Reviewed By Katrina Rasbold

An operative feature of the Pagan Portals series put out by Moon Books is its brevity and this book is no exception. Jessica Howard’s concise 104-page guide demystifies lithomancy—the art of divination using stones, crystals, charms, or even shells. The book is well structured structured to gradually lead beginners from foundational concepts into some advanced practices, making it accessible yet substantiative.

Howard starts by defining lithomancy and contextualizing it within broader divination traditions. She emphasizes its intuitive and creative nature, describing it as an art rather than a rigid system.

Chapters dedicated to choosing, cleansing, charging, and storing stones provide step-by-step guidance. The inclusiveness is refreshing, suggesting that readers can use garden pebbles or ethically sourced crystals. One could financially invest as much or as little as they choose into this process and still achieve excellent results by following Howard’s instructions.

The book offers multiple layouts—from simple yes/no tosses to segmented circles (past-present-future, months, astrological houses). The author then explains how to read patterns, spatial relationships, symbols, and even stone orientation.

One of the book’s highlights is a practical guide to combining lithomancy with energy healing. Using chakra-aligned stones plus elemental and personal markers, readers learn to diagnose energetic balance and blockages. This is a technique I have used in my own healing practice for decades and I am happy to see such an excellent explanation of its use.

A helpful appendix provides keyword associations (planets, chakras, elements), making it easy to develop and personalize your stone reading system. Howard provides structured guidance but leaves space for personal adaptation and intuition, allowing the reader to customize their stone usage to their own strengths and interests. The chakra set and astrological correspondence examples are especially useful for practitioners looking to integrate lithomancy into broader spiritual work.

The author’s tone invites and supports experimentation. The reader will not feel locked into a fixed system but rather able to grow into their own practice.

The Art of Lithomancy is beginner friendly, but experienced diviners will also likely find excellent new ideas to incorporate into their growing practice. This book is a welcoming, practical, and inspiring springboard for intuitive exploration.

Pagan Portals – The Art of Lithomancy by Jessica Howard

Lithomancy is a form of divination which many people are aware of, although they may not know it by name. Using nothing more than stones from the garden or your favourite crystals, you can uncover the secrets of your subconscious, understand the past, and divine the future.

Learn more and grab your copy here: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-art-lithomancy

For more details: https://katrinarasbold.com/