Witchcraft and Politics

Hello everyone. Paganism is being tied to politics again and again lately, and there has been some debate about witchcraft and politics. Although everyone is entitled to their opinion, I believe informed opinions are the ones that weigh the most, so I wanted to add my grain of sand to the conversation.

"Witchcraft is about balance, living in peace, authentically. (...) But there are times when you need to fight for those things". Image by Edward Lich from Pixabay.

Short version: witchcraft is political, it has always been, and it will always be. End of the discussion.

Why? Because politics dictate what we can and must do, whether we are witches or not, and so our actions are political. Being part of a society demands we follow a set of rules, so our actions are political again. Furthermore, our identity is a political statement. Are you a person of color? Are you queer? Are you neurodivergent? An immigrant? A single parent? A survivor of abuse? All those words carry political connotations. Being a witch is no different.

The history of witchcraft is full of and has been shaped by politics, as Mat Auryn reminded us all the way back in 2019. But things change over time, right? So the fact that politics shaped witchcraft before doesn't mean that it is shaping it now, does it? Wrong answer:

Almost a year after a visit from the borough police chief over tarot readings, [Beck Lawrence] the owner of Serpent's Key in Hanover has filed a federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations against the police department and borough over an obscure 163-year-old state statute, which the suit asserts is unconstitutional. (...) Title 18, Section 7104, Fortune Telling, which makes it a third-degree misdemeanor in the event that someone is found guilty of "pretending for gain or lucre, to tell fortunes or predict future events, by cards, tokens, the inspection of the head or hands of any person, or by the age of anyone, or by consulting the movements of the heavenly bodies, or in any other manner." The rarely prosecuted statue is punishable with up to a year in jail or up to a $2,500 fine.

In short, charging for fortune-telling is illegal in Pennsylvania, so the whole situation has developed into a legal battle that questions the separation of church and state here in the USA. So politics do affect witchcraft, which is nothing new.

"But hey, things change!" Do they, really? Or, for the sake of a better phrasing, have they in this particular topic? It's something worth considering.

I am no stranger to magic regarding politics. I am part of many underrepresented, marginalized populations, for heaven's sake. My very existence is a challenge to many. So when my identity is questioned, when my safety is compromised, I take out my tools and materials, I summon those I work with, and I get down to business.

Witchcraft is about balance, living in peace, authentically, and many would add "in perfect love and perfect trust." I am all up for it. But there are times when you need to fight for those things. Witchcraft is also about evening the scales, about what is fair and just, about being a better person, but also getting back your power.

Witchcraft was, is, and will always be political.

Kinky regards, K!

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Review: Ukiyo Tarot

Any anime fans here? I have a tarot deck for you, especially if you're a sucker for all things mythology and folklore like I am: Ukiyo Tarot, by Pietro Turino, combines the beauty of old-timey Asian art with the wisdom of the cards to create a unique deck. It is beautiful, it is direct, it is a must for most! Thanks to the publisher for the copy to review!

• Publication Date: September 8, 2025.
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications.
• Page Count: 128 pages.
• Dimensions: 3 x 0.69 x 5.06 inches.
• Rating: 5/5 stars.

Pietro Turino combines the subtle beauty of 17th century ukiyo culture with modern, anime-style illustrations in this gorgeous tarot deck.

The Japanese term ukiyo (the floating world) came to prominence in the 17th century to describe the pleasure-seeking culture of urban lifestyle in cities like Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka. From it stemmed an art movement that dealt with notions of transience, impermanence, and the ephemeral. This tarot deck recalls these fascinating concepts and combines them with a modern anime-like style to bring the subtle beauty of the floating world into the new millennium.

The cards themselves are nice to the touch, maybe a bit softer than I'd prefer, but I say this goes along with the theme of the floating world. The Ukiyo Tarot is easy to shuffle, work with, and the cards bend nicely. I expect most people to have a nice experience with them because of this, especially because the simplicity of the frame lets the art shine.

Speaking of the art, you guys are not prepared for how gorgeous each card is! Death, 4 of Wands, 7 of Cups, 7 of Swords, Judgement, and 3 of Swords are the most beautiful in my humble opinion, but the whole deck is evocative. As if it were visual poetry, Pietro Turino invites you with each card to focus on it first, inviting introspection and personal associations.

Reading with the Ukiyo Tarot is fairly easy, also, because it follows the Rider–Waite–Smith imagery. Some cards deviate more than the others, like Judgement, but others, like the 3 of Swords, are easily recognizable. This makes the interpretation much easier and allows for faster readings. The little booklet also enlightens you about the changes and folklore surrounding the deck.

All in all, Pietro Turino created a gorgeous piece of art with this deck. Each card is a delight for the eyes, but it is also a portal to a fantasy world that feels foreign and familiar at the same time. While I recommend everyone to be extra careful with the cards, I wasn't disappointed with my experience: simple, pretty, and accurate. It might take some time to get used to some of the changes, but then it's easy to understand them.

