HoroscopoDiario
by Maxine Miller and Christopher Penczak
Published by Lo Scarabeo
Publication date November 2022
ISBN 978-0738774077
RRP: £24
This glorious grimoire arrived at my door while I was puzzling over a persistent dream that had wakened me in the night and resumed when I went back to sleep. So, rather than being allowed to settle gracefully into its new home, the Magickal Botanical Oracle was opened immediately, shuffled and set to work helping me decipher my weird nocturnal wanderings. After being asked nicely, of course. The consultation shed light on a matter I’d swept under the carpet. But more of that later…
First to the oracle, which comprises deck and manual contained within a tough two-piece box, all of sturdy quality and having little discernible plastic content or feel, other than the ubiquitous shrink-wrap. All the parts fit together snug and secure, yet I made a happy discovery of space for a small notebook.
The book has some 220 pages in a compact but solid 11x16cm volume, which is a challenge to prise open as the glue binding which cements thick pages to stiff cover – and the relatively tight ratios of height:width:depth – render it fiercely inflexible. Concerned about potential damage, I decided to carry out a modified version of the following technique: https://youtu.be/3fN_odVFivw while holding the spine to avoid cracking it. The fixed crease on front and back covers facilitates this. It was a painstaking task which took about an hour. The result is a book which springs open like a Jack-in-the-box when I lift the oracle’s lid, but which is already much easier to use, and is continuing to relax with use. Bibliophiles might shake their heads in disapproval, but I see the process as preferable to inadvertently causing irreparable spine damage, or losing patience with the volume altogether and leaving it to gather dust. After all, it is an indispensable companion to the deck, and really quite pleasant to work with because of its cute size and design. Oh, and the pages smell delicious, like olfactory whispers of Witch’s weeds (the irony that processed chemicals and wood pulp are actually exuding the aroma is not lost on me).
The 33 cards are a good weight, their surface technically satin but giving the impression of being matt thanks to the colour palette and slightly grainy texture. Like the book, they are slightly unyielding in their pristine newness, but that improves with a little handling. I imagine age will suit this card stock very well, further augmenting the vintage look of the deck. At a manageable 8x12cm, they are around the same length as an average Tarot card, but slightly wider. They shuffle comfortably.
The chunkiness of the kit contrasts with the fine intricacy of the pre-Raphaelite/Art Nouveau/Art Deco-inspired illustrations of creator Maxine Miller, https://www.maxinemillerstudios.com, who packs such energy and movement into her subjects, they fairly crackle with vitality. She depicts the plants combined with or alongside ‘spirits’ represented in human and animal form, appearing as anthropomorphised/zoomorphised botanicals, such as the Mandrake man and the Dandelion lion, or mythological/historical/cultural figures associated with plants such as Sunflower (Helios/Apollo) and Henbane (Pythoness), or personifications of the plants’ qualities and powers such as Love Lies Bleeding and Calla Lily. Often they are a combination of the above. Maxine’s characters are so captivating that one doesn’t so much look at as commune with them. Whether turning their full gaze on us, or immersed in contemplation or action, they evoke their world and draw us in. Insets of Victorian-style botanical close-ups, exquisite ornamented fonts, symbols, and mini tableaux all add further layers of interest to the images.
My usual regret with such busy pieces is that these aging eyes struggle to pick up on the details they might have done 20 years ago. And there is the odd card – Yew, the best example – which might be considered too dark for its elaborate features to be truly effective at this size, no matter how sharp the eyes observing it. I had to use a magnifying glass to appreciate just how truly beautiful this card is. Incidentally, Maxine does sell prints of this and other illustrations from the deck, on her site. Caution: your wallet may be at risk – particularly if you are in US! Her (mainly) monochromatic images are presented on parchment-coloured or black ground, with the occasional bold application of colour the more striking for being limited to a few cards. The card backs are a toned-down version of the most colourful one in the deck, The Witch’s Garden, featuring Mandrake and Datura. Even though reverse divinatory meanings are given in the book, the back is not reversible. That doesn’t bother me, but is worth noting.
The oracle was born of a deep personal love of plants and plant spirits. Its objective, says Witch, author and teacher Christopher Penczak, https://christopherpenczak.com, is to open a portal to the ‘witches of the plant world’, which – in common with their human counterparts – have the ability to heal, hex and open gateways to other dimensions. The plants selected are said to help with various emotional and psychological questions, with love and loss, healing and empowerment, freedom and protection. In the guidebook, the table of contents is followed by a foreword from Maxine, an introduction, and a preamble about plant magick in general before opening into the chapter on the cards, which covers 165 pages. Here, Christopher follows an oversized image of each card with the plant’s common and Latin names, planetary and elemental associations, magickal and divinatory meanings, plant spirit medicine, and affirmations. Guidance on how to work with their spirits includes illustrated spells, direction on affirmation, meditation and journey, reading for the self and for others. There are preparation rituals, a series of illustrated spreads and sample readings, a note on further work in the field, biographies of artist and author, and a useful bibliography. It’s an interesting and informative read, giving facts about the plants, stories of myth and legend, Witches’ lore, and practical methodology, referencing diverse spiritual systems including Celtic Ogham, Qabala and I Ching. In all, an earnest and exuberant celebration of plants from the Witch’s garden.
Just a word of caution: Although some of these plants are used in preparations both pharmaceutical and recreational, many Witches’ herbs are toxic, and Cannabis remains illegal in UK. Christopher warns of the dangers of ingestion or topical use, encouraging readers to work with the spiritual qualities as revealed within the oracle. The cards and book entries of the poisonous plants are actually marked with a skull and crossbones symbol. For these reasons, I would advise caution in allowing children and other vulnerable people access to the oracle.
Now to my dream reading:
The cards I drew were Belladonna, Holly and Hemlock (see image): the first to push through illusion, the second to protect and the third to free, according to the affirmations assigned them. If we view a remembered dream as the plant above the surface of the earth, these cards led me down to the roots, into the cellular structure, where the stories of my sleep consciousness shape-shifted into the neglected concerns they symbolised in the mundane world…namely, a problem I’d swept under the carpet or, if you like, buried in the dark earth of the subconscious.
Just as it’s pretty easy to piece together how a cryptic clue works when you have the crossword solution in front of you, so the oracle assisted me in solving my puzzle by suggesting the answers. These I deconstructed ‘working widdershins’ in order to reach an insight of some moment. Specifically, Belladonna helped me realise a powerful (and unsettling) attraction towards someone was not romantic, but symbolised a growing passion for what that person represented. Holly led me to the conclusion that bursts of irritation symbolised warring sentiments: namely the fear of acting on my conscience, and the frustration of not doing so. Hemlock revealed that staying in the shadows and avoiding interaction with others were metaphors for ranking others’ wishes above my own and undervaluing my own powers. Hemlock’s freeing influence then spurred me on to make some immediate changes in the waking world. These were just the bare bones of the main themes.
As one who has hardly ever worked with an oracle, but has a lifelong love of plant magick, I felt an affinity with this deck right away and look forward to incorporating it into my practise. I have also added it to my list of gift ideas.
Reviewed by: Clara Z
