Amanda Reads: Issue 39

Your reading recommendations and tarot reading for the week of 4/17/23

Hello and happy Monday, my friends! I had a busy but fulfilling weekend attending the virtual Cauldron of Wisdom conference, two days of presentations around all sorts of interesting topics. As an introvert, it took me all of Sunday to recover, but in the best way.

I’m mostly human again today, and ready to bring you this week’s reading recommendations and Tarot wisdom. Before we jump in, a little reminder—I do offer individual, virtual Tarot readings if you’re ever interested! You can reach out via Substack comments or shoot me an email for more information.

Okay, let’s get to the good stuff!

Book Rec of the Week

Another time where I love my current read so much, I’m going out on a limb to recommend it before I finish. Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is an absolute delight of modern fantasy read and is precisely the book I was looking for.

It’s set in a world where witches are real, and in service of the government—but in a secret way, of course. A prophecy emerges with potentially world-ending consequences, and a group of childhood friends are at odds about how to proceed. I am already obsessed with this book. The sequel is already out and I can only imagine I’ll be eager to grab it when I finish this one.

Tarot Reading of the Week

Card of the Week: The Fool

Deck Used: Skyrim Tarot

Ahh, the Fool. He’s been coming up a lot for me lately. A card of new beginnings and fresh starts, taking that first step over the cliff. I always find this to be an exciting card, but there is a bit of a reminder to make sure you look before you leap, as well. New opportunities are great, but you shouldn’t jump at them without making sure you have at least some sense of where you might land.

Words from the Web

Since I spent most of my content time at the conference this weekend, I’m going to do something a bit atypical for my words from the web and recommend some podcasts I’ve been enjoying!

First up, The Witch Next Door by my friend Emily Morrison of Wise Woman Witchery. This is a light, personal look at all things magic and witchery, and is one of those podcasts where you can really feel the real life friendship between the hosts.

Second, I just got into If Books Could Kill, which looks at popular books and their broader impact on society. The hosts take a look at the claims of a text and whether they hold up, which is just so very much my jam. I don’t always 100% agree with how harsh they can be, but it’s nevertheless a fun and interesting listen.

As for me, I’m still putting a good bit of energy into pitches, but have put out a few pieces on Medium here and there as well. I had my first pitch accepted, so I’ll be sharing that piece soon(ish) if all goes well, and it feels amazing to have my first deadline.

This week, I wrote about a surprisingly satisfying day that I’d been dreading, and also reflected on trying to spend more time alone with my thoughts in the name of creativity.

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That’s the reading recs and Tarot wisdom for this week, friends! If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, maybe consider sharing it with a friend?