100 Books Like Tarot & Magic

This is one of the most useful books in my collection, as evidenced by the lines that I’ve color-coded with highlighters and the comments I’ve scribbled in the margins.

The author belongs to a magical order that ascribes different occult associations (i.e. “mysteries”) to all 78 tarot cards, so even the sections for the minor cards can feature extensive magical discussions. For example, Willis explains how the Three of Disks (aka Pentacles) relate to the trade secrets of smithcraft and masonry and then gets into how this relates to using different-shaped altar stones in Earth Magic for crop growth, animal fertility, finding a mate, and monetary gain.

The broad array of both folk magic and ceremonial magic techniques makes this book a magical education in itself.

This book has a high-spirited, sprightly energy to it, and it is interesting how the author treats tarot cards and characters as entities that you can identify with and engage with. This is an especially good book for beginners because it’s an easy read and often seems to have been written in a spirit of fun. The first part of the book provides some basics, plus a section relating tarot to magical numerology as part of “the self-discovery process,” while the second half is devoted to tarot spells.

These spells are quite simple, though some call for accessories like candles, herbs, and gemstones. The main part of the spells are rhyming incantations, which Morrison often infuses with a bit of whimsy,--though that does not detract from their psychological efficacy!

I define a “spell” as a multi-media affirmation, and as there is no limit to the number of positive affirmations you can recite, there is also no limit to the number of spells you could perform if so inclined. As this book offers a spell for each day of the year, you can use it to add dimension to daily life.

Although these spells can help you work toward important goals, they also guide you to interact with the tarot’s archetypal personalities by imaginatively entering their picture space and moving around in the environments that they inhabit. I also appreciate that Graham provides “connection” rites for each of the 78 cards, as the Minor Arcana are often overlooked, even though they address the sort of daily life issues that dominate our attention. 

As a designer of systems, I find this book intriguing because the author has created his own rather idiosyncratic system of sorcery. (The emphasis being on “sorcery,” written from a practicing sorcerer’s point of view.)  In addition to outlining his theories on rules of magic and providing new perspectives on magical tools, Emerson provides a section of tarot spells with rhyming incantations, unusual layouts, and diverse aims, including concealing a secret, conjuring an omen, seeing from afar, sequestering beyond time, drawing wayward souls, brewing a tempest, and more.

The spell layouts also have fanciful titles like “The Knight’s Vigil,” “The Queen’s Mirror,” “The Prison of Shadows,” and “The Shroud of Unseeing.” One warning, though: this book is not for people who are easily offended by any hint of manipulative magic.

Far too many people are stuck in life and don’t even know what they are passionate about. A few years ago, I read this book and took the test. I not only found my top five passions, but it also helped me hone into my top five passions simultaneously. I am now living them, loving them, and being quite abundant for them. It was the starting point that got me where I am today.

This starting point led me to a successful business in an industry I love. I found new ways to grow and become a leader, so much so that I was inspired to write my book a few years later. 

A big part of lifelong learning involves experimenting, trying new things, and picking up new skills. I must confess this can be challenging for me; I’m one of those people who sometimes gets frustrated or embarrassed when I try something new and find it doesn’t come easily to me. Maybe you’re the same way--if so, all the more reason to take inspiration from Vanderbilt’s book, which chronicles his efforts to learn how to play chess, surf, sing, juggle, and more. Woven in with those entertaining experiences are larger lessons about how we learn, and why it’s so beneficial to keep doing so. In the hands of a less skilled writer, a book like this--in which a journalist tries on a series of new hats--might seem gimmicky. But Vanderbilt is an insightful observer and storyteller who can even make traffic fascinating (that was the subject of a previous book of his,… show more.

Cernovich is famous for not giving a shit about what people think. He made his own reputation with his own journalism and gives gloriously hard-nosed advice for being an independent thinker and an emotionally strong actor in a world that tells everyone to whine whenever something goes wrong. I really admire people who can be independent, who make their own way and stir up hornet’s nests. Like comics, they poke society and make us all think harder. Cernovich makes me examine where I’m being a cowardly conformist. Gorillas walk head first into situations, says Cernovich, and so should you.

Rarely have I felt as seen and understood by a book as by this one. I recommend it to anyone who’s ever had a celebrity crush or any kind of pop culture obsession that people around them struggle to understand.

It’s wry, insightful, and candid. Reading it feels like chatting with a smart and funny friend who encourages you to see your passions as just as valid as anyone else’s—and to embrace joy.

This book is solely responsible for hooking me on Stoic philosophy, prompting my deep exploration of practical aspects of life in my own book and, most importantly, the application of them to my daily life. William’s writing is easy to follow, and his advice is very practical. I’d advise you to start reading the book from chapter four; and then when you are done with the book, come back to the first three chapters.

I was sad and happy to have read this book during the pandemic for these reasons: I loved this book because Roberts’ went to many of the same places I visited a decade later, and I found her stories refreshing, funny, and interesting.

And like Suzanne, I’ve had to sort through feelings of guilt regarding my privileged place in the world, have tried to be mindful of reducing my carbon footprint, treating sentient beings better, and simply the moral dilemmas one often faces in “developing” countries.

The sad part about reading this during COVID was that I found out that Suzanne lived in my area, and I missed all her talks and workshops and classes, and nothing was planned again until the pandemic was over. Thankfully, I have been able to take a couple of classes with her since and have become a much better writer for it. I believe… show more.