Book Review – The Magic of Butterflies and Moths by Steve Andrews
Book Review
The Magic of Butterflies and Moths
Written by Steve Andrews
Publisher: Moon Books
72 Pages
Release Date: March 1, 2023
In The Magic of Butterflies and Moths, Steve Andrews muses about the wonders of a collection of winged wonders found in England, and their “seemingly magical” transformation from “a tiny egg into a caterpillar, then into a chrysalis, and finally emerging as a beautiful butterfly [or moth].” It’s a handbook with information about twenty species, describing their characteristics, habits, habitats, and lore. It is not a book about magick involving these insects as spirit guides, their uses in spells or rituals having to do with change and shapeshifting, or the spiritual aspects of the butterfly effect.
Andrews shares his enchantment with the “weird and wonderful” details of their lives. He offers the possibility that the origin of the word butterfly was inspired by the sulfur-yellow wings of the male brimstone butterfly (gonepteryx rhamni) found in Europe, North Africa, and as far as Western Siberia. It is not found in the United States. The nine-thousand-mile round-trip migratory journey of the painted lady butterfly, the way clearwing moths mimic bees and wasps to survive, and that a day-flying moth was named after a Yorkshire witch from the 16th century are among the fascinating facts in this book.
The author’s hope is that as readers learn more about these insects, they will want to raise awareness and seek solutions to the threats of habitat destruction, climate change, light pollution, and pesticides. One of the best ways, he writes, is to make a patch of land attractive to moths and butterflies, and goes on to explain how to do that.
About the Author
Steve Andrews is a writer, journalist, singer-songwriter, poet, and naturalist. Also known as the Bard of Ely and Green Bard, he has written other books, including Earth Spirit: Saving Mother Ocean, and the autobiographical memoir eBook Hummadruz and a Life of High Strangeness, which focuses on his paranormal and mystical experiences. Andrews was born in Wales and now lives in Portugal.
The Magic of Butterflies and Moths on Amazon
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About the Author:
Lynn Woike
All my life I have known magic was real. As a child, I played with the fae, established relationships with trees and “just knew things.” In my maiden years I discovered witchcraft and dabbled in the black-candles-and-cemeteries-at-midnight-on-a-fullmoon magick just enough to realize I did not understand its power. I went on to explore many practices including Zen, astrology, color therapy, native traditions, tarot, herbs, candle magic, gems, and, as I moved into my mother years, Buddhism, the Kabbalah and Reiki. The first man I dated after my divorce was a witch who reintroduced me to the Craft, this time by way of the Goddess. For 11 years I was in a coven, but with retirement, I have returned to an eclectic solitary practice.
When accepting the mantle of crone, I pledged to serve and teach. This is what I do from my skoolie – a 30-year-old school bus converted into a tiny house on wheels that I am driving around the country, following 72-degree weather, emerging myself into nature, and sharing magic with those I meet. Find me at thewitchonwheels.com, Facebook and Instagram.
