Katy Ravensong
Katy Ravensong is a practicing green witch in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. She was raised here where she ran barefoot & free. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, voracious reader, crocheter, and amateur herbalist. She glories in the freedom that comes with being a Crone ~ when she is gone, she will not be known as a woman who could keep her mouth shut! She is disabled, yet tries to make disability work for her. She is an advocate for human rights. She is Dean of Wortcunning and Assistant Dean of Natural Philosophy at The Grey School of Wizardry. She has studied with various herbal teachers, with Witch School International, with Avalonian Institute of Metaphysical Arts, and is a priestess with the Sisters of Earthsong, Order of the White Moon. Her poetry has been featured in several publications including 'Pagan Poetry for the Festivals and Seasons' by Wyrdwood Publications edited by Edain Duguay, 2008. Her favorite quote is from Emily Dickinson “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain. If I can ease one life the aching or cool one pain or help one fainting robin unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain.”
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Book Review – Magdala: The Lost Story of Mary Magdalene by Bridget Erica
Book Review Magdala: The Lost Story of Mary Magdalene by Bridget Erica Publisher: Hopscotch Studio 214 Pages Published: July 1, 2022 From the publisher: “For over two thousand years my name has been printed in the holy book and buildings have been erected in my honor. Yet, men in ornate robes have trampled on my words, tainted my name, and hidden my story from you. The exceptional events of my life have been erased…” Based on the life of Mary Magdalene, Magdala beautifully pieces together the hidden remnants from the past and masterfully weaves them into a fascinating tale about faith, love, and our connection with the Divine.…
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Book Review – What the Wild Replied: Poems From Human Nature by Becky Hemsley
Book Review What the Wild Replied: Poems from Human Nature by Becky Hemsley Publisher: Wildmark Publishing 199 Pages Release Date: September 20, 2022 From the publisher: What the Wild Replied is the second poetry collection from Becky Hemsley, author of popular poem ‘Breathe’ which featured in her first book ‘Talking to the Wild’. What the Wild Replied takes us through the four seasons from the perspective of human nature. It looks at how we navigate our own winters and embrace our own summers, how we let go during our own autumns and seize the opportunities of our own springtime. It includes poems of hope, healing and help. Designed…
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Book Review – The Gospel of Falling Down: The Beauty of Failure in an Age of Success by Mark Townsend
Book Review The Gospel of Falling Down: The Beauty of Failure in an Age of Success by Mark Townsend Publisher: Circle Books 153 Pages Release Date: January 12, 2007 From the publisher: We hear a lot about the gospel of success, whether from Christian or New Age sources. But most of us are more accustomed to failure, or at least not reaching our hopes. Which, surely, is at the heart of the life of Jesus and his message. This book is a radical departure from much of what modern day Christianity (and gurus of all kinds) seem to offer. Rather than seeing Christianity as a group of people…
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Book Review – GaeaGenesis: Conception and Birth of the Living Earth by Oberon Zell
Book Review GaeaGenesis: Conception and Birth of the Living Earth by Oberon Zell Foreword by Alex Vikoulov Publisher: Left Hand Press 436 Pages Release Date: July 30, 2022 From the publisher: “Oberon Zell was the first person to conceive and publish the biological and metaphysical foundations of what has become known as the ‘Gaia Theory’— the unified body and emergent soul of the living Earth. Oberon’s profound reconciliation of science, mythology and spirituality inspired and infused worldwide neo-Pagan, pantheistic movement. His visionary sculpture of the ‘Millennial Gaia’ is a three-dimensional revelation, an artistic masterpiece that fuses evolutionary biology with sculptural elegance. For over 50 years Oberon has been…
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Book Review – A Beginner’s Guide to Ogham Divination by Ceri Norman
Book Review A Beginner’s Guide to Ogham Divination by Ceri Norman Publisher: Moon Books 240 Pages Release Date: December 1, 2022 From the publisher: Discover the magic, mythology and meaning of the 25 trees of the Celtic Ogham, once the alphabet of the ancient Celts and now a system of divination that is perfect for tree lovers everywhere. This book invites and guides you to forge a meaningful and deep connection with the trees by listening to and learning from them. Each of the trees acts as a wise and insightful guide. By tuning into the energies, magic and personality of each of the trees, we can come…
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Book Review – Learning to Love the Spaces in Between: Discover the Power of Liminal Spaces by Claire Gillman
Book Review Learning to Love the Spaces in Between: Discover the Power of Liminal Spaces by Claire Gillman Publisher: Welbeck Balance 200 Pages Release Date: January 3, 2023 From the publisher: The word liminal comes from the Latin word ‘limen’, meaning threshold. A liminal space is the ‘crossing over’ space, the time between ‘what was’ and the ‘what is to come’, and a place of transition and possibility. Each of us experiences liminality in our lives – learning how to navigate and embrace its power can enhance our wellbeing and our understanding of the world. Being in liminal space can be unnerving, yet it is often where insight,…
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Book Review – Ossman & Steel’s Classic Household Guide to Appalachian Folk Healing by Jake Richards
Book Review Ossman & Steel’s Classic Household Guide to Appalachian Folk Healing: A Collection of Old-Time Remedies, Charms, and Spells By Jack Richards Foreword by Silver Ravenwolf Publisher: Weiser Books 122 pages Publication: August 1, 2022 From the publisher: “A long-treasured but forgotten classic of folk healing, with an introduction and commentary by the author of Backwoods Witchcraft and Doctoring the Devil. Ossman & Steel’s Guide to Health or Household Instructor (its original title) is a collection of spells, remedies, and charms. The book draws from the old Pennsylvania Dutch and German powwow healing practices that in turn helped shape…
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Book Review – Travels Through Middle Earth by Alaric Albertsson
Book Review Travels Through Middle Earth By Alaric Albertsson Foreword by Christopher Penczak Publisher: Crossed Crow Book 240 pages Publication: June 8, 2009 From the publisher: “Alaric Albertsson’s Travels Through Middle Earth: The Path of a Saxon Pagan is a beautifully written book that tells the reader how to incorporate these old pagan beliefs into modern magical practice. The book itself serves as a bridge to the past – connecting the reader to folklore, traditions, and rituals of the Anglo-Saxons in a way that is both comforting and familiar, while still engaging enough to help the reader add depth to their practice.…
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Book Review – The Holy Wild Grimoire by Danielle Dulsky
Book Review The Holy Wild Grimoire By Danielle Dulsky Publisher: New World Library 208 pages Publication: September 13, 2022 From the Publisher: “Claim Your Mythic Purpose: This grimoire — a book of magick, spells, ceremonies, journaling exercises, recipes, and incantations — is an invitation to be Witch and bewitch. As you journey through this book, you will reflect and reshape your story, beholding your life’s poetry and wielding a mythic intelligence. Danielle Dulsky guides you to see through the lens of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air, and ether, and to call upon age-old archetypes to heal and liberate…
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Book Review – Zen Rohatsu by Nora D’Ecclesis
Book Review Zen Rohatsu By Nora D’Ecclesis Publisher: Renaissance Presentations, LLC 101 pages Publication: July 1, 2022 From the book description: “Zen Rohatsu is the A to Z of Zen, as it is the backstory of why we meditate, live mindfully and have a spiritual practice. The Zazen Meditation combines the practice with mind and body from a 2,700 year old philosophy. It informs us of the potential enlightenment from suffering that historical Buddha experienced while sitting under a fig tree in ancient times. Meditation keeps us in the present with focus, equanimity and stress management. Rohatsu is a spiritual…