Kinky regards, K!

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Review: Before You Do Magic

Another week, another review. This time it is about a book from a big-name author: Before You Do Magic: Train Your Mind to Awaken Occult Skills, by Donald Tyson. With chapters full of exercises, this book is taking me to a new level as a witch, so I cannot recommend it enough. Thanks to the publisher for the copy to review!

• Print Length: 264 pages.
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications.
• Publication Date: December 8, 2025.
• Genres: Psychic Development, Non-Fiction, Paganism.
• Rating: 5/5 stars.

Countless Books Teach the Mechanics of Magic

This One Develops Your Occult Mental Skills

Before you perform spells and rituals, you need to develop your innate abilities. Otherwise, you'll just find yourself going through the motions without achieving any practical results. Regardless of your experience or traditions, this book’s 120 exercises will help you gain the energetic focus needed to make your magic more effective.

Donald Tyson provides twelve chapters that each cover a different topic and why it is necessary for better magic.

• Occult Sympathies • Controlled Breathing • Meditation • Visualization • Concentration • Dramatization • Incantation • Realization • The Aura • Scrying • Channeling • Astral Projection.

Within each chapter are ten exercises to choose from that will help you strengthen the corresponding topic or skill. Find the exercises that most resonate within you and apply them multiple times to build up your esoteric abilities and open yourself to the realm of magic within your heart and mind.

I was excited about this book because I knew Donald Tyson is a big name in the Pagan/Witchcraft/Occultism world, so it was hard not to have high expectations. However, it met them with ease as soon as I started reading. The style, the organization, the ease with which everything can be performed, and more, were all great.

Each chapter comes with a short introduction to the topic at hand, some recommendations, and always clarifies that you must take things easy and slowly. As someone who didn't do this when he was learning about witchcraft, I can attest that this is a much-needed disclaimer. As you read Before You Do Magic, you discover that even though the exercises are fairly easy most of the time, you need to take your time with one before getting to the other.

The best part is that this is not a collection of random exercises. Instead, each chapter builds on what the previous explored. However, you don't need to make all of them: Donald Tyson is very explicit when he says that some people will have better results with this method, and some will have them with the other. There are many options, 10 options, to be precise, so it's easy to find something that works for you.

Of the 12 chapters, the one about scrying was my favorite. Full of insight, of ideas, working with the elements, and fun facts, it made Before You Do Magic shine. As a preamble to magical working, this book has a lot of useful information and practices that can enhance your Craft, along with the fact that it requires very few materials to work with, mostly your senses, some privacy, and time.

Kinky regards, K!

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My Ethics in Divination

Hello everyone. I've been going back to the basics of much of my practice, so I wanted to share something I have kept with me for some time: my ethics regarding divination. It is written mostly regarding cartomancy, which is my main method, but I keep the same ideas when using other tools.

This obviously doesn't mean to be the ethics you or anyone else should be following, but the ones I do because they make sense to me. If they resonate with you, great, but the idea is to ensure we all have a standard that ensures our self-respect, the respect for our practice, and the people who ask for help.

• Just because you can, doesn't mean you must: This is paramount for me. Being able to see something beyond what my eyes can see doesn't give me the right to see it. Do I have the right to know this? I ask myself.
• Don't read for people who are not there: When someone asks me about a reading about someone else, I politely decline. Instead, I offer "how about how you can help this person better, or understand them better?" If someone is not in there, I will not read about them to respect their privacy.
• Read for free for family and friends: I am lucky enough to have a lot of people who love me and that I love back, so I don't see why they should pay anything after years of love, kindness, and support.
• Offer free readings (sparingly): Even though I have done business and charged for readings, there is always someone who needs it but cannot pay for it. When I see someone like this, I make an exception because I know how it feels when you need help but don't have the resources. I still do, honestly.
• Call for spiritual help as needed: Although I have my guardians and guides, I don't call them all the time for clarity. I take responsibility to try first, knowing they will come if I need them. For protection and wisdom, yes, anytime, but if I can't understand something, I make an effort first before asking for help.
• Don't read for people who are afraid or don't believe: My sessions are aimed at helping people. If they are not peaceful, they are too scared of it to even try it, then I politely decline out of respect to them and their comfort. If they do not believe in it, to the point of saying, "Sure, let's go, but I don't care about this," then I decline as well out of respect to myself and my practice. Some nerve and some skepticism at first is good, healthy, even, but that's it.
• Don't make readings about love for myself: Similar to the first and second, I don't look into what's happening in my relationships unless they are there with me. I will and do read about how I feel, how to heal, how to best support our love, and so on, but not about "do they love me?" because I believe real love is based on honest, open communication, so this feels like going behind someone else's back.

There have been times when I had to make exceptions to each and every guideline, different case-by-case situations that made me more flexible, but that's what guidelines are for. They give me a structure, keep me grounded most of the time, but know I can and will do otherwise if needed.

