Getting Back to basics - January’s book and deck review
Hello you magickal beings. And welcome to the first review of 2026 and first review I’ve done I think … ever. Honestly my website has changed so much over the years I forget what I’ve done and haven’t done. But the most important thing is getting back on the board and hitting another wave right (that’s for all you surfers out there). As you may recall from my YouTube channel (which if you haven’t had a chance to subscribe to please do so: https://www.youtube.com/@queenofglamtarot) Now I am indeed a writer but you know what? Let’s just jump into it shall we?
The books and decks of january
Start with Why - Simon Sinek
As we work through the theme of “Back to Basics” for January 2026, it felt appropriate to begin with this title.
If you know anything about how I work, you know that—just like pulling Tarot or Oracle cards for the month—I do the work as I’m reading the books as well. I wouldn’t dream of cooking with a wine I wouldn’t drink or serve to my guests, and in the same way, I won’t recommend a book I didn’t enjoy or find value in while reading.
While Simon Sinek writes primarily from the perspective of business leadership, I found his insights just as applicable to my work as a Tarot reader as they are to being a business owner.
Some of the key takeaways from this book include:
Starting with your Why allows you to pivot more easily into new industries, roles, and experiences.
We often begin with What we do, then move to How, and only later ask Why. Sinek suggests reversing this order—because once your Why is clear, the How and the What naturally follow.
Identifying the people in your organization who are strongest in the How and What allows you to lead in a way that honors their strengths.
As this year began, I was incredibly excited to be entering a Wheel of Fortune year, followed by a Fire Horse year. I was ready to hit the ground running—workshops, events, book signings, one-on-one clients, mentorship cohorts.
Taking the time to read this book and reconnect with my Why helped me step back and clarify the larger umbrella I wanted to operate under. Most people might describe me as a Tarot reader, coach, or entrepreneur. But as I dug deeper into my personal Why as a Tarot business owner, I realized my desires extended far beyond readings, workshops, and mentorship alone.
I want to show people that Tarot can be an informed tool for everyday life—from decision-making to decorating. From this realization, the idea of a Tarot-curated lifestyle brand was born—what I ultimately want Queen of Glam Tarot, LLC to become. Discovering this now gives me the freedom to pursue all the avenues of Tarot that genuinely excite me.
The three cards I pulled for this title were: The Emperor, The Two of Cups, and The Four of Swords. These cards hit the nail on the head now as I reflect on all the things I learned while reading:
When I decided to take the reins and settle on the idea of a Tarot-Curated Lifestyle, that also really led me to wanting to double down efforts for creating coursework, products, and as a result income. I got to see the positive and negative aspects of The Emperor in play: ambition, desire, drive, willing to bulldoze, impatient, and a serial starter with little follow through.
Of course I wanted to share my ideas with the world but I have a tendency to overshare. The Two of Cups really did come into play strong; joyful sharing, excitement, the allure and emotional rose-colored glasses of being an entrepreneur and business owner. Once again both aspected of this card came into play.
Ultimately this month was less about making moves and more about creating a plan. Also my cards must have known I’d hurt my hip because on days I was meant to perform I had to cancel out of due to being hurt. Ultimately resting and finding comfort in the rest. And here both aspects of the Four of Swords show themselves; needed rest and restlessness.
I recommend this book for:
Those looking to explore their path and create a strong foundation for their Tarot practice
Anyone feeling listless or disconnected who wants to rediscover their deeper reason for engaging with Tarot—beyond simply being in service to others
General leadership guidance, especially for those who are currently leading or preparing to lead a team
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom - Rachel Pollack
I’ve said this multiple times before about this title: This is a roll up your sleeves read. But Rachel Pollack gives a wonderful depth to the Tarot in Seventy'-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. This is often considered to be one of the cornerstones of Tarot. Of course if I’m going to go Back to Basics, I had one of two titles swirling around in my brain to pick up: This title and Arthur Waite’s The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Since I don’t own a copy of Waite’s book (which is a bit of a shocker I know because if there’s one thing I love to collect outside of Tarot decks… it’s books on Tarot), I went with this Pollack’s instead.
