Deck Review: Human Spirit Oracle

Jenna Dellagrottaglia and Laurence Toner, Human Spirit Oracle: Learning to Reconnect. NSW, Australia: Rockpool Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922785176. 

Genre: oracle decks 

Subgenre: spirituality 

Format: Kit with small paperback book and deck.

Source: I own this one. 

 

This kit includes a paperback companion book and a 44-card deck. The deck's theme is "about what we all universally experience as humans, and reminds us that we are all connected" (from back of box description). The cards art drew me to this deck, and it has become a favorite. Jena Dellagrottaglia is listed as author and artist, so that drew me to the deck too. She has done artwork on some of Colette Baron-Reid's decks. However, inside the book, on the next to last page mentions Laurence Toner as author; it seems he wrote some or all of the text. This is not fully clear. 

The book is 104 pages long and is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. Describes the deck's concept. 
• How to use the cards. Brief instruction on how you can use the cards. Instruction is open-ended. Note this deck can be read reversed. Upright and reversed meanings are provided. Section also includes instruction to do a one-card pull and two additional card spreads. 
• The cards. Each entry includes a color card image, card number and title, upright and reverse meanings. Each entry is two pages long. 
• About the creators. 
• Acknowledgements. 

Book pages are in color, and it is a nice book with various small illustrations throughout. It is a very easy read. Card messages are mostly positive and uplifting, but they also look at darker moments in life. If you need messages to comfort you a bit and live within the human condition, this book and deck are a good option. There are some humorous cards and moments too. 

The card art blends collage with a surrealist style and feel. Art is colorful and expressive with good attention to detail. Cards can work well for intuitive readers. I find I can read them intuitively. I still read the book, and I'd read the entries after my initial reading reading of the cards. I usually rotate decks every month. I kept this one in rotation for two months. I'll probably take it to my work office to use in my small altar for a while.  

The cards measure about 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The card back is in green with a circular Celtic style circle. Card back is reversible. The cards have a bright green gilded edge, which is a nice touch. 

Overall I really like this deck, and it is now a favorite for me. For me it works well for my path with the Cosmic Joker. I love the art, and I find it easy to use. I do recommend it. 

5 out of 5 stars.  

Kit qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge: 

 

Deck Review: Gregory Scott Tarot

Gregory Scott (author) and Davide Corsi (Artist), Gregory Scott Tarot. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2020.  ISBN: 9780738767369. 

Genre: Tarot decks, cartomancy

Subgenre: fantasy

Format: 78-card deck with little white book

Source: I own this one  

The Hermit-IX 

I first used this deck in August 2025. The deck comes in a tuck box with the 78-card deck and a little white book (LWB). In typical Lo Scarabeo fashion, the LWB is written in multiple languages: English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. The LWB has 63 pages; 22 pages are in English. 

The LWB includes the following: 

• A description of the deck's concept and author's vision.
• Brief instruction on how to use this deck. 
• Basic instructions on how to read Tarot. It includes a basic 3-card spread. 
• Major Arcana entries have a keyword or phrase followed by a short interpretation paragraph.
• Minor Arcana entries are arranged by suits: cups, pentacles, wands, and swords. The entries' format is the same as for the Major Arcana.
• A short note on reversals. 

I do recommend reading the LWB. The deck's images fall somewhat within Rider Waite Smith (RWS), but there are some significant differences. There are also some differences from traditional meanings. I found those interesting and a way to expand my understanding of Tarot. So read the LWB. You may get some new insights. 

The main reason I got the deck was for the art, which was done by Davide Corsi. If you like Corsi's art from other decks, you'll probably like this deck. The art is colorful and expressive. It provides good detail, so the deck can work very well for intuitive readers. If you read in RWS, the deck can work well for you, but as I mentioned there are some differences. I was not sure about this deck when I got it. As I wrote, I got it mainly for the art. 

Seven of Cups 

The deck grew on me, and some of the different interpretations gave me food for thought. As the LWB states, one of Scott's concepts for a Tarot deck is positivity. While the deck is very positive, don't be fooled. It can deliver some hard truths and some darker messages. Still, if you want a deck that leans into beauty and positivity, to see the good even in the Hard Times, this may be a deck for you. 