Kinky regards, K!

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Review: Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies

Is anyone in the mood to get back to the basics? I hope so, because today's book is all about tarot and oracle cards 101. It's been a while since I got an introductory book, but after reading his book for the Incubus Tarot, I simply had to read Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies, by Charles Harrington. Thanks to the publisher for the copy to review!

• Print Length: 304 pages.
• Publisher: For Dummies.
• Publication Date: June 3, 2025.
• Genres: Folklore, Mythology, Non-Fiction, Paganism.
• Rating: 5/5 stars.

A beginner’s guide to tarot and oracle card reading.

Looking for a fun, in-depth guide to tarot and oracle card reading? In this book, you’ll find the tools you need to give yourself and others in-depth and impactful readings with the cards. You’ll learn about the origins of card readings, how to pick and work with decks from various traditions, and gain insights into developing your unique style as a reader. From learning card meanings to activating your intuition with interactive techniques and exercises, and exploring more than a dozen spreads, Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies is the book you’ve been waiting for.

Inside…

• Explore the history of tarot.
• Understand intention-based readings.
• Pick the right card deck for you.
• Learn the Rider-Waite-Smith® card meanings.
• Explore oracle card themes.
• Work with tarot and oracle spreads.
• Conduct readings for you and others.
• Perfect your reading technique.

As a history nerd, Charles Harrington started just right for me with a concise yet detailed history of tarot cards, how they evolved, how they went from simple entertainment to divination, and more. My favorite part was the answer about where reversals came from! It's been a mystery for a long time for me as a reader, so finally uncovering the reason why has been life-changing.

I'm always skeptical about books that promise things like "the book you’ve been waiting for," but Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies gets very close. And I'm absolutely in love with it! The research is very thorough, the explanations are simple (not in vain, it is intended for dummies), and the fun facts along the way were the cherry on top. What could have made it better? Not mentioning so often "more about this in chapter X Y Z" because, as much as it can be useful sometimes, it took me out of the reading after a while.

Obviously, all parts of it are valuable, but if I should pick one, it would be the fifth and last part of the book, compromised of chapters 14 and 15. They go straight to the point about several details you'd better keep in mind when using your cards, something that I always welcome when it comes from a seasoned reader like Charles Harrington.

In short, Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies is a book that can add something to witches of different levels. Newcomers can get a solid foundation about the two most popular methods of cartomancy, while experienced readers get a great refresher while also exploring new ideas. Casual readers can also benefit from it, but the target here is people who are more serious about it.

Kinky regards, K!

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Review: Wild Eden Tarot

Hello, hello. Today I want to tell you about a tarot deck that blends nature and femininity with a simple aesthetic. Although it wasn't my favorite, I'm confident many of you will appreciate the Wild Eden Tarot, written by Alice Mastroleo and with art by Gloria Pizzilli. Thanks to the publisher for the copy to review!

• Publication Date: October 8, 2025.
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications.
• Page Count: 128 pages.
• Dimensions: 3.19 x 2.19 x 5 inches.
• Rating: 3/5 stars.

Enter a lush paradise brimming with animals and people living in harmony through this elegant deck and guidebook set.

Each card, a glimpse of heaven on earth. Each scene, a moment of pure bliss and perfection. Wild Eden Tarot takes you to a lush paradise brimming with animals and people of all kinds, living together in a state of untainted, primordial harmony. The elegant nudity of the bodies interweaves with the sinuous shapes of beasts and vegetation, creating a synthesis of eroticism and nature that highlights a sense of communion among all things that breathe, live, and love.

First of all, I am a fan of the concept, even if we have seen it before. Presenting a balance between humanity and the natural world, plants and animals especially, is always something I can appreciate because of the divide modern society has installed in all of us. I also like the idea of a Pagan-oriented Garden of Eden (besides Lady Gaga's, mind you.) The cards hit a good middle spot between thick and thin, along with a standard size, making it easy to work with them.

Now, it is with the execution that I have mostly problems because Wild Eden Tarot feels too Eurocentric despite the fact that the creators included a few people of color. Most of the time, the delivery fell short of what it could have been due to the color palette, with so many European-looking women and just a sprinkle of men. Again, the idea is great, but the execution wasn't my favorite because I wasn't expecting a deck with mostly European, cisgender women.

I believe a reformulation of the deck would be the best option. The innocence in all the cards, the freedom they show, and the message of living in balance with the natural elements are all beautiful aspects of the proposal. Yet the execution wasn't my favorite. A more balanced result would have changed my perception of the deck.

With a beautiful concept and nice coloring that reflects the serenity of the world in the cards, Wild Eden Tarot is a good addition to those who are looking for a natural and feminine approach. However, despite the artwork being evocative from beginning to end, it fails to deliver the diversity one would expect, making it an aesthetically pleasing starting point, but not more than that.

Kinky regards, K!

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