This tome of Tarot knowledge is often considered to the be the go to resource of Tarot; and after giving it a read through I understand why. Pollack’s approach takes into account everything from history, religion, mythology, and psychology as they take one card at a time and dive into every detail presented. But Pollack doesn’t just stop at diving deep into each card; Pollack also gives us a wonderful in depth look at The Celtic Cross spread.
While I’m not a big fan of using the Celtic Cross, Pollack’s analysis of the spread has my reconsidering my position on it’s viability and usefulness beyond the novelty of seeing every 1-800-Psychic from the 90’s use it to answer caller’s questions. I may not switch to using it exclusively, but I will foster an appreciation of the spread.
The three cards I pulled at the beginning of the month for this book were: Ace of Pentacles, Nine of Swords, and The Emperor. Again Tarot being the powerful tool that it is had this title pegged:
Fostering a new appreciation and planting the seed of new appreciation is very much in the realm of the Ace of Pentacles.
While the Nine of Swords seemed to be an interesting card to pull on this book, it does somewhat signal the stress I had while reading through such an extensive tome on Tarot. I did have my moments of restlessness as I wished to jump ahead in the chapters. But that’s the beauty of this book. If you can slow down your learning you will uncover many golden nuggets of wisdom, regardless of the level of reader you are.
The Emperor making his presence known again was quite a surprise. But with the Ace of Pentacles in the line up I believe the Emperor is showing the softer, more methodical side. The side that shows a little calculation before the chutzpah of going all out. Here the Emperor asked me to take it from the top all over again and give it another shot. This wasn’t my first time reading the book, but it was the first time completing it.
I recommend this book for:
Analytical Tarot Readers. With Pollack’s approach to Tarot being as granular as it is, this would be a hard sell for a beginner unless they have an analytical type mind.
Intermediate and Seasoned Readers looking to deepen their knowledge of Tarot and the symbolism of the archetypes, especially in a mythological and cultural context.
The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne
Now on to the cards for January, starting with Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne! First off… If you have any inkling of creating a soul-calling spiritual business (Soulpreneur as they call it) then I would highly recommend checking out Chris-Anne’s website https://chris-anne.com/. I myself am also in the process of developing my own Soul-Centered business as a Tarot Entrepreneur and moreso as Tarot-Curated Lifestyle, her courses have a deep allure for me (full disclosure, I have not experienced one… yet!)
Published through Hay House, this deck is a vibrant and modern take on the RWS Tarot. One of the main details I thoroughly enjoy about this deck is Chris-Anne’s breaking of the binary; several pages and knights do not stick with the normal male representation. They have taken many liberties in the artwork but do not lose the core essence of the original RWS system. In fact, there are many instances where the detail of the cards tie in with one another. Take for example the Two- and Three of Wands: In the Two of Wands, you see a person looking out the window with a picture of an old school VW Van and a surfboard on the floor. In the Three of Wands, the figure is standing with a surf board looking out at the waves ready to jump in.
I recommend this Tarot deck for everyone from beginner’s forward. The symbolism is easy to grasp and ties in easily with a traditional RWS system without needing an extra reliance on the guidebook because the symbolism is a little too out there.
Divination of the ancients by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free and Flavia kate peters
Our final deck review for the month of January, the Divination of the Ancients. This deck is certainly a great way to introduce yourself to various forms of divination that are out there in the world, from well-known like Astrology, Palmistry and Tarot to not as well known like Hydromancy and Ornithomancy, divination through the observation of birds. This is a great deck not just for divination for also for exploring other forms of divination beyond cards.
My biggest criticism of the decks like in the size and finish of the cards themselves. The cards are quite large and can make it difficult to work with them, including shuffling in any fashion beyond the overhand shuffle. Typically that’s not a big deal for me however adding in the detail of a super shiny surface can make this deck difficult to work with. But those things aside I think this deck is great fo the scholar of divination or someone looking for another style of divination to add to their metaphysical tool belt.
Onward to february…
Well there you have my friends. February’s blog and YouTube will be up this week and I am focusing on books and decks featuring some incredible African-American women including Erika Robinson, Abiola Abrams, and Michelle Obama.
As always stay magical and shine bright in this world everyone! -Stella B
