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THE ORACLE TRAVELS LIGHT: PRINCIPLES OF MAGIC WITH CARDS by Camelia Elias
This book depicts manifestations of folk magic, black magic, and practical magic as courage and everyday wisdom, and it demonstrates how reading cards can entice us to concrete magical action. It thus goes beyond reading cards for personal and spiritual growth and demonstrates how the cards create connections between people, from the living to the dead. It talks about objects magically landing in your kitchen, family secrets that get untangled in necromantic sessions, power and how we use it. At the heart of the book is a guide to storytelling and spellcrafting with cards, demonstrating the transformative power of stories that makes us skillful in the arts of asking, knowing, and having. Fully color illustrated with the unique and rarely seen Marseille cards of Carolus Zoya (ca. 1790), and accompanied also by the author's original art, the book is a delight to the eye.
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First published July 20, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 1, 2017
If you are looking for clear directions on how to get from A to B this book isn't it. If what you are hoping to find is something that spells out making magic with tarot cards in much the way that a recipe books spells out how to turn tomatoes and onions into pasta sauce this is not the right book for you. But if you are seeking the Oracle, if you are the Oracle, then this might be exactly the book you need. The Oracle Travels Light reads exactly like it was written by the academic, literary, divination focused poet that it was written by.
Elias's prose reads like poetry; dense with layers of meaning and the promise of nutrients if you are willing to chew it out. I often had to re-read sections over and over again to chase the meaning and cohesion out of it or I'd have to stop and walk away from the book coming back after I'd had the chance to digest what I'd been reading. When I told Camelia that I was reading this book she congratulated me and then told me that a lot of people who read the book tell her that they struggled to understand it. I could totally see why that was.
This may sound like a criticism, and maybe for some people it is, but I never found it to be a deterrent and every time I came away from the book it was with depth of insight and more to sift through. Even now I feel like this is one of those books that I will re-read in five years and find that the meaning opens itself like a flower - ripening in exactly the right time.
In truth I'd say that The Oracle Travels Light reads like an oracle itself. This time I read it cover to cover, but I think that from now I'll flip through it following the rules of bibliomancy - trusting that where I land will be the exact piece of prose that I need to read in that moment to enhance both my divining and my magic. This is definitely not a book for someone brand new to magic or divination, but anyone else willing to delve into it for what it is is guaranteed to find treasure in its caves.
"I am come today, I am come.
I am come to see and sing.
I am come.
I am come to see the omen.
I am come to see the sign.
Come sign, come omen. Come.
I am come.
I'm the sign, the omen.
I am come."
pg. 150-151
Elias's prose reads like poetry; dense with layers of meaning and the promise of nutrients if you are willing to chew it out. I often had to re-read sections over and over again to chase the meaning and cohesion out of it or I'd have to stop and walk away from the book coming back after I'd had the chance to digest what I'd been reading. When I told Camelia that I was reading this book she congratulated me and then told me that a lot of people who read the book tell her that they struggled to understand it. I could totally see why that was.
This may sound like a criticism, and maybe for some people it is, but I never found it to be a deterrent and every time I came away from the book it was with depth of insight and more to sift through. Even now I feel like this is one of those books that I will re-read in five years and find that the meaning opens itself like a flower - ripening in exactly the right time.
In truth I'd say that The Oracle Travels Light reads like an oracle itself. This time I read it cover to cover, but I think that from now I'll flip through it following the rules of bibliomancy - trusting that where I land will be the exact piece of prose that I need to read in that moment to enhance both my divining and my magic. This is definitely not a book for someone brand new to magic or divination, but anyone else willing to delve into it for what it is is guaranteed to find treasure in its caves.
"I am come today, I am come.
I am come to see and sing.
I am come.
I am come to see the omen.
I am come to see the sign.
Come sign, come omen. Come.
I am come.
I'm the sign, the omen.
I am come."
pg. 150-151
December 14, 2015
This is an excellent book by one of the contributors to Arcana, the anthology of Tarot poetry I edited. I found Camelia's thoughts on working with the dead especially helpful, as I lost one of my muses recently. Brianna was an artist working in various mediums--I read poetry alongside her and wrote a poem about one of her paintings. Since she took her own life, her family has been keeping her social media accounts, including her account here on Goodreads, active, which has caused me to feel haunted.
Brianna wasn't big on using social media. She was one of the few people in my life who sent me handmade cards and handwritten letters--we both preferred these gifts to virtual connections. Having her pop up virtually instead of on hand-touched paper placed in my physical mailbox reinforces the loss, how she is disembodied and unable to touch what I touch. The Oracle Travels Light inspired some ways to approach creating a ritual for this muse.
I loved Camelia's avenue of inquiry into poetry and magic, as well as her sharp thoughts on culture's relationship to magic. A pragmatic and beautifully written text that encourages the reader to write and breathe their own words, and trust the cards.
Brianna wasn't big on using social media. She was one of the few people in my life who sent me handmade cards and handwritten letters--we both preferred these gifts to virtual connections. Having her pop up virtually instead of on hand-touched paper placed in my physical mailbox reinforces the loss, how she is disembodied and unable to touch what I touch. The Oracle Travels Light inspired some ways to approach creating a ritual for this muse.
I loved Camelia's avenue of inquiry into poetry and magic, as well as her sharp thoughts on culture's relationship to magic. A pragmatic and beautifully written text that encourages the reader to write and breathe their own words, and trust the cards.
February 6, 2017
An intriguing and very personal approach to the use of cards for magical use. Not a book for beginners of cartomancy, divination or magical work. Elias brings a strong folk background to her academic capacities and the result is a lovely mix of meandering associations and pointers with a strongly contextualised modern practise (including footnotes and a useful bibliography). I would recommend checking out her blog to see if her poetical approach speaks to you. https://taroflexions.wordpress.com/
February 9, 2016
Think I'm gonna hafta read this one a couple more times; there's stuff in there that I need to wrap my head around some more. Not sure if the book could use some better organization, or if the less linear structure is part of the intended delivery. But there's gold in them wandering pathways.
April 26, 2018
Now that I’ve taken a couple of online classes with the author (and I’m about to start another), I’ve grown a little more accustomed to how she expresses herself, and the rhythm of her words. This is another interesting book, and it’s leading me towards others, which I always appreciate.
January 22, 2016
Once in awhile a book comes along that is not your typical "how to" book. The author combines magic, cards, intellect, simplicity, common sense and wisdom together to create a gorgeous little book that comes to life. This is a book that I will be keeping in my library and passing down to my daughter.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews