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Book Review of Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling by Paulina Stevens and Jezmina Von Thiele

Writer's picture: Lotus Lotus

I told myself that I was going to remember to photograph book covers BEFORE reading the book!
I told myself that I was going to remember to photograph book covers BEFORE reading the book!


This is a necessary book, not only for those in the divinatory arts, but for anyone interested in an accurate understanding of Romani people and culture. The authors were both raised to be fortune-tellers in the Romani culture, and they both feel that for there to be an accurate representation of Romani culture, then that culture needs to be shared as much as it can be. Romani culture is generally closed to outsiders, but despite this, there is a phenomenal amount of information the authors were able share with us.

Paulina and Jezmina delve deeply into Roma history, the origin of the word 'Gypsy', the destinction between 'Gypsies' and Travellers, and about reclamation of the word 'Gypsy'. They dig into stereotypes, discrimination, slavery (which the Roma faced in Romania for over 500 years), the genocides of Roma and Sinti people, and so much more of Roma history which has previously gone mostly unknown by the non-Roma (gadje). Mentioned also is the problematic Charles Godfrey Leland, whose name I know many you will of course recognize. He was the author of the controversial Aradia, or the Gospel of Witches. He also researched and wrote about various cultures, research in which he took all sorts of liberties with. In Britain he established the 'The Gypsy Lore Society', an organization whose membership was open to white men, many of whom "...had bedded a Romani woman—consent not necessary." Ugh.


The authors write a litte bit about Roma spirituality, and I immediately took up their suggestion to check out the incredibly fascinating article The Romani Goddess Kali Sara by Ronald Lee.


There is a great variety of information here: about energies, on cleansing, intuition, dream divination, and various exercises to help develop the senses. My favourite was candle gazing. Throughout, each author shares their own views and opinions as well as family stories and experiences, which makes this book feel very much you are sitting down with the authors over tea and sharing a facinating coversation.


There is some wonderful introductory (but also quite detailed), information on reading tea leaves and coffee grounds (tasseomancy), on palmistry, tarot, scrying and more. My favourite was flame reading! The authors also go into discussions on spirtual and personal development quite in depth, along with a deep look into ethics and doing professional readings. I think what I most gained from this book ended up not even being the valuable information on the fortune-telling practices of the Roma, but the realisation in what ways I have unknowingly been complicent in sytematic racism against the Roma. My very first website as a tarot reader featured a lot of black and white images of white woment dressed up and posed as 'exotic' fortune tellers. (I think these were mainly actresses in film stills). I used them because they were beautiful and mysterious, and not once did it occur to me those images could be problematic. After reading in this book about how in the 1920s and 1930s something called 'Gypsy tearooms' became popular, has truly changed my awareness. These tearooms simply capitalized on the 'exotic Gypsy' image while at the same time, anti-fortune-telling laws made it difficult for actual Roma people to practice their trade! How sickening! I am glad I changed the design of my tarot business after a bit of time, and I am actually in the process of revamping it all over again. I will definitely be sure to include some tarot history on the site, including highlighting the fact that it is almost certain that the Roma were the first to use the Italian created Tarrochi (Tarot is the French name which English speaking people also use ) cards in a divinatory way.


Thank you for my copy of this book Weiser! If you would like to learn more about Romani culture check out the author's podcast: https://www.romanistanpodcast.com You can find this book various places such as Amazon or directly from Red Wheel/Weiser: https://redwheelweiser.com/book/secrets-of-romani-fortune-telling-9781578638581/



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