The cards measure about 4 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches. The art is borderless with a small black edge on bottom of the card with white lettering to identify a card. Card back design is reversible. The card stock is a bit thin. The cards have a soft glossy finish, and the cards shuffle with ease. 

Overall, I really like this deck, and I would recommend it. I would rate this as a deck for beginners, but some beginners may make it work. I am glad to have it in my collection. I would back it up. 

5 out of 5 stars.  

Side note: Apologies for the Amazon link, but it seems the deck is out of print now. Neither Llewellyn, the US distributor, nor Lo Scarabeo the publisher has it listed on their sites, sure sign it is out of print. I got lucky as Half Price Books had it discounted. It retailed for $24.95, and they were practically giving them away at $9.99.  At that price, yea, and due to the art, I did go back and get a second back up copy. From what I see you can still find it at the Big A and a few other online places, but it may not be for long. If you want it, I'd say get it now if you can. 

Photos are mine from my copy of the deck. 

 

 

Deck Review: Tarot of Sacred Kingdoms

Jennifer Agostini (writer) and Florian Bernard (illustrator), Tarot of Sacred Kingdoms. Earth Moon Magick, 2023.  

This independent deck kit comes with a small companion book and an 80-card deck. The two extra cards are The Phoenix and The Celestial Weaver. The extra cards are not numbered. You can either leave them in the deck, as I did, or you can remove them for your practice. 

The small book features 153 pages. The book features the following: 

• Introduction. This is a bit of an authors statement and description of the deck's concept. 
• Spreads. We get a 6 small spreads. We get the prompts, no spread diagrams. The authors encourage you to "place the cards in the way you are intuitively called to" (4). We get two 2-card spreads, two 3-card spreads, a 4-card spread, and a 6-card spread. 
• Major Arcana. Entries here include card name and number, three keywords, a small color image of a card, and interpretation text. Text length is a page to page and a half in length. 
• Minor Arcana. Entries are same as the Major Arcana entries. 
• Special cards. Entries about the same as other card entries. 
• The book also includes a QR code for a free meditation. I will note at this time I have not checked the QR code.

 

The World-XXI

Entries interpretation focus on a bit of advice and reflection. Text is easy to read, and the esoterica is kept to a minimum. The book has a good index to find card entries right away. The card illustration is a bit small, so it may not be easy if your vision is not great. Still, the book is a good read overall. It is a nice reading in the entries. It is a nice small book you can read cover to cover. The art on the cover features nice art too.

The cards are the reason to get this deck. Each card is truly a work of art. The art somewhat follows Rider Waite Smith (RWS), but it also has some interesting departures and differences. The art is very intuitive friendly. This is a deck intuitive readers can easily pick up and read right out of the box. It may be good for beginners, but I would recommend it more for intermediate and advanced readers. However, with some work a beginner could make a go with the deck. 

The art, beautiful as it is, is a bit on the dark side. I mean it can be a bit too shadowy at times. You may need to look closely to get a few details now and then. Overall deck features beautiful, colorful art that draws you in. If you do meditation with your cards, this deck is a great choice. It is a joy to look at the cards. I found the cards to be very responsive and easy to read. It give me clear readings, and they got me writing in my journal. 

The cards are done in a matte finish card stock, a bit on the thick side, so they feel durable. In addition, according to their website, the cards are made with recycled paper and soy-based ink. The card deck is edged in black. The card art has a very light line border that I think works well to highlight the art quality. All cards, except the two special cards, are numbered and identified by name with a simple, light print. 

At this time, the deck's retail price on their site is $69, which is usually a price out of my range, butt they had them on sale for $49 on Amazon and their site. I had a gift card, so I took a chance, and I am glad I did. This is a high quality deck that works well as a reader and as an art piece for collectors. 

Would I get a backup copy? Definitely yes. Would I buy another of their decks? I would. I was very satisfied, and I see myself using this deck again. I'd add it may also be a good deck for shadow work. For what you pay, this is as good or better than certain overpriced indie decks you see out there I won't mention. 

