New Age, Alternative,
Metaphysical Publication
Aquarius-Atlanta.com

Holiday Gift Ideas from Aquarius

By Kathryn Sargent, Editor

VIDEOS

Producer Stephen Sakellarios presents In Another Life: Reincarnation in America (Gold Thread Video Productions, ISBN 0-9728028-0-0), a video documentary that explores the subject in great depth. Although his brief introduction is a bit wooden, the documentary itself is beautifully produced, with interviews interspersed and illustrated with art and nature photography. We hear interviews with authors who have researched accounts of reincarnation, parents who have heard accounts of past lives from children just learning to speak, a skeptic, past life therapists and regressionists (including Atlanta's own Dr. Charles Skillas), philosophers and religious leaders, and people who have had memories triggered by events and places. In Another Life is a thorough study of the subject of reincarnation that answers many questions from anxious parents and individuals who have memories that don’t fit in their current lives. I highly recommend the video.

Wai Lana's Little Yogis (Gold Moon Productions, ISBN 0-9725618-3-8) is a video to teach yoga to children ages 3 to 8 years. Combining cartoons and videos of Wai Lana working with the kids, the video teaches the importance of breathing fresh air and drinking fresh water, how to stretch muscles, improve balance and coordination, and strengthen young bodies. Wai Lana's gentle, fun approach is sure to be a delight to kids, and the tropical beach scenery in the background is lovely. She makes yoga into a game, and her colorful costumes are so eye-catching. The kids all seem to be having a great time!

DIVINATION AND INSPIRATION

World renowned spiritual leader and author Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, has released a second deck of fifty inspirational cards.  In The Power of Now Meditation Deck (New World Library, ISBN 1-57731-433-6), each card has key words on the front and short quotations on the back, with a background of soft pastel colors. Intended as an aid to personal growth as a focus for meditation, the cards offer Tolle’s quiet wisdom. The box is an innovation in the industry, as it can function as an easel to display, and frame, the card you have chosen to work with that day. Oprah credits the book, The Power of Now, with helping her 'get through September 11, 2001.' She featured the book on her December 2002, wildly popular 'Oprah's Favorite Things' show.' And we all know Oprah's got great taste!

The Shakespeare Oracle (Fair Winds Press, 2003,  ISBN I-59233-016-9), by A. Bronwyn Llewellyn with paintings by Cynthia von Buhler, features Tarot cards with Shakespeare's characters in place of the traditional cast. You'll see Puck as the Devil card, Caliban as the Hermit, and of course, Shakespeare as the Magician.  The book presents each card in full color along with Llewellyn's entertaining commentary. The paintings have a nice, folk-art feel and the cards are printed on thick card stock and are clearly of higher quality than some I've seen recently. Book and cards come in a very sturdy presentation case. Some of the traditional symbolism is missing, however, each minor arcana card has a quote from Shakespeare's plays, and Llewellyn has done a marvelous job of interpreting the characters as the Major Arcana and court cards. Her commentary is wise and helpful as a reading, and enlightening as to the personas portrayed. Shakespeare fans and actors will love this deck!

Angel Voices: the Astrological Holy Oracle (Lo Scarabeo Publishing, Torino, Italy, 2003, ISBN 88 8395 335 5), written by Laura Tuan and Antonella Castelli, is a boxed set of cards and book depicting angels and their astrological correspondences. The cards are very pretty, but like some other angel decks, every single angel is presented as a Caucasian. Who decided there were no black, Hispanic, or Oriental angels, I want to know? When someone comes out with an angel deck that includes all races and both sexes, I'll be happy to sing its praises. The book for Angel Voices gives a seven card spread suggestion, and then gives an interpretation for each card based on where it falls in that spread. For each card, there is given the divinatory significance, key word, areas concerned, gifts, and a very nice feature; the relevant time period (dates!). The author is well versed in angel lore and their heirarchy and her commentary is enlightening, indeed.

Tarot of the Mermaids (Lo Scarabeo Publishing, info@loscarabeo.com), written by Pietro Alligo with artwork by Mauro De Luca, is another Italian deck. This deck includes more traditional symbolism, with sensual mermaids and mermen as the characters. There is a small booklet with commentary in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German. The minor arcana are divided into suits of pearls, shells, oars, and tridents, and they are represented by full illustrations rather than just four shells or five pearls, etc. The Tarot of the Mermaids has a mystical, dreamlike quality that any ocean lover will appreciate.

