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Sober Pagan Reviews – The 12-Step Buddhist: Enhance Recovery from Any Addiction: Updated & Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition by Darren Littlejohn
Book Review The 12-Step Buddhist Enhance Recovery from Any Addiction Updated & Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition by Darren Littlejohn 400 Pages I was so happy to receive this book. I was well acquainted with the original edition, as my son’s father, a long-time Buddhist practitioner in the Tibetan tradition and AA guru had it on his shelf the last time I visited him in Florida, and I remember reading parts of it and being overall impressed with Darren Littlejohn’s synthesis of 12-Step dogma and Buddhist philosophy. This edition has much more information than the original edition – I have to say that it’s a tad dense – but…
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Book Review – Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, & Christian Rätsch
Book Review Plants of the Gods Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, & Christian Rätsch 208 Pages “Plants of the Gods” is a beautiful, extensive book that takes a look at the pharmacological wonders of the plant and fungus kingdoms, and their sacred and religious use by indigenous peoples throughout the world. To students of psychedelic pharmacology, each of these three authors is considered a luminary in his own right; in “Plants of the Gods,” Schultes, Hofmann, and Rätsch combine their knowledge into a pharmacopoeia that weaves together magical, medicinal, and ritual uses of well-known entheogenic plants with…
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The Lunar Horse and Spell for Beauty & Physical Attraction Excerpt from the Book ‘Horse Magick’ by Lawren Leo
The Lunar Horse Beware reader! Not all religious tales are pleasant, and sometimes the path to esoteric enlightenment is sullied with offal. The choice is yours; turn back now or just step around anything you may find offensive until the path is once again clear. Is this not, after all, the case in life itself? It is certainly the case in the ancient Japanese myth of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, which is drawn from the sacred text of the Shinto religion, The Kojiki (An Account of Ancient Matters). This myth has repulsive elements, but ultimately it edifies. Amaterasu and Susanowo The tale starts with the first parent, Izanagi, giving…
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Couple Begins a Wiccan Tradition, a Church and Projects to Preserve Both An Interview with Lisa Stewart, author of ‘Simply Wicca: A Beginner’s Guide to the Craft of the Wise’
An Interview with Lisa Stewart, author of ‘Simply Wicca: A Beginner’s Guide to the Craft of the Wise’ As young as four, Lisa Stewart began having paranormal experiences. “I set them aside while going through school because I didn’t want to be so different,” she said in a phone interview. In 1989 she came to The Craft of the Wise and began identifying as a witch. Nine years later, she met her husband online. He was living in England. “The first thing I asked him for was his birth information so I could run a natal chart. We had sixty-four compatibilities, so I thought, ‘I think I like…
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Book Review – The Manifestation Journal by Amy E. Chace
Book Review The Manifestation Journal by Amy E. Chace 208 Pages I was sent a copy of “The Manifestation Journal” by Amy E. Chace to review. This book is a hybrid of a journal, planner and sketchbook. It was published by Red Feather Mind, Body, Spirit, of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. It is a hardback book, about 6 inch by 9inch. Amy includes her own illustrations throughout this book. This book is described by the author as a “journal, a sketchbook, a planner, but mostly it’s a fun collaboration between you and me”. It has very little text and is mostly blank or patterned pages with her artwork adorning…
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Book Review – In Focus Reflexology: Your Personal Guide by Tina Chantrey
Book Review In Focus Reflexology Your Personal Guide by Tina Chantrey 144 Pages In Focus Reflexology: Your Personal Guide, by Tina Chantrey, published by Wellfleet Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 142 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018. I am reviewing a digital version of the book made available by the publisher via NetGalley, so my personal descriptions are a bit limited. Amazon lists this book as a hard cover, showing an image on the front cover of the bottom of the feet with reflexology zones outlined, and a brief description of reflexology on the back cover. The digital book contains 144 pages with…
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Book Review – Pagan Portals: Seeking the Primal Goddess-The Magic and Mystery of the Hearth Fire by Mélusine Draco
Book Review Pagan Portals Seeking the Primal Goddess The Magic and Mystery of the Hearth Fire by Mélusine Draco 96 Pages The opportunity to review this book peaked my curiosity due to my recently growing interest in studying ancient goddess cultures within European traditions from historical, anthropological, and archaeological lenses. Draco’s book is an interesting blend of locating the goddess across history as well as in modern pagan practices. I especially enjoyed the sections on the hearth fire’s connection with the goddess and–in my interpretation of this section–an undercurrent of feminism that has endured through the ages. The images that sprung to my mind of women tending sacred…
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Oracle Deck Review – The Everyday Witch Oracle by Deborah Blake & Elisabeth Alba
Oracle Deck Review The Everyday Witch Oracle by Deborah Blake & Elisabeth Alba The Everyday Witch Oracle, published by Llewellyn Publications, a Division of Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989, is created by Deborah Blake (who also created the Everyday Witch Tarot), with art by Elisabeth Alba. This is an Oracle deck containing 40 cards with witch and magic-themed images. The Everyday Witch Oracle comes in a sturdy 4 1/4” by 6” box with a matte color finish. The front of the box has a full color card image and the name of the deck; the back of the box has a description of the…
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Book Review – The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic by Arin-Murphy-Hiscock
Book Review The Green Witch’s Grimoire Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic by Arin-Murphy-Hiscock 256 Pages … A grimoire is essential for any witch wanting to capture and record spells, rituals, and secret ingredients. And for a green witch, a perfect place to reflect upon the power of nature, and document the stones, plants, flowers, oils, and herbs used in her practice…. The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic by Arin-Murphy-Hiscock is a companion title to Arin’s previously published The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More.…
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Book Review – Babytrology: The Astrological Guide to Your Little Star by Judi Vitale
Book Review Babytrology The Astrological Guide to Your Little Star by Judi Vitale 224 Pages With “Babytrology: The Astrological Guide to Your Little Star,” parents can learn about their baby’s personality and passions before it’s even born. Using the due date to determine the sun sign is all that’s needed to unlock a vast amount of information, from ruling planet to favorite colors. For each sign, Judi Vitale provides general characteristics, how they manifest for boys and girls, talents and affinities, style, challenges, and favorite things including foods, books, games and songs. Parents can read up on the learning style for that sign, the best way to calm…