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Book Review – Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration by Kristoffer Hughes
Book Review Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration by Kristoffer Hughes Published by Llewellyn Publications 336 pages Publication Date: March 8, 2021 Cerridwen, keeper of the cauldron, the “Goddess” of Awen, mother of Taliesin—any modern day pagan would be hard pressed to not have heard her story. But, who is she really? What is her history? How did she become so revered? Luckily, author Kristoffer Hughes elegantly answers these questions and more in his new work Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration. Hughes, a native Welshman, Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, and a Haemus Scholar has given us a definitive guide to all things Cerridwen. As he follows her…
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Book Review – The Poison Path Herbal: Baneful Herbs, Medicinal Nightshades, and Ritual Entheogens by Coby Michael
Book Review The Poison Path Herbal: Baneful Herbs, Medicinal Nightshades, and Ritual Entheogens by Coby Michael Published by Park Street Press 256 pages Publication date: October 26, 2021 Despite the abundance of herbal literature available today, it’s still hard to find accurate information on those plants whose physiological effects are dangerous and potent. It’s easy to see why: many authors don’t want to assume any responsibility for what readers might do with this information, nor do publishers. And so, instead of tackling the challenge these plants present, they write them off entirely, give them the label “poison,” and only explore their attributes in order to identify and…
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Book Review – The Witch’s Book of Simples: The Simple Arte of Domestic Folk Medicine by Mélusine Draco
Book Review The Witch’s Book of Simples: The Simple Arte of Domestic Folk Medicine by Mélusine Draco Publisher: Moon Books 208 Pages Publication Date: April 1, 2022 Witches have been using medicinal plants for cures of common ailments as part of their Craft for centuries. The most elementary cure is a simple – an infusion, poultice, or compress derived from a single herb. Nothing fancy, just effective: chamomile tea for sleep, elder flowers for coughs, peppermint for nausea – quick household remedies not intended as long-term treatments. Perhaps because they are so basic, they are often overlooked. Mélusine Draco wrote “The Witch’s Book of Simples: The Simple Arte…
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Book Review – Naming the God – edited by Trevor Greenfield
Book Review Naming the God edited by Trevor Greenfield Publisher: Moon Books 248 Pages Publication Date: May 1, 2022 Naming the God is the latest anthology brought to us by Moon Books who published Naming the Goddess in 2014. This latest work is a collaboration of 70 essays that explores attributes of male deities and individual gods. The first part of the book offers 12 essays where the authors share their perspectives and personal practice working with various gods of different aspects. The rest of the book is arranged with a focus on one god. Many traditions and cultures are represented in this anthology and on its pages,…
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Book Review – Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Magical Living
Book Review Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Magical Living by Maria DeBlassie Published by Moon Books 128 Pages Published: October 1, 2021 Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Magical Living by Maria DeBlassie is a very readable book that provides the reader with all of the necessary tools to set out to explore a path of magical living. The content is organized in a way that is easy to move through and offers plenty of opportunities to try out spells, rituals and more. Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Magical Living is separated into eight (8) sections, including the Introduction and Conclusion: Conjure Your Own Special Magic.…
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Book Review – Tarot in Motion: A Handbook to Embody Wisdom Through the Cards by Miriam Jacobs
Book Review Tarot in Motion: A Handbook to Embody Wisdom Through the Cards by Miriam Jacobs Published by Red Feather Published on October 19, 2021 128 pages Tarot In Motion: A Handbook to Embody Wisdom through the Cards is by Miriam Jacobs, published by Red Feather Mind, Body, Spirit, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310. Copyright 2021 by Miriam Jacobs. Tarot in Motion is a 6 inch by 9 inch soft cover book with a matte finish full color front cover showing the book’s title and a back cover containing a description of the book. It contains 128 pages with black…
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Book Review – Banishing Snakes with Fire: 13 Rituals to Reclaim Your Authentic Self by James Dey Harris
Book Review Banishing Snakes with Fire: 13 Rituals to Reclaim Your Authentic Self by James Dey Harris Self-published 238 pages Publication date: December 30, 2021 Banishing Snakes with Fire is a beautiful book. Author James Dey Harris takes us on a journey through the inner and outer landscapes of his life from childhood and offers us practices to make this journey in tandem with him. He explains that he wrote the book while doing the work – prospectively – inhabiting each phase of his soulful exploration as he recorded it. It’s not a retrospective look at the healing and self-revelation from the mountain top once he’s already arrived,…
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Book Review – The Big Book of Magical Incense by Sara L. Mastros
Book Review The Big Book of Magical Incense by Sara L. Mastros Published by Weiser Books 281 pages Publication date: December 1, 2021 If you haven’t made your own incense before, you might not be aware that the art of making and using incense can be as complex and expressive as any other magical art. Part herbalism, part ritual, and part intuition, incense-making is an art that I didn’t know I needed to engage with until I read this book. “The Big Book of Magical Incense” is a well-researched and thorough book that takes a deep dive into incense mixing and making. The first part of the…
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Book Review — Hekate: Goddess of Witches by Courtney Weber
Book Review Hekate: Goddess of Witches by Courtney Weber Published by Moon Books 224 Pages Published: August 1, 2021 “…Who is Hekate? Like many goddesses of the Old World, Hekate’s origins are mysterious. She is commonly known as a goddess of ancient Greece, a period which is generally understood to encompass 1200 BCE–500 CE, but she did not originate there. She may have originated in the Minoan civilization (2700–1100 BCE), or was at least influenced by gods of that culture. Evidence of Hekate worship has also been found in Sicily, Libya, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Syria. The town of Lagina is thought to be home to her most…
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Book Review – The Witch at the Forest’s Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Witchcraft by Christine Grace
Book Review The Witch at the Forest’s Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Witchcraft by Christine Grace Published by Weiser Books 224 Pages Published: November 2021 …I stand in the meadow, at the forest’s edge. One step forward and I will straddle the boundary between fading light in the swaying grass and rich darkness in the woods. One more step and I will be immersed in the nighttime world of southern, hardwood forest. My home lay behind me, the wild magic ahead. I am the witch at the forest’s edge… (1) The Witch at the Forest’s Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Witchcraft by Christine Grace is an immersive…
