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Book Review – The Magic of Seeds by Clare Gogerty, Illustrated by Prudence Rogers
Book Review The Magic of Seeds: The Nature-Lover’s Guide to Growing Garden Flowers and Herbs From Seed by Clare Gogerty, Illustrated by Prudence Rogers Publisher: David & Charles 144 Pages Release Date: March 28, 2023 Regular Pagan Pages visitors will know that my love of plants is no secret. So, getting the chance to review any flora-related book is a win, in my opinion. This volume from Clare Gogerty with superb illustrations by Prudence Rogers is a gem, both a riveting read and a useful reference book. The Magic of Seeds is about growing your own plants for magical and practical purposes — after all, most magic is a pretty…
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Tarot Deck Review – Black Violet Tarot by Heidi Phelps
Tarot Deck Review Black Violet Tarot by Heidi Phelps Publisher: Rockpool Publishing 80 Card Deck & 176 Page Guide Book Release Date: June 4, 2024 The Black Violet Tarot: 80-Card Deck and Book, by Heidi Phelps is a beautifully drawn black-and-white tarot deck which is one of the most original and innovative tarot decks I have seen in a long time. As someone who has been creating a collage-style deck of her own for several years now, I have been collecting images of every card of tarot for over fifteen years – I have almost 600 images of The Fool alone – to inspire my own creativity…
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Oracle Deck Review – Heaven and Hell: Harness the Power of the Angels and the Demons by Travis McHenry
Oracle Deck Review Heaven and Hell Harness the Power of the Angels and the Demons by Travis McHenry Publisher: Rockpool Publishing 72 Card Deck & 168 Page Guide Book Release Date: April 2, 2024 You might be forgiven for thinking that angels are both male and female – there are plenty of images of female angels, or at least angels that appear to be feminine. But officially, angels have no gender. They are not like humans – they were not created as we were, born from the sexual act between a man and a woman – they were not born at all. No one proclaims, “It’s a boy!” or…
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Book Review-Pagan Portals: Maman Brigitte: Dark Goddess of Africa and Ireland by Pauline Breen
Book Review Pagan Portals: Maman Brigitte: Dark Goddess of Africa and Ireland By Pauline Breen Publisher: Moon Books 104 page E-Book Release Date: December 1st, 2024 Pagan Portals: Maman Brigitte is a fascinating exploration of an oft-misunderstood goddess within the Vodou traditions of Haiti and Louisiana. Breen makes clear that she has no “in” with these cultures that have been the subject of centuries of exploitation, from slavery to the appropriation of their beliefs. I appreciate the author’s intent to avoid an attempt at appropriation, but rather the exploration of the Goddess, in this case, Brigid, as she evolved to meet the needs of peoples who had been exploited and sold…
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Book Review: Faerie Wisdom
Title: Faerie Wisdom: Magical Guidance and Wisdom Author: Gillian Kemp Illustrator: Emma Garner Publisher: Cico Books Release Date: March 12, 2024 Pages: 52 Cards and 64-Page Guidebook Gillian Kemp begins the guidebook with faerie “folklore as old as the hills in which faeries have lived since time immemorial.” Page after page draws readers into the magical world as their customs, rituals, foods, occupations, habitat, and means of transportation are introduced. The illustrated handbook depicts faeries as varied and their world being not unlike that of humans when life was simpler. Kemp notes some fairies are the size of humans and can live in each others’ worlds. She describes the fae…
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Book Review-Pagan Portals: Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron by Danu Forest
Book Review Pagan Portals: Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron By Danu Forest Publisher: Moon Books 137 Page e-Book Release Date: December 1st, 2024 Pagan Portals: Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron by Danu Forest is a fascinating examination of Cerrdiwen through mythology, worship and modern Paganism. Danu Forest is a well-known author on Celtic Pagan subjects, and she takes the cake in this book! Cerridwen is a somewhat complex, and multi-faceted goddess; some see her as mother, others as a crone. She’s the keeper of the cauldron of Awen, or inspiration, and the mother of Taliesin. She’s intertwined in the Arthurian Mythos as well, and serves as a central figure in…
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Book Review-Pagan Portals: Circe: Goddess of Sorcery by Irisanya Moon
Book Review Pagan Portals: Circe: Goddess of Sorcery By Irisanya Moon Publisher: Moon Books 112 Page E-Book Release Date: December 1st, 2024 I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; I am a huge fan of the Pagan Portals series by Moon Books. Pagan Portals: Circe: Goddess of Sorcery by Irisanya Moon is no different. I practice Hekatean Witchcraft blended with traditional witchcraft, and Circe is a Goddess/Spirit that I’ve encountered on this path before, but she has always been veiled in mystery, especially as it pertains to her functions in the modern world, in modern witchcraft. This book de-mystifies a Goddess that’s much misunderstood, and maligned throughout history. Pagan Portals: Circe covers Circe’s historical context…
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Book Review-A Confluence of Witches: A Modern Witches Anthology, compiled & edited by Casey Zabala
Book Review A Confluence of Witches: A Modern Witches Anthology Compiled & Edited by Casey Zabala Publisher: Weiser Books 208 page paperback Release Date: October 14th, 2024 A Confluence of Witches is a compilation of different articles compiled into a single volume, all dealing with Witchcraft, its roots, and its modern applications and practice. Many of these authors are known movers and shakers of the modern witchcraft world, making this a valuable addition to many a modern witch’s library. From pieces on lunar lore and how to work with the lunar phases, to money magic, to de-colonizing witchcraft, A Confluence of Witches will reignite a flame in any witch that feels as…
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Book Review-What Happens Next? Answers About the Afterlife by Jade-Sky
Book Review What Happens Next? Answers About the Afterlife By Jade-Sky Publisher: Rockpool Publishing 150 page Hardcover Release Date: October 1st, 2024 What Happens Next? Answers About the Afterlife by Jade-Sky is a non-religious approach to answering those nagging questions about the afterlife, even getting into specifics about death, spirits visiting you, whether hell is real or not, and more. This book came to me at a time of grief in my personal life, as I grieve the slow deterioration of my grandfather-who was more like a father to me-from cancer. While I personally don’t have as many questions about the afterlife, death, and similar topics, being a practicing Necromancer and…
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Book Review-The Complete Language of Trees: A Definitive & Illustrated History by S. Theresa Dietz
Book Review The Complete Language of Trees: A Definitive & Illustrated History By S. Theresa Dietz Publisher: Wellfleet Press 256 page Hardcover Release Date: March 28th, 2023 The Complete Language of Trees: A Definitive & Illustrated History is a beautiful, full color, illustrated encyclopedia of trees from around the world. Each entry gives the tree’s scientific name, folk names, maximum height, symbolic meanings, spiritual and healing powers, as well as any folklore and factoids about each tree. The trees themselves are alphabetized by scientific name rather than their common folk names, but there is an index in the rear of the book that gives the common names of each tree, and lists which…
