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Book Review – One Truth and One Spirit: Aleister Crowley’s Spiritual Legacy by Keith Readdy
Book Review One Truth and One Spirit: Aleister Crowley’s Spiritual Legacy by Keith Readdy 436 pages I purposely do not read anyone else’s reviews on a book before I read that book. I do this so that another does not influence my view of the book; I must admit books on Aleister Crowley can be a little dry, and difficult. But there’s always exciting tidbits that I pick up. Mr. Readdy’s book is a history book. Therefore, it reads like a history book, and if you’re a history buff that’s fine. I was still able to find a lot of interesting information within this book. I found it…
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Book Review – Sister Karol’s Book of Spells, Blessings and Folk Magic by Karol Jackowski
Book Review Sister Karol’s Book of Spells, Blessings and Folk Magic by Karol Jackowski 255 pages The idea of a book about spells and folk magic written by a religious sister with a Catholic background is fascinating. Sister Karol’s Book of Spells, Blessings and Folk Magic is a beautiful book that explores the impact of mainstream religion on what Sister Karol refers to as the religion of “none”. The religion of “none” is described as persons who are “living at the heart of what the Dalai Lama sees as a spiritual revolution, a shift in consciousness touching the heart of those who seek to save their soul without…
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Book Review – Spiritual Rebel: A Positively Addictive Guide to Finding Deeper Perspective & Higher Purpose by Sarah Bowen
Book Review Spiritual Rebel: A Positively Addictive Guide to Finding Deeper Perspective & Higher Purpose by Sarah Bowen 244 pages “Contempt prior to examination is an intellectual vice, from which the greatest faculties of mind are not free.” The author is quoting the writer Paley, who in fact is another Christian writer however that doesn’t make the point less valid. We all come into paganism from other sources, and like it or not those sources effected our own journey on a deeper level. This is not a book for those looking for structured black and white thinking on spirituality. It is experimental and requires engagement to get much…
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Witch & Popcorn
Rainman Bright Blessings, Film Lovers! For this month’s film, I decided to review one that has been well loved for decades. It is award winning, and was a groundbreaking, intimate look at the lives, and the love of people who have autism. Rainman. Here is a trailer of the film you can watch. The film starts in the fast, trendy, and loud life of Charlie Babbitt, played by Tom Cruise. He’s on the verge of sealing a major sales deal, which would profit him $75K. He’s got an amazing, kind hearted girlfriend named Susanna. He’s young, healthy, good looking, and it seems like everything is going his way. He heads…
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Book Review – Dancing with Raven and Bear: A Book of Earth Medicine and Animal Magic by Sonja Grace
Book Review Dancing with Raven and Bear: A Book of Earth Medicine and Animal Magic by Sonja Grace 144 Pages Drawing on both her Native American (Hopi) heritage and her Norwegian upbringing, Sonja Grace presents 18 original wisdom stories about Earth Medicine and animal magic. In them she’s woven ancient teachings and everyday practical applications such as grounding, mending a broken heart and dream interpretation. Each chapter is a tale, followed by an explanation of the magic and medicine of Raven, Bear and Earth. Ancient teachings are interwoven with descriptions of such practices as smudging and energizing water for healing. Grace shows parallels between Norse mythology and Native…
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Book Review – The Big Book of Tarot: How to Interpret the Cards and Work with Tarot Spreads for Personal Growth by Joan Bunning
Book Review The Big Book of Tarot: How to Interpret the Cards and Work with Tarot Spreads for Personal Growth by Joan Bunning 368 page The Big Book of Tarot: How to Interpret the Cards and Work with Tarot Spreads for Personal Growth by Joan Bunning published in 2019 by Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, 65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950. This is a huge 8½ inch by 10 inch soft cover book with a glossy color illustration on the front cover and book description on the back cover. There are 357 pages with a nice large, easy-to-read typeface on white paper. Bunning has a website that contains…
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Seeing the Signs
Review of The Power Deck: The Cards of Wisdom and Guidebook by Lynn V. Andrews Back in the 1980’s, when I was searching for a way out of my depression and drug addiction, I found what was then called “Women’s Spirituality”. Having been raised Catholic, I was of course well aware of the female aspect in religion – the Virgin Mary and all the various female saints – and I always had a strong devotion to the Holy Mother. However, the Nicene Creed recited at all Masses demanded that I “believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth”, not the Mother of that God,…
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Book Review – The Mother Mantra: The Ancient Shamanic Yoga of Non-Duality by Selene Calloni Williams
Book Review The Mother Mantra: The Ancient Shamanic Yoga of Non-Duality by Selene Calloni Williams 160 pages The Mother Mantra: The Ancient Shamanic Yoga of Non-Duality opens a path for people interested in the exploration of “reality” as a dream, an illusion. It guides us through the process of “reabsorbing reality,” of examining our everyday lives and beliefs, and re-imagining who we are in a fresh way, more deeply connected to our full and true selves and to the wisdom of Nature. Selene Calloni Williams has studied psychology with James Hillman and Buddhist meditation in Sri Lanka with a root teacher. She is an initiate of Shamanic Tantric Yoga and…
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Book Review -Pagan Portals Series: Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson
Book Review Pagan Portals Series: Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson “I think sometimes as a witch the moon tends to get pride of place and the sun perhaps takes a back seat? But it is an incredibly powerful source of natural energy and magic.” 1. Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson provides a fresh perspective on putting the Sun and solar energies into the same place of interest and mystery that the moon has typically held in practicing the craft. The book reads easily and is parceled out into bite-size pieces. The contents read like a table of correspondences for the sun and each chapter is only a few…
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Card Deck Review – The Spells Deck: 78 Charms, Remedies, and Rituals for the Modern Mystic by Cat Cabral, Illustrated by Kim Knoll
Card Deck Review The Spells Deck: 78 Charms, Remedies, and Rituals for the Modern Mystic by Cat Cabral, Illustrated by Kim Knoll Combining an oracle deck and a book of spells is this box of 78 cards divided into eight categories and offering wisdom, rituals and remedies intended to be “a witch’s divination tool and an all-levels guide to rituals, spells, and recipes for magical occasions and intentions.” The deck can be used to carry out a specific intention, such as seeking inspiration or deflecting negativity, by selecting an appropriate card for that purpose. It can also provide daily direction or inspiration by choosing a card at random.…