Reviews
"What an imposing, attractive package this is! A squarish book with good, earthy heft to it. A handsome royal purple, metallic cover with golden lettering. Three golden coins, 1-3/4" in diameter-one side for the sun, the other representing the crescent moon-set into plastic windows in the front cover. And when you open the book-"ooo-la-la!"-be prepared for rich color. Each page has a delicious color or two, and some have illustrations that look as if they've been snipped from dreams." -Eva Yaa Asantewaa, a social activist, spiritworker, poet, dance journalist, and blogger who reviews spitirual and new age books, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 "Good Fortune and how to attract it "by Titania Hardie (Quadrille Publishing, 2008) Reviewed by Eva Yaa Asantewaa "What an imposing, attractive package this is! A squarish book with good, earthy heft to it. A handsome royal purple, metallic cover with golden lettering. Three golden coins, 1-3/4" in diameter-one side for the sun, the other representing the crescent moon-set into plastic windows in the front cover. And when you open the book-"ooo-la-la!"-be prepared for rich color. Each page has a delicious color or two, and some have illustrations that look as if they've been snipped from dreams. Not every page color is kind to the eyes, unfortunately, particularly since most of the black type is small. But, for the most part, I suspect you will enjoy the look, energy and purpose of this book which updates the classic I Ching oracle, adapting its basic divination procedure in pagan-inspired and woman-respecting ways. Hardie is a third-generation witch, and her aim is to help people succeed in life by better understanding and working with their inherent connection to the flowing patterns and energies of nature. Having said all that, I must now admit that I remain a hard-sell when it comes to the I Ching. I tried it out once-"just once!"--decades ago, found its "voice" stern and alienating, and forever after left it well alone. As oracular tools go, Tarot is my preference. Hardie has retained the use of coins as alternatives to yarrow sticks--good, as I prefer coins to sticks-and she gives you a somewhat helpful visual guide to figuring out the pattern and import of your six throws, but I still find myself confused by which line goes where, coordinating the two triplets of lines, flipping the moving lines... Oy! I likely have I Ching-a-lexia, but this is probably just not my thing. Every reader has to go with what he or she loves. Now, having said "all that," I must now add that, aside from a procedure I find unnecessarily complex, I do enjoy what Hardie offers. Her "Personality Profile" section shows you how to discover-by birth order, birthdate and hemisphere of birth, north or south-which feature of nature and which season governs you. I am--proudly--Summer Wind (keyword: welcoming), since I was born the first daughter (and only child) of my mother in the Northern hemisphere in the depths of August. Hardie's wise and well-written explanations are charming and helpful. The sections on each of the 64 possible divinations are also quite lovely, and I hope that Hardie will not mind that I'll be using the old open-a-page-at-random divination method with her book. I've tried this already, and it works just fine. As for throwing those three golden coins, they're a tad big in the hand for comfort. But they'll make a wonderful symbol on an altar." (c) Eva Yaa Asantewaa, 2008, "It gives you the tools including the coins to do some amazingly detailed readings in a short amount of time. When I picked it up I was concerned about how thick it was but with 64 readings and additional information for each the reading and understanding of the process is quick to learn and can be described as somewhat addictive. All you need is included in the book and it is both fun and enlightning." - Reiki Master/Teacher Katie Kelley "Titania Hardie's Oracle of Good Fortune is one of the best that I've consulted in a long time. Based on the ancient I Ching,"" also known as the Chinese Book of Changes, this little book is a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, adapted by Hardie to modern use. My favorite thing about the oracle was that the book is compact and portable with three little cubby holes for the coins in the front cover. The pages are accompanied by pretty illustrations, and the book feels friendly in the hand. Easy enough to be tucked in one's bag while traveling for a quick consultation of pressing matters, if one doesn't have time or room to do a tarot spread. This is a great oracle for anyone who wants to attract good fortune and success in their lives, young and old alike. They can also learn a great deal about themselves in the process. Highly recommended!" -Karolina Blaha-Black, who has reviewed for SageWoman and the Beltane Papers and has a feature in Crone magazine's September 08 issue., "The basic concept of THIS book is simple - update the 3,000 year old classic - the "I Ching "("Book of Changes"). After all, that is the foundation of the original work - change. Ms. Hardie has eliminated many of the assumptions inherent in ancient Chinese life. The author has included three uniquely designed coins to be used with the book. She has taken a classic method of providing insight into one's life and made it more appealing to the modern reader. This book is filled with color. Each page is vibrant and eye-catching. Overall, I was impressed by the quality of this book on multiple levels. In terms of the format - it is easy to use and understand the layout. In terms of its appearance - it is a convenient size, nicely bound and (with its distinctive plum-colored cover, easy to spot. In terms of its content - it captures the wisdom of its ancient predecessor while taking into account the necessary evolution caused by changing cultures (ancient Chinese thought is very different from modern Western thinking), our understanding of familial relationships, and other varying factors. If you have never used the "I Ching" system before this is an excellent introduction to it. If you have used the original system, this may help you expand your understanding. In either case, I strongly recommend this book. It offers new insights coupled with advice which has stood the tests of time." -Mike Gleason, an independent reviewer who sends his reviews to over 15,000 pagans active in online communities
