The Book of Séances: A Guide to Divination and Speaking to Spirits

Artist and spiritual seeker Claire Goodchild delivers an informative guide to the basics of divination and connecting with the afterlife through The Book of Seances. Anyone with a curiosity about the various techniques of communicating with and invoking extra-sensory energy will learn the history, protocol and practices through this helpful guide. Goodchild, an experienced tarot reader who has previously produced her own deck, provides an in-depth approach to cultivating safe and respectful practices. The hard-cover edition offers beautifully rendered full-color illustrations that reflect the artist-author’s inclination toward Victorian aesthetics. Like other Goodchild creations, this book is a work of art and heart.

I reviewed the book from the perspective of decolonization and detaching from limiting notions of evil. Divination practices are spiritual traditions that exist across the world, rooted in folklore. I have known about similar traditions in various indigenous cultures in my native Philippines, and was interested in learning about Western folk magic practices. Goodchild stresses the power of intuition and demystifies the methods of working with the other side. One does not need to intend to perform the practices to read Goodchild and become fascinated by how beliefs in the paranormal and divinatory tools have been sustained throughout millennia.