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Book Review – Secrets of the Combined Astrology: The Full 144 Combinations of the Chinese and Western Zodiac Signs by Zakariya Adeel
Book Review Secrets of the Combined Astrology: The Full 144 Combinations of the Chinese and Western Zodiac Signs by Zakariya Adeel 760 pages This is not a book you will read cover-to-cover. It is an encyclopedic reference – over 750 pages – pairing and describing the 144 combinations of the 12 Western astrological signs and the 12 Chinese animal archetypes which are used to designate each year. The author, in the Acknowledgments, states that it took 9 years to put the book together. He admits to a fascination with Chinese astrology since he read Theodora Lau’s Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes when he was a child. Adeel has paired each…
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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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Book Review – Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth by Francoise Bourzat with Kristina Hunter
Book Review Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth by Francoise Bourzat with Kristina Hunter 270 Pages In a market increasingly saturated by books espousing the virtues of psychedelic and alternative therapies, Françoise Bourzat’s “Consciousness Medicine” stands apart in its focused dedication to psychedelic therapy as a method of self-directed healing and growth. While other tomes contain more information about the chemical and neurological effects of psychedelic use, this book focuses on time-tested methods of preparation such as talk therapy and journaling, the psychological experience of journeying, and — one of the most overlooked and important aspects of psychedelic therapy —…
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Book Review – Wellness Witch: Healing Potions, Soothing Spells, and Empowering Rituals for Magical Self-Care By Nikki Van de Car, Illustrated by Anita Makhoul
Book Review Wellness Witch: Healing Potions, Soothing Spells, and Empowering Rituals for Magical Self-Care By Nikki Van de Car, Illustrated by Anita Makhoul 136 pp. Running Press “Wellness Witch: Healing Potions, Soothing Spells, and Empowering Rituals for Magical Self-Care” is a lovingly crafted book of simple herbal remedies, self-care rituals, and spells for the mind, body, and home. Full of recipes for teas, tinctures, and other herbal preparations, “Wellness Witch” is a book whose focused approach is likely to appeal to experienced herbalists as well as novices. This is not a particularly ambitious book, but it gathers together a short collection of personal care rituals, recipes, and spells,…
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Book Review – Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans: Using the Planets and the Stars for Effective Spellwork, Rituals and Magickal Work by Ivo Dominguez Jr
Book Review Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans: Using the Planets and the Stars for Effective Spellwork, Rituals and Magickal Work by Ivo Dominguez Jr 216 pages For all you workers of magick who have avoided digging into astrology because it is so darn complicated, hesitate no longer! Ivo Dominguez, Jr. has created a very practical, basic and down-to-earth reference book that I, a practicing astrologer, find chock full of useful information. I am also a beginning user of magick and have started weaving astrology into that practice. This book has really opened my eyes to all the ways to work with the energy of the heavens outside of the…