Review by Mary Nale

This book starts out with Bonnie explaining the system that she learned from Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone from The Tarot School. The premise of studying Birth Card Pairs is to empower us to decide how the energy of our Birth Card Pairs is affecting our lives. When we look at the Archetypal energies of our Birth Cards it will help us to know ourselves better and also to identify any areas that are in need of balance. Th

ere are twelve pairs of Birth Cards in the Tarot and each pair is discussed in this book. Each pair is looked at by: Astrological Associations, Keywords and Theme. Both cards in the pair are then discussed in ways that can empower us with right questions to ask. Affirmations for each card are given. Journeying with each card in the pair is discussed in depth with simple to follow directions. A summery of the pair and a section on Gifts, Abilities and Challenges for each card is very helpful when working with Archetypal energies. At the end of each chapter there is a “Template For Working With Gifts, Abilities and Challenges”.

All of this information will help you to identify many things about yourself and others. The most interesting part of this book for me is the Postscript where Bonnie gives us twenty one questions to ask ourselves to determine where we are in the cycle of our lives. After the chapters on Birth Card Pairs you will see each Birth Card Pair in color with Astrological Associations, Keywords and Theme. “Calling in the Seven Directions” tells us how to Journey with each card. A Quick Reference Chart with all of the Birth Card Pairs is located in the back of the book. Using the numbers you come up with in your calculations, you can look at this chart for the correct pair. Lined pages that can be used for note taking are located at the very end of the book.

I recommend this book to every tarot reader. Bonnie Cehovet has written a book that is invaluable as a reference. From the beautiful red cover to the special pages in the back Bonnie has provided us with layers of information with directions and techniques to gain information about ourselves or the Seeker. Each page carries with it Bonnie’s soothing, calm voice and all of the wisdom she has to share. This beautifully written and very easy to understand book will open your eyes to something in the tarot that we can use every time we do a reading for someone.

Review by Koneta Bailey

I have been looking forward, for quite some time, to getting my hands on this book and I have to say that I am thrilled to share this interview/review with you. I first met Bonnie Cehovet online about two years ago. This past year at the Readers Studio conference, I enjoyed meeting her in person. We were able to spend a little time together chatting and we teamed up for a workshop creating new Tarot spreads. Thank you, Bonnie! Now, won’t you please join me as I chat with the author and delve into – Tarot, Birth Cards, and You: Keys to Empowering Yourself.

Let me begin by saying that the cover and illustrations are beautifully presented and drew me in immediately. I do love the color red, and it displays the palette of the cards perfectly. There are twelve chapters, each dedicated to exploring a set of birth cards and include: Keywords; Theme; Questions; Affirmations; Journeying; A Summary; A discussion of the Gifts, Abilities, and Challenges and how to work with them. The formula for determining an individual's Birth Cards (created by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, of the Tarot School) is given along with a quick reference chart. Once you have used the formula and determined the correct birth card pairs, you will quickly realize this book's value as a reference tool and you will wonder how you ever got along without it.

The Preface reads: "My hope is that with this book, readers will find the tools that will help them to better understand themselves, define their path for this lifetime, find their authentic voice, connect with that which they consider to be the Divine in their life, and move forward on their spiritual journey. The tools that I have chosen to work with are those of the Tarot Major Arcana, Affirmations, and Journeying. Together, they will help the reader define their path for this lifetime, and reach their full potential."

Koneta: Who do you feel will benefit the most from your book?

Bonnie: "Anyone who wants to work on themselves, who wants to help their clients have healthy relationships, or who wants to better understand the archetypes in their life."

Koneta: Have you ever encountered someone whose calculated birth cards just don’t seem to fit them? If so, what did you do to remedy this?

Bonnie: "I have not personally encountered anyone who did not seem to reflect their Birth Cards, no. I do have one gentleman who commented on my blog that he felt that he did not reflect his Birth Cards, and he went so far as to verify his birth data with his older sister. If I did encounter this, I would first ask my client to verify their birth data. Then I would look at whether the Birth Card energy was being blocked, or was latent. If the Seeker is blocking their Birth Card energy, as a reader I would step very carefully because there are deep Shadows at work here."

Koneta: Each set of birth cards come with instructions on Journeying with the cards. Can you tell me more about where this idea came from, and what do you feel is the biggest benefit from doing this exercise?

Bonnie: "In working with one of my mentors when I lived in Las Vegas, and in working with the Tarot School tele-classes, I became very fond of journeying as a means of gathering information. The conscious mind is quieted, and the subconscious mind is allowed to access Spirit. The biggest benefit for me personally in doing this exercise is the wisdom that comes to me, and that it comes very quickly. There is a strong bond created with the material that I am working with when I journey."

In the last pages there is a hidden treasure. A beautiful full color section, “Quick Tarot Birth Card Reference”. It’s like getting two reference books in one! The illustrations are by Karyn Easton, artist, author, and owner of the internet website Paranormality.com, and are from her Tarot Lovers Tarot. An interesting note, (at least it’s interesting to me) both my husband and I share the same Birth Cards. Death and The Emperor. We jokingly agreed that his stronger trait is The Emperor, with mine as Death. Whatever...

This, in my opinion, is not a book to read and put away on the shelf. It is one that I will keep close at hand for reference, not only to assist me when I am working on a reading for others, but, also as a tool to better know and empower myself.

Koneta: Do you have any current plans to write any more books relating to Tarot?

Bonnie: “Yes, I am already at work on getting the proposal for my second Tarot book to my editor.”

Well that is good news!

Koneta Bailey enjoys reading and writing about the Tarot, and is currently working on a Tarot deck and book with her husband, Bob. An avid Tarot and Oracle deck collector, she has been reading Tarot professionally for 6 yrs.

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