A solid 5 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review: The Warehouse

James William Kilgore (author) and Vic Liu (graphic artist), The Warehouse: a visual primer on mass incarceration. Oakland, CA: PM Press, 2024. ISBN: 9798887440422. 

Genre: primers, reference

Subgenre: mass incarceration, criminal justices, social justice, sociology, politics

Format: trade paperback

Source: Hutchins Library, Berea College  

 

The book's epigraph, which sets up the rest of the book very well: 

 

"All over the world, the institution of the prison serves as a place to warehouse people  who represent major social problems. . . . Prison serves as an institution that consolidates the state's inability and refusal to address the most pressing social problems of this era." --Angela Davis, Freedom is a constant struggle.

 

As the subtitle states, this is a "visual primer on mass incarceration." There are many books, articles, and resources on mass incarceration. An average reader may feel a bit overwhelmed, wondering where to start. I suggest anyone wanting to learn about the topic to start with this book. 

The book is arranged in three major parts: 

• The Big Picture.
• Journey Through Incarceration.
• Dismantling the System and Building Anew. 

The book combines text, statistics, and visual elements to take readers on a learning journey. Part One gives the big picture of what is mass incarceration, its history in the United States, and how it works. The second part takes readers through the process of incarceration from arrest to imprisonment. Part three looks at how the systems of mass incarceration can be dismantled. 

This is a very accessible book. The combination of visual elements such as graphs, art, and photos with text works well to make the book easy to read. The combination also works well to emphasize key points, which helps readers remember what they learn. 

On campus, we often have at least one or two students in fields like social justice and sociology researching the topic. This is a book I can give them to provide a good start. In addition to the information, the book features a good set of note that students can use to read further and add other sources to their research. Thus I recommend the book for academic libraries, especially for undergraduate programs. 

I would also recommend it for public libraries. This can be a good resource for patrons seeking to learn about the topic in a well written, well researched, and visual way. The author is a researcher and activist who has written another book on the topic, A People's Guide to Mass Incarceration. The visual artist has experience using art and visuals to convey complex topics. They are a good team to teach readers on this topic. 

Overall this is an accessible, excellent, and very informative book. 

5 out of 5 stars.  

Brooklyn Public Library 250 list: how many have I read?

I recently came across this list of "250 for 250" book list from the Brooklyn Public Library. It is a list to celebrate the 250 years of the United States. The nice thing about this list is that it is pretty inclusive, and it is more then the usual "American classics." Anyhow, I decided to see how many of those books I read. Did not too well as I have only read 39. However, as often happens with lists like these, there may be authors I have read a different book not mentioned on the list. For the most part, what I did read are books I had to read for school be it school or university later on. There are a few I read voluntarily and/or for fun. Anyhow, here is my list of what I have read: 

• American Born Chinese. 
• The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.
• Walden.
• Nickel and Dimed.  
• Jurassic Park.
• Saga.
• Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook.
• Letter from Birmingham Jail. 
• Fun Home.
• Ellison, Invisible Man.
• Their Eyes Were Watching God.
• Common Sense.
• And the Band Played On.
• On the Road.
• Atlas Shrugged.
• Frog and Toad Together.
• The House on Mango Street.
• Ceremony.
• Collected Poems of Langston Hughes.
• Gender Trouble.
• Maus.
• The Godfather.
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
• The Lottery and Other Stories.
• Orientalism.
• Fahrenheit 451.
• Neuromancer.
• Parable of the Sower.
• Leaves of Grass.
• The Joy Luck Club.
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.
• Fast Food Nation.
• War Against all Puerto Ricans.
• The Great Gatsby.
• Catcher in the Rye.
• Phillis Wheatley Complete Writings.
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
• Kitchen Confidential.
• March. Book One.

 

I am sure some of my readers have read more than I have from the list, so feel free to share in the comments how many books from the list you've read. Maybe you want to just share a favorite or two that you have read. Or tell me which ones you had to read in school or college versus ones you read for pleasure and fun.