D. J. Conway

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Shapeshifter Tarot Set - Reviewed by Mike Gleason
Celtic Magic - Reviewed by Mike Gleason

Title:	Shapeshifter Tarot Set
Author:	D. J. Conway and Sirona Knight, Illustrations by Lisa Hunt
Publisher:	Llewellyn Publications
ISBN:	1-56718-384-0
Reviewer:	Mike Gleason
Contact Information:	gleason.mike@verizon.net
Category:	Tarot/Oracle Cards
Review:	Before I began to read the book which accompanies this deck of cards, I took the opportunity to just skim through the 81 cards themselves. A couple of things struck me at once. One of these is the fact that there are a number of cards which do not correspond to the traditional Tarot deck (#21, #22, & #23 in the major arcane) and some rearranging of the court cards (the God of each suit corresponding to the Queen and the Goddess to the King of the traditional decks, plus the renaming of the suits. Then there are the suits themselves. The colors tend toward pastels, while the imaging is mythical in nature. While some may be slightly put off by these facts, I found them very beneficial. The Descriptions and Prophecies contained in the book offer insights which come from a uniquely different perspective. They offer a Celtic-based interpretation unlike anything I have seen before. I don't always agree with some of the ideas expressed by the authors, but their interpretations offer additional views into the world. The rearranging of the highest two cards in each suit are dictated by the pre-eminence of the High Priestess (as representative of the Goddess) in many Pagan traditions, including that of the Gwyddonic Druid Tradition, while the swapping of swords (air in most systems) with wands (fire in most systems) is similarly influenced by the ritual style of working of that particular tradition. Each of the suit cards is identified on the card, since the "traditional" symbols are absent from the actual image on the card. This absence makes for readings which have a much wider-ranging scope. Much of the traditional meaning is retained in this deck, through the forms used, but there is a lack of rigidity, and more of a feeling of fluid motion. When using these cards one is more aware of the changeable nature of our life experiences. One becomes more attuned to the fact that our olives are in flux, and that we CAN change what is forecast by changing ourselves. And isn't that what divination is supposed to be about? I have not had time to work at any depth with the layouts suggested, but from reading through them and meditating upon them, I must say they offer insights I had not experienced. You could, of course, use a more "traditional" spread, or one of your own devising, so long as you are willing to make the mental shift to the more fluid meanings you are likely to find coming through these cards. The appendices provide the correspondence between traditional decks and this deck, as well as a list of keywords. I feel these cards would be an excellent deck for younger people. They would help them to avoid the pitfalls associated with many of the traditional decks (such as the association of Pentacles with money, and so on). They also should be good for meditation. You don't NEED the book, but will find it an excellent explanation of the creation of this deck.
Review submitted:	29 November 2002

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Title:	Celtic Magic
Author:	D. J. Conway
Publisher:	Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN:	0-87542-136-9
Pages:	202 pages + Bibliography
Reviewer:	Mike Gleason
Contact Information:	gleason.mike@verizon.net
Category:	Magick
Review:	This is an older book which I got as a result of an inquiry from a gentleman who asked what I though of it. Since I had never read it, I felt obligated to do so, in order to give an honest opinion, instead of merely relying on hearsay. On a personal level, I have always been a bit suspicious of authors who produce numerous works on a variety of topics. I often question how deep their "expertise" is in the various topics. Raymond Buckland is one such author, as is Ms. Conway There is a tendency by some authors, Ms. Conway included, to state certain theories or beliefs as indisputable facts. While this may lend an air of authority to their writings, it can easily be a source of confusion in the minds of newcomers when authors are in disagreement with each other. Some of her phrasing will lead to confusion. For example "you are presenting yourself to the god-powers as a different person." (page 40) might lead the novice to believe that divinity is easily misled by a change of names, when in reality it is your consciousness which must be misled by the change of names. Some of her assertions are sure to upset readers. Some previous readers have complained about her lack of research. I am not competent enough in Celtic studies to be able to comment on those allegations. I do know that much of what she says rings truer to me than some other author’s works I have read during the past year. She does have a tendency, in my opinion, to lean towards the "white light" interpretation of the Druids, but since there are no truly unbiased accounts of their beliefs and actions, we can’t be sure which version is correct, or if they were both correct at different times and places in the Celtic culture. Some statements are flat out wrong: "the Celtic day began at midnight" (page 81). The Celtic day, as Ms. Conway has pointed out previously (and correctly) began at sundown, not at midnight. While this might have been the written equivalent of a "slip of the tongue," it should have been caught. Her summation of the deities and faeries of the Celtic lands is beneficial, so long as one is aware of the fact that there is much more behind each of them. The same holds true for the herbs she lists in the chapter on Spellworking, although I felt there should have been a greater depth of herbal information in the bibliography. Many of the books in the bibliography may prove difficult to obtain at this time, although I would suspect that most larger libraries would be able to obtain copies through inter-library loan systems, at least. The Tables of Correspondences are, as far as I can verify, an extremely helpful section and are, in my opinion, worth using. I don’t agree with her section on stones, but that is because of the way I was trained. Other may not have the same objections I have. This is not a great book, nor would I recommend it as a PRIMARY source of information on Celtic magic, but it is certainly an accessible, easy to understand introduction to the subject.
Review submitted:	10 January 2003

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