can sense but can't see, but I got uncomfortable with the whole idea of using one's creativity to imagine things happening inside the ritual, like it were Hollywood special effects. If all you need is psychology, who needs to bother with candles and incense? It's all mood-lighting and window dressing. You're just psyching yourself out with positive thinking. To make a long story short, it's all in your head.....
Okay, I'm being harsh. I'm not a natural at this kind of magic, and I'm neither a Wiccan, a New Ager, or a High Magician, the last being as close to Catholic as you could get without becoming their priest. So I don't have it within me to appreciate using psychology as a means to an end, nor do I feel it's a good idea to make contact with angels, spirit guides, or divine beings, made-up or real. Real ones have wills of their own like any sentient being, but I'm better off not trusting even the "iffys" with my personal secrets. I don't want to make the stupid mistake of either encountering them or deluding myself into thinking I did.
Yes, I agree with the book that it's good for beginners and those who have been doing this for a while...up to a certain point. It's written well, but it gives no opening or closing rituals to complete them, so unless you already memorized them, you're kind of left hanging. It's good if you're into the Kabbala and the Tarot seen as a representation of it, and of course, you can adjust the rituals however you want like in any other magical cookbook. (I don't care for the Kabbala.) In a way, a number of ritual details and symbols can't be understood without a little bit of Kabbalistic background. Otherwise they don't make sense. On the flip side, a couple actually don't, period.
So I both like the book for its aesthetics and simplicity. But I don't like it because of its use of psychology as if it's a suitable replacement for magic. Nor do I like it for its dependence on pseudo-religion. It makes me roll my eyes.
I like it and I don't. Take one earlier author publishing something on using Tarot for magic, and everyone wants to jump on the gravy train before it even gets the chance to pass. I leave this book up to you to decide.
On one hand, with the pictures as colorful as a cookbook, it's great as a book you can read before a fireplace and a cup of tea by your side on a cold and snowy night. The colors are vibrant, the setup appealing, and the follow-along is rather easy. Not all the pictures are complete according to the instructions, but who cares if it's not entirely accurate? It's a cool book to snuggle up with.
On the other hand, I'm not a big one on magic-as-psychology or vice versa. It could come in handy for those who enjoy fantasy, dreams, creative visualization, role-play, and tripping around with other-worldly beings, but...eh...I'm not into that, not really. Yeah, I know it has it's place, and yeah, I understand the imagination can be a portal to what you can sense but can't see, but I got uncomfortable with the whole idea of using one's creativity to imagine things happening inside the ritual, like it were Hollywood special effects. If all you need is psychology, who needs to bother with candles and incense? It's all mood-lighting and window dressing. You're just psyching yourself out with positive thinking. To make a long story short, it's all in your head.....
Okay, I'm being harsh. I'm not a natural at this kind of magic, and I'm neither a Wiccan, a New Ager, or a High Magician, the last being as close to Catholic as you could get without becoming their priest. So I don't have it within me to appreciate using psychology as a means to an end, nor do I feel it's a good idea to make contact with angels, spirit guides, or divine beings, made-up or real. Real ones have wills of their own like any sentient being, but I'm better off not trusting even the "iffys" with my personal secrets. I don't want to make the stupid mistake of either encountering them or deluding myself into thinking I did.
Yes, I agree with the book that it's good for beginners and those who have been doing this for a while...up to a certain point. It's written well, but it gives no opening or closing rituals to complete them, so unless you already memorized them, you're kind of left hanging. It's good if you're into the Kabbala and the Tarot seen as a representation of it, and of course, you can adjust the rituals however you want like in any other magical cookbook. (I don't care for the Kabbala.) In a way, a number of ritual details and symbols can't be understood without a little bit of Kabbalistic background. Otherwise they don't make sense. On the flip side, a couple actually don't, period.
So I both like the book for its aesthetics and simplicity. But I don't like it because of its use of psychology as if it's a suitable replacement for magic. Nor do I like it for its dependence on pseudo-religion. It makes me roll my eyes.
I like it and I don't. Take one earlier author publishing something on using Tarot for magic, and everyone wants to jump on the gravy train before it even gets the chance to pass. I leave this book up to you to decide.
April 9, 2016
I just got the Tarot Spellcaster and am really enjoying it. First, it is a delight to look at, packed with full-color glossy and very detailed photographs. The paper is nice and thick, and the book is well organized, with a section in the front categorizing all the spells following which is nice, you don't have to search, and it has a good index in the back.
Terry Donaldson has created a spell for each of the 22 Major Arcana cards. Each of these spells are carefully constructed to utilize the energy behind the individual card's symbology. These spells are largely based on meditative work.
All the spells in the book use combinations of Tarot cards from both the major and minor arcana.
I especially appreciate the very poetic meditations which find the heart of each intention, and are oriented toward serving humanity and spiritual growth.
Terry Donaldson has created a spell for each of the 22 Major Arcana cards. Each of these spells are carefully constructed to utilize the energy behind the individual card's symbology. These spells are largely based on meditative work.
All the spells in the book use combinations of Tarot cards from both the major and minor arcana.
I especially appreciate the very poetic meditations which find the heart of each intention, and are oriented toward serving humanity and spiritual growth.
April 5, 2014
I bought this book years ago and just found it in a pile of my research books and so I decided to read it. I'm not sorry that I did.
The Tarot Spellcaster is a wonderful book for beginner or advanced magic practitioners and tarot readers. I found each spell useful and the products needed not hard to find at all.
Basically, the spells help you to build your own empowerment and this is a good thing.
Terry Dondaldson gives simple step-by-step procedures and explanations. I've tried some of the spells in the book and they did help give me the ability to do what needed to be done.
I'd recommend this book to anyone although it would help if the reader had some knowledge of tarot and essential oils.
The Tarot Spellcaster is a wonderful book for beginner or advanced magic practitioners and tarot readers. I found each spell useful and the products needed not hard to find at all.
Basically, the spells help you to build your own empowerment and this is a good thing.
Terry Dondaldson gives simple step-by-step procedures and explanations. I've tried some of the spells in the book and they did help give me the ability to do what needed to be done.
I'd recommend this book to anyone although it would help if the reader had some knowledge of tarot and essential oils.
March 23, 2014
Disappointing in the fact that it is under the assumption that you already have a list of magical tools at the ready when you brought this book. It does have some awesome charts but it could be have been so much better.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews