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Book Review – The Initiatory Path in Fairy Tales: The Alchemical Secrets of Mother Goose by Bernard Roger
Book Review The Initiatory Path in Fairy TalesThe Alchemical Secrets of Mother Gooseby Bernard RogerTranslated by Jon E. Graham308 Pages “Once upon time” immediately places the reader in a mythical, magical world. Like other often-used phrases, storytellers use it to transition to a place where anything is possible. Classic as well as little-known fairy tales are ripe with hermetic teachings of alchemy and Freemasonry. In this book, The Initiatory Path in Fairy Tales: the Alchemical Secrets of Mother Goose, Bernard Roger, provides an exhaustive analysis to prove his point and deliver what the title promises. Translated by Jon E. Graham, Roger demonstrates how hermetic ideas can be found in…
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Book Review – Shamanic Plant Medicine-San Pedro: The Gateway to Wisdom by Ross Heaven
Book ReviewShamanic Plant Medicine-San PedroThe Gateway to Wisdom by Ross Heaven 144 Pages San Pedro: The Gateway to Wisdom is one in The Shamanic Plant Medicine series authored by Ross Heaven. Each book introduces a plant medicine teacher and medicine ally. This well-written, accessible book introduces us to the Cactus of Mystery, San Pedro, native to the Andes and used by Andean shamans in healing ceremonies. Mr. Heaven, who died in 2018, has left us with a practical and nuanced introduction to San Pedro. The book gives us an overview of the plant’s history and the lore relating to its sense of mystery, which certainly drew me in to…
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Book Review – Mindfulness at Work: Flourishing in the Workplace by Maria Arpa
Book Review Mindfulness at Work Flourishing in the Workplace by Maria Arpa 144 Pages ….Achieving a work/life balance does not mean equal time for both. It is a fluid proposition that changes and fluctuates according to the demands being made on you and how you meet them. You achieve balance when you have the integrated self-responsibility to meet your obligations while also having the confidence to set boundaries that keep your life rewarding…. Mindfulness at Work: Flourishing in the Workplace should be a required read for employees in any modern-day workplace. The stress, demands and expectations of the work required are often overwhelming and job satisfaction is at…
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Book Review – The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives: 13 Stories of Supernatural Sleuthing, Edited & Introduced by Judika Illes
Book Review The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives 13 Stories of Supernatural Sleuthing Edited & Introduced by Judika Illes 320 Pages I confess, when I first heard about this book, I thought it was a book about true crime – stories in which crimes had been solved by calling in psychics and other occult professionals. But The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives: 13 Stories of Supernatural Sleuthing is a book of short stories – thirteen of the greatest detective stories ever written. Collected, edited and introduced by Judika Illes, they are an entertaining read for any fan of ghost stories, detective stories or just well-written prose. In the…
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Book Review – Magic Medicine: A Trip Through the Intoxicating History and Modern-Day Use of Psychedelic Plants and Substances by Cody Johnson
Book ReviewMagic MedicineA Trip Through the Intoxicating History and Modern-Day Use of Psychedelic Plants and Substancesby Cody Johnson323 pp Cody Johnson’s “Magic Medicine” lives up to its subtitle, “A trip through the intoxicating history and modern-day use of psychedelic plants and substances.” More politics, history, and anecdote than chemistry or medicine, this book contains twenty-three chapters which profile a diverse number of substances: the 2C-B and the 2C family, 5-MEO-DMT, Ayahuasca, DMT, DOM and the DOX family, LSD, Morning glory, Peyote, Psilocybin mushrooms, San Pedro, Yopo and Vilma beans, MDA, MDMA, DXM, Ketamine, Nitrous Oxide, Salvia, Amanita Muscaria, Cannabis, Dipt, fish and sea sponges, Iboga, and Mad Honey. Over…
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Book Review – The Last Priestess of Malia by Laura Perry
Book Review The Last Priestess of Malia by Laura Perry 520 pages I’ve read some of Laura’s other works before, such as her fascinating work on Minoan spirituality. I’d also very much enjoyed her ghost-love story, The Bed, which is a fantastic example of “Witch Lit”, an exciting genre of magical writing. The Last Priestess of Malia is on a completely different level. I feel like Laura has emerged as an incredible world-builder. She’s created a fascinating insight into what the Minoan culture may have been like, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves in that world. Aria is a dedicated child of the temple, a priestess whose…
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Book Review – Revolutionary Witchcraft: A Guide To Magical Activism by Sarah Lyons
Book Review Revolutionary Witchcraft: A Guide To Magical Activism by Sarah Lyons 158 Pages “This is a book about magic, politics, and how we can change the world when we blend the two together,” activist and practicing witch Sarah Lyons writes in the introduction to her book, “Revolutionary Witchcraft: A Guide To Magical Activism.” What many refer to as energy, prana or the Force, Lyons likes to call power, noting “politics is about power.” Magic has always been used to channel the power of desperation, pain and rage by people with no other means to achieve justice. And because “[w]itches get their power from a connection with the…
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Oracle Deck Review – Sacred Geometry of Relationships Deck by LON
Oracle Deck Review Sacred Geometry of Relationships Deck by LON The Sacred Geometry of Relationships Oracle is an Oracle deck created by Nautilus Award-winning quantum artist and author LON, and published in 2019 by Beyond Words, 8427 N.E. Cornell Road, Suite 500, Hillsboro, Oregon. LON was born and raised in Holland, attended art school there, and worked in advertising and graphic arts. She discovered crop circles in the early 1990’s and was inspired to begin a 20+ year journey that combined the study of sacred geometry and her creative and artistic abilities, culminating in this Oracle deck. The Oracle comes in a nice sturdy cardboard box just over…
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Oracle Deck Review – Arcane Bullshit Fortune-Telling Deck by Evan Doherty
Oracle Deck ReviewArcane Bullshit Fortune-Telling Deck by Evan Doherty Arriving in time to save us from the disappearance of Mad Magazine, the Arcane Bullshit Fortune-Telling Deck is a self-published fortune-telling deck, created by Evan Doherty and funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Doherty feels that the tarot world takes itself way to seriously, and that the occult should be less about rules and formalities and way more about creativity and dick jokes. After getting my hands on this beautifully crafted deck and working with the cards, I tend to agree with him. The deck consists of 105 cards, and yes, there are no suits and no Major and Minor Arcana…
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Interview with Reanna of Woodland Wand Creation
Bright Blessings! Last month, I got to review a great wand by Lady Reanna Shellenbarger of Woodland Wand Creation, and this month, I lucked into an interview! Here is the link to my review if you did not have a chance to read it yet! Read on to learn more about this amazing artist and creatrix, and her sacred, beautiful wands! On their Facebook page, it says: “Welcome friends to my store called Woodland Wand Creation. A magical place of semiprecious stones & enchanting wood from the magical forest. All to make amazing Wands. All work is unique artwork. No two are the same. I work within the respect to…