The Complete Book of Psychic Arts: Divination Practices From Around the World [Paperback]

Caroline Dow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 1999

This book is about the power of the mind and how it relates to psychic phenomena, principally divination. It takes a look at the history of the field and at people who practice the psychic arts, based on data provided by an internationally distributed psychics' survey. In addition, it shows how you can hone your own psychic skills and practice divination to enhance your life. Never before has anyone surveyed psychics and channelers directly about their art.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Caroline Dow (Boulder, CO) has been a tea-leaf reader and herbalist for thirty years, and conducts popular workshops on tea-leaf reading all over the country. She is the author of fourteen books under various pen names, and is the owner and manager of a successful herbal mail order company. She also holds a Ph.D. in Luso-Brazilian Studies and received a Fulbright Dissertation Research Fellowship to Brazil. Her book Magic from Brazil: Recipes, Spells, and Rituals (Llewellyn, September 2001) chronicles those experiences. She has lived in Mexico, Brazil, England, Scotland, Wales, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, speaks five languages, and has studied esoteric traditions in those lands.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (December 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567182364
• ISBN-13: 978-1567182361
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,579,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good survey, but ..., May 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Book of Psychic Arts: Divination Practices From Around the World (Paperback)

I read this book thinking it would have practical information and techniques to develop psychic ability, but such info is scant. Instead, the majority of the book deals with interviews and answers to questionaires filled out by psychics, explaining the art and their own personal involvement. The section on the history of psychics, the spiritualist movement, and the paranormal in the 20th century is likely the most interesting part of the book. It describes a wide variety of authors, works, and people instrumental to the movement and resurgence of spiritualism. The rest of the book describes in detail the responses she got to the questionairre. This is very interesting, especially if you have always wondered how they started, what exactly they do, their religious beliefs, feelings about commercialism, etc. After one reading however, it's probably something you won't feel inclined to reading again. This is not to say, however, that there are not any techniques given; they just have little organization and seem to get lost between the personal accounts. Psychometry, crystalomancy, and palm reading are among the methods covered, unfortunately none of them are mentioned in any great detail or length. "Complete" is not what I would call this book.

The Appendices are the most organized section in this book, and perhaps the most useful. Appendix A gives the complete survey results, including statistical information, personal involvement, clients, and general questions about the field. Appendix B gives a very comprehensive glossary, Appendix C lists many types of divination, and Appendix D details palmistry. Appendix E lists noteworthy psychics and channelers, including Silver RavenWolf and Richard Webster.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How psychics see themselves, February 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Book of Psychic Arts: Divination Practices From Around the World (Paperback)

This is an excellent treatment of the subject, providing something for everyone interested in (or merely curious about) the many possibilities of divination. It provides background information which allows a beginner to explore the topic with the confidence born of a solid basic knowledge of what has gone before and where one fits into the stream of individuals who have developed the field through the ages. It always helps the novice to be reminded that he or she is not the first to wonder about these abilities. The glossary of "Essential Terminology" itself will be a superb source for those wishing to begin to understand the field. The results of a survey of a large number of practicing psychics and channelers provide a statistical profile of their backgrounds along with an examination of their techniques as they see them. Finally, their advice to others interested in the field is included. All this material is supported with quotations from the respondents. This book should surely make in to the libraries of those who are more advanced in the arts of divination due to its mass of sell-organized information.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview for beginners., April 4, 2000

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Book of Psychic Arts: Divination Practices From Around the World (Paperback)

Develop your psychic skills and examine divination practices around the world with Morwyn's Complete Book of Psychic Arts, which lists over 100 divinatory practices and techniques. From discussions of modern psychic and spiritualist practices to tests for psychic abilities, Complete Book of Psychic Arts provides an excellent overview for beginner new to the subject.