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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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As Above, So Below (How the Stars Became Our Hearts)
Does the Universe Care? Throughout the ages, human consciousness has sought to scratch the surface of reality, and those who are able get peek behind the scenes have a different takeaway. For every NDE (near death experience) where a person claims to have seen god and a universe beyond understanding and been reunited with loved ones, you have a claim of those who saw nothing at all. Locally, with experiences like church and psychedelics, some report profound experiences, other’s experience profound boredom. If you dig deeper into the wisdom of the sages, you’ll still be disappointed. While it is popular to believe great minds think alike, it would seem they…
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Book Review – Ancient Fayerie: Stories of the Celtic Sidhe and How to Connect to the Otherworldly Realms by Melanie Godfrey
Book Review Ancient Fayerie Stories of the Celtic Sidhe and How to Connect to the Otherworldly Realms by Melanie Godfrey Publisher: Moon Books 136 Pages Publication Date: September 1, 2022 The author takes you on a journey into the heart of the Celtic fayerie worlds… where trolls roam through sylvan glades… where dragons dwell amid mountain ranges… where at night, through sapphire skies, moonbeams descend on faeries, dancing. Ancient Fayerie reveals ways by which you can unite with these mystical worlds as you reconnect with nature and realise that you are not separate from Mother Earth. “Faerie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarfs, witches,…
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Book Review – Pagan Portals: Demeter by Robin Corak
Book Review Pagan Portals: Demeter by Robin Corak Published by Moon Books 128 pages Publication date: October 1, 2022 Pagan Portals: Demeter by Robin Corak is a short, well-researched book offering a modern, magical, and psychological approach to working with the ancient goddess. Corak begins with Demeter’s story as it is relayed in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, along with a few mythological tidbits from other ancient sources to give different perspectives of the goddess. The book moves on to discuss the rites specific to the historic worship of Demeter, to provide a basis for the personal work to follow.…
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Book Review – Traditional Brazilian Black Magic by Diego de Oxossi
Book Review Traditional Brazilian Black Magic: The Secrets of the Kimbanda Magicians by Diego de Oxóssi Destiny Books 128 Pages Publication date: August 31, 2021 Diego de Oxossi, a Chief of Kimbanda and an Orishas Priest, details the tradition of Afro-Brazilian black magic. Although it’s been demonized, Kimbanda is a spiritual practice embracing both the light and dark aspects of life through worshiping the entities Eshu and Pombajira. The book is written in a scholarly fashion, with references, documentation, and examples. Before the introduction are three pages about African and Portuguese vocabulary used in the book. While I find foreign…
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Book Review – The Little Book of Tibetan Rites and Rituals by Judy Tsuei
Book Review The Little Book of Tibetan Rites and Rituals by Judy Tsuei Publisher: Ulysses Press Publication Date: March 22, 2022 144 pages Tibetan Buddhism is a centuries old religion that many are running to find books, websites, videos, and anything else they can to learn how to incorporate into their daily lives. “The goal of the Five Tibetan Rights, – and generally all Tibetan philosophy – is to live in a state of relaxation, a natural state in full presence of our potential.” This book is perfect for anyone. There is a brief history on Tibetan Buddhism and the rites at the beginning which is nice as…
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Abroad at Samhain
A New Samhain Poem by Mabh Savage Exclusive to PaganPagesOrg A halfway house Twixt autumn and winter Cold for us Frozen for others Yet warm and barely golden For some. So many different Samhains So many calls to the dead So many nods to ancestors Mentors Friends of fur and feather Or those family we chose For ourselves. Wherever in the world You celebrate the turn Towards darkness Remember turnips Painstakingly carved Apple peels thrown over shoulders Candles lit while looking in the mirror The butter and cream left out For those who come Perhaps uninvited But never spurned or mocked. Be safe Walk well Ward well Hold…
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Book Review – Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits: Faery Magic from Story to Practice by Halo Quin
Book Review Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits Faery Magic from Story to Practice by Halo Quin Publisher: Moon Books 104 Pages Publication Date: August 25, 2022 Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits: Faery Magic from Story to Practice, by Halo Quin is one of the diverse and multi-topic books in the series Pagan Portals published by Moon Books. This title is separated into seven (7) chapters, each replete with well-researched information, lore and common sense recommendations for approaching this much written about subject of specific non-corporeal beings. Scattered throughout the chapters are “practices” that allow the reader to spend some time in thought, action or experience that enriches the process of connecting…
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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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Samhain Correspondences
(Horned God Harvest Doll/Samhain Poppets/Gothic Cernunnos Corn Husk Dolls created by Courtney Jameson available at CrimsonSageApoth on Etsy.) Samhain 2022 in Northern Hemisphere will begin in the evening of Monday, October 31 and ends in the evening of Tuesday, November 1 Other Names: celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia,…
