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Book Review – Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey by Kenneth Johnson
Book Review Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey by Kenneth Johnson Publisher: Crossed Crow Books 233 Pages Published: January 31, 2023 Are Witches Shamans? Where does witchcraft originate? Is it related to Shamanism and the Shamanic Journey? According to Kenneth Johnson, Witches are the direct decedents of the remnants of European Shamanism. He uses history, written observations by historical figures, courtroom confessions during the European witch trials, and anthropology and archaeology studies to show us the path taken from ancient shamanism, through medieval witch-scares, to modern day witchcraft. First we’re shown what it means to be a shaman, how shamans are spiritual healers who go to the Otherworlds to…
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Book Review – Crimson Craft: Sexual Magic for the Solo Witch by Halo Quin
Book Review Crimson Craft: Sexual Magic for the Solo Witch Written by Halo Quin Publisher: Moon Books 172 Pages Release Date: February 1, 2023 “[S]ex magic is love magic; not the enchantment of another, but the seduction of oneself,” Halo Quin wrote in Crimson Craft: Sexual Magic for the Solo Witch. The book is a guide for healing the divine, erotic self, leading readers to harness the sacred power of pleasure. Its focus is on working to court, accept, and love yourself. Shamelessly. Not everyone is comfortable, or ready, to walk the path of the Red Witch. Those who are will find the magic is real.…
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Communing with the Essence
Relating with Raindrops and Communing with Cups of Tea; The Ecstatic Dance of Life — Our mind is not the only part of ourselves that communicates. A hot cup of tea communicates; maybe through a warning indicating, “careful hot”, or maybe through a comforting warmth or a soothing relaxation, maybe it signals, “it is time for self”. It has been raining these past few days and the rain is communicating with my body. It is not always pleasant or soothing, sometimes it’s distracting and unwanted. Just like Nature, all of Life is communicating with us. Our past, our present, and our future communicates. Parts of ourselves we wish would go…
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Focus Pocus
Odysseus Probably Had ADHD Ever since I was diagnosed with ADHD, I’ve been looking for role models I can learn from. There are many celebrities, athletes, and influencers who speak out about their experiences and I find it inspiring to hear their stories. Simone Biles, Emma Watson, and Scott Kelly are just a few of the famous people I admire and hearing about their struggles and their achievements helps me remember that I can achieve a lot of things myself. I also like to observe other people and see if any ADHD-like characteristics emerge, or any other neurodivergent traits. I do this with the intention of better understanding someone…
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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…
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Book Review – Earth Witch: Finding Magic in the Land by Britton Boyd
Book Review Earth Witch: Finding Magic in the Land by Britton Boyd Publisher: Hierophant Publishing 184 pages Release Date: December 15, 2022 Earth Witch is a great book for exploring the area otherwise known as green witchcraft. Earth witch is another name for those who identify as “wild” or “green” witches. It is those practitioners who choose to primarily work in nature with the earth, the moon and life upon the planet including trees, plants and herbs. In this easy-to-read book, Ms. Boyd shares with her readers the path in which she has been called to. She shares with us her need to get away from…
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Book Review – The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers by Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano
Book Review The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers by Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano Publisher: Skyhorse 280 Pages Publication date: June 6, 2023 Plants are my bag, so any book aimed at “Green Witches” is going to be hitting my shelves, sooner or later. The subtitle for this one is, “26 love spells from apples to zinnias,” which startled me a little, as the main title seems to indicate it’s a general guide, rather than a book specifically on love spells. Oh well—as with all things, I approached it with an open mind! First impressions, this book is gorgeous. The artwork from the cover design…
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Witch & Popcorn
My Name is Mo’Nique Bright Blessings, film and tv watchers! I am reviewing something that had me in tears in ways I never expected. I have not been a fan of this individual simply because I watched this individual raise holy hell about things regularly, and I considered them to be a bucket of rage and a bitter individual who quite frankly seemed like a negative individual who I just would not want to be in the room with. And that was my opinion of Mo’Nique and I was wrong. However, I’m not stupid. I have watched her as a fashion icon, and am aware that the older she…
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Book Review – African American Magick: A Modern Grimoire for the Natural Home by Stephanie Rose Bird
Book Review African American Magick: A Modern Grimoire for the Natural Home by Stephanie Rose Bird Publisher: Weiser Books 237 Pages Release Date: June 5, 2023 This book is dedicated to a group of people in the Northern Territory an the outstation of Maparu in Australia and thanking them for six thousand years of ancient ways. The book has been organized with the first few chapters acknowledging the magic and mystery of all the seasons. Then several chapters have been dedicated to each season – highlighting how and what to harvest to honour that season. The information contained within the book was originally published in 2006.…
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Interview: How Happiness and Foraging Intertwine for “The Wildwood Way” Author Cliff Seruntine
“I wanted to inspire people to re-conceptualize happiness,” Cliff Seruntine said about writing The Wildwood Way: Spiritual Growth in the Heart of Nature. First published in 2015, the book was re-released last year. “I’m a psychotherapist by profession, and I’ve a lot of education in psychology. I’ve been enamored with the concept of happiness ever since my earliest undergraduate days,” he said in a telephone interview in late March as snow fell on his homestead in the wilds of Nova Scotia. “There is a fairly esoteric field called happiness science. It is a well-established branch of science. Very few people know it exists or how serious it is, but every…