Oracle of the Goddess (ISBN 1-84333-630-8) is a book and card set with 25 full color Goddess cards, an illustrated book with legends and lessons of the goddesses, and can be used for divination or meditation. This deck is a bit unusual in the way they combine photographic images of real people with computer-generated images of goddesses. It can be a little jarring at first, when you go from one card to the next. The goddesses represent women of most cultures, all ages, races and proportions, with Kali, Isis, Ishtar, Black Annis, and more. Synchro-Signs by Mary McNaughton (Hampton Roads Publishing, ISBN 1-57174-388-X) is a boxed set of book and  101 divination tiles. The little tiles have black-line drawings of symbols like trees, temples, garbage, sun, butterfly, beacon, lightning, doorway, etc. and they appear to be made of coated cardboard with a warm gray background color and black line drawings. The tiles live in a red satin drawstring bag. The book gives a reading for each tile with correspondences to runes, I-Ching, and Tarot. This is a good set for someone new to divination as it is very accessible without a lot of study. There is guidance for combining the tiles in a more complex reading and how the tiles affect each other's meanings when combined.

CALENDARS

With a fiery phoenix on its cover, the Llewellyn's 2004 Magical Almanac (Llewellyn Worldwide, ISBN 0-7387-0126-2) offers even more articles, spells, and lore than in years past. You can count on the Almanac to bring you viewpoints from many writers, from many cultures worldwide. The calendar section gives sun sign, moon sign, moon phase, color and incense correspondences, and holidays for each day of the year. This year's articles hold some surprises. Can you imagine a crocheted set of runes? You can learn how to make them from the Almanac. You can also learn to make your own drum, or to do horse magic. The magic and lore are separated into the appropriate seasons in sections, and as always, the book is heavily illustrated, with a color cover and black and white interior in a softbound book format.

Llewellyn also offers the Witches' Datebook 2004, the 2004 Daily Planetary Guide, the 2004 Astrological Pocket Planner, and the 2004 Astrological Calendar. The Witches' Datebook (ISBN 0-7387-0130-0) has recipes, inspirational poems, sections on each Sabbat, herb and tree lore, important dates in metaphysical history, astrological information for each day, and bits of wisdom scattered throughout the calendar days. The Daily Planetary Guide (ISBN 0-7387-0131-9) features an aspectarian that includes planets in the signs, moon sign and phase, weekly forecasts, a daily aspectarian and ephemeris. This calendar has enough substance to please a more serious astrology student or pro. The Astrological Pocket Planner (ISBN 0-7387-0132-7)  is great for tossing into your briefcase or purse for daily reference and includes moon phases and signs, planetary aspects, a time-zone chart, a three-year ephemeris, and a retrograde table. The Astrological Calendar (ISBN 0-7387-0123-8) is a wall calendar, with large, color illustrations for each sign painted by Kris Waldherr. There are monthly horoscopes for each sign, planting by the sign info, travel and business forecasts, monthly ephemerides, retrograde tables, moon signs and phases, and major daily aspects. This calendar is loaded with information for each day of the month, every month.

MEDITATION CD

Our own Dr. Fernan Poulin has just released his own meditation CD called Reconnecting (subtitled: 'bringing our attention back to ourselves to generate a fuller self in the world'). Reconnecting (call 770.998.8909 for information) features Dr. Poulin's own original music and his own dreamy voice (and I'm not just saying that because I've met him!) It's an introduction and a continuing practice of meditation through the chakra system, and it's one of the best chakra meditations I've heard. The liner notes teach the basics and show a nice, color illustration of the chakra system superimposed over a spine. The CD is a practice of 'loving kindness' toward yourself and others. What better practice to begin the new year?

BOOK

Buddha, by Jon Ortner (Welcome Books, ISBN 0-941807-28-2) has got to be the most breathtakingly beautiful book I've seen in years. A hardcover book, it is bound in scarlet, orange, and yellow silk - the color of monk's robes – with a gold foil stamped lotus blossom on the cover. There is a clear acetate cover to protect the silk. Ortner’s amazing photographs of over 150 works of art depicting the Buddha are inspiring and awesome. These serene, golden images, in staggering proportions and numbers, line temple walls, sprout from fields of grass, and even emerge from the roots of gnarled trees. Scenes of monks in outdoor temple settings remind us of those who have served others all their lives, emulating Buddha. And the wise words of Buddha guide us from the pages of this book, as well. This is a sumptuous, regal book, and a gift your loved ones will treasure.

BATH PRODUCTS

I don't know about you, but for me, bathing is an artform! Essential oils, a loofah, bath pillow, candles - I spare nothing when it comes to a luxurious bath. The Pisces Soap Company was created for people like me. Imagine soaps that look and smell like brownies, bagels, even dill pickles! Kerith Henderson, the entrepreneur behind the Pisces Soap Company, decided soaps were just too boring and started making her own creations. We received a geen plate full of Cookies for Santa, all tied up with a Holiday bow, a silver-colored, doily-lined, tray with a Chocolate Mousse Pie, Pink Bubblegum, and a cupcake with confectionary sprinkles, as well as two paper coffee-cups with Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows and a Grandma's Eggnog – and they are all fragrant, wonderful soaps! Just remember not to take a bite! For info, call 310.770.4764 or email piscessoap@aol.com.